First time Alaska - Need a little help

[llarsen]

Hi,

 

This is our first cruise to Alaska. There are 6 adults in our party. 

My brother in law is undergoing cancer treatments and gets tired, but he doesn't like to sit around for long. I just don't want to do anything strenuous or that might be too much for him. He would like to wait til we get there and see what tours are available at the dock...but I've been burned doing that on past cruises. We normally book outside vendors over the ship tours, but I am not opposed to doing ship tours here in Alaska since I know nothing of this region.

 

We are booked on Crown Princess Aug 6th visiting:

Juneau 12:00pm - 10:00pm (no clue what to do here)

Skagway 7:00am - 8:30pm (booked Chilkoot Bus to Yukon)

Glacier Bay Scenic Cruising

Ketchikan 7:00am - 1:00pm  (would like to see bears and wildlife if possible)

Victoria 7:00pm - 11:59pm (would like to go to Butchart Gardens)

 

The only excursion we have booked is in Skagway doing Chilkoot Bus to Yukon, which I think will be amazing.

 

I don't know if Mendenhall Glacier is worth seeing? Have you done one of these tours and what did you think of it? Any other suggestions for Juneau?

Juneau

Mendenhall Glacier Explorer $49pp

Grand Tour by Land Glacier Gardens, Hatchery and Mendenhall Glacier $99pp

 

Ketchikan looks beautiful and we would love to see some wildlife here. Some of the bear excursions are really pricy. Is there another way to see wildlife without spending a fortune here? Has anyone don the Rainforest tour and what did you think of it? Any recommendations for outside vendor tours here?

Ketchikan

Rainforest Santuary Nature Walk, Totems & Eagles $109pp

Black Bear, Wildlife & Nature Walk $259pp Yikes

Neets Bay Bear Cruise $289pp Yikes again!

 

Victoria

We really want to see Butchart Gardens but we arrive in port at 7:00pm

The ship tour is $129pp which seems high, but not sure how much a Uber or Taxi would be round trip plus fee to Gardens.

Has anyone done Butchart Garden on your own and what do you suggest?

 

Thanks so much for any help, suggestions or advice you can give.

[5waldos]

Juneau is well known for whale watching, which should not be too taxing. My personal opinion is that Mendenhall Glacier has retreated so far that it is not terribly interesting. Others may, and probably will, disagree with me. If Princess still has availability on their glacier small boat excursion (Tracy Arm? ) that is a great opportunity to get much closer to a glacier. But pricy for sure. 
 

Ketchikan is certainly the place to see totem poles and eagles. Saxon Village is next door to the old canning factory and there are several eagle nests there- great eagle watching.

[llarsen]

3 hours ago, 5waldos said:

Juneau is well known for whale watching, which should not be too taxing. My personal opinion is that Mendenhall Glacier has retreated so far that it is not terribly interesting. Others may, and probably will, disagree with me. If Princess still has availability on their glacier small boat excursion (Tracy Arm? ) that is a great opportunity to get much closer to a glacier. But pricy for sure. 
 

Ketchikan is certainly the place to see totem poles and eagles. Saxon Village is next door to the old canning factory and there are several eagle nests there- great eagle watching.

Thank you! I spoke with a friend that went to Juneau and said she was more excited about the porcupine along the road than the Glacier, so maybe we can skip that and just enjoy the town since we do not arrive until noon.

 

I really feel like we need to do an excursion in Ketchikan, although I will look up Saxon Village and see where that is. 

I would really love to see bears and the salmon, so hopefully we can figure out some options for that.

Thanks for the reply! 🙂

 

[5waldos]

37 minutes ago, llarsen said:

Thank you! I spoke with a friend that went to Juneau and said she was more excited about the porcupine along the road than the Glacier, so maybe we can skip that and just enjoy the town since we do not arrive until noon.

 

I really feel like we need to do an excursion in Ketchikan, although I will look up Saxon Village and see where that is. 

I would really love to see bears and the salmon, so hopefully we can figure out some options for that.

Thanks for the reply! 🙂

 

There was also a beaver in the little pond by the information hut. Didn't see the porcupine though. 

 

You aren't whale fans? Pity- I love to see them jumping about. 

 

There is an excursion in Ketchikan which goes to Totem Bight and also to Saxon Villag They also stop by the salmon ladder and there should be salmon running when you are there. I don't know if that brings bears into town but we are looking forward to seeing the salmon anyway. Another excursion is the Bering Sea Crabfisherman's tour- even for non TV show fans it is a great excursion and you see lots of whales. Something to look into for sure.   

