Sitka, Alaska & Victoria, Canada

[NE John]

First time going to Alaska and we are going on Q420 June 2024 and a port stop is Sitka.  I understand it’s a popular stop. 

Can someone provide some intel, from a Cunard perspective, on what to do in Sitka?  Do we need to book an excursion or is a visit around town worthwhile?

 

I already booked the Lumberjack show/Crab feast in Ketchikan, a whale watching/Mendenhall Glacier tour on a catamaran in Juneau, and a bike ride around a glacier in Haines so the dance card is getting full. Btw, Haines seems like a newer port of call?
Also, does QE dock long enough in Victoria, Canada to make it worth booking a tour or, again, is a stroll around town a nice experience?

I like this 10 day itinerary with four days on the ship being at sea and for scenic cruising. 

Any overall thoughts on these stops?

Edited October 23, 2023 by NE John

[sfred]

Best wishes for your Alaska voyage, @NE John.  I'm glad you decided to go after your earlier concerns.  I think you'll have a great time.  Our QE 2019 voyage from Japan to Alaska ranks as one of our top favourites.

 

We really liked both Sitka and Victoria.  In Sitka, Mrs. sfred and I split up for the day.  I went for a bushwalk in the nearby Sitka National Historical Park.  Mrs. sfred went to the bear sanctuary - Fortress of the Bear.  We then met up again in the town for a late lunch before returning to the ship.  There is a Cunard shuttle bus from the cruise pier, with the dropoff at the Sitka Historical Society.  We did not take any Cunard excursions. 

 

Some photos are copied below, and here's the website of the bear sanctuary. 

 

http://www.fortressofthebear.org/

 

The park bushwalk.  I think I was one of a very few people in the park.  I didn't see another person for hours.

 

 

Fortress of the Bear.  Mrs. sfred booked transport and admission from a local tourist desk in Sitka.  .

 

 

 

In Victoria, it was our first time there, so we concentrated on seeing the city.  We took the Cunard shuttle into town, walked around for most of the day, had lunch and several pints at one of the many British pubs, and then walked back to the ship through very pleasant residential neighbourhoods. The only thing that made the day a little sad was the knowledge that we would be getting off QE the following day in Vancourver. . 

 

Let us know any questions. 

 

 

 

[NE John]

That is all awesome and I having the free shuttles is a big help. I’m looking forward to all trying all of these ideas. Nature, bears, and beers…who needs anything else?

[bluemarble]

2 hours ago, NE John said:

Btw, Haines seems like a newer port of call?

 

To answer this question, QE's call to Haines on June 7, 2022 may have been the first ever call there for Cunard. I couldn't find a reference to a prior call to Haines by any Cunard ship anyway. QE called again to Haines on June 13, 2023. And now she has four further calls to Haines scheduled for 2024. So, yes, Haines is very much a newer port of call for Cunard.

[NE John]

25 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

 

To answer this question, QE's call to Haines on June 7, 2022 may have been the first ever call there for Cunard. I couldn't find a reference to a prior call to Haines by any Cunard ship anyway. QE called again to Haines on June 13, 2023. And now she has four further calls to Haines scheduled for 2024. So, yes, Haines is very much a newer port of call for Cunard.

I’ll be providing a full report on Haines. 

[techteach]

@NE John Grandson and I did the Bear Fortress excursion in Sitka and really enjoyed it. Folks who walked around town expressed a little unhappiness. Victoria is a hard one because it isn’t a short walk into town. Hopefully Cunard has a shuttle you can hop on. It’s a pretty city and it you like flowers Butchart Gardens is beautiful. Sounds like you’ve got the other ports covered! Are you flying direct to Vancouver or going through Seattle?

[NE John]

3 hours ago, techteach said:

@NE John Grandson and I did the Bear Fortress excursion in Sitka and really enjoyed it. Folks who walked around town expressed a little unhappiness. Victoria is a hard one because it isn’t a short walk into town. Hopefully Cunard has a shuttle you can hop on. It’s a pretty city and it you like flowers Butchart Gardens is beautiful. Sounds like you’ve got the other ports covered! Are you flying direct to Vancouver or going through Seattle?

Haven’t done flights yet but I’ve never been to either Seattle or Vancouver. I’ll try to fold in Seattle somehow. 
I’m liking the Bear Fortress and other nature-centered ideas that you and @sfred have mentioned. I believe Cunard has a shuttle to town in Victoria. 
Overall, touristy things are ok, but there are limits to how many tchotchkes we can look at…

Most importantly, I’m really glad we have a real 10-night Alaskan itinerary on QE and getting back onboard her in PG. 

 

[sfred]

3 hours ago, techteach said:

Victoria is a hard one because it isn’t a short walk into town. Hopefully Cunard has a shuttle you can hop on.

 

There is a shuttle (or at least there was back in 2019).  Dropoff was at the Victoria harbour ferry / Destination Victoria Visitor Centre.  The visitor centre had free wifi.  It's about a 2km level walk from the cruise pier into the city, through the pleasant residential neighbourhood of James Bay.  We shuttled into town, and walked back to the ship.

Edited October 25, 2023 by sfred

[Pushpit]

The last photo in Post 2 is of The Empress hotel, a Fairmont institution that dominates that part of town. The Empress in question being Victoria. It has it's own version of English Afternoon Tea as an institution, and it's able to get away with charging CAD95 per person. 

 

https://www.teaattheempress.com/menus/ 

 

Victoria is a good place to just walk around. It's well maintained and fish and chips are available for a somewhat more avoidable price.

[sfred]

46 minutes ago, Pushpit said:

The last photo in Post 2 is of The Empress hotel, a Fairmont institution that dominates that part of town. The Empress in question being Victoria. It has it's own version of English Afternoon Tea as an institution, and it's able to get away with charging CAD95 per person. 

 

https://www.teaattheempress.com/menus/ 

 

Victoria is a good place to just walk around. It's well maintained and fish and chips are available for a somewhat more avoidable price.

 

The hotel also has a rich transportation history, having been built by the Canadian Pacific Streamship company and the Canadian Pacific Railroad.  We didn't stop in for tea.

[techteach]

We did the Empress Tea many years ago and it was very good. Not sure I’d pay for it now. I didn’t mention it since we’re on Cunard and there’s tea almost every day on QE.

[NE John]

10 minutes ago, techteach said:

We did the Empress Tea many years ago and it was very good. Not sure I’d pay for it now. I didn’t mention it since we’re on Cunard and there’s tea almost every day on QE.

After 9 days on QE, I’ll be Tea’d out! Not ale’d or wine’d out, but definitely Tea’d. 

[david,Mississauga]

6 hours ago, sfred said:

 

There is a shuttle (or at least there was back in 2019).  Dropoff was at the Victoria harbour ferry / Destination Victoria Visitor Centre.  The visitor centre had free wifi.  It's about a 2km level walk from the cruise pier into the city, through the pleasant residential neighbourhood of James Bay.  We shuttled into town, and walked back to the ship.

 

The shuttle was also running this year and also last year. The drop-off point has been changed to the rear of the Empress Hotel and Convention Centre. 

[devolve]

We also visited the fortress of the bear. We used the local bus it was an easy ride and very inexpensive. It was a fabulous cruise and Vancouver is just beautiful.