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First cruise to alaska--questions galore!


SuzieQ521
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Hello all:

 

 

My husband and I (mid-30's) are going to take our first Alaska cruise, first Princess cruise (and his first cruise ever)--a 7 nighter out of Seattle in mid-September. It was actually something we only booked at the end of June (great deal with Costco) so just finalizing everything now and I was hoping I could obtain some input on a few things, including Excursions. Our ports include Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Victoria. I apologize in advance for the lengthiness of this post. :)

 

 

1) Ship--cruising the Ruby Princess (partially obstructed ocean view room but from what I can see, we still have a decent view out): any tips or things to know about the Ruby?

 

 

2) Embarkation/Ports: By going in mid-September, I am hoping we would avoid the big crowds but how long on average should it take to disembark to the Alaska ports (1 hour?); also, for embarkation if we arrive to Port 91 in Seattle around 11:30 a.m., are we likely to have to wait awhile before obtaining our room?

 

Should we expect less ships in the ports around that time, or will it still be pretty busy at the Ports?

 

 

 

3) Seasickness: I've cruised to Mexico and the Caribbean before (although last cruise was 10 years ago) with no major issues (and this will be hubby's first cruise ever); but given that the waters here might be rougher, especially in September, we want to be prepared--any recommendations besides Bonine non-drowsy, sea bands etc.? Are we most likely going to face the roughest waters on our only at-sea day, day after leaving Seattle?

 

 

4) Anytime Dining--if people are familiar with this--is it possible to make reservations? If not, I assume going at off-times should lessen the wait time?

 

 

5) Weather: I know that this is the most unpredictable in Alaska and we expect some cold and rain, so we should dress in layers (coming from Vegas, this is actually welcome!). However, I am wondering--is it likely we could experience severe storms to the point of skipping ports around that time of year? Is the rain around then usually the type that's a downpour or off and on rain? My husband thinks that he can get by with a ski cap and regular jacket with layers, but I'm trying to convince him to get a waterproof rain one, or at least a poncho!

 

 

Are there still mosquitoes that time of year?

 

6) EXCURSIONS--the big question. As of now, will probably just stick to excursions in Juneau and Skagway; I've read that just walking around the town of Ketchikan is fun, plus we aren't there too long. We were also just in Victoria in April (where we did the Gardens) and do not arrive until 7 p.m., so we will probably just walk to Fisherman's Wharf.

 

We are not looking for anything super adventurous and still want it to be reasonably priced. Since it's our first time there, I'm thinking of going with Princess's excursions, unless I can find something reasonable yet still dependable on our own; here is what I'm thinking:

 

Juneau--Mendenhall Glacier bus tour; however, has anyone done the Salmon Bake that can go along with this; is that worth it? I've also read that the more ships in Port on that day, the busier the visitor's center is and the tour might not be as enjoyable...thoughts?

Skagway: White Pass Rail--$131/pp seems steep but I read it's not to be missed. Would you recommend going up with the train then down via the bus, or round-trip on the train?

 

 

There still seems to be some space on the Princess website for these excursions, but I hope to book them this week.

 

 

Thanks all for any help...I appreciate it!

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I'll be interested to see the responses you receive. A quick note: I believe most if not all of the "train one way" excursions in Skagway say that the order may be reversed.

 

This message may have been entered via voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

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There is a self-tour walking map of Ketchikan you can download.

 

We boarded the Coral at 11:40 and went straight to our room.

 

We cruised in June, supposedly the driest month. I invested in a rain jacket and $20 Magellan waterproof pants that I wore over leggings and it was money well spent. I was totally comfortable (at most we had heavy drizzle/light rain, no downpours). Wet clothes aren't fun, I would bring something. My cheap pants worked great.

 

Have a great cruise, Alaska is amazing!

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Skagway: White Pass Rail--$131/pp seems steep but I read it's not to be missed. Would you recommend going up with the train then down via the bus, or round-trip on the train?
I recommend motorcoach combo's....

  • See both sides of the canyon
  • some trips allow you to explore the area North of Fraser, BC's transfer point
  • more activities during your Skagway port time.

