Walleyetim

My wife and I are cruising northbound with stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. Are there good tidal pool areas easily accessible from the cruise ship docks? What is a good source to find out when low tide is? Thanks.

We are first time cruisers sailing on a northbound Voyage of the Glaciers on the Star Princess with an inside guarantee next June. Where are some good public spots for taking in the scenery and photo ops? Are there good spots to set up a camera tripod without being in other people's way? Thanks.

Walleyetim: do you have a driving itinerary already planned out? Could you share it with me? Where will you spend the nights, in what towns?

I have posted our itinerary here.(Post #411)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=766053&page=21

We are staying at B&B's. After pricing motels I started research B&B's and found them to be a much better deal. I read a whole bunch of reviews before making reservations. After three nights in Seward we probably could have driven past Anchorage but i found a B&B in Anchorage that appealed to me and was able to reserve it both nights we will be in Anchorage. I would also like to explore Chugach State Park some.

So it makes more sense to transfer Whittier to ANC, rent car, drive to Denali, drive back through Anchorage to Seward , then back to ANC for flight home? I should have 7 or 8 days post cruise to do the driving tour.

We arrive in Whittier on June 10 and are taking Alaska Cruise Transportation to Anchorage to rent a car for a week. After picking up the car, we are going to Seward first as it is quite a bit closer than the Denali area to Anchorage. From Seward we will go to the Denali area spreading the drive over two days.

Thanks for the prompt responses and excellent information. Sounds like the DayPass is the way to go for us. Convenience is a big plus. Are the passes sold from a machine at the airport? I am thinking Richmond is a good option until we can check into our hotel room. After getting settled in we can take the Canada Line into Vancouver. As far as eating goes we are celebrating our 25th wedding Anniversary with this vacation so are not apposed to splurging a little but at the same time always appreciate a good deal for the money. Neither of us drink and my wife is not a big fan of seafood. I like the idea of boarding as late as possible. I think we will have plenty of time on the ship anyway. Thanks again for the excellent advice.

We are scheduled to arrive at the Vancouver Airport at 10:30am on the day prior to our cruise next June. We are staying at Radisson Hotel Vancouver Airport. Hopefully we catch the hotel shuttle and drop off our luggage even if it is to early to check in. Then we would like to head over to explore the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site and surrounding area. According to Google Maps it should be a easy bus ride. Would it be best to buy an DayPass? If so, were would we buy the DayPass? Is there plenty to do and see in the Richmond area to fill the afternoon and evening or should we plan on taking the Canada Line into Vancouver in the evening? Any recommendations for good eating places in Richmond? The following day we are planning on taking the Canada Line to get to Canada Place, dropping our luggage at the cruise ship and exploring Stanley Park before boarding. As long as we keep our passports and paperwork with us does it work OK to leave all of our luggage with the baggage handlers? What time is ideal for boarding the ship in order to avoid long lines. Thanks.

In honor of our 25th Wedding Anniversary, my wife and I are taking an Alaskan cruise followed by an on our own Alaska land tour. Our itinerary is:

Day 1 – Arrive Vancouver Airport at 10:30am. We are staying at Radisson Hotel Vancouver Airport. Hopefully we can drop our luggage off and then head over to explore the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site and surrounding area. If we have enough ambition we will take the Canada Line into Vancouver.

Day 2 – Bring luggage to Star Princess and the explore Stanley Park before boarding cruise ship. Still debating between Canada Line and taxi to get from the Radisson to Canada Place. Aboard ship, we will need to learn our way around the ship.

Day 3 – Scenic Cruising.

Day 4 – Ketchikan – Take the city bus to explore the area.

Day 5 – Juneau – We are taking the whale watching photo tour through Princess in the morning. Maybe do the Mount Roberts Tramway and hiking in the afternoon.

Day 6 – Skagway – We are taking the Emerald Lake tour with Dyea Dave Tours.

Day 7 – Scenic cruising Glacier Bay.

Day 8 – Scenic cruising College Fjord.

Day 9 – We are taking the direct transfer to Anchorage and renting a car. After stocking up on supplies we will explore the Seward Highway as we travel to Seward where we have reservations for three nights.

Day 10 – Major Marine’s Kenai Fjords 7.5 hour cruise (cyber Monday special).

Day 11 – Halibut charter.

Day 12 – Return to Anchorage with sightseeing along the way including the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Overnight in Anchorage.

Day 13 – Drive to Healy exploring the sights along the Parks Highway. We have reservations for two nights in Healy.

Day 14 – Wonder Lake Shuttle bus in Denali.

Day 15 – Return to Anchorage with sightseeing along the way.

Day 16 – 12:45pm Flight home.

Thanks to all who have posted trip reports and reviews. The trip reports and reviews have been very helpful in planning our vacation.

Thanks for the information. Thanks also for those who have posted trip reports. The trip reports and information are very helpful as we plan our first cruise and on our own Alaska land tour in celebration of our 25th Wedding Anniversary in 2017.

How does the Princess transfer from Whittier to the Anchorage airport work? We are picking up a rental car(Alamo) at the airport for week of exploring some of Alaska after our cruise. Does Princess have a transfer that goes directly to the airport? With a Princess transfer, where do we claim our luggage before proceeding to our car rental? Would it be better to arrange the transfer with another transfer company and claim our luggage in Whittier?