Port Excursion Pointers welcome

[Mr&MrsSmith]

We are very excited for our cruise next month. We have finalized the main items on our cruise and looking for pointers, lunch stops or confirmation we can do additional items while at port. Any input or advise is welcome =)

 

Skagway, Alaska 7:00 AM 8:30 PM

Rental Car drive - need to download the Milepost or Murray's Guide. We have our Passports and would like to do Yukon Suspension bridge, any other recommendations? How about lunch stops?

 

Juneau, Alaska 6:30 AM 4:00 PM

9 am Whale Tour

Lunch? Heard about potentially Tracy's Crab Shack

Afternoon do we have time to do the tram and bus to mendenhall glacier?

 

Ketchikan, Alaska 10:00 AM 6:00 PM

AM would like to walk town, is there a good map which can be printed or can get mailed? We would like to walk Creek Street, Married Man's Trail with Salmon ladder and Stedman Bridge but not sure if all close to one another. Also ideally would like to visit a Totem Park.

315 Fjords Tour with 515 return.

For a food stop so far have read Crab at Annabelle's Pub & Chowderhouse. across the street from the Cruise Ship Terminal #2 or Cape Cape Fox Lodge for appetizer Crab Brie using the funicular.

 

We also know anything can be cancelled but is one very likely above?

[Budget Queen]

We are very excited for our cruise next month. We have finalized the main items on our cruise and looking for pointers, lunch stops or confirmation we can do additional items while at port. Any input or advise is welcome =)

 

Skagway, Alaska 7:00 AM 8:30 PM

Rental Car drive - need to download the Milepost or Murray's Guide. We have our Passports and would like to do Yukon Suspension bridge, any other recommendations? How about lunch stops?

 

Juneau, Alaska 6:30 AM 4:00 PM

9 am Whale Tour

Lunch? Heard about potentially Tracy's Crab Shack

Afternoon do we have time to do the tram and bus to mendenhall glacier?

 

Ketchikan, Alaska 10:00 AM 6:00 PM

AM would like to walk town, is there a good map which can be printed or can get mailed? We would like to walk Creek Street, Married Man's Trail with Salmon ladder and Stedman Bridge but not sure if all close to one another. Also ideally would like to visit a Totem Park.

315 Fjords Tour with 515 return.

For a food stop so far have read Crab at Annabelle's Pub & Chowderhouse. across the street from the Cruise Ship Terminal #2 or Cape Cape Fox Lodge for appetizer Crab Brie using the funicular.

 

We also know anything can be cancelled but is one very likely above?

 

Skagway- your meal options are either going to be Skagway or Carcross area, nothing in between, a option also listed is purchasing food in Skagway and taking it with you. There should be recent reports, perhaps a site search would be helpful with updated, this season's eateries.

 

Frankly a more "efficient" tour option in Juneau, is to have a combo tour with a whale watch and Mendenhall. You are adding at least an hour by adding "lunch" in just the transit time, then at least another 30 minutes for eating. You may want to consider saving that hour and using it at Mendenhall and eating later. Easy to add Mt Roberts on the spot, determine when you get there, if you wish to go up or not.

 

Ketchikan, the dock visitor center has maps. All these location are near each other. The order I recommend is to head to Creek St. easy, just look for the funicular and walk toward it. go up the funicular, out the back of the Fox Lodge, taking a look at their totems, then walk down the Married Man's trail, to Park, turn right. The creek is on your left, until you get to the salmon ladder. turn back, then on your left if a sign for the Totem Heritage Museum- stop in, if you wish to. Continue through the City Park, turn right and back down Deermont. Turn right you are back at Creek St. Dolly's House is worth a look.

 

You do have time for Totem Bight, but you need to allow 3 hours. So, I would suggest you be ready ahead of time to exit the ship as soon as it clears. Have the bus schedule and hopefully not a long wait. You would have to decide, if a cab cost or fixed tour would be of worth to include it, allowing for shorter time, involved.

[firstalaskatrip]

In terms of your Juneau plans, we did a very similar day in reverse order. We really enjoyed Tracy's for lunch. As Budget Queen mentioned, you definitely lose a decent amount of travel time in going all the way back to town between whale watching and Mendenhall. However, you can't bring food to the glacier. If you are doing whale watching first and can pick up lunch to carry with you before heading to whale watching or if you don't mind skipping lunch, then getting a drop off at mendenhall after whale watching saves time.

 

For us, we knew we would be starving, so we did mendenhall, then came back into town, went to the crab shack and headed back out to whale watching. This worked for us since there was plenty of time in port. We would likely have been able to fit the tram in too, but there was a severe accident which slowed down the roads and our whale watch company was kind enough to add time to our tour to make up for our delayed arrival, so we skipped the tram (was happy to skip it to get to stay out on the water and see more whales ;) ). Hope you have a great time!

[Ashland]

Might you consider the Bering Sea Crab excursion in Ketchikan...this was actually one of the best things we did on our recent (May) cruise, it's a favorite of many on these boards..You can book directly on their website and save a few $$'s.

[sherryf]

Skagway- your meal options are either going to be Skagway or Carcross area, nothing in between, a option also listed is purchasing food in Skagway and taking it with you. There should be recent reports, perhaps a site search would be helpful with updated, this season's eateries.

 

Actually, if they plan to visit the Suspension Bridge, as mentioned, there is supposedly a cafe there, according to their web site. Might be an option, depending on timing.

[Budget Queen]

Actually, if they plan to visit the Suspension Bridge, as mentioned, there is supposedly a cafe there, according to their web site. Might be an option, depending on timing.

 

I missed that. :) Thanks for the clarification. It may be a good option for some, but it is only about an hour away from Skagway.