Shore plans for Norwegian Spirit 9/11

[cruise pup]

This will be my 3rd cruise to Alaska, so I'm trying to come up with some interesting things to do and keep my budget down (Budget Queen take note, please). I have splurged in the past with flightseeing, whale watching, and other tours, so I'm trying to do as much on my own this time. The big splurge was taking a balcony so I hope to do a lot of sightseeing during our cruising time. This works out well since most of our shore visits are in the am. The afternoons can be spent on the balcony enjoying the scenery and the occasional wildlife sightings (hoping to spot a sea otter). Here's what I've come up with:

 

1. Ketchikan - Walk over to fish ladder to see if salmon are still jumping. Continue to salmon hatchery, totem park and bald eagle "clinic". If time permits I might catch lumberjack show.

 

2. Juneau - Provided that the weather is good I'll take a bus over to Mendenhall glacier and do east loop trail which goes to the falls. Inclement weather plan is to visit the brewery. I could also shop but after the brewery I don't think my judgement would be any good. I still regret purchasing the live donkey in Cozumel after visitng Carlos & Charlie's. The ones in the giftshop on the ship were cheaper! ;-)

 

3. Skagway - If weather is nice I'm thinking of taking the bus tour to Emerald Lake (Chilkoot Charters). If weather ain't so hot I'd go to the National Parks Visitors Center and check out whatever presentation is going on in the auditorium. Then I guess I'd hunt for bargains in the shops since it is the end of the cruise season. It's our longest stop so shopping would be best here (even though Juneau seems to have finer shops) because I wouldn't have to sacrifice time for this.

 

4. Prince Rupert - Right now I'm booked on the cannery tour. It does sound interesting and apparently the scenery along the Skeena River on the ride to and from is nice. I am trying to get opinions on this tour but no one has reported on it. I would add that my interest in the tour stems from taking a flightseeing tour in Ketchikan where we flew over a deserted cannery town and it looked very interesting. I thought visitng a preserved one might satisfy my curiosity. Anyway, at $45., it isn't exactly the most costly proposition. Most of the reporting seems to be that there's not much to do on your own in Prince Rupert so the tour appears to be the way to go.

 

Any feedback would be welcome.

[Budget Queen]

You aren't likely to see sea otters, just not going to the areas. You need Sitka, Seward, Valdez. Pick up a walking tour map in Ketchikan and consider a loop on your walk to the hatchery. You will walk up Park- where the fish ladder is, then continue through the city park and return via Deermont. Will give you a nontourist look at residential life. :) For clairfication- the East Loop trail doesn't go to the falls, it's another 3 miles on top of the 3 1/2. A lot of climbing. You can get very close to the fall, unofficially staying on the lake edge past the visitor center- mostly level walking. With time you can get to the brewery via city bus- if you haven't been to the hatchery- this is a large one with a great salmon ladder and short cheap "tour". But you would then have to wait for the next bus to continue to the brewery. Skagway- go to the Park Service this is the best free gem of the Inside Passage. http://www.nps.gov/klgo/schedule.htm Biking here is also excellent.

[cruise pup]

Thanks BQ! A couple mentioned they saw a sea otter one morning while we were in BC in the Inside Passage, so that's why I mentioned it. I know Sitka is really otter central and hopefully will get there some day. I have the walking tour map of Ketchikan from previous visits but I do intend to stop in the visitors center when I get off the shop. I like that place a lot. I've been to the NPS visitor center in Skagway and I agree with you about it being a gem. I will look to it as my alternate plans if I don't feel like doing the Yukon trip to Emerald Lake. I've done the mini tour which only went over the border, so I am wondering if it's worth the money to go further.