?? about short time in Victoria and docking in Ketchikan

[misha1]

Hello fellow Alaska cruisers, couple questions if I may...last time we were in Ketchikan we tendered in. What I have been reading as of late is that ships are docking. Is this all ships or only some? And, we have only 4-5 hours in the evening in Victoria for our obligatory non-US port-of-call...what's there to do with so little time I ask? Thanks in advance, Julie

[2010_cruisers]

since, we live in Victoria...we could suggest a tog of things, ok. Let me know if you want ALL our suggestions, ok.

[2010_cruisers]

From cool pubs, to buchart garden and fireworks, down town window shopping or a gelato house, to the seawall walk, eatery wher the locals go ad not the tourist traps, a mens only club, to other things...um, tell um what you are into....(knowing you are there from 7 to about 11 PM), ok.

[Keith1010]

I would take the shuttle over to Victoria (just a five or ten minute ride) and walk around the town. It is a lovely town.

 

Keith

[misha1]

We enjoy food and beverage, some shopping as long as it is not tourist trinkets, we would like to see the gardens but will it be lit well enough for a Sept evening? I really do not like the time frame we are in port, being it is the last night on board. I want to make good use of our short time there

[Putterdude]

There is now a fourth dock in Ketchikan so there is no longer any tendering.

 

As for Victoria, many people enjoy the Butchart Gardens excursion but given your limited time in Victoria you should book it thru the ship. Other things include a horse drawn carriage ride, a pub crawl in the downtown area, a Harbour Ferries excursion, a shopping excursion on Government St. with its many quaint shops, a visit to the fabled, vine covered Empress Hotel or an evening watching the buskers on the Causeway of the inner harbour.

 

www.butchartgardens.com/

www.victoriacarriage.com/

http://www.tallyhotours.com/

http://www.causewayartists.ca/

http://www.victoriaharbourferry.com/

[url=http://www.causewayartists.ca/welcome.html][/url]

[Keith1010]

The shops in downtown Victoria are quite nice. Many are not tourist shops but where the locals purchase items.

 

Not sure when in September you will be in port. After 9/15 the gardens close at 5:00 PM. Prior to that 5:00 PM.

 

The drive is about 45 minutes each way. Could be shorter as it is about 12.5 miles from the downtown area but depends on traffic.

 

As mentioned I would book it through the ship so not to take a chance that you will miss the ship.

 

Keith

[2010_cruisers]

Hi. Here are some good eats....and you can ponder u[on, ok:

 

For a wicked thai or asian food (try the noddle box). I block west of the Empress Hotel on Douglas street. Ranges from $5 for soup and $10-12 for a good meal with many flavours. My choice would be the free-range chicken with spicy-peanut. http://thenoodlebox.net/douglas/

 

For outstanding south american, Spain and latin foods: Santiagos. Small tapas plates to share ( I have eaten about 95% of the items on this menu about 20 x).

 

For an amazing burger and great onion rings: Pink Bicycle. http://www.pinkbicycleburger.com/

 

For fish and chips: There are 3 I would recommend...so let me kow what you desire..

[misha1]

The shops in downtown Victoria are quite nice. Many are not tourist shops but where the locals purchase items.

 

Not sure when in September you will be in port. After 9/15 the gardens close at 5:00 PM. Prior to that 5:00 PM.

 

The drive is about 45 minutes each way. Could be shorter as it is about 12.5 miles from the downtown area but depends on traffic.

 

As mentioned I would book it through the ship so not to take a chance that you will miss the ship.

 

Keith

Well, looks like the gardens are out as we will not be in Victoria till Sept. 22...so what kind of transport is at the dock, or would we be lucky enough to be in walking distance to the downtown?

[Keith1010]

Well, looks like the gardens are out as we will not be in Victoria till Sept. 22...so what kind of transport is at the dock, or would we be lucky enough to be in walking distance to the downtown?

 

Many cruise lines run shuttles from the dock to the downtown area.

 

There are also taxis. I think I read on this board that they were avoiding the terminal area but I am sure that issue will be resolved shortly.

 

It's about a 10 minute or less drive into town.

 

Keith

[sxmnov08]

We have booked Orca whale watching when in Victoria for out upcoming NCL Pearl cruise in late June.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

We'll be in Victoria July 4 and I so wish we had more time! I haven't been there since 1993, but went several times in the 1980s and an really looking forward to returning.

 

We don't get in until 7:30 p.m. My DD (16 years old) will be with me and we'll likely just walk around the town and possibly do the horse-drawn carriage. But, we do love to shop! How late will the stores on Government Street be open?

 

TIA!

 

:D

[Putterdude]

Many of the shops....but not all, are open until 9pm

The cruise lines do not operate a shuttle, it is operated by CVS Cruise Victoria and costs $7.50 return. A cab fare will run about $10 each way. Walking into town is about a 20 min junket, it's a level walk and very safe. There is transit just outside of the terminal gate and the fare is $2.50 each way or $1.65 if over 65....Canadian funds only please.

 

http://cvscruisevictoria.com/

[Sandi3667]

We were just in Victoria for the obligatory stop on Saturday night. We did visit Butchart Gardens. They were closed to regular traffic, but there were organized tours there, and we were in the gardens until around 10 o'clock. The gardens are illuminated, so it's still an enjoyable visit after the sun has gone down. If you're interested in photography, a monopod or tripod would be mandatory.

 

If you have an option for Butchart only, or a Butchart/Butterfly Gardens option on an evening port call, I'd suggest skipping the butterflies. They're all sleeping at that hour - got pics of sleeping butterflies, but no flight.

[skibozo]

There is now a fourth dock in Ketchikan so there is no longer any tendering.

 

There are a few rare occasions when 5 ships are in town and 1 has to be anchored.

 

http://www.claalaska.com/pdf/2011/KTN_2011.pdf

[rditton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Putterdude

There is now a fourth dock in Ketchikan so there is no longer any tendering.

There are a few rare occasions when 5 ships are in town and 1 has to be anchored.

 

http://www.claalaska.com/pdf/2011/KTN_2011.pdf

 

You're correct skibozo. If you look on the link - whenever you see 'AN3' that means the ship will be anchored out and will be tendering passengers to just alongside Berth #3. While not usual, it does happen (just yesterday in fact!)

[bottom-dragger]

We'll be in Victoria July 4

 

i don't suppose there'll be too much of a holiday on the 4th............

[cruiseryyc]

i don't suppose there'll be too much of a holiday on the 4th............

 

Nope Canada celebrates our national birthday on July 1st.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Yes, that was a discussion on our roll call. Those of us from the U.S. will be in Canada on our holiday and our Canadian contingent will be in Skagway on theirs. :D But, we have several honeymooners on our roll call, and they're promising fireworks. :p