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We agree - we loved this tour - and have done it twice. The stadium seating made it accessible and there are no bad seats. The people that run the tour make it as great as it is. They are real crab fishermen (they change up, but I saw a couple of people I had seen on the show), and bring that authenticity to the experience.

I'm interested in this post as well. We have hardly any time in ISP so thought we would whale watch in Juneau ... but if the whale watching is that superior in ISP, maybe we should do it there ...

Fourth time to AK coming up next month - although you can get by with just sneakers, you will be much more comfortable in waterproof hikers ... many others were slipping and sliding - it does rain a lot in AK.

We have been to Skagway numerous times - did the train ride twice (once was a return, once train up bus back), and last year, we went to Dyea and did the dogsledding trip. Definitely a highlight of our trip - you can take a look at all the pictures online. We also saw a bear on the way, and our tour guide provided us with amazing historical and geographical information about the area on the way.

We were on a cruise tour last summer - we did get notification of some of the excursions (not many) before we left - and yes, the vast majority were provided as we arrived at the location. There were a few that were listed as "sold out" before we left that had space in them when we arrived. For sure upgrade to the TWT if it isn't included in your tour - I wish we could have gone on the longer tour, but we saw lots of wildlife.

Yes - I've heard that first thing in the season is not quite as good as later .... much appreciated!

Our experience in Alaska and in the Caribbean is that there are other tour operators than the ones that have contracted with the ship, or that they have additional small buses/cars ... I know that ship tours have been sold out online, and we have seen the same excursions available on the pier - perhaps a completely different operator? Not sure - definitely there are many different ways to see these spots in Sitka.

We were planning on doing this tour when in Sitka at the beginning of May this year. @Italy52 what time of year were you on the catamaran? I'm wondering if the time of year may make a difference? @latebuyer is your trip booked through a local tour company? Definitely rethinking our time in Sitka - much prefer supporting local - sometimes find it harder in Alaska than cruising elsewhere. Thanks very much for the information!

Hi Garibaldi, We did the 11 day YK Double Denali last July/August. We loved every minute of it - and would definitely do it again. I don't know the covid restrictions right now - but for us, we had to show a negative test to get on the ship, and another to get off the ship for the land portion. The real negative I found when booking the trip as well as leading up to the trip was that information was hard to find around things like the meals and times of departure. They were not shared until it was pretty much time to leave. Although that was frustrating (I'm a real planner and wanted to know all of that going in), it was super well organized. If you are looking at a trip where the carry on is small, it's because the plane or bus (or train) won't have room for it. We flew on a really small plane between Dawson City and Fairbanks - there was no way any larger would fit. That said, we were never far from our bags. Our itinerary was VERY busy - up early and on the road a lot (planes, trains, and buses) doing the Gold Rush tour - I hear that the other land tours are not as grueling. We covered a lot of territory, so hence the early up ... As for the meals - I think the package was just for Denali - we definitely were on our own for many of the meals when we were traveling from place to place. We didn't get the meal package - from what I'd read online, I heard that unless you ordered the most expensive meal, it didn't pay for itself. When we were in Denali, we ended up booking the show that included dinner and another excursion (the four by four adventure) that also included dinner - and then we had the lunchbox on the Tundra wilderness tour - we didn't end up buying anything but snacks there. For the other stops, our land tour coordinator (she was with us for most of the trip) gave us lots of recommendations and we did some exploring on our own - it was actually a good combination of cruise organized and on your own. Alaska was fairly expensive, but still doable, and worth the trip. I'm not sure what trip(s) you are looking at, but it was a lovely experience and we'd do another land tour again. Happy to answer any questions you have.

We are also huge fans of the show - and hope to visit in the near future 🙂 They say once they build a new "archeology building", they will go back to the tours. We have cruised on Princess and Celebrity along with HAL, but definitely prefer HAL for the itineraries, and the more low key atmosphere. We enjoy the food on HAL - and love being able to sit outside - and yes, walk the promenade deck. Enjoy the trip - this is one we hope to take once we retire - I'm from Montreal and remember seeing the cruise ships come and go - it's a lovely itinerary.

We have always booked the minimum cabin that we would be happy with - a VE guarantee. In more than 10 cruises since we started booking this way, we have never been disappointed. Our BEST was an aft corner cabin - we were super spoiled that time. Normally we get upgrade offers about a month out, and then about 10 days before, an assignment. Once we received an assignment at the pier, and once a reassignment at the pier. I kind of like the suspense!!! 😉

We did an 11 day cruise tour last year on HAL (the Gold Rush - AK/YK). We are experienced travelers, and I have no problem putting together land portions to go with cruises, or navigate Europe or Asia. That said, we decided to book the entire thing with HAL. The itinerary was not the same as yours - but many of the same stops. We ran into a number of people that were doing a similar trip but booked all their own travel. I felt super spoiled on the tour. If I had it to do again, I would do the exact same thing - although I might book a couple more days on either end - and do the cruise part 2nd ... we were definitely worn out by the end - the thought of having to do the driving as well as seeing all of those sights is completely overwhelming. We did 2 nights in Denali - with the Tundra Wildnerness tour bright and early ... we saw many crowded buses - ours was not because it was just our tour group, and although yes, the tour is shorter, we saw all kinds of wildlife, and our guide was fabulous. The cruise person that accompanied us on the journey gave us lots of tips and tricks, recommendations for what to do and where to eat. It was FABULOUS.

