Skagway Excursions Opinions Please

[ErLee]

On 1/9/2019 at 1:21 PM, wolfie11 said:

  My absolute fav in Skagway is Bennett Lake train trip.

 

Glad to hear this @wolfie11! We’re doing the Bennett Lake trip on our first Alaska trip this June. We booked directly with Chilkoot Charters.

[Crew News]

On 1/14/2019 at 6:21 PM, masterdrago said:

I just got an email from the WPYR and they said that only the car is assigned not the seat. From posts and reviews I have read, the best side to sit on would be the west. That would be on the right (starboard) on the way back to Skagway.

 

Left side up to Fraser and right side down from Fraser.  Don't count on getting good photos through the train windows because of the glare.  Step out onto the platform between the cars for clear photos.  If you have an aversion to heights, stay seated.

 

[NeedsVitaminSea]

We are also sailing on Ovation in June.  I just booked Kroschel direct rather than through the ship.  They provide a ferry over to Haines and the bus transportation up to their facility.  My kids (12 & 9) love animals and weren't interested in doing the train trip since it is so long.  Hopefully this will be a nice day. 

[Cruise_More_Often]

We've used Chilkoot Charters and Dyea Dave. The first year, with Chilkoot, we did the van up and train back. Honestly, I enjoyed the van more than the rail part, so the following year we booked a round-trip van excursion with Dyea Dave. Both guides were wonderful. In the van out of Skagway the right side is best. You might even see the train across the valley.

 

OP, we did the Glacier Wilderness Safari last summer, but we took it from Haines instead of Skagway (it's a little farther from Skagway). I really enjoyed it. You get to walk right up to the Davidson Glacier.

[bhsolo]

Thank you for the Glacier Wilderness Safari info. I've narrowed it down between that and the Chilkoot hike and raft.

[gato4]

We’re going to be in Skagway in June. We rode the train the last time we were there and loved it. Got off at Fraser and bussed to the Yukon sign before going back to town. This time we’re goiing into the Yukon with Dyea Dave. There are tours that combine the train and the Yukon, and my kids are doing one of them. 

[katrina915]

I thought I read something last year about safety issues on the glacier wilderness safari. Does anyone know anything about it and if the safety issue was resolved. 

[katrina915]

Please double check that you have enough time to do  Kroschel  on your own.  There was a lot of construction last year on the highway leading to the refuge and its quite aways from town. We were coming from skagway but booked through ship. If you are docked in skagway,  you might want to post question on board separately. 

[carsaw]

We did the 7.5 hour rail/bus with Chilkoot last year and loved it. The guide was very informative and so much fun I'm looking to book another Chilkoot tour this year on our 2nd Alaska cruise. 

[bhsolo]

Thank you for all of your help! I've decided to go with the Glacier Wilderness Safari in Skagway. Most likely I'll do the whale watching wildlife quest or some sort of hike, without Mendenhall Glacier, in Juneau.

[PhillyTravelBug]

I’m glad I stumbled across this thread.  The train and van excursion from Skagway is an absolute must for me on our cruise in August. Thank you everyone for confirming all of my hopes on this.

[ClaireyBear]

My husband and I did the glassblowing at Jewell Gardens in Skagway and it was absolutely amazing and worth it! They ship your glass piece home for you so you don’t have to worry about it onboard. 

[MsYukon]

On 1/11/2019 at 10:39 AM, masterdrago said:

I'm having a heck of a time finding Emerald lake on the maps. Google Earth wants to send me way out west of where I'm expecting it to be - NE of Carcross. It looks like GE is calling it Crag Lake if I use the reference in the little map attached from http://roadtripalaska.com/destinations/emerald-lake/

Emerald Lake is that tiny little lake to the left of the E in Emerald.

[masterdrago]

On 1/14/2019 at 4:54 PM, Sunny AZ Girl said:

We are taking the van up and the train back. 

Sunny AZ Girl. We are on the SB Radiance leaving Seward May 24th. Trying to figure out if we are on the same? Would really like to meet some other cruises. We're new (done only 3 Caribbean). Looks like we both have a Dyea Dave tour in May. In the Hubbard Glacier thread few days ago, you mentioned being booked on the Adventure Bound trip from Juneau on May 19 (Cruise begins May 13). I cannot find a Radiance cruise that is in Juneau on 19th. But dang, with a little searching, looks like your on the Ovation!! Ding, ding. How the brain works. Isn't this the first cruise of that ship in Alaska?? You must be stoked!

[Sunny AZ Girl]

3 hours ago, masterdrago said:

Sunny AZ Girl. We are on the SB Radiance leaving Seward May 24th. Trying to figure out if we are on the same? Would really like to meet some other cruises. We're new (done only 3 Caribbean). Looks like we both have a Dyea Dave tour in May. In the Hubbard Glacier thread few days ago, you mentioned being booked on the Adventure Bound trip from Juneau on May 19 (Cruise begins May 13). I cannot find a Radiance cruise that is in Juneau on 19th. But dang, with a little searching, looks like your on the Ovation!! Ding, ding. How the brain works. Isn't this the first cruise of that ship in Alaska?? You must be stoked!

Yes. We are on Ovation - 11 night cruise.  We are excited because of both the ship and the interesting itinerary.

