Advice regarding excursions on Alaska Cruise

We are a family of 4 (2 adults & 2 kids, ages 12 & 9).

We are planned to go with the Norwegian Bliss on an Alaska cruise on late July 2018.

This is going to be our 2nd cruise. The first one was with the Norwegian Epic out of Barcelona, where our excursions were made privately, either with a driver waiting for us in a couple of ports, or us going with a train to our preferred destinations.

Port of calls for our Alaska cruise::

1. Ketchikan: Monday July 30th, 7:00am - 3:00pm

2. Juneau: Tuesday July 31st, 7:00am - 1:30pm

3. Skagway: Wednesday August 1st, 7:00am - 5:30pm

4. Victoria: Friday August 3rd, 4:00pm - 10:00pm

We are not sure what is the best way to plan our excursions.

Initially, we considered the following as the most important for us:

* A Helicopter Glacier tour with Dog Sledding in Juneau

* White Pass Railway & Suspension Bridge in Skagway

However, it seems that there is no Dog Sledding option available in Juneau at our time.

I was told there is a similar (Helicopter Glacier tour with Dog Sledding) in Skagway.

Does anyone know how those 2 are compared? (A) Should I go with the glacier in Juneau, and skip the dog sledding completely, or is the Helicopter Glacier tour with Dog Sledding in Skagway quite similar?

If they are not too different, (B) will we have enough time in Skagway both for the White Pass Railway & Suspension Bridge and the Helicopter Glacier tour with dog sledding?

(I am not so much in favor for this option, as I believe it will be too much for one day, even if technically possible)

I would also be happy to get some recommendations for excursions in Ketchikan & Victoria.

Since we can't do any of the zipline options in Ketchikan (minimum height of 5 feet / 150 cm) I thought about the Bear Country & Wildlife Expedition. © Any better alternatives?

(D) What would you recommend for Victoria? The Ocean Wildlife & Orca Exploration? The Butchart Garden? Something else?

Any assistance, advice, or anything else we didn't think of would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.!

Anyone can advise us, please?

Anyone can advise us, please?

We are Cruising Alaska a week or two later than you, but here's what my friends are saying to do. Hope it helps!

Friend 1. We did the Skagwaytrain ride. Very nice scenery.

Friend 2. We loved the whale watching and theSkagway train. It’s beautiful country🤗 Enjoy!!

Friend 3. Lovedthe Skagway Train, and the Mendenhall Glacier. The best part is the sceneryfrom the balcony when cruising into the ports it’s so majestic!! Enjoy everyminute!

Friend 4 Thehelicopter tour of the glaciers is amazing! They land up there and you take aceremonial drink out of a glacial pool. Loved it! Bear tour is also fabulousbut sells out before sailing, limited seats.

Went to Alaska last summer and it is amazing. When planning our trip, it helped to read previous trip reports to get an idea of some of the excursions... I found this cruise critic user’s blog to be most useful in our planning:

https://travelontheside.com/category/alaska/

Based on this blog, we ended up doing the float plane in Ketchikan and Frontier Excursions in Skagway and they were both awesome tours. Alaska is beautiful... Have a great trip!

I can't recommend any excursion because I have not been yet. I can tell you only what I have planned.

Juneau...Walk around, because we are getting there late due to an excursion up Tracy Arm.

Ketchikan...Float plane with Island Wings. Eat lunch somewhere.

Skagway...Rent car and drive up the Yukon Hwy.

I noticed you mentioned the suspension bridge in Skagway. You would need to drive yourself, or book a tour that does a combo train/small bus. Hopefully they stop there. You said you wanted to do the train ride.

Also, without knowing the time frame of the 2 excursions that you want to take, it is hard to help you. I looked on Trip Advisor and read about things to do in each port that I went to. I also used the search function here on this board so I could read up on things I knew I wanted to do. Happy planning and enjoy Alaska.

We did the helicopter up to the glacier and dog sled up on the glacier in J7neU 10 years ago with our boys. It was amazing.

One of the whale watchings out of Victoria is on an inflatable that goes super fast so it is EXTREMELY bumpy. My husband thought he got injured 9n that ride, so research that. Small boats out of Juneau for whale watching get rave reviews on trip advisor and this board. We are doing Butchart Garden on our Alaska cruise this June.

We were really looking forward to our helicopter trip to glacier in Juneau. Weather canceled our trip. Always have a Plan B.

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I can't recommend any excursion because I have not been yet. I can tell you only what I have planned.

 

Juneau...Walk around, because we are getting there late due to an excursion up Tracy Arm. Walk up to the Alaska state capital building. You can take a self guided tour of the building, it's interesting. Then walk over to the Alaska state museum, that's really interesting. On your way back from the museum stop off at the hanger on the Wharf and have a few brews and watch the float planes come and go. http://www.hangaronthewharf.com/

 

Ketchikan...Float plane with Island Wings. Eat lunch somewhere. A good place to eat in Ketchikan is the Arctic bar or the Burger Queen.

 

Skagway...Rent car and drive up the Yukon Hwy. We've done the drive up the Yukon Hwy many times. Be sure to buy Murray's guide online http://www.murrysguide dot com it will give you a mile by mile narration of what your looking at, it's well worth the cost. Drive up the Emerald Lake it's beautiful. Stop for lunch at Caribou Crossing Trading post http://www.cariboucrossing.ca/ The suspension bridge is kind of a joke, it doesn't go anywhere, just across the gorge, we call it the bridge to nowhere.

