SirTomster

I am going to post my itinerary to give you some ideas. Note, this is my 2nd Alaskan Cruise and the 1st was 12 years ago. So I am NOT experienced. So take this with a grain of salt. Cruising Holland America MS Noordam Southbound Whitter to Vancouver 6/13 Fly into Anchorage and stay the night. Actually flying in at 1:45 AM on 6/14 and sleeping a few hours. 6/14 Go back to the Airport for a car rental for 2 days 6/14 Driving to Seward. Stopping at multiple stops on the way including Sightseeing on Turnagain Arm, Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage Glacier Cruise, and other various points to stop and gawk. I like to take pictures so will be stopping a lot :). 6/14 Hotel in Seward for 2 nights 6/15 Kenai Fjords cruise. Taking the 8-hour Northwestern Fjord cruise 6/16 Drive back to Anchorage and drop off the car 6/16 Get on a tour that will end up at the cruise docks. Stops include the same spots on Turnagain Arm, Lunch in Ayleska including a tram ride to the top. Another stop at the Wildlife Conservation Center, and then on to Whittier to get on the ship 6/17 Cruise by Hubbard Glacier 6/18 Cruise Glacier Bay (I loved it 12 years ago and consider this a must for any Alaskan cruise) 6/19 Skagway: Taking a bus/train trip all the way into the Yukon and back 6/20 Juneau: Whale Watching and then walking around town 6/21 Ketchikan: Walking around town 6/22 Sea Day 6/23 Arrive in Vancouver. Hop on a bus to Seattle because flights out of Vancouver are insane. Or I am just cheap. 6/23 Stay the night in Seattle and maybe go down to the waterfront in the evening. 6/24 Fly Home. So I have a do it yourself land portion that I am really excited about. I have read reports that the Kenai Fjords is an awesome time and a highlight of a cruise when it isn't even on the cruise. Also, if you have the time read this thread if you have not. Lots of great discussions.

The board here have highly praised both of them. (Harv and Marv and Jayleen) I do not think you will do wrong with either. The big thing I would look for is the time on water. Both groups above have you on the water for 3 hours. I think there are some others out there that have less. Watch out for that.

49 days until we fly to Anchorage to start our Vacation. I am almost to the "printing out everything stage". I got the folders. Next week starts the "ordering the misc cruise items" I have on my wish list. I keep reviewing items to look for any updates I want to make. We are still just winging it in Ketchikan at this point. But Skagway and Juneau are set. Let the adventure begin! I want it to be tomorrow but then also do not want it to be over either.

Look into the Kenai Fjords and the tours available. Out of Seward. My wife and I are flying in 2 days early to go to Seward to do this tour before we return to Anchorage to take a ride to Whittier for our cruise. I have read some great things about Kenai Fjords.

If this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip. I do recommend looking into a land portion. Which might be taking a one-way cruise. My wife and I are flying into Anchorage a few days before the trip to drive to Seward and do a one-day cruise to the Kenai Fjords. As part of the drive, we will hit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage Glacier, and other various stops on the way. I feel doing this will greatly enhance the trip. Even if it is adding a few thousand to the trip due to the items we are doing. If Denali was more open you could consider that, but that likely will not be for another year. There are other options around Anchorage as well. Matanuska Glacier where you can walk on the glacier without having to pay an arm and a leg for a helicopter. The one way will also generally get you more time in the ports to explore. Another bonus.

First, you need to see what times you are in the ports. Not all ships stay in the ports the same amount of time. This will impact what you can do. Since you are hitting Victoria, I assume you are doing a round trip from Seattle. Definitely pay attention to the port times. Juneau is a popular spot for Whale Watching. Harv and Marv or Jayleen are often mentioned. The boats are small so only a few people better than the larger boats with a lot of people. Skagway has the Train. You can book directly with the company. But there are many options. My wife and I are doing an 8 hour bus/train. Taking a bus all the way into the Yukon to Emerald lake then back to a spot to get on the Train back to Skagway. Chilkoot Charters. They also have shorter options. We are in port 14 hours so can do the 8 hour option. Ketchikan. I am looking into the rainforest hike. But last time we just walked around town. Could be the best spot for biking. But I do not know. Victoria. Check the time in the port. It is required for the "1 foreign port" rule, and you might only have a few hours there. Not sure if it is worth it. Also, many times it is in the evening.