 

Your cruise will be great!  We love the Radiance Class ships.  Be sure to make it even better by getting to know some people on your cruise before hand.  You can do that by looking for your Roll Call in that section of this forum.  Our Roll Calls are one of the things that we love about cruising!

 

I took the liberty of looking up your Roll Call for you.  It is not extremely active, but you can get to know a few people before your cruise here,  Enjoy!:

 

Edited February 7, 2019 by Sunny AZ Girl

[masterdrago]

Thanks Sunny AZ Girl. I managed to find it last summer a couple of months after we joined CC. I've posted a few times trying to get others to take the flight seeing tour we are doing in Ketchikan with Island Wings so we'll have enough on the flight to add the glacier flyover extension. I hoping to get to know some folks b4 the cruise but there seems not to be any way to send any private messages. Our 1st Alaska cruise so we're super excited. We begin ours when you end yours but I did notice we are in port a couple of time with Ovation (Skagway & Juneau).

[LHARTWICK]

2 minutes ago, masterdrago said:

I've posted a few times trying to get others to take the flight seeing tour we are doing in Ketchikan with Island Wings so we'll have enough on the flight to add the glacier flyover extension.

You will LOVE Island Wings!!!  Michelle and her staff are amazing!!  Just note that weather in AK for flightseeing excursions is hit or miss.  If there's any question about the flying conditions at all, the pilots will cancel, which I am thankful for.  The first time we booked one it was cancelled due to 9/11.  The second time we booked one it was cancelled due to weather conditions.  The third time finally worked!  It was worth the wait for sure! I'm looking at one of the photos from that very trip that I keep over my desk.  One day we'll do that excursion again for sure. 

[masterdrago]

As we looked at the planning for our 8 day DIY pre cruise along with the cruise excursion options, I began to see that trend here on CC. We have now 3 flight seeing tours scheduled, with one other while in Anchorage on standby. We have 2 three+ hour small boat whale watch excursions booked and an all day glacier small boat cruise scheduled. If we end up taking too many, well, I'll just have to suffer with full memory cards! With so many folks here on CC warning about weather, rough seas, and mechanical issues possibly cancelling tours at the last minute, I decided to fill our days, much to my Joy's concern. We are mid 60s and may not get back to Alaska. Although I hope to go back again for a trip for mostly aurora watching and more time in Denali - trouble with that plan is that dark time and warm weather in Denali do not coincide. I may not have any $$$ left after this trip! Fun, fun!

[GolfMommy17]

anyone use Frontier excursions in Skagway?

 

[GolfMommy17]

On 2/8/2019 at 11:30 AM, masterdrago said:

Thanks Sunny AZ Girl. I managed to find it last summer a couple of months after we joined CC. I've posted a few times trying to get others to take the flight seeing tour we are doing in Ketchikan with Island Wings so we'll have enough on the flight to add the glacier flyover extension. I hoping to get to know some folks b4 the cruise but there seems not to be any way to send any private messages. Our 1st Alaska cruise so we're super excited. We begin ours when you end yours but I did notice we are in port a couple of time with Ovation (Skagway & Juneau).

what is the flyover?  we are taking island wings in August/Ketchikan and are a party of 6 on the plane.  full load.

[LHARTWICK]

13 hours ago, GolfMommy17 said:

anyone use Frontier excursions in Skagway?

 

It's been a few years back so I no longer have my records, but I'm 99% sure that's the company we used for a Yukon tour.  They were fabulous!  In fact, we may do the same tour again when we return in May.

[GolfMommy17]

7 minutes ago, LHARTWICK said:

It's been a few years back so I no longer have my records, but I'm 99% sure that's the company we used for a Yukon tour.  They were fabulous!  In fact, we may do the same tour again when we return in May.

thank you.  We are debating Frontier vs Dyea Dave.  I have heard great things about Dave and am trying to decide who to use.  

[masterdrago]

15 hours ago, GolfMommy17 said:

what is the flyover?  we are taking island wings in August/Ketchikan and are a party of 6 on the plane.  full load.

If you go to Michell's web page at Island Wings and go to the Misty Fjords Flightseeing Tour, then mouse to the bottom, you will see the combo add-on. That additional 40 minute flight time will allow the plane of six (we apparently do not have a full plane on our booking so cannot add it) to fly out over a glacier (typically Soule Glacier). It adds about $175/pp. I've been trying to drum up some more people on our flight with Michell that might want that Combo flight on the 29th of May by appealing on these forums. So far, I've had little luck. B4 the final payment is due, we may jump to another flightseeing tour in order to get the glacier flyover. We are booked on a short flight tour out of Juneau through RCI called 5 Glaciers with Wings Airways.  Includes five Glaciers flowing out of the massive Juneau Ice field. This Juneau float plane tour includes the most flightseeing time over the most amount of glaciers in Juneau! We would cancel it if we could get the combo tour with Michell.

Edited March 1, 2019 by masterdrago

[GolfMommy17]

5 hours ago, masterdrago said:

If you go to Michell's web page at Island Wings and go to the Misty Fjords Flightseeing Tour, then mouse to the bottom, you will see the combo add-on. 

that was my error.  we are doing the Bear observation- not Misty fjords.  sounds wonderful though!

[frostedthreads]

My family feels the same way about the cost of the excursions.  We have a rental car for Skagway.  We plan on taking on doing our own thing in the other ports.  With a husband and two teen girls - we are worried about the expenses of this trip compared to our other cruises.