Glaciers

I wouldn’t do the king crab either but the tour is popular and with all the interest in king crab (regardless of where it’s from) it might do well. The VIP seats are directly in front of the touch tanks although I like the seats on the upper level on the sides. Great viewing area for the eagles. To clarify, the add on is $60 so the total would appear to be closer to $250 with the crab. Shall see when it’s posted on their website.

On another site it has been noted that The Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s tour in Ketchikan will now be providing a VIP package for a $60 add on that includes seating with the best views & King Crab dinner. It will be on their website soon. Anyone already booked should contact the company direct if they want to consider changing to this. The post indicates that they will be “picking winners of the VIP tickets” so not sure what that’s about.

The Port Valet program is hard to beat although requires a flight at noon or later. You’ll see posts from those that had no problem with earlier flights but there are many that you don’t hear from who missed them. Although unusual, TSA wait times at SeaTac last September were 2.5 hours and extended out into the parking garage. You can take a chance and you’d probably make an earlier flight but have a back up plan.

The Encore itinerary is certainly the better one. Since it’s a round trip the side of the ship is less important. One small consideration, if going to Glacier Bay, is that ships travel up the right side of the bay so the starboard rooms are much closer to shore. As you head up through the bay you will pass by Gloomy Knob off the starboard side. There are frequently mountain goats along the cliffs in the area and you’d have great views from a starboard cabin. It’s actually a better idea just to stay on the top decks for the best views. Also, consider the logistics of the Ketchikan stop at Ward Cove. It’s a bit inconvenient as you can’t just walk off and head into town. It’s quite a ways from the downtown area and requires transportation.

@donaldsc I know you noted that you did an Alaskan Dream trip as well at one time. Would you recommend one over the other?

I do wonder now with the exchange rate favoring the US dollar if a “doormen, bellhops, tour guides” would rather be given US dollars. Would they rather have the US 5 dollar bill or a CA 5 dollar bill since the US bill would actually be closer to $6.50. There’s certainly other considerations such as if they pool their tips and how inconvenient it would be to exchange the money.

That may be part of the problem. Staffing was a huge issue last year and not sure it’s been resolved for 2023. They did say that the reason they don’t start earlier is because of all the early season ice.

@Coral Allen Marine does not start their Hubbard Glacier excursions until May 17th this year. I just called and asked.

The international terminal has very limited flights and few travelers even know that it’s there since the walkway is at the north end of the baggage claim area. It is the quietest area of the airport, hands down. Another area that used to have large comfy chairs is the mezzanine area near the Native Art Display in the domestic terminal although it can get busy.

@Coral Have you checked to see if there is another ship in Hubbard that day? Might be that if there is another ship that they may have the optional excursion from their ship. If you don't have the excursion maybe the captain will give it a go to get past Haenke Island. As we sat miles off last year, due to ice supposedly, another main line ship cruise past an right up the face of the glacier.

Hopefully someone will chime in here with some good ideas. At the least, walk north from the baggage claim area to the international terminal through an enclosed walkway, less than 10 minutes. It’s usually pretty quiet over there. The domestic terminal can get quite busy due to a block of flights departing in the very early AM.

As Crew News mentioned, the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s tour in Ketchikan has more bald eagles than any other tour we’ve been on. Juneau is the spot for humpback whale tours with guaranteed sightings. Depending on when you’ll be there, Valdez has frequent bear sightings at the Solomon Gulch Fish Hatchery when the salmon are running.

For seafood in Anchorage, Simon & Seafort’s or The Bridge. Steaks – Club Paris. Although not downtown Kincaid Grill.

In the past when we’ve booked direct, we walked into town to their location and purchased our tickets. They will direct your group to specific cars with others so you will be able to sit together. There were no seat assignments. You don’t necessarily need to all book together but it would be best if you were all in the same general area together just prior to boarding so you don’t get directed to different cars. Also, make sure you’re all booking the same trip. If you can, try to get on a car near the end of the train. The views can be spectacular rounding corners and seeing the train ahead of you. There are platforms outside at the end of each car that allows for nice unobstructed views/photos.

