First time cruisers headed to Alaska

[commila]

Hello,

We were invited to go on an Alaskan cruise (Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan) in August and will be first-time cruisers. We are in our early 30s. Was hoping others might be able to share their expertise in the following areas:

1) Looks like there are long lists of excursions available to book through the cruise line. It's hard to know where to start because there are so many options. Are there a few that are considered to be popular highlights of an Alaskan cruise? We're not much into helicopters/small planes, so will probably pass on the "flight-seeing", but are planning to take the scenic railway trip. We're also considering the dogsled excursion (will be wheeled cart on bare ground since it's summer) and some sort of trip to the Mendenhall glacier (not sure which of the many options). We are from the Pacific Northwest, so things like whale watching and such aren't complete novelties to us, but we'd like to make sure we pick a few good excursions to make the most of our time in Alaska. I know that some of it comes down to personal preference, but if there are any "don't miss" ones that everyone does on an Alaskan cruise, we'd love to know about those.

 

2) On a related note, is it a good idea to try to arrange excursions not affiliated with the cruise line? The cruise line ones are very pricey, but of course you have the guarantee of departing/arriving on time so you don't miss the boat. It's easier just to do the ones offered by the boat, but if it's common for cruisers to arrange private excursions so they don't have to pay an arm and a leg, then that's something we'll probably look into.

 

3) Does anybody have experience with the gold panning excursions? Could see it going either way - either a fun novelty or a tourist trap.

 

4) When a cruise line describes an excursion as "kid friendly" does this just mean that the excursion doesn't include things that would be inappropriate for kids (like sea kayaking), or does it mean that the excursion is geared towards the kids?

 

5) Does anybody have experience arranging public or private transportation (not through the cruise line) to Mendenhall glacier? The one people we know that did almost missed their bus back to the boat, but I'm wondering if this is a common issue or if it was just them.

 

Thanks so much in advance!

[Lucky TGO]

We booked this tour from Princess. We were taken to (Last Chance Basin) We went panning for gold it was sooooooo much fun. The best thing was we found a little gold. Good luck and I wish you strike it rich!!! :)

Tony

[Lewaina]

Lewaina 31/2017

Booked a 6and a half hour tour through viatour brilliant ,we went from Skagway,but they would also do tours from other places.The tour company through viatour was called Fronier excursions only about 20 seater bus.We saw three bears went for lunch to car across and were given plenty of photo stops ,We also went higher than the railway.Glad we did this tour,we went mid June,they also guarantee you get back to the ship in time or they will get you back to the next port.Was also less than the ships tours.Read their reviews.

[Lewaina]

Lewaina 31/17

You can also walk around Skagway,check out the red onion Saloon. Good prices on Jewellery.

One of our other stops was Ketchikan.The is a shuttle.although walking around the stores is not far.Creek Street is a must,used to be red light area lots of historyAlso a couple of good pubs.

Some really good tourist shops and Jackets wind and water proof were only about $17 us.If only we had not packed so much we really didn't need half of what we took.Hope this helps Alaska is a million times better in the flesh just magnificent,Enjoy.

Edited July 31, 2017 by Lewaina
spelling

[caribill]

 

2) On a related note, is it a good idea to try to arrange excursions not affiliated with the cruise line? The cruise line ones are very pricey, but of course you have the guarantee of departing/arriving on time so you don't miss the boat. It's easier just to do the ones offered by the boat, but if it's common for cruisers to arrange private excursions so they don't have to pay an arm and a leg, then that's something we'll probably look into. Any reputable tour provider will get you back to the ship on time. If you have not done so yet, join the Cruise Critic roll call for your cruise.

Find Your Princess Roll Call

You may find some excursions that roll call members have arranged that still have room for more. I assume you are taking the cruise this August, not next year. August is upon us and finding independent excursions still available may take considerable time and effort. Go to the Alaska section of Cruise Critic to get suggestions of reliable tour providers. Note: As a first time cruiser you may wish to pay the extra for the Princess tours. The peace of mind knowing that all has been arranged for you may well be worth the extra cost for your first trip to Alaska.