This is weird. I have a HAL cruise in June. We are arriving 2 days before to do some exploring before the cruise. None of which is through the HAL. But when I log in I can book an Airport Transfer. Anchorage to Whittier. It was under Flights and Planning, but it was there. But it is $69.00 pp. Shoot. ACT Bus is cheaper by $20 pp. If you just want a transfer.

Another option if you are interested in Glaciers is Phillips Cruises in Whittier. https://phillipscruises.com/

A couple of options Lowest I found: https://alaskacruisetransfer.com/rates/ More expensive: https://www.salmonberrytours.com/tour/anchorage-to-whittier-transfer-and-tour/ By train!: https://www.alaskarailroad.com/ Additional: https://www.anchorage.net/plan-your-trip/transportation/cruise-transfers/?view=grid&sort=qualityScore&bounds=false Lots of options depending on what you want. I am doing the Salmon Berry one to visit some sites on the way to the ship.

I have not been to Anchorage, so take what I say with a grain of salt. And only one cruise to Alaska, or anywhere for that matter. So I know squat. I just have researched a lot of options for my upcoming cruise. If I were arriving in Seward from your ship, I would stay in Seward. The next day (or same day depending on when you arrive), take a 4 to 8 hour Kenai Fjords tour, then either another night in Seward and then the Train to Anchorage for the flight home. I have heard so many good things about Kenai Fjords. I am doing a southbound in June and flying in 2 days before to rent a car to drive to Seward to do the Kenai Fjords cruise, then back to Anchorage to get on a bus to Whittier for my cruise. Now there are things to do around Anchorage, but from what I have read, I would pick the Kenai Fjords option over something else. And who knows, once I complete my cruise I will have completely different advice.

As the person who would be driving if I rented a car. I would miss out on many sights because I was focused on driving. So I would not want to drive. I will be there in June and doing the 8 hour Train/Bus tour. I get to focus on enjoying the sights. No on what is in front of me on the highway.

I would look into a Kenai Fjords cruise. One of the shorter ones since you arrive at 11:30. There are a couple of companies that offer tours there. Major Marine and Kenai Fjord Tours are the ones with some larger boats. I believe there are some companies with smaller boats as well. I expect they will store your luggage for you while on the boat but I would double-check.

So some of this is based on what I have seen on YouTube. I think popular Youtuber "Tips for Travellers" mentioned this in one of his Alaska videos. But also, you can find locals with a plane that will offer the option, but how maintained is their aircraft? It is one thing to hire someone to drive you around and another to hire someone to "fly" you around. I had assumed that the cruise lines would have more requirements for the tour operators they work with to ensure their equipment is well maintained. Cruise lines do not want to be associated with their passengers dying while on a cruise line excursion. But now I am not so sure. I did a quick google search on "Alaska cruise excursion plane crash" and there are unfortunately a few hits. Including people suing the cruise line for plane crashes. One article did seem to imply that there are no additional requirements to be a tour operator for a cruise line besides adding the cruise line to their insurance. So do they vet these people and ensure their aircraft are safe? I had assumed so, but now.. I wonder. Here is a cruise critic article from 2019 that discusses this. https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles/q-a-are-flightseeing-shore-excursions-safe So I will be doing 3rd party operators for my pending Alaska cruise, (Whale Watching, Skagway Train) but if I ever want to get into a helicopter or plane, I think I would go through the cruise line just to be a little safer. Not that this means you are safe, you are flying in a small craft.

I first recommend that you research what the cruise line offers These are likely the most popular options available in those ports. Then as you identify things you want to do, you can then research those items in the port you are in. IE Whale Watching in Juneau is big. Then if you search here on Cruise Critic there are a LOT of posts about Whale Watching in Juneau and the groups that people recommend. Pro Tip: Many cruise line excursions are large groups. As in their Whale watching will be on a catamaran with 100+ people. But you can get on a boat with 6 other people (plus the Captain) for a cheaper price. Which sounds better to you? For some, the Catamaran does sound better. Not to me though! Another item, if you pick a flying excursion, be careful. That is one I lean towards going through the cruise lines. Also, cruise lines offer guarantees that the ship will not leave without you. If you go out on your own, no guarantee. Keep that in mind. Now most operators have some guarantee to get you to the next port but that is not fun. So there is a little bit of dice rolling involved.

I recommend you fly in the day before the cruise. Any hiccups on your flight to Anchorage and no Cruise for you! So be smart and get in the day before. Then you can choose more options to get to Whittier. A cheaper option is the ACT Bus: $70.00 per person and it includes the Wildlife center. Or a cheaper version that is direct to the port. https://alaskacruisetransfer.com/rates/