Star Princess June 14th Inside Passage....have questions

[digger69]

This will be our first Princess and first Alaskan cruise. Last cruise was on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas.

 

What can we expect with Princess vs. Royal Carribean? Having never been to Alaska, which shore excursions are worth it to you and which are not?

[chrysalis]

What ports are you going to?

[digger69]

We're heading to Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria B.C.

[LeeW]

You definately need to do some research for these ports on the Alaska boards, since you will get a better idea there. Note that Alaska is expensive - be prepared. All shopping is within walking distance of the ship, so will not comment on that. It will take many trips to exhaust all the things you can do in these ports.

 

Many folks book direct - we usually go with Princess tours. For Ketchikan, consider a bear watching flight to Neets Bay. Note that since this is one of the rainiest spots in Alaska, you might get rained out.

 

For Juneau we prefer the small whale watching boats of Orca Enterprises. Family operation, and they only take about half the load the boats could carry. Lots of folks like the glacier helicopter rides and activities - pretty expensive! You can easily get to the Mendenhall Glacier on your own. Lots of buses at the base of the tram lift in town that will drive you up for $8 or so. Note that they only run til around 5, and they get touchy if you try to get on the bus with a different bus line ticket.

 

Skagway has many good options, including multiple train trip options up the pass. If a lot of ships are in you probably can only book this through the cruise line. Last time we tried a Princess tour to the Eagle Reserve in Haines. This was a ferry, bus, float trip with lunch on the bank of the river. Lots of eagles (didn't see any bears except tracks), and was fun pushing the raft over the sandbars. Guide was a local author.

 

We stayed in Victoria one trip, not as a port, but lots of folks go to the Butchart Gardens. We did a free tour of the Parliament building - just meet at the bottom of the front stairs and get a great tour.

 

Have a great trip.

[peety3]

... which shore excursions are worth it to you and which are not?

I'm a photography addict, so I choose the boat-based excursions that get me in front of the most wildlife. I stay out of the planes because of the challenge of bringing large lenses in the plane/helicopter (if not the weight challenge).

 

That said, my wishes may not match yours. Honestly, I'd just go through the excursion guide and cross off the ones you don't like, and see where you're at.

[satxdiver]

The Star will be vastly different than the RCI ship since it is much smaller. If you can get a balcony room as this is the best way to see AK. The scenery is the major draw here as well as occasional whale sighting. You did not indicate if you are going to Glacier Bay (hopefully) or Tracy Arm (much less desireable). We have been to both and Glacier Bay is far the better choice.

 

In Skagway the major excursion is the train up through the pass. The scenery is beautiful which again is what it is all about. Take the train one way only or it will be a boring ride on the return. They will bring you back by bus. The cruise ships often fill the train so little hope of indpendent travel. This is a tourist town made to look like the days of the gold rush and is quite small.

 

Juneau, AK state capital, has the Mendenhal Glacier where everyone goes. It is located maybe 12 miles or so from the port. There are many ways to get to the glacier. AK is about glaciers so don't miss it. The AK state museum is here and is fairly nice and worth the visit. Everyone goes to the Red Dog Saloon such that it has a line waiting to get in. You will see it when you get off the ship. It is your typical tourist place.

 

Ketchikan gets over 200 inches of rain each year. So expect it to rain while you are there! This is where they were going to build the infamous "bridge to nowhere". They have a really nice native park just outside the town that showcases the native Americans that lived in the area and worth the visit. This is a very small town so don't expect much. Be sure to visit Creek Street as it has historical significance.

 

Ketchikan and Juneau are only accessible by water or air. Skagway can be reached by road through Canada's Yukon Territory and the Alaskan Highway that runs through the Yukon. Shopping is not available other than souveniers at any of these ports. Each has a store with genuine AK produced items so look for them. Best part though is no jewelry store every block!

[tgmg00a]

My DW and I will be on your same cruise. First time for her, 2nd Princess cruise for me but it's been a LONG time. After some research on both this site and getting some books from the Library we have decided on the Ketchikan Coastal Wildlife Cruise, the Glacier View Sea Kayaking in Juneau, and the Eagle Preserve Rafting in Skagway. Still trying to decide on what to do in Victoria but do plan to visit Butchart Gardens either on our own, or with an outside tour.

 

I would also recommend you join the Roll Call forum for this cruise. There have been some questions and good suggestion for tours there as well. Plus the Alaska forum has tons of good information as well.

 

Hope to see you at Sea!

:)