[Northern Aurora]

With so little time in Ketchikan you may want to consider a ship tour, but there will be vendors offering tours on shore.  It is unclear to me if your group is interested in our First Nation cultures, but just Saxman Totem Park for more information.  Ketchikan also has a nice indoor totem museum, the Totem Heritage Center, which is operated by the city.

 

Given your brother-in-law's stamina another option in Juneau may be to take the Mt.  Roberts tram.  Nice trails at the top with beautiful views.  If he becomes tired he can wait in the coffee shop/casual restaurant.

 

Butchart Gardens are indeed lovely, but given the distance from the ship and your limited time in Victoria you may want to consider a ship tour.

[SightCRR]

Juneau, you will find very few places that have whale tours as good as Juneau. 

Skagway, Sit on the right side of bus going up. On the road may be your best shot at seeing a bear. 

Ketch, very difficult to see bears, For sea-life check out the Crab Boat tour. Pricey but the eagle viewing is second to none. It has very little to do with the TV show. Also check where you dock. Ward Cove is 5 miles and a free (I think) bus ride to town but it takes time. 

Vic, B/G is a long ways from pier and with late hours do ship tour. It will have fairly long bus ride and to see much of it requires lots of walking/wheelchair/walker. May not work for B-I-L. 

Lots of daylight around 8/6. 

Unlike Carib. not many good tours left to book at pier. 

Check youtube for videos of tours to get an idea if they will work. Try to find the latest. 2022 only for Skagway. You will find just about all the tours that are available. 

sightcrr. 

 

Edited June 1, 2022 by SightCRR

[Kate-in-Canada]

I don’t have advice in specific tours, but having just finished cancer treatment myslef, I’d say you need to consider what side effects he may be having.

 

for example, I would not have gone on a long bus tour that didn’t have a bathroom.

I would stick to less physical activity, things you can do on your own time without being constrained by a group, and places where there is a bathroom.

[llarsen]

15 hours ago, Kate-in-Canada said:

I don’t have advice in specific tours, but having just finished cancer treatment myslef, I’d say you need to consider what side effects he may be having.

 

for example, I would not have gone on a long bus tour that didn’t have a bathroom.

I would stick to less physical activity, things you can do on your own time without being constrained by a group, and places where there is a bathroom.

Thanks so much for this post and mentioning the bathroom. I was thinking the bus would be perfect because he could nap here and there, but I completely forgot the bathroom! This is very important because when he needs to go...he needs to go. I will check with the tour operator and see what they say on this. They did tell me there was no strenuous activity, but I'm sure the bathroom will be an issue. 

[llarsen]

17 hours ago, 5waldos said:

There was also a beaver in the little pond by the information hut. Didn't see the porcupine though. 

 

You aren't whale fans? Pity- I love to see them jumping about. 

 

There is an excursion in Ketchikan which goes to Totem Bight and also to Saxon Villag They also stop by the salmon ladder and there should be salmon running when you are there. I don't know if that brings bears into town but we are looking forward to seeing the salmon anyway. Another excursion is the Bering Sea Crabfisherman's tour- even for non TV show fans it is a great excursion and you see lots of whales. Something to look into for sure.   

Actually, my brother in law mentioned seeing whales. I really didn't look at any tours for this or the Crabfisherman because I figured being out on water that it might be cold or rough water. I guess I should look again, thank you!

[llarsen]

16 hours ago, SightCRR said:

Juneau, you will find very few places that have whale tours as good as Juneau. 

Skagway, Sit on the right side of bus going up. On the road may be your best shot at seeing a bear. 

Ketch, very difficult to see bears, For sea-life check out the Crab Boat tour. Pricey but the eagle viewing is second to none. It has very little to do with the TV show. Also check where you dock. Ward Cove is 5 miles and a free (I think) bus ride to town but it takes time. 

Vic, B/G is a long ways from pier and with late hours do ship tour. It will have fairly long bus ride and to see much of it requires lots of walking/wheelchair/walker. May not work for B-I-L. 

Lots of daylight around 8/6. 

Unlike Carib. not many good tours left to book at pier. 

Check youtube for videos of tours to get an idea if they will work. Try to find the latest. 2022 only for Skagway. You will find just about all the tours that are available. 

sightcrr. 

 

Thank you for mentioning which side of the bus to sit on, I was wondering about that!  I will also look into some sea life tours and look up youtube videos. 

Do you know how I can find out where we will dock? I also need to know this for our Yukon tour meeting location. 

Thanks so much!

