What to do and what to bring-pls help

[alaskaprincess]

I will be in juneau skagway and ketchikan in 1st week of june. i have no idea wat to do and wat to bring.:confused: Could anyone pls help? thanks

[ginger123snaps]

I will be there first week of June also....same ports. Are you on the Norwegian Spirit?

 

Juneau...from what i have read...whale watching is a must...if you are not taking a flight to see a glacier.

 

Ketchikan....Kayaking is popular

 

Skagway....the train ride is popular

 

Hope that helps.

[alaskaprincess]

hi, i am on island princess. we are doing

 

Juneau-helicopter and float trip

ketchikan-saxman village and whale-watching

skagway- bycicle tour

 

Are these good?:confused:

[garycarla]

If you have no idea what to bring or what to do, you really should read though the postings from the past few weeks. You will find a wealth of information, ideas links, suggestions. So much that it will make your head swim. Please read back through the postings for lots of answers.

[Budget Queen]

My opinion only. I am a strong advocate of the many excellent Alaska tours and few I wouldn't repeat or recommend, but the Mendenhall float trip is one that I feel money is far better spent elsewhere. Distant view of the glacier, rest of trip is trees and backyards. The canoe trip get up by the glacier and reports have been good on that tour. Ketchikan doesn't have whale watching - Juneau does.

 

Murray said there is big construction on the Dyea Road, so if you are doing that bike tour you may want to reconsider??? If the Klondike Highway bike tour, well both Murray and I feel it's an accident waiting to happen. the Klondike Highway has become very busy and there are no bike paths, some steep areas as well.

 

 

Look over your shore excursion list and list perhaps your 5 top choices in each port. Then focus on information based on those choices?

[alaskaprincess]

Ok. budget queen, you have made me relook all my choices. i will follow your idea and narrow down to 5, but could you also please helpme. Can you help me reccomend 5 excursions to take in juneau, ketchikan and skagway. Could you also tell me if it is better to book through princess or with independant tour operators. Thanks a million. (i know i am asking for a lot but i really am in a dillema- theres just so much info arnd here that i am confused and dont know what to chose):confused:

[Love Cruis'n]

Well, this is my first Alaska cruise upcoming, but did a lot of reading on these boards, and this is what we’ve come up with:

 

In Ketchikan, I’m doing the Misty Fjords flightseeing tour, while another couple in our group is doing the Neets Bay Bear Watch. In Juneau, we are all doing the Capt. Larry whale watch, and I’m tacking on a Coastal helicopter trip to the glacier. Finally, in Skagway, we’re all doing the Eagle Preserve Scenic Float Adventure.

 

Note that some of these are Princess sponsored, and others are independents.

 

It really depends on you, your interests, your budget, and so forth.

 

So RELAX :) You can’t do them all. Just pick what looks good to you, and have fun. :D Worse comes to worse, you’ll return to the ship, have a little something to eat, and start planning your next trip. :eek:

[Love Cruis'n]

Oh yea, I almost forgot, what to bring - bring binoculars, camera, lots of layers, rain gear, gloves, and for some reason, everyone says to bring duct tape. I don’t know why, and I think it may be an inside joke that I haven’t figured out yet, but I’ve read it enough time to start repeating it. :rolleyes:

Oh yes, bring an appetite (‘cause I heard that there is a bit of food to be served) :) and MONEY ‘cause this stuff ain’t cheap. :eek:

And a smile, be sure to bring a real BIG SMILE :D

[alaskaprincess]

thanks everybody who posted in this thread.it really is helpful. i think i am almost decided:

 

Juneau-we might go whale-watching(havent decided which), my kids will go on the photo safari, and with whatever spare time we have we will go to mendehall glacier and mt.roberts and look around on our own.

Ketchikan-cant decide between canoeing or misty fjords seaplane exploration. Then during whatever free time we will go to see the totem poles,lumberjack show and town on our own.

Skagway-We will be going on the deluxe klondike experience and rail adventure. My kids will be going on the glacier point wilderness safari. then will see the town with whatever spare time we have.

 

All these havent been confirmed however, feel free to make suggestions or give recomendations to the above itenary. i would like to know whether it is better to go through princess or with independant tours(i dont know any). Thanks a lot to those who reply to this.:)