Uber/Taxi might be the easiest. Look at Seattle Express as well. https://seattleexpress.com/

Yes, Juneau and Icy Strait Point are the spots for Humpbacks. Since the area around Pt Adolphus is a known humpback feeding area near the entrance to Glacier Bay there is an increased chance of seeing them there. We were surrounded once exiting the bay. Most times, however, we saw none. I’m always up early in the morning 1 hour or so before entering the bay looking for them. The best way though is to do an organized tour in Juneau or ISP.

We usually ended up at 13 Coins when we stayed at the airport before moving here. Another option just a bit further down the road is Sharps RoastHouse.

The operators with smaller boats begin shutting down in September due to the potential for rough water. Booking with Allen Marine through the ship and their larger boats would be the most stable. I believe this is the “Whale watching & wildlife quest”. Another option is booking with Juneau Whale Watch. We’ve had about 25 passengers on their catamaran two-deck boats and they were very stable. This is from their FAQ page: “If your ship doesn’t make it to port for any reason, we will refund you in full without incurring any administration fees or penalties.” This is a post from one of the small boat whale watch operators: “There are several reasons why we shut down, every season, in the middle of September. NONE of these reasons has anything to do with whale activity! Humpback whales will continue to be in the Juneau area (usually) through the end of October. The main reason we stop offering tours in September is because of the weather. It gets BAD. Rough waves, high winds & heavy rain become a common occurrence in the fall. “

One very small consideration would be if cruising Glacier Bay you’ll travel up the right side of the bay. Being on the starboard side allows for decent viewing along the shore/cliffs from your cabin. There are many times mountain goats along the way primarily at Gloomy Knob. The better solution is just being on deck though as you end up missing whatever was on the other side of the ship by staying in the cabin.

If your priority is seeing whales the best bet is doing an organized tour in Juneau. I spend hours looking for whales from the ship each trip and normally see them but from quite a distance. Occasionally closer but not often. You might consider doing a tour with Juneau Whale Watch to maximize your time. After the whale watch they can take you to Mendenhall Glacier for some hiking around the visitor center. They have busses back to the ship every 30 minutes or so. https://www.juneauwhalewatch.com/ Another option is hiking the West Glacier Trail. It’s a wonderful experience as you look down upon the glacier from above it. If you hike up far enough you can see the tour helicopters landing on the glacier from above. It would take a taxi or car rental to get there as it’s on the other side of the lake from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. https://www.alaska.org/detail/west-glacier-trail-mendenhall-glacier

There’s a dandy hike that starts from the base of the tram at the resort, Winner Creek Trail. Another, much shorter hike is the Virgin Creek Falls trail. And, the Bake Shop for breakfast or lunch.

Thank you for the tip on 32 Degrees. Looks like they have some good prices. If someone finds themselves in Anchorage and are looking for clothing they may have forgotten, check out Value Village, SPCA and Goodwill. There is a lot of clothing that visitors leave as they don’t need it at home and don’t want to take it back. As for shoes, they should fit the excursion. For most, 90% of the time you’ll be on the deck of a boat or a pave street/sidewalk. I take nothing but 2 pair of tennis shoes and trade them out as needed for off ship exploring. Those Brooks Ghost shoes are dandy and can be worn at home as well.

The Glacier Discovery train that AKStafford mentioned is a wonderful experience. You can also do an iceberg float at Spencer Glacier as an add on to the train trip. Either way, you would depart Whittier at 12:45pm and return at 6:05pm. https://alaskanrafting.com/product/spencer-iceberg-placer-river-float/

It’s most certainly a better experience on the small boat. Last year on Princess we only made it as far as College Point so missed up close viewing of Harvard Glacier. The 26 Glacier Cruise also transits Esther Passage which is very nice. It did sound though that the OP was looking for a little different experience. With the covid issues and related difficulties of finding employees in 2022, hopefully those b2b excursions will return.

Princess used to offer dedicated tours for b2b passengers in Whittier. We had 700 b2b passengers on our May trip last year with many struggling to find something to do. A rental works the best and there’s only one road to Anchorage so not a difficult drive but spectacular along Turnagain Arm. Since you’re on Princess you will most likely be doing College Fjord and the 26 Glacier Cruise may be a bit of the same although a much better experience on the small boat. If you do one of these trips check out the Glacier Quest Cruise from Phillips if you don’t want to revisit College Fjord.