[llarsen]

17 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

With so little time in Ketchikan you may want to consider a ship tour, but there will be vendors offering tours on shore.  It is unclear to me if your group is interested in our First Nation cultures, but just Saxman Totem Park for more information.  Ketchikan also has a nice indoor totem museum, the Totem Heritage Center, which is operated by the city.

 

Given your brother-in-law's stamina another option in Juneau may be to take the Mt.  Roberts tram.  Nice trails at the top with beautiful views.  If he becomes tired he can wait in the coffee shop/casual restaurant.

 

Butchart Gardens are indeed lovely, but given the distance from the ship and your limited time in Victoria you may want to consider a ship tour.

The tram might also be a good option...Thank you! 

I am so disappointed at our arrival time in Victoria, but it is what it is. I agree, ship tour might be best to make sure we see it. Thanks!

[SightCRR]

Here is the schedule. Pick the port then the date. Then another page for the pier codes. 

2022 Schedules | Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska (claalaska.com)

FYI the Skagway bus is a long bus ride with many stops but check with them about a B/R. I am thinking there is not one on the bus. Especially if few people on a van. 

sightcrr

[5waldos]

3 hours ago, llarsen said:

Actually, my brother in law mentioned seeing whales. I really didn't look at any tours for this or the Crabfisherman because I figured being out on water that it might be cold or rough water. I guess I should look again, thank you!

The waters are protected so really not terribly rough or cold. Both have cabins or areas walled off from winds. Do look again- well worth considering. 

[5waldos]

3 hours ago, llarsen said:

The tram might also be a good option...Thank you! 

I am so disappointed at our arrival time in Victoria, but it is what it is. I agree, ship tour might be best to make sure we see it. Thanks!

The Victoria stop is really to meet federal regulations. 

[llarsen]

3 hours ago, SightCRR said:

Here is the schedule. Pick the port then the date. Then another page for the pier codes. 

2022 Schedules | Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska (claalaska.com)

FYI the Skagway bus is a long bus ride with many stops but check with them about a B/R. I am thinking there is not one on the bus. Especially if few people on a van. 

sightcrr

Thanks for the Cruise schedule, I have all our dock info. Yes, I will email the company and ask about the bathroom situation and speak with him about it. Thanks again!

[llarsen]

2 hours ago, 5waldos said:

The Victoria stop is really to meet federal regulations. 

Yes, I'm afraid so. We live in California and it would be a nice trip just to fly up for a few days there.

[Kate-in-Canada]

10 hours ago, llarsen said:

Thanks so much for this post and mentioning the bathroom. I was thinking the bus would be perfect because he could nap here and there, but I completely forgot the bathroom! This is very important because when he needs to go...he needs to go. I will check with the tour operator and see what they say on this. They did tell me there was no strenuous activity, but I'm sure the bathroom will be an issue. 

Yep.  My cruise is in Aug and I would have liked to do the bus tour in Skagway that goes into Yukon, but I settled for the train that sadly only goes up the mountain and turns around, because even though I am done my treatment, it take a while for things to go back to normal. At least on the train I won’t have to stress about facilities.  

[llarsen]

12 hours ago, Kate-in-Canada said:

Yep.  My cruise is in Aug and I would have liked to do the bus tour in Skagway that goes into Yukon, but I settled for the train that sadly only goes up the mountain and turns around, because even though I am done my treatment, it take a while for things to go back to normal. At least on the train I won’t have to stress about facilities.  

I am happy to hear you are done with your treatments and wish you well. My brother in law may want to take the train to ensure he has facilities. The bus has stops that are 1.5hrs or more between (mostly outhouses) along the way... We will be getting together to discuss things soon and will give him some options. He has been to Alaska before his cancer and has done much of it already, so I don't think he will mind if we take the bus to see a few more places while in Skagway. I hope you have an amazing cruise!

[strickerj]

We just got back from a similar itinerary on Eurodam. (Holland America Line and Princess have the same parent company, so they share a lot of facilities and contractors.)

 

Whale watching was well worth it, IMHO, but we did this in Icy Strait to free up time in Juneau. We did Sled Dog Discovery & Musher's Camp through HAL (an absolute must IMHO if you're a dog person, since you get to play with the sled dogs and the new puppies afterwards) and then walked to the state capitol and governor's mansion and rode the Mt. Roberts tram on our own, and we were back on board just after 6:00, so there would have been time for more had we wanted to.

 

In Ketchikan, we did the Rainforest Santuary Nature Walk, Totems & Eagles that you have listed and really enjoyed it. Our guides were knowledgeable and enthusiastic. This sanctuary is private property adjacent the Tongass National Forest and used to be for logging but is now a preservationist nonprofit. You might be there the right time of year to see the salmon runs and bears feeding on them.