 

3) Does anybody have experience with the gold panning excursions? Could see it going either way - either a fun novelty or a tourist trap. It is an enjoyable fun novelty tourist trap.

 

 

Enjoy your first cruise.

[trbarton]

No need to go to the Mendenhall glacier through the ship as your time on the tour is limited & requires that you rush out to the Glacier. I have used the ships tour before but now use a private company that takes you to the same place so there's no need to rush. I get a one one way ticket, there are 2 companies doing the same thing, so when I'm ready to come back I can take whatever company comes first. I go out there early in the morning. If someone almost missed the bus they didn't plan things right & probable went there too late & cut things too short.

 

Use this link to get more information https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g31020-i1190-k9274368-Mendenhall_glacier_transportation-Juneau_Alaska.html.

 

Another must is the Salmon Bake that I go to every time I'm in Juneau. Use https://www.bestofalaskatravel.com/alaska_day_tours/pages/j_gold_creek_salmon.htm for for more information. They provide a shuttle to & from town.

If you want to do the train trip the one through the ship boards right along the ship but the same one in town takes you to the same place for less $. Check out both prices. Easy to get into town plus there is a shuttle that is convenient & saves time.

 

I prefer to use private companies when possible to save $.

 

Any questions please ask.

 

Tom😎

[xlxo]

Look for Mendenhall and white pass combo tours to maximize your valuable port time.

 

Sent from my STV100-3 using Forums mobile app

[easyboy]

You can post on the Alaska Port of Call Forum for more suggestions:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

[LoriPhil]

I also recommend checking the Alaska ports of call. We've learned so much from the many posts there, including private tour options that we've returned to year after year (yay Chilkoot Tours in Skagway - we take the van up and train back to town).

 

Congratulations on cruising Alaska - it's our favorite itinerary!

[KevintheIrishDJ]

Go on the "Roll Call" for your cruise to get some ideas about private tours. Also, buy 100 shares of Carnival stock to get an OBC every time you cruise.

[Moondance30]

Hey commila,

 

First, we have seen people who miss the ship, the first one was in Juneau. Turned out they had gone out on their own. We normally don't worry about the extra cost for ship booked excursions... with that said, we have gone out on our own but as mentioned below, we plan carefully.

 

We just like the city of Juneau and the people. We visited many places in town and had a great time. Just for fun we rode the tram part way up Mt. Roberts and then hiked to the top. Spectacular views and we had a snowball fight. We are taking an excursion to Mendenhall in August. 2-1/2rs is plenty of time as we will go to Red Dog Saloon (recommended) and head up the Tramway again. We will also spend time in the city.

 

We rode WPRR while in Skagway (5hrs on our trip). We booked through Princess with no regrets...

 

As LoriPhil stated, enjoy all the ports of call. I am not sure you can go wrong no matter what you do!! If you miss something, you will have to go again:). ENJOY!

[danacline]

When in Skagway, I took the train up to Chilkoot pass, then rode a mountain bike down the highway back to town. It was thoroughly enjoyable. Just about freezing at the top of the pass, then down to tshirt and sweating as we reached town.

 

In Juneau, a nice hike would be from the top of the gondola back down to town, although I hear there are sometimes bears on that trail.

 

In Ketchican, we just wandered Creek Street and did some shopping. If you or someone close to you is a cook, get them an ULU knife. There is truly nothing like this kind of knife, and I've used mine a lot over the last decade.

[GoHawks-43-8]

Hello,

We were invited to go on an Alaskan cruise (Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan) in August and will be first-time cruisers. We are in our early 30s. Was hoping others might be able to share their expertise in the following areas:

 

1) Looks like there are long lists of excursions available to book through the cruise line. It's hard to know where to start because there are so many options. Are there a few that are considered to be popular highlights of an Alaskan cruise? We're not much into helicopters/small planes, so will probably pass on the "flight-seeing", but are planning to take the scenic railway trip. We're also considering the dogsled excursion (will be wheeled cart on bare ground since it's summer) and some sort of trip to the Mendenhall glacier (not sure which of the many options). We are from the Pacific Northwest, so things like whale watching and such aren't complete novelties to us, but we'd like to make sure we pick a few good excursions to make the most of our time in Alaska. I know that some of it comes down to personal preference, but if there are any "don't miss" ones that everyone does on an Alaskan cruise, we'd love to know about those.