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Hello all:

 

 

My husband and I (mid-30's) are going to take our first Alaska cruise, first Princess cruise (and his first cruise ever)--a 7 nighter out of Seattle in mid-September. It was actually something we only booked at the end of June (great deal with Costco) so just finalizing everything now and I was hoping I could obtain some input on a few things, including Excursions. Our ports include Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Victoria. I apologize in advance for the lengthiness of this post. :)

 

 

1) Ship--cruising the Ruby Princess (partially obstructed ocean view room but from what I can see, we still have a decent view out): any tips or things to know about the Ruby?

 

 

2) Embarkation/Ports: By going in mid-September, I am hoping we would avoid the big crowds but how long on average should it take to disembark to the Alaska ports (1 hour?); also, for embarkation if we arrive to Port 91 in Seattle around 11:30 a.m., are we likely to have to wait awhile before obtaining our room?

 

Should we expect less ships in the ports around that time, or will it still be pretty busy at the Ports?

 

 

 

3) Seasickness: I've cruised to Mexico and the Caribbean before (although last cruise was 10 years ago) with no major issues (and this will be hubby's first cruise ever); but given that the waters here might be rougher, especially in September, we want to be prepared--any recommendations besides Bonine non-drowsy, sea bands etc.? Are we most likely going to face the roughest waters on our only at-sea day, day after leaving Seattle?

 

 

4) Anytime Dining--if people are familiar with this--is it possible to make reservations? If not, I assume going at off-times should lessen the wait time?

 

 

5) Weather: I know that this is the most unpredictable in Alaska and we expect some cold and rain, so we should dress in layers (coming from Vegas, this is actually welcome!). However, I am wondering--is it likely we could experience severe storms to the point of skipping ports around that time of year? Is the rain around then usually the type that's a downpour or off and on rain? My husband thinks that he can get by with a ski cap and regular jacket with layers, but I'm trying to convince him to get a waterproof rain one, or at least a poncho!

 

 

Are there still mosquitoes that time of year?

 

6) EXCURSIONS--the big question. As of now, will probably just stick to excursions in Juneau and Skagway; I've read that just walking around the town of Ketchikan is fun, plus we aren't there too long. We were also just in Victoria in April (where we did the Gardens) and do not arrive until 7 p.m., so we will probably just walk to Fisherman's Wharf.

 

We are not looking for anything super adventurous and still want it to be reasonably priced. Since it's our first time there, I'm thinking of going with Princess's excursions, unless I can find something reasonable yet still dependable on our own; here is what I'm thinking:

 

Juneau--Mendenhall Glacier bus tour; however, has anyone done the Salmon Bake that can go along with this; is that worth it? I've also read that the more ships in Port on that day, the busier the visitor's center is and the tour might not be as enjoyable...thoughts?

Skagway: White Pass Rail--$131/pp seems steep but I read it's not to be missed. Would you recommend going up with the train then down via the bus, or round-trip on the train?

 

 

There still seems to be some space on the Princess website for these excursions, but I hope to book them this week.

 

 

Thanks all for any help...I appreciate it!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2528515

 

Here is the review I posted a few days ago from our trip in July. It was on RC rather than Princess but it was our first Alaska cruise and some of the ports are the same so it might help you a little.

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5) Weather: I know that this is the most unpredictable in Alaska and we expect some cold and rain, so we should dress in layers (coming from Vegas, this is actually welcome!). However, I am wondering--is it likely we could experience severe storms to the point of skipping ports around that time of year? Is the rain around then usually the type that's a downpour or off and on rain? My husband thinks that he can get by with a ski cap and regular jacket with layers, but I'm trying to convince him to get a waterproof rain one, or at least a poncho!
mid-September is the wet part of the Alaskan cruise season. Cruise prices are discounted for storm chasers as they go to Ketchikan to watch the giant rain gauge fill.

http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/ketchikan/alaska/united-states/usak0125

 

Yes, there have been port cancellations in September.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=51114795#post51114795

 

This was not September.... but cruise lines will use caution when the weather is bad....

