NCL Encore Alaska experiences?

[mustcruise1217]

I am driving myself crazy trying to pick a cruise to Alaska for our family of 4. Dh42,Me41, DS9 and DD7. I have the encore picked bc I believe it will work well for our family. However, the shorter port times along with NCL docking in Ward Cove are making me look elsewhere in Princess and Hal. I am specifically looking to hear about anyone’s experience with Ward Cove. We really want to do the Deadliest catch boat excursion (would book with NCL). Is this even possible with only a few hours?

[BunnyHutt]

I’m booked on this cruise (but not excursion) for this coming September. Per my itinerary we’re in Ward’s Cove from 7am to 1:15pm - granted, time off ship will be less than that. I do see that the Deadliest Catch excursion is listed to depart at 7:30am and lasts 4.5 hours. So, yes, you could have time for that but really not much/nothing else. 
 

The good thing about booking excursions through the cruise line is that if there’s a delay *while at port*, the boat won’t leave without you. But if there’s a delay getting into port, the excursion may be canceled due to insufficient time. How much longer are the other lines scheduled to be at this port? I’m assuming they offer this particular excursion?

[mustcruise1217]

1 hour ago, BunnyHutt said:

I’m booked on this cruise (but not excursion) for this coming September. Per my itinerary we’re in Ward’s Cove from 7am to 1:15pm - granted, time off ship will be less than that. I do see that the Deadliest Catch excursion is listed to depart at 7:30am and lasts 4.5 hours. So, yes, you could have time for that but really not much/nothing else. 
 

The good thing about booking excursions through the cruise line is that if there’s a delay *while at port*, the boat won’t leave without you. But if there’s a delay getting into port, the excursion may be canceled due to insufficient time. How much longer are the other lines scheduled to be at this port? I’m assuming they offer this particular excursion?

Thank you for letting me know it’s available at that time. Since our cruise isn’t until 2024 I couldn’t see the excursions yet. We would definitely book with NCL if we do it. 
 

I have a few other cruises I’m debating between so port times are all varied but I just keep coming back to NCL.

[melodyesch]

I did a review of my Alaska Encore trip just a few weeks ago.  I don’t how how to link to it, but you should be able to find it in Search or by clicking on my username.

 

I love NCL and it’s my line of choice, but I would not choose it again for Alaska.  Mostly because of the Ward Cove thing, but also for the short times in other ports.  But Ward Cove was terrible.  You had to wait for a shuttle to town.  But that shuttle lets you off at the farthest berth.  So then you either have to walk 20 minutes to places like Creek Street or get in a line for ANOTHER shuttle.  If you’re there all day it’s one thing, we were only there from 7-12. I think the last shuttle back was at 11:30.  We really didn’t have time to do anything.  Meanwhile, Princess and Holland were parked right in town.

 

I would really take a long look at the port times and compare with Princess and Holland.

Edited July 5, 2023 by melodyesch

[MacGuffin3]

2 hours ago, melodyesch said:

But Ward Cove was terrible.  You had to wait for a shuttle to town.

Do you know if this is an every-week thing with the Encore because of a constantly overbooked pier, or an maybe an unlucky week when they had to make an adjustment?

[BirdTravels]

15 hours ago, mustcruise1217 said:

I am driving myself crazy trying to pick a cruise to Alaska for our family of 4. Dh42,Me41, DS9 and DD7. I have the encore picked bc I believe it will work well for our family. However, the shorter port times along with NCL docking in Ward Cove are making me look elsewhere in Princess and Hal. I am specifically looking to hear about anyone’s experience with Ward Cove. We really want to do the Deadliest catch boat excursion (would book with NCL). Is this even possible with only a few hours?

If you are doing a NCL ShoreEx, then the actual location of the dock (Ward Cove or Berth 1/2/3 downtown) is totally transparent/irrelevant. The ShoreEx will pick you up from the ship, takes you on your excursion, and brings you back to the ship. The time you arrive and depart port is also irrelevant,,, the ShoreEx you are interested in is a 4.5 hour excursion,,, doesn't matter if the ship is in port for 6 hours or 15 hours, you will be off for about 5 hours end-to-end. 

 

We have sailed to Ward Cove twice and have absolute no issue with docking there. We book our excursions and go and return to the ship. 

 

Here's a snip from our upcoming 2023 cruise on the Encore (which docks at Ward Cove). 

 

Join an adventure of a lifetime aboard the Aleutian Ballad, as seen on Discovery Channel’s - The Deadliest Catch. Your experience begins with a short walk along the fishing pier of Ketchikan, a historic fishing port and the gateway to Alaska. On board you’ll find comfortable, heated theater style seating and modern amenities. As you head out on the calm waters of the Inside Passage, your seasoned crew will begin fishing and you’ll be up close to all the action! Crabs, octopus, eels, sharks, rockfish and prawns are all a possibility, as the crew demonstrates their expertise.