 

2) On a related note, is it a good idea to try to arrange excursions not affiliated with the cruise line?

 

3) Does anybody have experience with the gold panning excursions? Could see it going either way - either a fun novelty or a tourist trap.

 

5) Does anybody have experience arranging public or private transportation (not through the cruise line) to Mendenhall glacier?

 

In Juneau you can take the blue bus out to Mendenhall Glacier. No need to book this through the cruise line, just walk off of the ship and there will be plenty of stands willing to put you on the blue bus. There's a nice little walk from where the bus drops your off towards Mendenhall. Worth doing and not too expensive. It was easy getting back to the ship in time. This summer we're planning on getting to Juneau and looking up at the top of the Mount Roberts Tram. If it isn't fogged in we'll be doing that. There are some walks at the top of it that are nice. (http://mountrobertstramway.com/)

 

In Ketchikan, we've done the Lumberjack show (https://alaskanlumberjackshow.com/). It was cheesy but fun. Found that it was the same price through the cruiseline as it was to buy a ticket at the show, so we got tickets through Princess because it was easy. This summer we'll be going to the Totem poles in Ketchikan because we did the lumberjack show two years ago.

 

In Skagway, it looks like you're set but just in case... we did the Liarsville Salmon Bake and Gold Panning, it was also cheesy fun. They really took care of our 8 year old with gold panning. It was a fun excursion that we booked through RCI. We all felt it was worth it. Here's a link: https://www.bestofalaskatravel.com/alaska_day_tours/pages/liarsville_gold_rush.htm

 

Finally, not sure which ship you are on, but two years ago we were on the Ruby and there was an amazing Tracy Arm excursion. It was a little spendy but so worth it. We also live in the PNW and still were so happy we did the excursion.

Here's a link to the company that does the excursion: http://allenmarinetours.com/juneau/glacier-fjord/

Here's a link to a description I wrote recently: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=53271218&postcount=3

[Jeremiah On a Cruise]

I also grew up/live in the NW, am in my 30's, and have done a few AK cruises.

 

As a first cruise, I really don't think that you need to book a bunch of excursions. You certainty can, but simply walking around towns, or doing near-by hikes are easy and cheap options.

 

With that said, I've found the whale watching to be exceptional. I've done whale watching several times in the Puget Sound, and it's little like whale watching in AK. If you enjoy whale watching in the NW, or have any desire to see humpbacks, I would strongly encourage you to consider that (out of Juneo).

 

The train in Skagway is typically referred to as a must-do, but growing up in the NW, I was not overly impressed. Yes, there are great views, but I didn't fine them miles better than what I've seen in the Cascades.

[robthens]

Hello,

We were invited to go on an Alaskan cruise (Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan) in August and will be first-time cruisers. We are in our early 30s. Was hoping others might be able to share their expertise in the following areas:

1) Looks like there are long lists of excursions available to book through the cruise line. It's hard to know where to start because there are so many options. Are there a few that are considered to be popular highlights of an Alaskan cruise? We're not much into helicopters/small planes, so will probably pass on the "flight-seeing", but are planning to take the scenic railway trip. We're also considering the dogsled excursion (will be wheeled cart on bare ground since it's summer) and some sort of trip to the Mendenhall glacier (not sure which of the many options). We are from the Pacific Northwest, so things like whale watching and such aren't complete novelties to us, but we'd like to make sure we pick a few good excursions to make the most of our time in Alaska. I know that some of it comes down to personal preference, but if there are any "don't miss" ones that everyone does on an Alaskan cruise, we'd love to know about those.