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Late season cruises are heavily discounted for a reason...... if you get caught in a Fall storm, the trip can be brutal due to high winds, driving rains and cold temps. Plus the long hours of daylight are over.

Ports are more likely to be missed if you're doing a NB or SB out of Seward or Whittier. Not as likely for the RT cruises.

Waterproof jackets are definitely needed. Ponchos aren't much good if they're flapping around in the wind .....

For historical weather data, use one of the weather sites .... plug the port and look back over the past 5 or 6 yrs for Sept 15 for info on temps and precipitation. Takes less than 5 minutes to do.

https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/PAKT/2016/9/15/WeeklyHistory.html?req_city=Ketchikan&req_state=AK&req_statename=Alaska&reqdb.zip=99901&reqdb.magic=1&reqdb.wmo=99999

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We like the Ruby and her sisters (Crown and Emerald). You can call for reservations for anytime dining. If you go later in the evening, there's no need to reserve ahead of time. On Princess ships, the cabins are ready when boarding starts. You may have to wait a bit for check in and then before boarding. Lunch is served in one of the main dining rooms on embarkation day until 1 p.m. It's much better than going to the buffet.

 

I bought heavy duty ponchos for our first cruise to Alaska. We did not have any problems with wind. I saw plenty of people with the dollar store type ponchos and small travel umbrellas getting wet. Waterproof shoes for hiking are also great.

 

In Juneau, I'd take one of the shuttle buses that operate from near the pier to Mendenhall. That way you'll have as much time to see the glacier as your want, such as hiking to the falls, and won't be stuck to the Princess excursion time table. We also enjoyed taking the tram up Mt. Roberts on our second trip to Juneau--the only time we had sunny weather there.

 

We had rough seas the first night on one Alaskan cruise from Seattle. You never know. I like eating candied ginger and drinking ginger tea. DH drinks ginger ale.

 

We've never taken the train in Skagway. Once we took the ferry to Haines to kayak at Chilkoot Lake. Another time we rented a car and drove to Emerald Lake and back. That was great. The third time we hiked to the Gold Rush cemetery and Lower Reid Falls, the Jewell Gardens, and Yakutania Point.

 

In Victoria, I recommend going to Butchart Gardens if you want to do something. We had been there a few years before our first cruise to Alaska, so we just stayed on the ship.

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Being well prepared in your attire will be necessary. You do have the worse potential for weather mid Sept. Yes expect rain and cold temps, have good waterproof attire, along with hat and gloves.

 

Do NOT book any "Mendenhall tour". Just tsimply get transportation there and back and leave the time open for what you happen to want to spend when you get there.. And same goes with the salmon bake- figure out how the day is going to be. It's a mistake to be miserable with cold food and foul weather. Salmon Bakes are outside Just purchase walk up if you happen to get a decent day,

 

Skagway- do YOU want to take the train? Don't get caught up in what you "should" do. There are numerous options and never any "musts".

 

If you happen to want to take the train, you have 3 options- round trip train, train/White Pass combo, and the longer White Pass/Yukon combo. Each gets rave reviews. Depends what you want out of your trip? With the combo tours, they are superior booking independent for smaller groups and some savings.

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Thanks all for the responses thus far. I'm getting a little nervous about the potential for a really bad storm now (although this was the only time that worked with our schedule); I had thought the inside passage cruise might be a little better weather-wise than the areas closer to the Gulf of Alaska...it would be a bummer if we missed Glacier Bay.

I would think that if it was really that bad (i.e. hurricane-like storms with heavy winds) the cruise-ships would not schedule all the way out until the end of September year after year. Last year's mid-September weather looked ok... But I guess you never know with Alaska weather!

 

Thank you for the advice on MENDENHALL--so once we disembark, we can just pick up a shuttle that will take us to there and we can just do our own tour? How often do the shuttles leave to go back to town/port?

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Thanks all for the responses thus far. I'm getting a little nervous about the potential for a really bad storm now (although this was the only time that worked with our schedule); I had thought the inside passage cruise might be a little better weather-wise than the areas closer to the Gulf of Alaska...