 

Be on the lookout for whales, eagles, porpoise, and seals along the way. Admire the scenic beauty that surrounds you as the crew haul and set long line, barrel pots and huge king crab pots to reveal the catch of the day. The amazing marine life is placed in an on-deck aquarium so everyone can get up close look. This educational and interactive experience is perfect for all ages and is packed with stories and adventures shared by the men and women who risk their lives fishing the Bering Sea.

 

 

Need to Know:

Note: Participants must be at least 5 years of age. This tour does not go out into the rough waters of the open ocean, it remains in the protected waters of the Inside Passage. Time spent on Aleutian Ballad is approximately 3 hours, transportation to and from port is 1.5 hours. Guests should dress comfortably in layers and wear closed-toed shoes. Bring a camera, credit card or cash for onboard shopping. Cell phone use is discouraged.

[gknep]

The Encore will be great ship for your kids. Probably better than Princess or Holland America especially if they want the go karts, laser tag, virtual reality arcade, and water slides. If better docking in Juneau and Ketchikan are more important then Princess is probably better for the kids if only because they bring the sled dog puppies on board one of the days. I've been to Alaska multiple times with NCL since 2002 and twice on the Encore 2021, 2022, and will again be on the Encore in May of 2024. I've also gone to Alaska with Holland America.  Our first time in Ward Cove the shuttles dropped you off right in front of the other cruise ships. Last year they dropped us further away (the shuttle driver told us it was because the town was upset at losing the port fees because of Ward Cove) From my perspective it depends on what you want to do at the Ketchikan stop. If you have excursions planned through NCL then Ward Cove is not that big of a deal, if you want to walk around the city and look in the stores it is a little more problematic. The big caveat with my experience at Ward Cove is that both of my times there the ship was not sailing at anywhere near capacity. 

 

Edited July 5, 2023 by gknep

[BirdTravels]

20 minutes ago, MacGuffin3 said:

Do you know if this is an every-week thing with the Encore because of a constantly overbooked pier, or an maybe an unlucky week when they had to make an adjustment?

NCL teamed with the Alaskan native shareholders to build Ward Cove for NCL ships. It has nothing to do with the downtown berths being "overbooked". The dock was purpose-built for NCL ships and that is where they will berth. Just as NCL has teamed with the Alaskan native shareholders to build their own dock at Icy Strait Point. And similar to NCL using the AJ pier in Juneau versus downtown berths. 

[MacGuffin3]

2 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

The dock was purpose-built for NCL ships and that is where they will berth.

First I've ever heard of this, sounds like a ridiculous process if you wake up at a normal hour and want to just walk around town.  Well poof. . . there goes any plans we might have made for Ketchikan if the last bus back is 11:30,  Is there anything to walk around and do in Ward Cove?

[YVRteacher]

When choosing an Alaskan cruise with NCL, you’re either prioritizing the ship or prioritizing Alaska.  If you select the Encore or the Bliss out of Seattle (and I think the Joy is doing this run in 2024 too-please correct me if I’m wrong) then you are getting a fabulous ship experience. Beautiful ship, lovely restaurants, modern cabins, amazing Observation lounge, great shows, lots of things for kids, teens and people of all ages to do. However, the hours in the Alaskan ports are short and you are not getting the best Alaskan experiences.

 

If you sail on the Jewel or the Jade out of Vancouver the ship will be wonderful but in different ways. The crew want to be there and they treat you like family. The cabins and restaurants aren’t as fancy and there aren’t any go karts or laser tag pavilions.  However, the scheduling in the Alaskan ports is suberb so you don’t feel rushed and you often have time to do two excursions in each port.

 

I have written live trip reports for Alaska on the Jewel and the Encore and currently have one about to start tomorrow on the NCL Spirit out of Vancouver. There are plenty of other trip reports to enjoy as well.  Take some time to search those out and get a feel for the experience. Trip reports are different than reviews and often contain the pros and the cons.

[YVRteacher]

17 minutes ago, MacGuffin3 said:

First I've ever heard of this, sounds like a ridiculous process if you wake up at a normal hour and want to just walk around town.  Well poof. . . there goes any plans we might have made for Ketchikan if the last bus back is 11:30,  Is there anything to walk around and do in Ward Cove?

