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Post by deshacrafts on May 2, 2017 0:23:06 GMT
We are going to cruise Alaska in July/August. I just got the list of excursions that we can go on....131....I have no idea how to weed out the list. If you have gone before or live there, what are the must sees/dos for Juneau, Skagway or Ketchikan? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
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Post by annabella on May 2, 2017 0:32:02 GMT
Do the dog sledding! I signed up for it, got the place, and then they said the weather was too bad to go. It's a once a lifetime opportunity and worth the cost.
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Post by donna on May 2, 2017 0:48:42 GMT
We did a whale excursion from Juneau and saw lots of whales. I got some amazing pictures. We flew in a helicopter to a glacier. We also went on a Deadliest Catch boat. We got to experience crabbing and saw loads of bald eagles.
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Post by amblet on May 2, 2017 0:51:33 GMT
Living in Alaska I can tell you that anything you choose should be amazing. My sister and her family really liked the fog sledding.
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Peamac
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Post by Peamac on May 2, 2017 0:53:59 GMT
There should be a lot of threads from last summer and the summer before that should be helpful. DH and I went w years ago in late june/early july. In Ketchikan we walked around looking for a good place for DH to fish for salmon, but it was too early in the season to make it worthwhile. We walked around town and went to the totem pole museum. We also got a one-day bus pass for like $2 each to go out to Totem Bight State Park. I also took the bus to Walmart to get a couple things. The lumberjack show looked fun, but it was all sold out by the time we got there. In Juneau, he went salmon fishing and had a great time. I think this is the fishing place DH went with. He liked it b/c he doesn't drink or swear, and this was more family-friendly than a lot of charter places (he's had bad experiences fishing with groups). We called them as we got into the dock, and they had room to squeeze him in. I stopped at one of the tourist trip huts near the dock and took a bus to Mendenhall Glacier and walked around town a bit. There's at least one quilt store in town that I stopped at while waiting for him to get back from fishing. In Skagway we took a bus ride (through the cruise line) up to the beginning of the Klondike. We would have enjoyed the train ride, but it was way out of our price range. After our bus trip we did a little shopping and some more sightseeing on our own. We also stopped by the mining/klondike museum. What we found was that you can often get better deals by going to the visitor's center or tourist kiosk things near the docks, but depending on how many other cruise ships are there at the same time, things can get booked before you arrive. Before we left, I looked online at a lot of the excursions and we decided what we wanted to see and kept a list with us. A lot of excursions you can book on your own at a better rate before you leave for the cruise. Hope that helps! |
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scrapaddie
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Post by scrapaddie on May 2, 2017 0:56:04 GMT
Go with what interests you. I think it was in Ketchikan that I went to this place with animals. One of the guys that runs it goes barefoot all the time to be in communication with the earth and to receive earth energy.,. A little strange, but a fun place. I think it was in Juneau that we rode a helicopter out to a glacier. Whatever, you will enjoy it if you chose your Arabs of interest.
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scrapngranny
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Post by scrapngranny on May 2, 2017 0:57:48 GMT
We went whale watching in Juneau, the train to the Yukon in Skagway and took an amazing float plane trip in Ketchikan. We did not book the whale watching or the float plane through the cruise line. The train trip was only so so. Whale watching was great too.
I would love to take the same cruise again some day. It was fantastic.
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Post by ntsf on May 2, 2017 0:58:33 GMT
check out cruise critic.. for lots of info
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Post by pajamamama on May 2, 2017 1:14:27 GMT
Do the dog sledding on the glacier-- we did get delayed due to weather, but got to go and it was the highlight of our trip. One stop (Icy Strait?) has an incredible zipline I was too chicken to go, but I heard it was not scary-- wish I had gone!!
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AmandaA
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Post by AmandaA on May 2, 2017 1:41:08 GMT
We went for our honeymoon in August of '06. Those were our ports as well. In Juneau we did the whale watching tour and saw the glacier. We saw quite a few whales and other wildlife on our trip. I don't think I could have gone to Alaska and not done this excursion. I don't recall which was in which port- but our other two were a float plane trip out to a salmon hatchery to bear watch and an off-road Jeep adventure inland. The float plane and bears was incredible. I am terrified of flying but wanted to see the bears bad enough to go, and loved it. We did the off road Jeep adventure more for DH. The off road part was neat (and fun to do in a vehicle that wasn't yours  ). But I found just going inland and seeing the scenery to be awe inspiring. It was like being on another planet to this midwestern girl. Don't regret any of the three choices and would do them again. And my only other advice is to pack for it to be colder and wetter than you think it will be! Have a great trip! |
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Loydene
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Post by Loydene on May 2, 2017 2:35:05 GMT
I think you should look at all the excursions on the cruise line and see what interests you -- and how much you are willing to pay! Alaska is expensive
Ketchican is totally a walk-able town -- we had no interest in the lumberjack show but walked over to the totem museum with an eagle preserve nearby. We walked all over the town -- there are totem poles scattered all around the town -- and fun stores to poke around in.
