There is truly something for every taste on an Alaskan cruise. After a beautiful 20- or 25-minute floatplane ride, youll land on a remote beach. Alaska Cruises and Cruisetours | Costco Travel That means layers are key. Enjoy the views upon the White Pass Train and Yukon Route. Andthere does NOT appear to be a way to even click on a star to just give that type of rating. The best part is that no experience is needed; a guide will instruct you in the use of the provided mountain gear, which includes boots, an ice ax and crampons. And thats not even peak season. Just because Mickey's in the name doesn't mean this attraction isn't full of Disney Princess. All these species, plus lingcod, rockfish, and others feed heavily in Sitka Sound throughout the summer. Be sure to pack your camera for photo ops with the First Nations Totem poles. It was obviously not in use but still you never know how real these things are. An all-you-can-eat salmon and prime rib lunch buffet is also included. Then you could request a vistors guide from the local chamber of commerce or do some more researching to find out whats available. The captain will take you to known fishing spots where various techniques weather permitting are employed for salmon fishing and halibut fishing. A couple of weeks ago, I booked an excursion through Princess. We had few bored passengers on our tour. This is also a nice (and more affordable alternative) if you're unable to take the glacier dog-sledding flightseeing excursion in Juneau. Medical restriction (See special notes) Exceptional Value. Choose from one of several options. Cruises and land tours are great ways to see Alaska. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. Your pilot picks out one of the lakes, lands the floatplane, and turns off the engine. The ones we took with local operators once we landed (And there were several of them!) Your small group (usually just 4 people) will board the companys comfortable boat and set off from the Ketchikan cruise-ship dock, leaving the big ships and the crowds behind. You have a little (but not much) control of your speed and can more or less steer yourself into the platforms. The seaplane will also briefly land on water within the park to give you a taste of the serenity down below. But this excursion begins with a narrated bus tour through the Indigenous Tlingit village of Hoonah and up a mountainside. And there is coffee, hot chocolate and kicked up coffee and hot chocolate. This is a great chance for a truly Alaskan experience: to ride in a floatplane and land on a pristine wilderness lake. I did post my review as a thread on the CruiseCritic Mexican Riviera Forum, so it is out there! Alaska Cruise Tips The Best "Non-Excursions" in Port During Your Alaska Cruise We all need some time exploring on our own. With huge granite cliffs rising straight up from the sea and the sheer beauty of the area, Misty Fjords offers a unique Alaskan flightseeing experiencevery different from other Inside Passage areas like Juneau or even a Denali flightseeing tour. This is an example of a Princess Cruises itinerary that visits the Inside Passage as well as the Gulf of Alaska, terminating or originating in Whittier, Alaska. One minute, you will spot a soaring bald eagle or the spouts of beluga whales then you may see nothing but wind and rain for two days straight. The Best Alaska Cruise Excursions at Each Port - Simply Wander We had a very busy day lined up. Choose a round-trip Inside passage or one-way Gulf of Alaska Cruise. Lunch and snacks are provided on this excursion. Related: Your Cheat Sheet to Alaska Luxury Cruises. Well, we've done the legwork for you, and you find the answers to that question here. Alaska cruise experts share their intel on how to pick the best Alaska cruise. Thanks frommy, looks like it would be worth adding the glacier onto the whale watching then. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-80267574', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Tracy Arm Fjord, do it! Campgrounds, RV Parks & Public Use Cabins. Both offer tours. You might also see the cascading Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier, the floating Dead Branch Glacier or the river-like East Twin Glacier before landing on Norris Glacier, home to a mushing camp. Several companies offer cultural tours, but they all seem to sample different destinations and experiences across Sitka. The nature tour in Hainesa driving tour with plenty of stopstakes you to one of the most wildlife-rich areas in Southeast Alaska: Chilkoot Lake State Park. