What is there to do in Dutch Harbor?

[hummingbird_206]

We're going on the HAL 'Majestic Japan' cruise this fall and we stop for a day in Dutch Harbor.  HAL doesn't have any excursions listed.  What is there to do?  The only thing I know about Dutch Harbor is that it's where the boats from Deadliest Catch took off from.

 

I also wonder if we're really going to stop there?  Last time I was on a HAL cruise they listed a port, had no excursions for it, and ended up cancelling the stop.  Could be what's happening here?

[BEAV]

We stopped in Dutch Harbor aboard Celebrity in 2016. It was one of the highlights of that sailing. There’s a historical WW2 Museum (Japan bombed Dutch Harbor in 1942), in addition to the Museum of the Aleutians.

 

The locals pulled out all the stops, which added real flavor to the stop. The school buses provided the transport to/from the port to town, but local citizens supplemented as well.

 

I’ve seen a number of times where Dutch Harbor gets dropped as a port stop previously scheduled. My opinion is not because of a lack of tour options, but because of cargo ship priority can bump cruise ships. Perhaps others can elaborate or correct me on that. 
 

I hope your stop doesn’t get cancelled. 🤞 

[disneyochem]

You might find this website helpful:  https://www.aleutians.org/tours

 

We’re going on a driving tour during our port stop this June.

[wolfie11]

Dutch Harbor is the #1 most cancelled cruise stop followed by the Falkland Islands.  It’s a great place but not at all touristy.  As we say in Alaska it’s a quaint little drinking town with a fishing problem.

[Northern Aurora]

I've heard the "quaint little drinking town with a fishing problem" in reference to Homer.  Dutch Harbor/Unalaska isn't what I would consider quaint, but is industrial and functional.

 

We spent several days in Dutch Harbor/Unalaska in 2016.  We had taken the Alaska Marine Highway ferry the Tustamena from Kodiak to Dutch Harbor and stayed for several days.  When the weather is good it absolutely gorgeous.  But they can also experience torrential rain.  We had one day of really bad rain with the remaining days absolutely beautiful.

 

In addition the Museum of the Aleutians and the WW II Museum there is also an interesting Russian Orthodox cathedral.  We had rented a SUV for the duration, and so drove the limited road system birding.  It is a birdwatchers paradise.  A great number of WW II remnants along the road system.  Driving it really enforces how fortified Dutch Harbor was during the war.  

 

The views from Ft. Schwatka are also incredible.  Ft. Schwatka was a WW II coastal battery, and is the highest coastal battery ever constructed by the US.  It is on Mt. Ballyhoo.  Many of the buildings have been beaten down by the severe winter weather and winds, but you can still see the gun emplacements and so forth.

 

Rental cars are available at the airport.

 

And I also have been to the Falklands.  The communities are actually somewhat similar.  In Dutch Harbor the ship will be docked, but in the Falklands we had to tender.

[hummingbird_206]

3 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

I've heard the "quaint little drinking town with a fishing problem" in reference to Homer.  Dutch Harbor/Unalaska isn't what I would consider quaint, but is industrial and functional.

 

We spent several days in Dutch Harbor/Unalaska in 2016.  We had taken the Alaska Marine Highway ferry the Tustamena from Kodiak to Dutch Harbor and stayed for several days.  When the weather is good it absolutely gorgeous.  But they can also experience torrential rain.  We had one day of really bad rain with the remaining days absolutely beautiful.

 

In addition the Museum of the Aleutians and the WW II Museum there is also an interesting Russian Orthodox cathedral.  We had rented a SUV for the duration, and so drove the limited road system birding.  It is a birdwatchers paradise.  A great number of WW II remnants along the road system.  Driving it really enforces how fortified Dutch Harbor was during the war.  

 

The views from Ft. Schwatka are also incredible.  Ft. Schwatka was a WW II coastal battery, and is the highest coastal battery ever constructed by the US.  It is on Mt. Ballyhoo.  Many of the buildings have been beaten down by the severe winter weather and winds, but you can still see the gun emplacements and so forth.

 

Rental cars are available at the airport.

 

And I also have been to the Falklands.  The communities are actually somewhat similar.  In Dutch Harbor the ship will be docked, but in the Falklands we had to tender.

We're birders!  If no excursions show up I'll have to look at renting a car. Thanks!