Tracy Arm in HAL 7 day inside passage

[cruiser 101]

Thanks so much, at this time the excursions for Sept 2013 are not listed but I will be sure to jump on it.

[travelingla]

But we still had enough energy to hit the Red Dog Saloon for some Alaska Amber when we got back to Juneau. Cheesy I know, but we enjoyed it!

 

Oh -- I love enjoying the local culture - with or without the cheese :p

 

...and we will def have the Alaskan beers at every possible opportunity :D

 

I enjoyed the Red Dog Saloon on our last trip there -- a cute fun place.

[MightyQuinn]

Oh -- I love enjoying the local culture - with or without the cheese :p

Ah ... local culture. Ya gotta love it, even when it's staged!

 

The camarderie and antics at Red Dog Saloon reminded me of the time I spent in Yukon during Sourdough Rendezvous. Maybe rowdy saloons and piano players are the same everywhere in the North. I almost expected to find a Sour Toe Cocktail on the drinks menu! But Alaska Amber did the trick. LOL.

[bonvoyagie]

What - you went to the Red Dog and did not have a Duck Fart :eek:

[Budget Queen]

If anyone wants "culture", then I highly recommend the Alaskan Hotel. Not overloaded with tourists like the Red Dog, and on the Historic Register. It's down and across the street, from the Red Dog, on Franklin.

[travelingla]

If anyone wants "culture", then I highly recommend the Alaskan Hotel. Not overloaded with tourists like the Red Dog, and on the Historic Register. It's down and across the street, from the Red Dog, on Franklin.

 

GREAT tip! I have it on my radar to visit. Thanks!

 

 

ok -- probably off topic here and I do NOT want to open a can of 'dressed worms' -- but..... it's been 6 yrs since we were on the AK cruise on Volendam - wondering how the men dress for 'elegant casual' night now -- a number in our group want to know if they are expected to take a sport coat and tie to AK or if a nice dress shirt and slacks will be acceptable???

 

Also for Pinnacle Grill --- I'd like to hear from someone who recently cruised this ship in AK.

 

Also - the question came up if we can take wine on board and pay a corkage fee vs buying wine in the restaurant???

 

Maybe I need to post these questions elsewhere.:confused:

[roquejo]

oh gosh..we are going off topic here.. :D

[usermom]

Hi. You also posted about this on the HAL forum, so I'm glad I found you here. Maybe our recent experience on Volendam will help ...

 

We arrived at the drop-off point near Tracy Arm early and boarded the Allen Marine catamaran around 9:45 am. We spent the next 5 hours exploring Tracy Arm. We had dreary weather with low cloud cover but still saw some spectacular scenery and wildlife. This is not billed as a wildlife excursion but we saw harbour seals, eagles and even a few whale spouts as we exited the fjord. All in a very dramatic setting. We arrived back in Juneau about 3:15 pm and disembarked next to the pier where Volendam was docked, with plenty of time to hit Tracy's Crab Shack for a cuppa bisque!

 

You could easily combine the Tracy Arm excursion with an evening whale watch, provided you're in port long enough. Volendam stayed in Juneau until 10:30 pm. The Allan Marine shorex was scheduled to depart at 6:00 pm for 3.5 hours and you could probably do it privately as well. But here's a tip for whales: Be outside when you leave (or enter) Glacier Bay when the ship passes through Icy Strait. We saw an incredible number of whales off the bow of Volendam when leaving Glacier Bay. There were both humpbacks and minkes and they were literally all around us. Our Captain had warned us to be on the look-out and he was very excited when so many appeared. It was way better than some paid whale watch excursions that we've taken! As always, YMMV.

 

How difficult was it to transfer from the ship to the catamaran? Can someone with mobility issues do it?

[Budget Queen]

How difficult was it to transfer from the ship to the catamaran? Can someone with mobility issues do it?

 

Contact Allen Marine directly and ask them specifically about your access needs. They run several boats, and they should know which one is scheduled, and the details you will need.

[usermom]

Contact Allen Marine directly and ask them specifically about your access needs. They run several boats, and they should know which one is scheduled, and the details you will need.

 

Good idea. I just emailed them. Thanks for your help.

[usermom]

Just wanted to say thank you for recommending the Tracy Arm excursion. It was an amazing day. The weather was beautiful, the staff on the Allen Marine ship were friendly and knowledgeable, the boat was roomy with plenty of time for everyone to take great pictures, and the captain was magnificent since his goal was to get close to North and South Sawyer Glaciers and he accomplished this. This is one excursion I would definitely do again.

[NoobCruise]

Just wanted to say thank you for recommending the Tracy Arm excursion. It was an amazing day. The weather was beautiful, the staff on the Allen Marine ship were friendly and knowledgeable, the boat was roomy with plenty of time for everyone to take great pictures, and the captain was magnificent since his goal was to get close to North and South Sawyer Glaciers and he accomplished this. This is one excursion I would definitely do again.

 

Aw I'm jealous lol We just got back this morning. We were booked for the round trip from Juneau to Tracy Arm with Allen Marine on Monday (Sept 3rd). We were supposed to be the first ones off the ship for this excursion. When we went to the meeting place on the ship, we were informed it was cancelled due to weather :( We hopped on a whale watching (Allen Marine) and Mendenhall Glacier tour instead and had a fabulous time. We saw lots of Humpbacks and even some Orcas. That was very exciting :) I recommend people have a backup plan for spur of the moment changes so they aren't stumped if it's cancelled last minute.