Glaciers

If you don’t mind spending the day in Seattle to explore a bit, Amtrak has a 7pm departure to Vancouver. It’s a relaxing ride with good views along the coast.

@GatorMomInNC There’s a place in Anchorage that's fairly close to the airport called Kincaid Park. It’s about as wild as it gets in the Anchorage Bowl. Would require transportation, Uber/Lyft/cab. There are miles of trails off of the main road. As per this site; “You can explore the woods in search of wildlife: Moose proliferate, black bear abound, and bald eagles cry.” There are quite a few moose and I’ve seen black bears there a few times but not that frequently. https://www.alaska.org/detail/kincaid-park

A rental would be an excellent choice. Bag the NCL transfer. It may be pricey but the things you can do and see along the way are fantastic. The drive along Turnagain Arm is one of the most scenic in the state. You could stop at Girdwood for lunch and take the tram up for the view. There are several pull offs and if your timing is good you might see a bore tide or beluga whales. There are also the occasional Dall Sheep along the cliffs near Windy Point.

Another option is the free shuttle that stops at the Alaska Aviation Museum. It’s a bit inconvenient to get downtown as it takes over an hour as you stop at the zoo and botanical gardens first. Returning it is non-stop back to the museum. Of course, there’s that 15 minute walk to/from the airport. If you’re walkers, one of the best views of downtown Anchorage skyline is about 1.5 miles away at the end of Postmark Dr. It’s also is on the path for the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail with Pt Woronzof a short distance up the trail. https://www.alaskazoo.org/summer-shuttle-2023

We departed Vancouver one year during Canada Day. We would do it again. Lots of activities and fun things to do.

This was posted on a different site regarding transportation to the glacier.

You certainly need to be careful and aware of your surroundings in any city but being in your hotel room before dark is a bit extreme. The downtown area can be busy in the early evening with visitors on the sidewalks. I certainly wouldn’t be out wandering the streets at 2am but the evenings downtown can actually be pleasant. We live downtown and have no problems being out in the evenings going to dinner and events.

There is a free shuttle, but I don’t know much about it. Check this site for more info. https://www.seattlesouthside.com/plan-your-trip/transportation/land-travel/taxis-shuttles-limos/shuttle-service/ This site might be helpful to for things to do at SeaTac. https://www.portseattle.org/sea-tac/things-to-do

@Insomniacs I would love to have a forward facing cabin but it’s just not in the cards for us. I do understand the appeal but having been to Glacier Bay 10 times on cruises still feel it’s not the best place for viewing. You can just miss too much. You’ll be in a great position to look for humpbacks if you’re up early enough. Within an hour or so of entering the bay can be a jackpot for humpback sightings although we’ve not seen them there more than we have. Yes, the rangers will provide commentary that can usually be accessed on a specific TV channel. To bring this back around to topic….I’ve been taking two Nikon DSLRs and 4 lenses in a gear backpack for years. Also a tripod until a couple years ago when I ditched it because I rarely used it while cruising. I’ll be selling all of it as I’ve just gotten the Sony RX10 IV. A bit of a compromise but not enough to miss all that heavy gear. Also picked up a dandy cell phone that takes great photos and it’s always with me.

@gregma60 After picking up the Bartlett Cove staff you'll head up the right side of the bay so starboard will be closer to shore. After spending an hour or so at Margerie Glacier you'll head out of the bay towards Lamplugh Glacier, again, with starboard being closer to shore. You'll turn and head towards Johns Hopkins Glacier and will stop for viewing about Jaw Point before heading past Lamplugh again. You'll center up in the bay a bit before passing South Marble island on the port side.

By staying on the balcony while in Glacier Bay it will certainly alleviate being bumped into by others although it can be a poor viewing area overall. There is so much to see on both sides of the ship that you’ll miss much of it by staying on the balcony. While in front of Margerie Glacier the ships normally rotate so much of the time you’ll be looking at something rather than the main attraction regardless of where your cabin is. Of course, the forward viewing areas will fill up fast although the promenade deck can give you excellent viewing with fewer people in your way and you can move around to maximize the view. Balcony on the port side, you’ve just missed a jackpot area where there are frequently mountain goats along the cliffs at Gloomy Knob. Starboard side balcony, you’ve just missed the slow down past South Marble Island and the nesting birds and sea lion haul out. Even in a forward cabin you miss part of the experience unless you can also look as you pass by and not just ahead of the ship.