 

2) On a related note, is it a good idea to try to arrange excursions not affiliated with the cruise line? The cruise line ones are very pricey, but of course you have the guarantee of departing/arriving on time so you don't miss the boat. It's easier just to do the ones offered by the boat, but if it's common for cruisers to arrange private excursions so they don't have to pay an arm and a leg, then that's something we'll probably look into.

 

3) Does anybody have experience with the gold panning excursions? Could see it going either way - either a fun novelty or a tourist trap.

 

4) When a cruise line describes an excursion as "kid friendly" does this just mean that the excursion doesn't include things that would be inappropriate for kids (like sea kayaking), or does it mean that the excursion is geared towards the kids?

 

5) Does anybody have experience arranging public or private transportation (not through the cruise line) to Mendenhall glacier? The one people we know that did almost missed their bus back to the boat, but I'm wondering if this is a common issue or if it was just them.

 

Thanks so much in advance!

 

Congratulations, think Alaska is the best choice for your first cruise. An Alaska cruise was our first in 1990 & we have been back 7 more times.

 

The following are my tour recommendations:

Juneau-1. Mendenhall glacier (book on your own)

2. Mount Roberts Tramway (buy tickets at tramway)

 

Skagway 1. White Pass & Youkon RR (book thru ship)

2. Maybe a drink @ Red Dog Saloon but great place to eat is on one on the side street (locals eat there)

3. Guided free walking tour provided by chamber

 

Ketchikan 1. BEARING SEA FISHERMANs TOUR (book on you own thru web site FYI one of our all time favorite tours. 2. Lumberjack Show. 3. Walk up Creek stree

 

Cruise Critic "ports of call" is a great source of info

Hope you enjoy your cruise !!!

[kdowneymd]

I would think twice about not doing a helicopter or flight tour. We used Coastal helicopter in Juneau for a trip up to the glacier that was spectacular. I thought I would be terrified but it was amazing. In Ketchikan we took a float plane up the Misty Fjords which was also amazing. We had plenty of time to walk around Creek Street later. We have been on ten cruises all over and have always booked independently.

[mdgary]

In Ketchikan agree with Bering Sea Fishermans Tour http://alaskacrabtour.com/ Probably the best tour we have taken on any cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[konatyme]

We did the same cruise (same ports anyway) in August 2 yrs ago and loved it.

We very seldom book ship excursions and have had some wonderful ones in lots of different places. On the Alaska cruise, here's what we did:

Juneau - we rented a car through Juneau Car Rental. It was only about a 10 min. walk from the ship. We stopped first at Mendenhall Glacier (to beat the crowds--and it worked). Nugget Falls Trail was closed due to flooding, so we didn't get to do that, but really enjoyed looking around. After that, we drove the 45 miles out of town to the end of the road. Saw beautiful scenery--Auke Bay, Eagle Beach, Echo Cove--& did some walking around. There were salmon in the Eagle River, but the water was pretty murky due to rain in previous days. It was a great drive & we were really glad we got to do it. When we got back to town, we rode the Mt. Roberts tram

Skagway - I booked a raft trip on the Chilkat River with Rainbow Glacier Adventures. They met us at Skagway & took us on the Haines-Skagway Fast Ferry to Haines (beautiful ride! lots of waterfalls). At Haines, we went to their office , got rubber boots, & rode a small bus up the river about 25 miles to the Klehini River. We loaded onto our raft & floated down to where it met the Chilkat. In the 1 1/2 hr. float, we saw lots of bald eagles & some absolutely spectacular scenery. On the way back, our bus driver stopped & we walked to a creek full of salmon (we live in the Pacific NW too, so although this wasn't something we hadn't seen, it was still neat.) We got back to Haines, caught the ferry back to Skagway, and had time to walk around town.

Glacier Bay - "amazing" doesn't begin to describe the day viewing the glaciers! Don't miss a minute of it! We got up early, got a spot right on the bow on deck 8 where we had an unobstructed view. Saw lots of sea otters & whale spouts. Margerie Glacier "calving" was a sight we'll never forget.

