gar90 Posted November 13, 2017 #1 Share Posted November 13, 2017 Hello all. First Alaska cruise coming up this summer. I know all of these questions have probably been answered at least a thousand times before, but google searching only gets me so far. 1) We are getting to anchorage 2 days early. What are some things we can't miss and/or should do? Our cruise leaves out of whittier so is there anything over there worth doing? 2) Our ports of call are Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan. We are big on sight seeing both scenery and hiking type stuff and historical local type places. We definitely want to do some whale watching once. What excursions should we look into? 3) We are going on the Princess Star. Any shipboard tips for either that ship or when we get close to glaciers? 4) One of the things we are thinking about for Whittier is to get on the ship and get settled and then get off the ship and explore since we don't leave until 8:30. Does this work? 5) We finish in Vancouver but have a 2pm flight so I imagine that it will be an uneventful day, but is there anything close to the pier or the airport where we can do something for an hour? 6) Any other tips from your expertise? We've done a bunch of caribbean cruises, but we are breaking the bank on this one for a once in a lifetime trip. Any other advice is massively appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted November 13, 2017 #2 Share Posted November 13, 2017 There are many trip reports posted at the top of the page ..... they will be an excellent resource for your research. The 2017 List has a few photojournals from cruises on the Star so they will be very helpful. Lots of detailed info on diy options before the cruise, as well as activities at each port, and first hand recommendations for vendors. Also, look at each port's web site. They are designed to promote tourism and local vendors. There's also a Visitor Guide to download for each port. Links are posted in the Helpful Resources thread just down the page. As for Whittier, its barely a town, maybe 250 residents, so not a lot to see in town. The most popular activity is a boat tour of Prince William Sound for viewing wildlife, scenery and glaciers. The tours leave around noon-ish, timed to match the train from Anc and get you back in time to board the ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperCrewBear Posted November 13, 2017 #3 Share Posted November 13, 2017 I did my first Alaska cruise last year (10 days) and it was fantastic - also my first cruise ever. This past late Spring we did a two week road trip in Alaska - flying in and out of Anchorage then about 2,000 miles of sight seeing. We stayed our first two nights in Anchorage. Downtown Anchorage (4th Ave) has some great gift shops, the log cabin visitor center, Hard Rock Cafe, etc. Renting a car for your two days would be helpful and give you the opportunity to get around the city easily - it's not hectic and confusing like your average large town, easy. Just for the heck of it we drove up to Eagle River the 2nd afternoon just looking - about 15 miles north of Anchorage. We drove out Eagle River Road until it ends at the Eagle River Nature Center - about 12 miles. Very nice scenery! There are hiking trails at the Center. We were just driving at random and had no idea where we were going - I've suggested that drive several times now. This pic was taken along Eagle River Road - pretty spectacular scenery: We made a stop at Whittier but there really isn't a whole lot to see there - you should have plenty of time to explore the day you get there. The coolest part of Whittier was driving through the 3 mile long train/highway tunnel. We walked around the harbor area - plenty of photo opportunities with the boats, water and mountains. No matter what you do you're going to have a great time! Alaska has spectacular scenery almost any way you turn - you won't be disappointed. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Coral Posted November 13, 2017 #4 Share Posted November 13, 2017 There are 3 great boat rides out of Whittier that start around noonish and will get you back on the ship in time. I strongly recommend them. https://www.phillipscruises.com/cruises/26-glacier-cruise.php https://majormarine.com/tour/prince-william-sound-surprise-glacier-cruise/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted November 13, 2017 #5 Share Posted November 13, 2017 (edited) As for what to with your 2 days prior, i'd rent a car and get out out of town. Head south and hike at Byron Glacier and at Portage Lake/Glacier, visit the Wildlife Conservation, Potters Marsh, Alyeska Resort tram. All within an hr of Anc. Maybe overnight in Girdwood.i (Detailed info on the drive at www.alaska.org under Things to Do , Scenic Drives, Turnagain Arm.) Go east 2 hrs to Matanuska Glacier and to Independence Mine. Also in Scenic Drives. Lots to see and do. Just do some research and figure out which activities best suit your needs. If you decide to rent a car, prices vary wildly, so reserve the best deal you can find now, then continue to check prices frequently in order to catch a price break. Edited November 13, 2017 by mapleleaves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted November 13, 2017 #6 Share Posted November 13, 2017 For Vancouver if you are flying back to the USA then I wouldn't recommend doing a whole lot as you will want to get to the airport. I would recommend getting over to the airport three hours prior to the flight and give yourself around 45 minutes by car to get over there from the pier. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT1962 Posted November 13, 2017 #7 Share Posted November 13, 2017 Anchorage - Consider renting a car or taking the train to Seward and doing a Kenai Fjords scenic cruise. Whittier - look at options for scenic cruises the day you depart Skagway - Consider a bus / train combo to Emerald Lake. Chilkoot Tours and Dyea Dave both get great reviews. Juneau - If in port from at least 8:00 am to 7:00 pm, look at a Tracy Arm trip with Adventure Bound. Otherwise, consider whale watching ( choose a smaller boat such as Harv & Marv), Mendenhall Glacier and Mt Roberts Tram if weather is clear and time allows. Ketchikan - we did a kayak tour, walked Creek Street and Married Man's Trail and did some shopping. If time allows, many recommend Totem Bight and / or the lumberjack show. Vancouver- if you have the time and flexibility to extend your trip an extra day or two, Vancouver offers great scenery. Stanley Park, Hop-on-Hop off city tours, Capilano Suspension bridge, Grouse Mountain, day trip to Victoria, whale watching (primarily orcas). Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xlxo Posted November 13, 2017 #8 Share Posted November 13, 2017 I would have recommended a few nights post cruise to better enjoy your bonus port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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