Skagway has an excellent Parks Service display near the trail station. You can spend some nice time learning about the Gold rush for free. Other than the railroad, the town is pretty much a tourist place - lots of store with "moose" product -- lipgloss, fake moose poo, etc -- store with really beautiful art and locally produces things.
Juneau, again, can be explored on foot as well -- but you need to take a bus or something to get to the glacier.
With that said, we spend a little more money on our 2nd trip to Alaska -- we still walked around Ketchican, but took a private excursion UP into the Klondike, then caught the train for the return trip. In Juneau we took a private whale watching excursion. We did white water rafting in Denali and also took an excursion up the Dalton Highway (the "haul" road) up beyond the Arctic Circle, then a flight back to Fairbanks. My mother took a helicopter flight to a glacier - but I couldn't afford it for me and my DS -- she said it was very nice.
As people have said - Cruise critic as a TON of information.
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Post by kels99 on May 2, 2017 2:45:35 GMT
We've been twice in the last 6 years.... Juneau---both times we grabbed a taxi to be the first ones out to Mendenhall Glacier. Walked on the 'bear trail' then the path to the waterfall by the glacier. The visitor center there was absolutely packed both times and not worth it, IMO. DD & DH went on a ziplining adventure one of the times. Ketchikan---walked around town both times. Love Married Man's Trail that goes along the fish ladder. Creek Street is fun too. We walked up to the Totem Museum the first time, but didn't go in. My sister's family went fishing on a small boat (may have been the only ones on the boat besides the captain) and caught a ton of fish that got processed and sent home. Skagway----rented a car and drove to Whitehorse, YT. We bought Murray's Guide before we went and stopped at all sorts of places. One of my favorite days ever.  The second time we didn't get to dock in Skagway because of the wind, so the captain took us to some bay where there were whales ALL around us. So cool!! Victoria----we love the Royal BC Museum. Empress and the Parliament building are not to be missed at night all lit up. It's a fun town to walk around. |
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Post by candygurl on May 2, 2017 3:47:23 GMT
We did zipling in Skagway and it was amazing!!! Beautiful and with fun instructors. Easy to zip line down and the scenery was gorgeous!!
In Juneau we had to cancel our raft trip because of the weather so instead we looked around the town and shopped.
In Ketchikan we did a duck tour and it was meh. The scenery was pretty but our driver was just okay. His teenage assistant was so knowledgeable and much better than him. It's interesting to hear how the kids grow up there.
We booked ours in March for a June trip and had no problem with them not selling out. Also there is a lot to do on the cruise so you may not want to book an excursion everyday since lots of them take 4-6 hrs.
It's fun to look around the port or do activities on the ship. We went to play a few trivia games and it was surprisingly fun. Also not sure if you have kids but the kids club is great and I felt comfortable leaving my nephew there. He has a great time too. Oh and try to get an earlier dinner time if possible. We had ours at 8 and by the time you are out it's nearly 10 and we were tired and went straight to bed.
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theshyone
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Post by theshyone on May 2, 2017 4:40:08 GMT
Ketchikan we went on a boat trip to the Misty Fjords it was amazing. My mom and daughter were bored.
Juneau we went whale watching and saw so many, they bubble fed nearby, absolutely the best. All three of us enjoyed it.
Skagway we did a two part thing, the whitecpass train to the Yukon, I was in heaven, my mom and daughter bored. Then we went on a gold rush tour, panned for gold, did a tour at an old gold mine site, it was meh to me, but they loved it. My daughter still talks about the panning for gold. Last year on a trip to Yukon she did it again and she was the only one to find gold.
It was hard for us my mom was 70 my daughter 7 and I was recovering from an operation and still not up to strenuous stuff. We had a great trip overall.
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Post by mikklynn on May 2, 2017 12:05:43 GMT
Ketchikan we went on a boat trip to the Misty Fjords it was amazing. My mom and daughter were bored. Juneau we went whale watching and saw so many, they bubble fed nearby, absolutely the best. All three of us enjoyed it. Skagway we did a two part thing, the whitecpass train to the Yukon, I was in heaven, my mom and daughter bored. Then we went on a gold rush tour, panned for gold, did a tour at an old gold mine site, it was meh to me, but they loved it. My daughter still talks about the panning for gold. Last year on a trip to Yukon she did it again and she was the only one to find gold. It was hard for us my mom was 70 my daughter 7 and I was recovering from an operation and still not up to strenuous stuff. We had a great trip overall. We did all three of these, too! Although the gold panning didn't interest us, so we just did the train up and back. Then we walked around Skagway. I agree that Misty Fjords was gorgeous, but a long trip out there and back. DH was recovering from surgery, so it was perfect for us. |
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Peamac
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Post by Peamac on May 2, 2017 12:51:28 GMT
I just remembered something you'll want to know- On our cruise ship, there were talks given almost daily by a biologist (talked about whales, bears, etc- things we'd likely see in Alaska) and a historian. The lady historian talked about each of the towns we would be stopping in, the history of the area, and most importantly, she gave great tips for what to see and what not to miss. We didn't watch all of the presentations, but I wish we had. They were both very good. While we were sightseeing, we heard others from our ship talking about parts of the presentations we had skipped.