Everything is relative. However, if you are truly concerned about the potential for a really bad storm then you may be better off taking the three hour ride up to Vancouver and embarking from there. Cruises from Vancouver generally cruise between Vancouver Island and the mainland while cruises from Seattle generally cruise west of Vancouver Island and exposed to the open ocean.

 

 

This message may have been entered via voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

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5) Weather: I know that this is the most unpredictable in Alaska and we expect some cold and rain, so we should dress in layers (coming from Vegas, this is actually welcome!). However, I am wondering--is it likely we could experience severe storms to the point of skipping ports around that time of year? Is the rain around then usually the type that's a downpour or off and on rain? My husband thinks that he can get by with a ski cap and regular jacket with layers, but I'm trying to convince him to get a waterproof rain one, or at least a poncho!

 

 

 

****************************SUGGESTION: The key is to stay warm and dry. If you're not warm and dry you can't fully enjoy the scenery or wildlife etc. We use either a heavy duty poncho (this protects a backpack / purse / jeans from rain as well) or a water proof jacket. Bring gloves and a hat or head band. I like to use light wool socks with polypropylene sock liners underneath - keeps my feet warm and dry whether I'm on a rainy / windy whale watch boat or hiking on a wet path etc. Have layers available. Get shoes / hiking shoes that are semi water repellent.

******************************************************

6) EXCURSIONS--the big question. As of now, will probably just stick to excursions in Juneau and Skagway; I've read that just walking around the town of Ketchikan is fun, plus we aren't there too long. We were also just in Victoria in April (where we did the Gardens) and do not arrive until 7 p.m., so we will probably just walk to Fisherman's Wharf.

 

We are not looking for anything super adventurous and still want it to be reasonably priced. Since it's our first time there, I'm thinking of going with Princess's excursions, unless I can find something reasonable yet still dependable on our own; here is what I'm thinking:

 

Juneau--Mendenhall Glacier bus tour; however, has anyone done the Salmon Bake that can go along with this; is that worth it? I've also read that the more ships in Port on that day, the busier the visitor's center is and the tour might not be as enjoyable...thoughts?

 

Skagway: White Pass Rail--$131/pp seems steep but I read it's not to be missed. Would you recommend going up with the train then down via the bus, or round-trip on the train?

 

********************SUGGESTION - I would recommend going on some sort of excursion. The towns are kinda cute but full of Diamonds International etc. Wander around town AFTER your excursion. For SKAGWAY, take the train in 1 direction only and pair it with visiting the Yukon. Beware, if the weather is bad the train isn't that exiting. However, the weather seems to often be better in the Yukon. Or take a tour to Haines and go on a jet boat or wildlife quest. In fall the Eagle preserve in Haines should be loaded with thousands of eagles.

For KETCHIKAN, you could do an excursion to the wildlife / rainforest refuge where you walk on elevated bridges and can view black bears below. Then you would still have time to walk around town after the tour. JUNEAU - the salmon bake we have done there has always been at Orca Point Lodge (I think that was the name; on an island during a whale watch. You have the option to sit inside or outside. This yr it was raining so we sat inside; last year was warm and beautiful so we enjoyed the deck.). The Juneau whale watching excursions guarantee whale sightings. Although I'm not sure when the whales depart for Hawaii....We like the excursion where you go whale watching, have a salmon bake lunch, and visit Mendenhall. When the salmon are running be sure to go to the boardwalk area by Mendenhall to view black bear. On that tour there isn't much time to hike at Mendenhall.

Also, if you like southeast Alaska, I would recommend on another trip including an inland cruise tour - inland Alaska is much more spectacular than southeast Alaska.

Enjoy whatever you do!

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Thanks all for the responses thus far. I'm getting a little nervous about the potential for a really bad storm now (although this was the only time that worked with our schedule); I had thought the inside passage cruise might be a little better weather-wise than the areas closer to the Gulf of Alaska...it would be a bummer if we missed Glacier Bay.