We did the short walk to the skytrain last year. This was the route. https://goo.gl/maps/b5k1iRo6S2nbdteX8

"Juneau and Cruise Lines Agree to Limit Cruise Ships Starting in 2024" https://maritime-executive.com/article/juneau-and-cruise-lines-agree-to-limit-cruise-ships-starting-in-2024

There will be a free Waterfront Shuttle that runs past the Marriott. In the past it went from Pioneer Square, along the waterfront and then up to the Seattle Center. It was canceled during covid and will be in service on July 17, 2023. https://seattlewaterfront.org/free-seattle-waterfront-shuttle/

Amtrak has a 7pm departure from Seattle to Vancouver. You’d have to be expeditious about getting to the train station about 15 miles from there. Flixbus or Greyhound might work as well. Amtrak also has a 7:50am departure if you end up spending the night in Seattle.

The Target psuboater mentioned would have the largest selection. There is a Bartell’s just a bit closer on 2nd Ave that has a good selection of items, grocery, sundry, alcohol, pharmacy, etc. About a 10 minute walk.

I think the increased day light will mess with you more than the time change and that can affect everyone. The east coast folks actually have an advantage as some of the best viewing is early in the morning as you’re a couple hours or so from docking. I’ve seen many whales while being in a forward area with a cup of coffee at 5am. Most from a distance but they’re there. Use that time zone change to your advantage.

Look at the "Flush Pro" app. Its a free download and will show many of the restrooms available although not all. You can enter the community name and they will show on the map.

"Local tourism companies are being forced to turn away tourists in Juneau seeking to visit the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area this summer as commercial tourism limits in the area are being reached at a rapid pace due to “unprecedented increases in visitation,” the Forest Service announced Friday." https://www.juneauempire.com/news/unprecedented-visitors-at-mendenhall-glacier-rapidly-outpacing-allowed-capacity/?fbclid=IwAR2rMdm49it0PMpuNh6zUpswUY3wEmbUXwVs-hD1VSlE6HaPZv6bw0verpw

Although not confirmed, I read on a FB post that Juneau Whale Watch was canceling some of their combo tours that go to Mendenhall after the whale watch portion due to lack of passes.

@NewCruiser-2023 Don't lollygag as it can fill up early some days and they begin refusing acceptance of anymore bags. There are several other posts on this board regarding this dandy option.

The Pan Pacific Hotel at the cruise terminal will store luggage for non-guests. The bellman is located near the street entrance. It's been $5US/bag in the past. We stored our bags there and went exploring before catching the train that evening.

We’ve taken the train to Seattle after disembarking in Vancouver. Very easy and you’ll be able to explore Vancouver a bit before the evening train. Request seats on the right side for good views along the coast. Embassy Suites is next door to the train station in Seattle since you’d arrive rather late. There are some less expensive hotels but you’d need to take transportation after getting off the train. Business class train tickets are about $100pp. I may have missed something in the thread but the Amtrak train from Vancouver does not go to the Seattle airport. The King St. Train Station is in the south end of downtown, about 15 miles from the airport.

The Charter Hotel is in a great location and near many restaurants. Another option would be The Sound in Belltown. It would be a very short Uber/Lyft/Taxi ride to the port or a 15 minute walk. You’re within a few blocks of a dozen restaurants, particularly along 2th Ave. It’s got a slightly more neighborhood feel as you just north of the downtown core but only a 10 minute walk to Pike Place Market and 15 to the Space Needle/Chihuly Gardens. Buckley’s in Belltown has some of the best bar food. We’re done there weekly for their specials. Best avoid a game day though.

We were headed to breakfast at the 5 Point a few weeks ago although snagged a couple of seats at Tilikum next door due to a cancellation. There were 15 or so folks waiting to get into the 5 Point. Be prepared.