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Disney World: The Best Disney Princess Attractions, Ranked - TheTravel Ketchikan's Fishing Charters operates May til September with trips starting at 2 hours. If you do decide to go with local operators, I would recommend researching and booking them beforehand. This excursion combines a scenic cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park with a visit to the Alaska SeaLife Center. Tours in AK are too expensive for someone to be just going along because that is what the majority want to do. Bring your camera: you may even catch a whale lunge feeding or breaching. And while humpbacks are the highlight, you may also see orca whales, harbor seals, sea lions, and bald eagles. Your fun and informative local guide will take you to out-of-the-way places, like Svensons Extreme Dreams Art Studio. After making it to the top, youll rappel back down an entirely different kind of thrill. Reserve excursions in Cruise Personalizer Special Child Pricing Available! Look for rides featuring your favorite Disney princess when you visit the theme parks. If you are searching for the bucket-list Alaska cruise item, this is it. View the exhibits and watch an award-winning documentary about the city. And just when you think, "Wow, I've done it," you have to rappel down a rope to reach the ground. * Required. There are lots of discussions about excursions on the Alaska sub-forum. Visit the Alaska Raptor Center, where injured bald eagles and other birds are rehabilitated for eventual release into the wild. Whether you're traveling as a couple, a family or solo, we've found the best Alaska. Alaska Cruise Excursions - Princess Cruises Spotting orca whales, caribou and grizzly bears requires cameras and binoculars at the ready. When youre finished, youll go on a short walk through a dramatic old-growth forest. Serious photographers are often frustrated when they find a nice spot, set up for a shot, and the guide yells, "Time to get back on the bus!" Do you think that is possible to do in Alaska? At the SeaLife Center, get up-close views of seals, walruses, sea otters and seabirds. Princess Cruises offers the creme de la creme Mendenhall Helicopter Glacier Trek. But if its wildlife youre afteror if you want to get away from the crowdsconsider Haines. Related: Six Tips for Cruising Alaska on a Budget. The White Pass Railroad tours are popular in Skagway. They can only accommodate 10 guests at a time, and Paul likes to quip that Anheuser Busch spills more beer in a day than Haines Brewing Company brews in a year! Sitka sits directly on the open ocean, so you can go after all five species of Pacific salmon in an easy outing from Sitka. Sign-up for any of the following email series to help plan your Alaska trip. Related: Everything You Need to Know for a Perfect Alaska Adventure. For even more adventure, some tours combine the Icy Straight Point zipline with an ATV ride. Onboard Experience Cruise Articles Travel & Transportation What's an Alaska Cruisetour? Adventure Bound and Allen Marine are the two companies to contact if you are interested in pursuing a boat tour into Tracy Arm Fjord. 7-10 days is the most common. Just be aware that is the most cancelled tour because if the clouds come low on the mountain, the helicopters can't fly, so have a back-up plan if you want to do that. Overview; . Like Whittier (farther below), Seward is most often used as an embarkation and debarkation port. You can take a helicopter ride with jaw-dropping views of Juneau Icefield to a remote musher's camp. The halibut fishing grounds are farther from shore, requiring a longer tour. However, this tour is like Tracy Arm. Its tough to say which company has the best excursion options based on my list below However, Princess Cruises is the only company that offers all of the Sitka cruise excursions I consider the best. Look out for 26 different glaciers en route, along with wildlife on land (like bears and mountain goats), sea (sea otters, seals, porpoises, sea lions and whales) and sky (look out for eagles and visit a bird rookery). http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55. Princess Reports Passengers' Favorite Alaska Excursions - Frommer's Ketchikan, Alaska 6:30 AM 2:00 PM, 24-May 5. Park rangers come aboard the ship, narrate your time there and answer questions. After having one of the best vacations ever, I wanted to share what we learned about booking, what is free and included and what do you have to pay for, choosing a room, the food and excursions, offer tips for packing, and answer some questions we had before we went. So dont miss out! Wildlife Is