I would think that if it was really that bad (i.e. hurricane-like storms with heavy winds) the cruise-ships would not schedule all the way out until the end of September year after year. Last year's mid-September weather looked ok... But I guess you never know with Alaska weather!

 

Thank you for the advice on MENDENHALL--so once we disembark, we can just pick up a shuttle that will take us to there and we can just do our own tour? How often do the shuttles leave to go back to town/port?

 

Glacier Bay is not likely to be skipped. Unfortunately you have chosen the roughest sailing potential of round trip Seattle. It's common all season for at least one "rougher" sailing day, many times 2- first and last.

 

Shuttle buses run about every half hour to/from Mendenhall. It will be dark around 7pm.

 

Cruise lines have been pushing the dates of ideal sailing for years. Used to be deep discounted give away rates. They aren't low enough anymore, in my opinion.

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Just to add to Bermudafan's post, two other things I bought for the trip were hiking shoes (Keens on sale) and I found a reversible Nike crossbody that had one side that was waterproof. I carried this every day, it was a great find. The hiking shoes kept my feet not only dry but warm as well and were great for all the walking we did.

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Thank you for the advice on MENDENHALL--so once we disembark, we can just pick up a shuttle that will take us to there and we can just do our own tour? How often do the shuttles leave to go back to town/port?

 

Info about the shuttles and other transportation in the Mendenhall web site:

 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/tongass/about-forest/offices/?cid=stelprdb5400800

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We cruised the Inside Passage on the Grand last year. The Alaskan port calls are pretty standard for the Carnival brands (including Princess).

It should be noted that at every one of the port calls, you will find pretty much the same excursions on the dock that you can purchase from Princess (albeit usually for less.)

Ketchikan - A van tour will often take you away from the Creek Street area and will enable you to see some other sites other than the tourist traps. But even the van tours will usually drop you off near or at Creek Street so that you can leave some of your tourist dollars with the local merchants.

Juneau - Take the bus (either the ship excursion or one from the dock) to Mendenhall and then come back at your leisure (they're all in the $35 neighborhood.) If you're able to go into the downtown area, it is worth wandering around to see some less touristy sites (not to worry, it is pretty hard to get lost since you'll probably have visual sight of the ship.)

If you're over 62, rush to any National Parks or multi-agency site in your area and get a Senior Pass for $10 before Aug. 28 (goes to $85 after that.) It will save you the per person charge (for up to 4 people) when you go to Mendenhall.

Skagway - Again, you'll find tour operators at the dock offering the same tours for less. White Pass excursions usually consist of a bus (or van) in one direction, and the train in the other direction. Be sure you bring your passport with you, as you will go into B.C. and both the Canadian and the U.S. officials will want to see that your face is a reasonable facsimile of the one on your passport (or passport card if applicable.) If you wander further than the dock, you'll also find tour operators on the main drag. (The further you are from the ship, the lower the cost for the excursion.) And the main drag is pretty uniform and looks nicely maintained; seems that the National Parks Service manages that strip of land and requires a specific appearance for the merchants that lease those properties.

Victoria - is the mandatory foreign stop before the ship can return to the U.S. (since it is not a ship of U.S. registry). If you've been to the B.C. capitol in any recent time, it hasn't changed. Get off ship to enjoy some of the local scenery, it should be a relatively short port call.

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.

Victoria - is the mandatory foreign stop before the ship can return to the U.S. (since it is not a ship of U.S. registry).

Another difference of cruising from Vancouver is that this short diversion is unnecessary.

 

 

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

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Thank you for all the responses. Since it is shoulder season, do you think we will be ok with booking excursions when we get to Port (i.e. Whitepass in Skagway and the shuttle to Mendenhall and possibly other activities, depending on weather)?

I assume that most of these operators are very familiar with the cruise tourists and should be reliable enough to get us back in time (which was the primary reason I would book directly with Princess but if we could save some $$$, may wait until the ports).

 

Also--any mosquitoes this time of year?

 

Thanks!

