Our excursion details for Ketchikan, Sitka, ISP, Juneau, Skagway and Seward

I recently posted a nine page review of our May 2016 B2B Alaska cruise on the Celebrity Millennium, with 27 photos and including detail on our port activities in Ketchikan, Sitka, Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Skagway and Seward. A link to the review is below. Since we were back-to-back cruisers, we hit these ports twice (Sitka once), so we had the opportunity to do multiple excursions at each port. All excursions, except the ISP Ziprider, were done privately (not Celebrity tours). The port detail starts about half way through the review and are called out by port name - feel free to skip ahead if you are not interested in the ship details.

I hope you find this helpful for your excursion planning. Many thanks to those who helped me here over my 9-month planning period. Enjoy!

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=535553&et_cid=2633025&et_rid=85410920&et_referrer=Boards_Million_Member_Newsub

Thanks for the great review and wonderful pictures.

Thank you! I will definitely do that empty water bottle idea. Very glad for your happy trip.

Awesome review. Not too much, not too little, just right :p. Seriously, thank you for posting this. Your in depth description of the dog sledding was very useful. You also give me an alternative thought for Ketchikan. I loved your "shopping mecca" comment.

Hey Funinthesun, when were you at the Mendenhall Glacier, and is that the way the glacier looks now? Was under the impression that you couldn't see the glacier anymore. Will be up in Alaska in the next two weeks, and wasn't sure if I wanted to see the glacier or not, since it was receding. Am I wrong to presume that?

Hey Funinthesun, when were you at the Mendenhall Glacier, and is that the way the glacier looks now? Was under the impression that you couldn't see the glacier anymore. Will be up in Alaska in the next two weeks, and wasn't sure if I wanted to see the glacier or not, since it was receding. Am I wrong to presume that?

Hi gottagoacruzun. Yep, that is exactly how the Mendenhall glacier looks right now. Like most all of the glaciers in Alaska it is receding, but it is definitely there and worth taking the time to visit. If you walk the path to the falls (about a mile), you will get fairly close to the glacier. Guessing within 1/2 mile of the face. Also, the falls should still be raging with Spring runoff in two weeks when you are there. The falls are very big, especially when you are standing right next to it. We enjoyed our visit to Mendenhall glacier - frankly we couldn't get enough of visiting glaciers during our trip. They are magnificent!

Nice review & really enjoyed your pictures. Thanks for taking the time & effort to post your review.

Happy Travels, John

Thank you for posting your experiences, I've made several notations.

I loved your glacier landing description!

" you have never before heard real silence until you have walked 30-40 yards from the group and the plane. Nothing. Period. Nothing. It was magical. I was waiting for the angels to come and welcome us home. This was an amazing experience."

Outstanding review, thank you! We're about to rent the car and do the same thing. Is 4 wheel drive required right now? Thank you.

Outstanding review, thank you! We're about to rent the car and do the same thing. Is 4 wheel drive required right now? Thank you.

Hi DivotMaker. The roads in Juneau (and in Skagway out through BC and the Yukon territory in Canada for that matter) are all paved and in good condition. In our experience there is no need for any rugged-type of vehicle. We rented a full size cushy-ride Buick in Juneau, and a Toyota Avalon in Skagway. Comfortable rides for a comfortable day.

I recently posted a nine page review of our May 2016 B2B Alaska cruise on the Celebrity Millennium, with 27 photos and including detail on our port activities in Ketchikan, Sitka, Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Skagway and Seward. A link to the review is below. Since we were back-to-back cruisers, we hit these ports twice (Sitka once), so we had the opportunity to do multiple excursions at each port. All excursions, except the ISP Ziprider, were done privately (not Celebrity tours). The port detail starts about half way through the review and are called out by port name - feel free to skip ahead if you are not interested in the ship details.

 

I hope you find this helpful for your excursion planning. Many thanks to those who helped me here over my 9-month planning period. Enjoy!

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=535553&et_cid=2633025&et_rid=85410920&et_referrer=Boards_Million_Member_Newsub

Excellent review. I see that you took a lot of tours in aircraft. Lots of $$$$$

Excellent review. I see that you took a lot of tours in aircraft. Lots of $$$$$

We did: A floatplane, helicopter, and a ski plane...not to mention the two whale watch cruises. The funny thing is, I honestly thought that the weather was going to bring cause to cancel at least half of our excursions, so we booked "everything" to ensure we were able to experience as much as the weather would allow. Turned out, it allowed EVERYTHING! We had only one rain day on our Northbound sailing beginning on May 12th, and even then the rain was light enough to allow our helo/dog sled excursion to go on. So you are right: Our wallets are thin, but our camera came back full - as did our hearts. We were so fortunate, and being able to do everything and more led to such a fulfilling, memorable and great overall trip. We love Alaska!