a Highlight Visiting Alaska is all about wildlife, but you have to know where to look. While you listen and cook, nibble on salmon and halibut dishes, as well as local veggies. In (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? (From May 15mid-June and September 110, however, youll fly straight to Pack Creek Bear Sanctuary, kayaking not included.). You asked your most pressing Alaska cruise questions, and today, we're answering each and every one. Related: What I Learned on My First Cruise to Alaska. Several other cruise companies also list that they have Juneau cruise excursions but no details on their site: Alaskan Dream Cruises, Azamara, Cunard, Lindblad, Ponant, Seabourn, Silversea, and UnCruise. The Magic Kingdom offers some of the best "princess" themed attractions in Disney World, including the Cinderella-themed Prince Charming Regal Carousel, the Magic Carpets of Aladdin, and Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid. Upon your arrival at Glacier Point, a remote beach, you'll set out on a short drive and hike, before boarding a 31-foot-long canoe for a paddle up to the face of Davidson Glacier. You May Like: What Month Is The Best Time To Cruise To Alaska, Holland America Line announced today that when Rotterdam is named next spring, Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands will be the ships godmother, carrying on a tradition that began in the 1920s.Holland America Lines connection to The House of Orange goes back nearly a century to Prince Hendrik launching Statendam III in 1929. I think it depends what your interests are, ours are more wildlife than glaciers and we figured we'll see a lot of glaciers from the ship. My "cynical side" stands corrected! Skagway, Alaska 7:00 AM 8:30 PM, 26-May 7. The Lumberjack show is an entertaining look at the world of logging and the skills needed to survive in this dangerous industry. Heres why you should considerone. The MedallionClass ships use touchless technologies in the form of a small, quarter-sized customizable Medallion and an app to enhance and personalize individual experiences and health protocols. Theres a bike and brew tour, which includes seeing the Mendenhall Glacier as well as a tasting of Alaskan beers. If you want to do a helicopter tour, probably the best place for that is in (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? 6.6k. As for river cruising, Avalon Waterways was dubbed the Best River Cruise Line, with Crystal River Cruises the Best Luxury River Cruise Line. Best Excursions - Princess Cruises 6 years ago Save Hi, my family and I are going to a cruise in Alaska for our first time next year and I will appreciate your feedback on what are the "must do" excursions you will recommend us to do! The standout experience is a stop in spectacular Stanley Park, one of the largest urban parks in North America. You can still see remains of the famous Trail of 98 from the train. The steep terrain in this area makes for perfect flightseeing in a helicopter, where you can get closer to scenery than you could in a fixed-wing aircraftand you can even touch down on a stunning mountain or at the base of a waterfall. Expert naturalists accompany you along the way, taking time to set up spotting scopes and bring the wildlife in close. My advice would be to just do your research and stick to what your interests arewildlife/glaciers/history etc .good luck and have a great trip! The 9 Best Juneau Shore Excursions for your Alaska Cruise in 2023 But we aren't the only experts-so are the thousands of passengers who have taken Princess shore excursions, Holland America shore excursions, Carnival excursions, and all other ship excursions. I just had an interesting conversation about this last night. Be aware that once you are above the trees, there is no getting off the track. After about an hour in the water, you'll head back to the dive shop, where a hot beverage caps a perfect day. 1st you need to know what port youll be at and what times. Theyll also offer plenty of instruction plus a snack of trail mix and hot chocolate. Both pre and post-cruise tours are available, meaning that you can decide to fly one-way to Alaska, do a land tour, and take a cruise back to Seattle or Vancouver, or do it the other way around. Best Alaska Cruise 2023 | Best Time to Cruise to Alaska - Reader's Digest For example if you're interested in a whale-watching tour you can go via the cruiseship charter with 150 of your closest friends, jostling for a good place at the rail, or go in a Harv & Marv 6-passenger boat where everyone has a great view plus can ask the captain questions whenever you want to. Cruise Ship - Majestic Princess is the ultimate Princess ship to take an Alaskan cruise. Glacier are actually not the highlight of this tour, at least not to me. The Best Ships for Luxury: Luxury in Alaska is defined in 2012 by Regent Seven Seas and Silversea. 