 

In Victoria, we booked the Butchart Gardens tour, but it was canceled when our port time was moved from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, so we did the Victoria Highlights bus tour instead. This was an enjoyable overview of the place with the limited time we had, but don't expect to get very good pictures in the dark while moving. Still, I'd recommend it if you had nothing else to do. If it's the same route, sit on the right side of the bus for the panoramic view from Mt. Tolme, and the left side of the bus for the best views of the provincial parliament and the Empress Hotel. (There's no room for the bus to turn around so both sides can see, unfortunately.)

 

Let me know if you have any more specific questions while I can still remember all this. :)

[strickerj]

Forgot to mention - not to be a downer, but have you by chance heard about the issues with Crown Princess? (https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2854063-crown-princess-alaska-may-21st/) In short, the ship is experiencing a malfunction that results in a lower cruising speed, and therefore missed it reduced port times. I'm not sure when the ship is scheduled for repairs, but if your itinerary is affected, you might consider switching to a different ship (others have suggested Discovery Princess has a similar itinerary) while you're still in their Cruise with Confidence time frame (30 days prior to departure to switch without penalty IIRC).

[spotfish]

We've cruised to Alaska 3 times, 4th time this July .

 

In Ketchikan I've done the Bering sea crab excursion it's a little on the pricier side but a very fun day but will use up most of your time in port I have also done the Misty Fjords & Wilderness Explorer through Allen marine also a GREAT trip

 

We've always went Mendenhall glacier in Juneau  (we take the Blue bus) i guess we've been lucky and seen a bear or bears all 3 times on the walk out to nugget falls along with a porcupine, whale watching is very popular while in Juneau and you shouldn't pass up Deck hand Dave's for fish and chips or a fish taco's THE BEST!

 

In Skaway we did the train the first time but now rent a car and drive up into the Yukon and to Dyea sightseeing

 

As far as Victoria goes you're there to late to really do anything in my opinion.  Butchart gardens on Saturdays in the summer with the evening fireworks show is AWESOME!  Hope this helps a little have a great trip,  Mark

[Turangi!]

Quick question about Juneau’s Blue Bus to Mendelhall Glacier….do we need to book in advance or can we wait to arrival and walk up to book … if the sun is shining?

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

[spotfish]

We just walked up after getting off the ship.

[llarsen]

On 6/3/2022 at 7:43 AM, strickerj said:

Forgot to mention - not to be a downer, but have you by chance heard about the issues with Crown Princess? (https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2854063-crown-princess-alaska-may-21st/) In short, the ship is experiencing a malfunction that results in a lower cruising speed, and therefore missed it reduced port times. I'm not sure when the ship is scheduled for repairs, but if your itinerary is affected, you might consider switching to a different ship (others have suggested Discovery Princess has a similar itinerary) while you're still in their Cruise with Confidence time frame (30 days prior to departure to switch without penalty IIRC).

Hi, Yes I've read they were having issues. I didn't realize we could switch without penalty. We were originally booked on Discovery and switched to Crown to see Glacier Bay. I can't imagine them limping along all summer. They need to fix this problem now. 

[llarsen]

On 6/7/2022 at 11:15 AM, spotfish said:

We've cruised to Alaska 3 times, 4th time this July .

 

In Ketchikan I've done the Bering sea crab excursion it's a little on the pricier side but a very fun day but will use up most of your time in port I have also done the Misty Fjords & Wilderness Explorer through Allen marine also a GREAT trip

 

We've always went Mendenhall glacier in Juneau  (we take the Blue bus) i guess we've been lucky and seen a bear or bears all 3 times on the walk out to nugget falls along with a porcupine, whale watching is very popular while in Juneau and you shouldn't pass up Deck hand Dave's for fish and chips or a fish taco's THE BEST!

 

In Skaway we did the train the first time but now rent a car and drive up into the Yukon and to Dyea sightseeing

 

As far as Victoria goes you're there to late to really do anything in my opinion.  Butchart gardens on Saturdays in the summer with the evening fireworks show is AWESOME!  Hope this helps a little have a great trip,  Mark

Wow your 4th trip to Alaska!

I'm a warm weather and warm water person so we have done the Caribbean since 1989. First time to Alaska. 

The Blue Bus you mentioned. Is it a local bus? Do you purchase tickets online in advance or at the pier?

The walk out to Nugget Falls...is that walk accessible from taking the Blue Bus or a trail from town and how far/hard of a walk is it? My brother in law has been undergoing treatments for cancer and I don't want to exhaust him.

Sorry for all the questions, but I don't have a clue about Alaska. 

Thank you!