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AmandaA
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Post by AmandaA on May 2, 2017 15:52:39 GMT
Skagway----rented a car and drove to Whitehorse, YT. We bought Murray's Guide before we went and stopped at all sorts of places. One of my favorite days ever. The second time we didn't get to dock in Skagway because of the wind, so the captain took us to some bay where there were whales ALL around us. So cool!! Yes, Whitehorse! That was the town our off-road tour also took us too. There was a museum of some sort there we visited. But the scenery driving from port to Whitehorse was amazing. The color of the water in the glacial lakes was like nothing I had ever seen before. |
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Post by renateb on May 2, 2017 15:59:39 GMT
Tracey's Crab Shack in Juneau
Misty Fjords Seaplane (this was amazing and so worth it. really depends on it being a clear day though)
Mendenhall Glacier (I took off shoes and walked in the water. Was able to pick up a piece of glacial ice that was floating)
Skagway - White Pass Train.
I found booking things on own was sometimes better than what cruise offered. Remember the cruise industry is only offering tours that they get a kick back from. Some of the best have a reputation on their own and don't need the cruise industry to endorse (and get a portion of proceeds) from them. Tracey's Crab Shack is a perfect example.
Trip Advisor is your best-line resource.
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milocat
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Post by milocat on May 2, 2017 16:37:56 GMT
All these things sound so great. I want to do this by driving there on my own. Drive across BC to Prince Rupert. Go to Haida Gwaii (formerly Queen Charlotte Islands) first. Then take the ferry to Ketchikan, Juneau and Skaway. And drive home through the Yukon and NWT. We'd book things with enough time to allow us to be able to do the tours and sightseeing we'd want to get done. Have fun on your trip, come back and tell us how it went!
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Post by kels99 on May 3, 2017 2:20:25 GMT
Skagway----rented a car and drove to Whitehorse, YT. We bought Murray's Guide before we went and stopped at all sorts of places. One of my favorite days ever. The second time we didn't get to dock in Skagway because of the wind, so the captain took us to some bay where there were whales ALL around us. So cool!! Yes, Whitehorse! That was the town our off-road tour also took us too. There was a museum of some sort there we visited. But the scenery driving from port to Whitehorse was amazing. The color of the water in the glacial lakes was like nothing I had ever seen before. If it's the same museum, it used to be the house where my Great Grandma grew up! That was the reason we drove to Whitehorse, to see where all her crazy stories took place. There was even a postcard with her picture on it (a pic of her baseball team) for sale in the museum. |
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The Great Carpezio
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Post by The Great Carpezio on May 3, 2017 3:41:14 GMT
My favorite was the mendenhall glacier float.
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Post by candygurl on May 3, 2017 3:47:47 GMT
My favorite was the mendenhall glacier float. We were suppose to see it but canceled due to the weather. I do have to say Tracy's Crab Shack had awesome lobster or crab bisque. Can't remember which one lol but it was delicious! |
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pancakes
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Post by pancakes on May 3, 2017 4:55:02 GMT
I think it was Ketchikan, but we did a zip line. My 50-something year old parents (at the time) even had so much fun. It was just a different thing to do in a beautiful place!
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Post by jameynz on May 3, 2017 6:53:35 GMT
My family and I are going on the cruise commencing 27th May (starting to get excited now!).
I have prebooked/paid the excursions which include
Halibut fishing in Ketchikan, Fly-out fishing in Juneau, Dog sledding in Juneau (not everyone wants to fish ya know DH!) and the Wildlife Refuge.
I have also booked for a seaplane flight to a place for a crab lunch....can't quite remember and again, not everyone doing this.
I would love to do the zip-line and gold panning - however, can't do everything, and I am sure once we are in port there would be things to see & do
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tuesdaysgone
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Post by tuesdaysgone on May 3, 2017 9:59:19 GMT
We did these ports as well. While we did do zip-lining in Juneau thru the cruise line (and it was awesome!), in the other ports we just found our own excursions and paid cash. Admittedly, it was just Dh and me and so we could be very flexible. We did a train ride and guided hike in Ketchikan and a boat ride in Skagway. As you get off at each port there are plenty of people and guide services around and you can book an excursion on the spot. I guess it really depends on how large your group is. We enjoyed just winging it at each port.
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theshyone
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Post by theshyone on May 12, 2017 18:48:21 GMT
The single biggest advantage to booking tours through the cruise line is not getting left behind if there are delays beyond your control and not missing the ones you booked if the cruise is late getting into port.
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Post by andreasmom on Jul 24, 2017 4:50:53 GMT
@jameinz just wanted to check how your cruise went. We have one coming up in the next couple of weeks and have started making reservations
Let me know your favorite part of the trip.
Thanks!
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luckyjune
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Post by luckyjune on Jul 24, 2017 5:04:41 GMT
We went zip lining in Skagway. AWESOME experience!
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). But I found just going inland and seeing the scenery to be awe inspiring. It was like being on another planet to this midwestern girl. Don't regret any of the three choices and would do them again. 
The second time we didn't get to dock in Skagway because of the wind, so the captain took us to some bay where there were whales ALL around us. So cool!!