1. How to Choose the Best Alaska Cruise Route - Princess Cruises Plus, it leaves plenty of time for further exploration in Icy Strait Point. The peaceful glow of an Alaskan summer night is the perfect backdrop for this exceptional whale-watching adventure complete with a buffet highlight locally sourced cuisine. (IMHO). This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. You can now reserve the trips with princess and pay at the end of the cruise. Consider this excursion if you'd like to see a glacier up close without spending the money on a helicopter tour. Paddle across the shimmering lake to a shoreline camp for a delicious snack over an open fire. Lastly, in the cruise line categories, MSC Cruises ship MSC Bellissima was crowned Best New Ship Launch. The road drops about 3,000 feet in 10 milesits an exhilarating ride. In Alaska, many of the biggest "attractions" -- breathtaking mountain landscapes, glaciers, fjords, breaching whales and feeding bears, for instance -- are related to the Great Outdoors. The 4- to 5- hour heli/walking tour starts around $480. Misty Fjords National Monument is a Kethickan must-see, and on this flightseeing tour you view the magnificent scenery with a bird's-eye view from a seaplane. Plan a Cruise. Unlike Prince William Sound in Whittier, note that those with motion sickness should take precautions since the Resurrection Bay waters can be a bit choppy. The rep didn't know the answer and told me I would have to call in to customer service. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Q&A: Cruise Insurance with Steve Dasseos of the TripInsuranceStore.com - Summer Session '23, ANNOUNCEMENT: Regent Seven Seas Cruises 2025-2026 Voyage Collection Debut. There are two great stops in Sitka to discover Alaska's wildlife up close. The ride takes only 90 seconds before your gentle, brake-activated touchdown on the beach. And is it best to book thru Princess or independently? This tour is for photographers, so there's ample time to get your shots just right. When cruising, taking a dedicated bear viewing tour is your best chance of seeing a bear. Paddle all around a shimmering lake, looking for wildlife on the shore and reveling in the spectacular mountain views that surround you on the Rainforest Canoe Adventure and Nature Trail Tour offered by Alaska Travel Adventures. Princess Cruise Alaska Shore Excursions - CruiseInfoClub.com Sitkas also a great place to fish for Halibut. Fishing With waters as prosperous as the treasures on land, discover what lies below the surface on our Alaska cruise excursions that take you out to sea. Watching glaciers calve is surreal and bittersweet. Princess Themed Rides. This tour combines the work done at the raptor center with Sitka's cultural side. In any event, this is a great excursion for history and culture vultures. Cruise: Enjoy our top-rated 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska cruise vacation with two glacier-viewing experiences during your time on board. This tour introduces you to both. We split up in Ketchikan and Juneau. Guests can simply use the Medallion Class app to order beverages, food, or even stateroom amenities. I cant mention any names but I was told if a company is contracted with Princess they HAVE to quote the rate Princess shows if they mention they are on the ship. Princess Cruises | Costco Travel Exceptional Value Book shore excursions with confidence! Also good to know, though, is that Skagway is the port in Southeast Alaska with the least amount of rainfall, so your flight is less likely to be cancelled! ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-80251833', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Juneau - Whale watching, we picked the trip without the mendenhall glacier as i read there is a bus that goes there from the cruise terminal so relatively easy to get there before our afternoon trip to watch whales. Board a custom-built enclosed expedition boat for a 60- to 70-minute ride through fjords and rainforests with an abundance of wildlife and spectacular views. Their fascinating history and culture is one reason Ketchikan is such a special place to visit. how the experts smoke salmon and halibut. Its a comfortable, scenery-filled trip: youll pass glistening glaciers, snow-capped mountains, and crystal clear lakes surrounded