 

I noticed you mentioned the suspension bridge in Skagway. You would need to drive yourself, or book a tour that does a combo train/small bus. Hopefully they stop there. You said you wanted to do the train ride.

 

Also, without knowing the time frame of the 2 excursions that you want to take, it is hard to help you. I looked on Trip Advisor and read about things to do in each port that I went to. I also used the search function here on this board so I could read up on things I knew I wanted to do. Happy planning and enjoy Alaska.

Randy

(B) You need to ask the tour operators directly your question about timing, particularly the helicopter company. They will know whether you have time for both.

© Ketchikan: You are coming at the perfect time to take a flight to see bears at Anan Creek. However, finding 4 tickets this late could be a challenge. I suggest calling all flight vendors to see what is available. Otherwise, I recommend kayaking with Southeast Sea Kayak Co. or hiking the Ward Lake Trail, where the kids will love the rope swing.

(D) Our kids would have been bored stiff by Butchardt Gardens at those ages. With the Orca Exploration, the kids might be very disappointed in the not unlikely event that you see no whales. I really suggest you go take them to Miniature World (https://miniatureworld.com/contact/). Our kids were older, but they still loved it.

Salmon fishing Ketchikan is awesome!

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Juneau...Walk around, because we are getting there late due to an excursion up Tracy Arm.

FWIW, We're taking Princess's excursion up the Tracy Arm fjord, leaving the ship at sea to a smaller tour boat to go up the fjord, rejoining the Emerald, docked in Juneau. Through a local operator, we are then taking the helo trip out to the doggies for sledding. Depending on how long your ship is in Juneau, you have time to do this if you don't mind rushing a bit. We actually have several hours after the doggies to spend in Juneau for dinner.

You didn't mention whale watching - I assume that was intentional, but if not, Juneau is the place to do that. However, you may need to book privately as they fill up. We're on the Bliss June 2nd. In Juneau we're doing a whale watch in the AM and then Tracy Arm fjord in the afternoon.

I’m on the sept 1 bliss sailing and trying to decide too. Let us know what you choose and how you like it!

Port of calls for our Alaska cruise::

1. Ketchikan: Monday July 30th, 7:00am - 3:00pm

2. Juneau: Tuesday July 31st, 7:00am - 1:30pm

3. Skagway: Wednesday August 1st, 7:00am - 5:30pm

4. Victoria: Friday August 3rd, 4:00pm - 10:00pm

We are not sure what is the best way to plan our excursions.

Initially, we considered the following as the most important for us:

* A Helicopter Glacier tour with Dog Sledding in Juneau

* White Pass Railway & Suspension Bridge in Skagway

Ketchikan, for something a bit more unique try going snorkeling. We did it and the colors of things were super bright. The wet suits were a bit of a learning curve being very thick 7mm suits, but DW and I loved it.

Juneau, with such short time there not sure what would work for you. Might want to try just the helicopter glacier tour.

Skagway, we used Dyea Dave tour with train option. Drove us up to Emerald Lake and then we took the train back from Canada. If you have never done the train it can be interesting. If you are not doing the train renting a car is probably better. The tour was nice, but stopping at the scenic overlooks can be done without it.

Victoria, no clue.

 

Port of calls for our Alaska cruise::

1. Ketchikan: Monday July 30th, 7:00am - 3:00pm

2. Juneau: Tuesday July 31st, 7:00am - 1:30pm

3. Skagway: Wednesday August 1st, 7:00am - 5:30pm

4. Victoria: Friday August 3rd, 4:00pm - 10:00pm

 

We are not sure what is the best way to plan our excursions.

 

Initially, we considered the following as the most important for us:

* A Helicopter Glacier tour with Dog Sledding in Juneau

* White Pass Railway & Suspension Bridge in Skagway

 

However, it seems that there is no Dog Sledding option available in Juneau at our time.

 

I was told there is a similar (Helicopter Glacier tour with Dog Sledding) in Skagway.

Does anyone know how those 2 are compared? (A) Should I go with the glacier in Juneau, and skip the dog sledding completely, or is the Helicopter Glacier tour with Dog Sledding in Skagway quite similar?

 

If they are not too different, (B) will we have enough time in Skagway both for the White Pass Railway & Suspension Bridge and the Helicopter Glacier tour with dog sledding?

(I am not so much in favor for this option, as I believe it will be too much for one day, even if technically possible)

 

 

I would also be happy to get some recommendations for excursions in Ketchikan & Victoria.

 

Since we can't do any of the zipline options in Ketchikan (minimum height of 5 feet / 150 cm) I thought about the Bear Country & Wildlife Expedition. © Any better alternatives?

 

(D) What would you recommend for Victoria? The Ocean Wildlife & Orca Exploration? The Butchart Garden? Something else?

 

 

Any assistance, advice, or anything else we didn't think of would be appreciated.

 

 

Thanks in advance.!

You have verified all 3 Juneau vendors for glacier dog sledding are booked in Juneau?

You'd have to determine what Skagway can offer you? Overall- the Yukon Suspension bridge (which isn't even in the Yukon :) ) isn't a raved about experience. Someone of your group, has this tour of interest?

Some chance of bears in Ketchikan in your time frame, but better chances of no sightings. this tour is a costly option for what you get, my opinion.

Victoria- Orca tours, I'd suggest going independent with the longest tour available. Essential for greater success since they have miles and miles of range.

We really enjoyed the orca excursion in Victoria last summer.