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No mosquitoes. Actually most ships will still on schedule for Alaska mid Sept. I'd suggest IF the White Pass is of interest, you determine now, what tour/combo you want?? IF you want the Train Emerald Lake combo then you need to book this in advance. The round trip train, and Fraser/ train road combo can be walk up.

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No mosquitoes. Actually most ships will still on schedule for Alaska mid Sept. I'd suggest IF the White Pass is of interest, you determine now, what tour/combo you want?? IF you want the Train Emerald Lake combo then you need to book this in advance. The round trip train, and Fraser/ train road combo can be walk up.

 

Would you recommend the Emerald Lake bus/train combo for Alaska first timers, over the White Pass RT train ride? I know it would be weather dependent... Any particular tour company? I was just looking at Dyea Dave Tours...pretty interesting that you do not pay until the end of the tour but they seem to have good reviews.

Thanks!

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Would you recommend the Emerald Lake bus/train combo for Alaska first timers, over the White Pass RT train ride? I know it would be weather dependent... Any particular tour company? I was just looking at Dyea Dave Tours...pretty interesting that you do not pay until the end of the tour but they seem to have good reviews.

Thanks!

 

I have done both and recommend them equally. It;s up to you? Only you can determine- IF- you want to spend the money, invest in the time, and see the sights. Do you want to see the Yukon?

 

I certainly highly recommend Dyea Dave, a top choice to consider.

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We went in late May and had no problems getting excursions on the piers, there are vendors galore at each port. I'm of the impression that there is no need to book excursions through the cruise line for any of the venues.

 

 

Also, in Juneau, I neglected to mention the Mt. Roberts Tramway (directly across from the pier.) Yeah, it's a tourist attraction, but seemed to be a worthwhile. The tickets are for an all-day pass, so you can use it multiple times in a day.

 

Thank you for all the responses. Since it is shoulder season, do you think we will be ok with booking excursions when we get to Port (i.e. Whitepass in Skagway and the shuttle to Mendenhall and possibly other activities, depending on weather)?

I assume that most of these operators are very familiar with the cruise tourists and should be reliable enough to get us back in time (which was the primary reason I would book directly with Princess but if we could save some $$$, may wait until the ports).

 

Also--any mosquitoes this time of year?

 

Thanks!

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Dyea Dave is a highly recommended vendor here. We did the bus/train combo excursion with Chillkoot Charters and loved it.

 

We just took a shuttle to Mendenhall ourselves when we got to Juneau, not reserved in advance. Although we did reserve our tour with Chillkoot in advance as well as our excursion in Juneau. We are planners and don't like to reserve excursions on the fly, although many do.

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Hello all:

 

 

My husband and I (mid-30's) are going to take our first Alaska cruise, first Princess cruise (and his first cruise ever)--a 7 nighter out of Seattle in mid-September. It was actually something we only booked at the end of June (great deal with Costco) so just finalizing everything now and I was hoping I could obtain some input on a few things, including Excursions. Our ports include Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Victoria. I apologize in advance for the lengthiness of this post. :)

 

Glacier Bay is actually a scenic cruising day. On our trip w/ the inside stateroom, we hung out i the international cafe/piaza with those large windows. But we also went to the promenade. I got the best photos from the promenade. Shooting through the windows produces terrible results, because even though you don't see them, the windows are tinted, making the shots less sharp.

 

 

1) Ship--cruising the Ruby Princess (partially obstructed ocean view room but from what I can see, we still have a decent view out): any tips or things to know about the Ruby?

 

 

 

2) Embarkation/Ports: By going in mid-September, I am hoping we would avoid the big crowds but how long on average should it take to disembark to the Alaska ports (1 hour?); also, for embarkation if we arrive to Port 91 in Seattle around 11:30 a.m., are we likely to have to wait awhile before obtaining our room?

 

 

Should we expect less ships in the ports around that time, or will it still be pretty busy at the Ports?

 

 

Google Cruise calendar. Near the top is a nine digit word, cruise***.com, You can look up your itinerary and see which other ships are in port.