by spruce trees. Hindsight 20/20,as they say :). Begin with an aerial overview of Misty Fjords National Monument and those granite cliffs. If it is something someone really wants to do, they should do it. The Wilderness River Adventure is a great Haines shore excursion for wildlife enthusiasts. Lumberjacks compete in a dozen events including sawing, chopping, axe throwing, and log rolling. more, You seem to have JavaScript disabled. You can take a ride on the sled and even learn the basics so that you can take the reins yourself. The pristine park encompasses nearly 2.3 million acres, where youll gaze upon sheer granite cliffs, imposing waterfalls, sparkling fjords and thick forests. While many Alaskan fish snobs turn their nose up at pink salmon and prefer king or sockeye salmon, nothing beats the excitement of catching your first wild Alaskan salmon. Linger longer and . Alaska Cruise ~ I came back from an Alaskan cruise with Princess Cruises. *Date of Birth. Oceania Cruises Dress Code . The 10 Best Alaska Shore Excursions, Tours & Cruise Trips Glacier Bay is another reason you should GET THE BALCONY ROOM! You take the train up the Pass and then get off at Fraser for an additional 15-minute van ride to the White Pass summit. Alaska Cruise Pricing on Holland America and Princess. It boasts the shortest rod-hour to catch ratio for King salmon in the entire state of Alaska. There are really only two choices for river float trips in Southeast Alaska: the Mendenhall River in Juneau or the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve float trip in Haines. Since our film crews have shot more than 150 Alaska cruise excursions in the past few years, we know them intimately. You'll then bike 15 miles down the Klondike Highway on a guided summit-to-sea tour back to Skagway. I have never received any emails for excursion review. Shore excursion nirvana: The 6 coolest things to do on an Alaska cruise Thanks in advance for all your help :) My family and I will appreciate it!! The Mendenhall is a fun whitewater trip that starts with a spectacular view of the Mendenhall Glacier. (Nervous flyer!) Keep an eye on your email to watch for a link to review your excursion. On this adventure, you'll check out the local terrain from above with a helicopter flightseeing experience. Another important element of the town is the logging industry, which was one of the mainstays of the Ketchikan economy through the 1990s. vanzu7 Sunnyvale. World of Cruising today revealed the winners of this years Wave Awards celebrating the very best of the best in the cruise industry. There are bountiful samples and you may be tempted to ship home a fillet or two! Take a short walk to the bear-viewing area, where you can watch these magnificent creatures for hours in their natural environment. Not sure if you are arriving early enough in (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Youll board rafts and float on the swift current (no whitewater) of the shallow, glaciated Chilkat River through the Eagle Council Grounds, which are crisscrossed with tracks of bear, moose, wolves, otter, and other wildlife. Medallion Magnificant and the Staff The Royal Princess is a Princess MedallionClass ship with a capacity of 3,560 guests. That all changed when helicopters became readily available to travelers. Do you already have lodging booked (meaning it can't be changed)? In essence, you can chat with staff via the app instead of visiting Guest Services. On a flightseeing tour, soar by the impressive Mt. Dont have your heart set on seeing wildlife. The best time to cast your line is when the pink salmon are running, in mid-to-late summer. Some would be bored silly and others would love it. And what I said is now out there verbatim. There's good fishing off Sitka, and with this full-day, small-group excursion, you hit the waters in search of king, silver or chum salmon, as well as Sitka is known for its salmon and halibut fishing trips. For those seeking a more active way to see the White Pass, we highly recommend you book the White Pass Train & Bike Tour. Above & Beyond Alaska also offers tours on Admiralty Island. Interesting! My first question is if you get out on Glacier Bay (I mean to do an excursion in that port)?. Alternatively, cruisetours are the ultimate Alaska experience - a vacation combining an unforgettable seven-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise with three or more nights exploring Alaska by land. This gives us 3 hours in between to look at the town/get some lunch etc, (ta && ta.queueForLoad ?
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