Hi MacGuffin3. Ward Cove is an old pulp mill so it’s a large rectangular warehouse. There are Alaskan souvenirs to purchase including the made in China crap, clothing, fudge, bear poop chocolate, magnets and postcards. There is usually a local person singing (often an Elvis song) and at the back of the warehouse is where the tours meet before you exit to catch the tour buses. For me it is neither wonderful nor horrible. Some people like the building at Ward Cove but for me there isn’t anything I need.  For longer port stops on NCL cruises in Ketchikan docking at Ward Cove isn’t a big deal but when the port time is short your best bet is to book an NCL shore excursion. They will pick you up and return you to Ward Cove, but you will miss Creek Street and Downtown Ketchikan.  That just means you can come back another time and explore some more. 

[YVRteacher]

The area surrounding Ward Cove isn’t desirable for walking as there are abandoned auto parts, piles of junk and lots of mud. It is a junky port.

[MacGuffin3]

11 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

your best bet is to book an NCL shore excursion. They will pick you up and return you to Ward Cove

Oh, now it all makes perfect sense.  Thanks for the info but I refuse to book overpriced excursions through the cruise-line.  We'll just see how it goes I suppose, if the family is willing to set our alarm-clock while on vacation. My guess is probably not, since there's very little I'd be willing to get up for before 9am while on vacation, and I don't think they have any pyramids in Ketchikan.

[lepidoptera]

Just wanted to mention that in addition to the NCL excursions picking up and dropping off in Ward’s Cove, Ketchikan Kayak co picked up and dropped off in Wards cove when I took an excursion with them in 2021. They are in the opposite direction from Wards cove, so if you get picked up in town you are back tracking.
 

I’m not sure if there excursions still work time wise, but I highly recommend them! They were a fantastic as a company, and it was an incredible excursion. 

[MacGuffin3]

Yes, looking at the map it seems the Totem Bight park is quite close to Ward Cove, only 2.5 miles north.  So we should be able to swing that on our own, admission is $5 each for walk ins, and there is a dirt cheap local bus, or just grab an Uber, avoiding the NCL "highway-robbery" tour which would cost us about $300 for the four of us, and only leaves at 7:45 am.  Would be nice to see Creek street, but we'll survive.

[scooter6139]

We just did the Bliss last week in Alaska.  Our ship friends did the Deadliest Catch excursion and it was their favorite of the entire trip!  Took most of the time the ship was in Ketchikan so they couldn't do any sightseeing, but they loved the experience.

 

We only got off to do the Ward Cove shopping stop for last-minute gifts, not the 20-minute shuttle ride.  

[Panhandle Couple]

We have been to Ketchikan 3 times.

First in 2016, it was low overcast foggy rainy weather.  We didn't book anything and good thing, since all flying and boat site seeing tours were canceled that morning, making the ships waiting area (theater) a zoo.  Instead we did a self tour, and found the town OK, but not spectacular.

 

Then in 2019, we never made it to port.  High winds stopped the Bliss from even entering the channel.

Missed out on our excursion.

 

In 2022, on Princess, we had the Jeep Adventure and glacial lake tour.  It left from dockside (30 minutes late) in town, and we drove north, PAST Ward Cove to get to the lake and the Jeep garage.  We then drove the Jeeps along a variety of private trails and overlooks, then were bussed back past Ward Cove into town.  It was a great tour, a real view of Alaska with good guides.   We did have time to walk around some and stop at the brewpub.  But overall the town is very crowded in season.

 

Ward Cove is a build-it-and-they-will-come effort.  From reviews and pictures, it sounds like it is slowly improving, and hopefully the excursions will start picking up more there. 

[Panhandle Couple]

Also a recent review said they now have 3 double decker busses at Ward Cove for transport into town, and 3 more coming, so the waiting time is getting shorter.

[LloydJr]

19 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

There are Alaskan souvenirs to purchase including the made in China crap, clothing, fudge, bear poop chocolate, magnets and postcards.

I admire that bear poop on just about every AK cruise.  I am SO tempted to buy some, stick in in my pocket and set up the inevitable joke (with DW playing the straight "man") in a late night bar.

 

"Is that bear poop in your pocket or are you just......."🤣

 

Humor is such a personal thing.😎

[MacGuffin3]

6 hours ago, Panhandle Couple said:

Also a recent review said they now have 3 double decker busses at Ward Cove for transport into town, and 3 more coming, so the waiting time is getting shorter.

Yet last bus back is still at 11:30 when the ship doesn't depart until 1:15.  So while on vacation, we get up at a normal time of 9, have breakfast and coffee, make it down to the double decker if we're lucky by 9:30 which is the last one out. The bus makes it into town by 10:00, walk 20 minutes to creek street, have about a half hour there before we have to head back. So put in triple deckers if you want, if we can't use them after 11:30 it doesn't help the issue at all.