We did a cruise tour last August with HAL. They were upfront about the road closure, and refunded part of the tour cost. That said, we enjoyed the Tundra Wilderness Tour immensely - saw lots of wildlife - including a bear and many caribou ... it would have been amazing to be able to go further, however it was great.

We were on a cruise tour last summer with HAL. The bus trips ALWAYS took so much longer than we think they should have taken - it was a leisurely pace for sure - stopping for lunch, getting souvenirs, stretching our legs, seeing the sights ... we were never in a rush. That said, they also tried to make the arrival times work with whatever was happening next - when we'd be able to check into our hotels, or pick up the next excursion.

We were at the salmon bake August 2022 - the salmon was good (not amazing), but good. The sides, as mentioned, were ho hum, and the dessert (some type of blueberry cake) was quite good. They had hot chocolate (that you had to make from hot water and a package of powder) - which gives you an overall idea. We sat at wooden tables, and a young girl played a guitar. A short walk away was a lovely waterfall. The bus ride there was on a school bus - the buses came and went frequently so we didn't have to wait. Although the salmon was good - we wouldn't do it again.

We have done all three of the things you mentioned. Our whale watching trip was incredible, and the whales were super close bubble-net feeding. It couldn't be beat. At the glacier - one poster is correct - the glacier is not spectacular ... but it is nice, the visitor centre is also nice - the boardwalk near the centre was the highlight however because we saw a family of bears scooping salmon out of the stream. And the salmon bake was very good eating - but nothing spectacular. If I had to choose again, I would pick them in that order - whale watching - glacier - salmon bake.

We have been to Alaska three times (and going again in a month). Our favourites are Skagway (the train trip) and Ketchikan (everything). We are going to Sitka for the first time this trip. Alaska is beautiful, and each port offers very different things. Glacier Bay is lovely, and we are happy to be going there again, but you will find amazing things to do in every port. I agree with the poster that mentioned to check the times - it makes a huge difference. And a one way trip definitely provides you with more ports ... if you think you will not go back again, then I would definitely consider the one way trip. One thing - it was difficult leaving out of Anchorage - lots of sitting around in the airport for all of us 🙂 Enjoy your trip!

Tee hee - at a time .... if we pass it more than one time in the day, you never know!!!

We've been cruising since the 90s and yes, we have "dressed" for dinner regularly - in the Caribbean, on cruise-only vacations. I'm happy to see that the dress code has been significantly relaxed as we embark on our 11 day cruise tour to Alaska. It seems crazy to have to bring fancy dress for dinner when we have one "dressy" evening, and the rest of the cruise (2 days) and the other 8 days will be in casual and hiking gear - especially when we are super concerned that our luggage won't arrive with us. I would love to bring my fancy dresses when I am not worried about taking that luggage all over the countryside. Thanks for the tips!

My DH has one every day when we are on board a ship with the Dutch Cafe (sigh) 😉

It took about 3 weeks for ours to be acknowledged (by email). I sent it in, and I just got an updated booking document that showed the additional OBC.

For those of you flying into a port and then taking your test there - are you not worried that you may test positive? I'd rather test positive at home and not be able to get on the boat than be in another city ... I understand if you are spending more than the 72h (that's what our requirement is) ... but otherwise ... Thoughts?

My first cruise to AK, I didn't want to go - why would I "waste" a week of the nicest weather at home to spend it (potentially) with a toque and mitts? Well, I was SO WRONG. I loved it - and going back this summer for the third time - this on a cruise tour. Yes, the vibe is totally different ... if you want to go on pub crawls and stay up all night dancing, Alaska is likely not for you ... but the scenery is amazing, the food is second to none, and you'll have a chance to see wildlife you'll never see anywhere else. As far as the age range goes, there is a good spread on these cruises ... and a great variety of activity levels for the excursions. 100% recommend.

So sorry to hear about your luggage 😞 I hope you had enough in your carryon to make it through the trip. We are going to try and only go carryon (yikes!) for our 2 week cruise tour.

We've done the Bering sea fishermen twice and loved it both times - I'm sure you will, too. I feel the same way about whale watching - I think we are going to try the dog sledding or the kayaking ... not sure yet. And yes, the train is always a hit. Haven't yet been to Seward ... so can't comment on that one!