 

 

3) Seasickness: I've cruised to Mexico and the Caribbean before (although last cruise was 10 years ago) with no major issues (and this will be hubby's first cruise ever); but given that the waters here might be rougher, especially in September, we want to be prepared--any recommendations besides Bonine non-drowsy, sea bands etc.? Are we most likely going to face the roughest waters on our only at-sea day, day after leaving Seattle?

 

We've had some pretty rough seas once out of Seattle, so beware. Bring some meclizine or bonine. You can also get a transderm patch from the doctor, but they're not cheap.

 

4) Anytime Dining--if people are familiar with this--is it possible to make reservations? If not, I assume going at off-times should lessen the wait time?

 

 

5) Weather: I know that this is the most unpredictable in Alaska and we expect some cold and rain, so we should dress in layers (coming from Vegas, this is actually welcome!). However, I am wondering--is it likely we could experience severe storms to the point of skipping ports around that time of year? Is the rain around then usually the type that's a downpour or off and on rain? My husband thinks that he can get by with a ski cap and regular jacket with layers, but I'm trying to convince him to get a waterproof rain one, or at least a poncho!

Pack for anything. We always have a rain poncho that comes down to our knees. Nothing's worse than getting wet at the start of an excursion. We've had to buy a warm jacket on the dock in Skagway thanks to their wind tunnel. Check the little shop on the pier in Skagway, I got some cheap postcards there. Once we had 85°F in May in Juneau.

 

Are there still mosquitoes that time of year? Bring bug repellent.

 

6) EXCURSIONS--the big question. As of now, will probably just stick to excursions in Juneau and Skagway; I've read that just walking around the town of Ketchikan is fun, plus we aren't there too long. We were also just in Victoria in April (where we did the Gardens) and do not arrive until 7 p.m., so we will probably just walk to Fisherman's Wharf.

 

Excursions now have a 48 hour before arrival in port cancellation policy. And we ended up eating the cost of the shore excursion in Ketchikan because they were closed in Ketchikan. Royal Caribbean did warn us of that in the paperwork, but we forgot. Ketchikan's Misty Fjords and Wilderness Explorer cruise is great! But I think it costs more than Skagway.

We are not looking for anything super adventurous and still want it to be reasonably priced. Since it's our first time there, I'm thinking of going with Princess's excursions, unless I can find something reasonable yet still dependable on our own; here is what I'm thinking:

 

 

Juneau--Mendenhall Glacier bus tour; however, has anyone done the Salmon Bake that can go along with this; is that worth it? I've also read that the more ships in Port on that day, the busier the visitor's center is and the tour might not be as enjoyable...thoughts?

 

 

We try to get one fancy excursion and one cheap one. Also, we try to have them average to say $100 a port. So, we get a $150 excursion, then have to make it up on a $50 excursion for the next stop. Since everything's gone up, it's probably closer to $150 per port these days.

 

Don't prebook the St. Roberts Tram Ride. The weather may be too overcast for a view. We enjoyed the Gold Creek Salmon Bake. Be sure to take the very short trail up to the water falls. We did the St. Roberts Tram in Juneau on our first cruise up to Alaska because were were broke.

 

Skagway: White Pass Rail--$131/pp seems steep but I read it's not to be missed. Would you recommend going up with the train then down via the bus, or round-trip on the train?

 

We've done an excursion w/ the White Pass Railroad on six out of our eight Alaska cruises. We've done a few w/ a bus ride up and train back. The bus ride through Tormented Valley is beautiful, but it will be cold. We were there in July, and were still cold. But we were told it's an especially cold summer this year. We did one with the buffet and gold panning which was fun but a little hokey. We did the train ride both ways back in July, and got the luck of the draw. Apparently, one of the trains gets to the top and gets several miles further because they do a circle at the top instead of stopping and moving the engine from front to back.

 

There still seems to be some space on the Princess website for these excursions, but I hope to book them this week.

 

In Victoria, I'd suggest the Victoria Pedicab. But they don't go through the cruise line. You'll have to book them directly.

 

We don't normally suggest private tours, but I figure w/ the pedicab more limited rage, we could get back to the ship in time by calling a taxi.

Thanks all for any help...I appreciate it!

Have fun
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