Ketchikan - We caught a city bus & rode out to Totem Bight Park, which was a really interesting place about a 20 min. bus ride out of town. We spent a couple hours there, then rode the bus back and walked around downtown. (We had to be back on the ship at noon.)

 

We were really lucky to get to see the Northern Lights at about 2:30 AM the day we went into Glacier Bay. We found out the day before from some other passengers that if you sign up at Passenger Services, they will wake you with a phone call if the Lights appear. They did and we got to see them!

 

Enjoy your trip!

[commila]

Thank you very much for your input, everyone! We're kind of in a unique spot for two reasons: 1) We invited to join some friends on this cruise and aren't the trip planners for this one, so we haven't spent very much time researching it as it sounds like many people do ahead of time (life has gotten in the way, and we haven't felt the same urgency as we do when we are the ones organizing the trip); 2) I'm not sure we'll be taking this cruise multiple times in life as some have suggested, since our bucket list is quite long and our funds are limited! So we'd like to make as good a use of our time as possible (rather than just going with no agenda/walking around town). I realize #2 is a little difficult in light of #1, but we've been appreciative of all of you sharing your "must sees" and excursion ideas!

 

PS: From what I can tell, I don't think our ship goes to Glacier Bay, but we will be headed to Tracy Arm Fjord.

[ckb104]

I'm from Western Washington, so the whale watching and such wasn't high on my list either. In Skagway, we took the train, which was great. In Ketchikan, we just wandered on our own. I took the funicular up to the Cape Fox Lodge. It's only $2 and gives you a beautiful view. There is some interesting history exhibits in the Lodge and amazing Totems outside.

In Juneau, we did the Taste of Juneau Walking Tour with Juneau Food Tours. We booked through Princess, but the price was the same if you booked directly. It was so much fun! You learn a lot about the city and its history and get to eat some incredible food (and beer). You get to take home a little goodie bag, too. I can't recommend that tour enough.

[AstoriaPreppy]

Two thoughts from a 30-something cruiser who has done Alaska twice:

 

Others may disagree with me on CC, but I found Mendenhall really overrated, especially in comparison to some of the other things you can see in Alaska. There's a nice visitors center and some hiking trails, but the glacier has retreated enough to where it's very distant from everything, even in the last 15 years. I'd say okay for a fun, quick and cheap visit, but not the spectacular destination some people make it out to be.

 

As for gold panning, I found it more frustrating than anything. Good to do once, but I wouldn't again.

 

Things I'd recommend in Alaska: I second any mention of the lumberjack show in Ketchikan. They guys are legit skilled, and the show (although cheesy) is well-paced and well-produced. Bonus: if it's raining, the seating is covered and heated. Also, if you like drinking with locals, I'd highly recommend the Alaskan Hotel in Juneau. Basically a dive bar, it's exponentially better than the more tourist-promoted bars in the same area. Oh, and the train in Skagway is great. They used to offer a train-up/bike-down tour, but I'm not sure if that's still an option.

Edited August 1, 2017 by AstoriaPreppy
more recommendations

[commila]

Silly question, but if we do visit Mendenhall glacier, are we going to be walking around on the glacier itself? Or do we just see the glacier from a distance (particularly for tours that drop us off at the Visitor Center)?

[AstoriaPreppy]

Silly question, but if we do visit Mendenhall glacier, are we going to be walking around on the glacier itself? Or do we just see the glacier from a distance (particularly for tours that drop us off at the Visitor Center)?

 

Unfortunately, not even close. The visitor's center is around 1.5 miles from the front edge of the glacier. When the center was built, the glacier was much much closer, but has receded dramatically over time. Rangers at the center love engaging tourists in "inconvenient" conversations about the retreat. Even at the furthest point near nugget falls, you're still about a 3/4 of a mile away.

 

There are excursions now that allow you to kayak or canoe up to the glacier and check out the ice caves, but they're not inexpensive.