Ketchikan 7am - 12:30 pm

[kellanrevere]

We will be in Ketchikan on the Golden Princess on July 3rd. 7am till 12:30 pm (noon) seems like really odd hours. We have been a couple of times already but are cruising with 6 friends who have not. Will ANYTHING be opened that early ?

Thanks

Kelly

[Budget Queen]

Yes, plenty will be "open" early.

[Wuggy19]

We will be on the same cruise. 27 in the group all first timers to Alaska. Real torn about excursion in this port do to time constraints. Can wait for the trip.

[kellanrevere]

There will be a total if 5 ships in port by that day , that's why I worried about things being opened early. If they are going to be that busy would our ship matter !

Wuggly19, after visiting Ketchikan 3 times in the past, even though it is a cute town, IMHO, if we had to get short changed by time , I'm glad it is here vs Juneau or Skagway. We usually just stay close to town and shop. Might go out fishing this time since it is so early, though.

27 of ya, huh ?

Kelly

[peety3]

We will be in Ketchikan on the Golden Princess on July 3rd. 7am till 12:30 pm (noon) seems like really odd hours. We have been a couple of times already but are cruising with 6 friends who have not. Will ANYTHING be opened that early ?

Yes, town wakes up to suit the cruise ships. Watch the view from our balcony here:

I'm sure Princess will only offer excursions that will suit your timetable, if you choose to go that route.

[Mytime2014]

Where do you find out how many ships will be in port on a given day? We're not doing an excursion here, just wandering the streets so I wasn't planning to rush, but its a short stop and if very crowded, I might want to get up and get moving early!!

[Budget Queen]

Where do you find out how many ships will be in port on a given day? We're not doing an excursion here, just wandering the streets so I wasn't planning to rush, but its a short stop and if very crowded, I might want to get up and get moving early!!

 

The downtown area is crowded.

 

There was a recent post with the schedule link.

[Traveller20074]

I talked to a merchant there the last cruise.

 

 

They said that people always say they don't have enough time there.

 

I wish they would change it to more hours.

[Coral]

I'm glad it is here vs Juneau or Skagway. We usually just stay close to town and shop.

Kelly

 

I agree - of the 3, this is my least favorite port.

[peety3]

I agree - of the 3, this is my least favorite port.

For me, it's not really about the port, it's about the excursion opportunities around the port, and it can be tough to make certain spots work with the limited time in Ketchikan. Last time we did a (boat out, floatplane back) excursion to Misty Fjords, and due to bad weather the planes couldn't fly. Our boat had to turn around halfway to Misty Fjords and maintain good speed just to get the NCL folks back by 12:15 and us back by 12:30.

 

Sadly, Ketchikan's location means it's always going to be on one end or the other regardless of routing. The one-way cruises are most likely dependent on tides through Seymour Narrows, and the Seattle round-trips (possibly Vancouver RTs as well) depend on the return side of the journey to make a Skagway-Victoria transit work.

[donswife]

Where do you find out how many ships will be in port on a given day? We're not doing an excursion here, just wandering the streets so I wasn't planning to rush, but its a short stop and if very crowded, I might want to get up and get moving early!!

 

http://ports.cruisett.com/schedule/

Just click on that port you want, the Alaska list is the first row, then chose the month.

 

Ketchikan is a very nice port for just strolling around.

 

Enjoy!

[kellanrevere]

I agree Ketchikan is nice for just strolling, but not at 7 am ! :eek:

[Coral]

For me, it's not really about the port, it's about the excursion opportunities around the port, and it can be tough to make certain spots work with the limited time in Ketchikan. Last time we did a (boat out, floatplane back) excursion to Misty Fjords, and due to bad weather the planes couldn't fly. Our boat had to turn around halfway to Misty Fjords and maintain good speed just to get the NCL folks back by 12:15 and us back by 12:30.

 

Sadly, Ketchikan's location means it's always going to be on one end or the other regardless of routing. The one-way cruises are most likely dependent on tides through Seymour Narrows, and the Seattle round-trips (possibly Vancouver RTs as well) depend on the return side of the journey to make a Skagway-Victoria transit work.

 

Well I agree. I just haven't been overly thrilled about the excursions offered in Ketchikan. I have done a ton of them and if I miss this port, it would not be a loss as none of the excursions I have done here have wowed me.

[catl331]

Where do you find out how many ships will be in port on a given day?

 

http://ports.cruisett.com/schedule/

Another site to check is cruisetimetables.com Neither of these may be 100% accurate, however. Edited April 22, 2014 by catl331

[Paula_MacFan]

Where do you find out how many ships will be in port on a given day? We're not doing an excursion here, just wandering the streets so I wasn't planning to rush, but its a short stop and if very crowded, I might want to get up and get moving early!!

 

http://www.claalaska.com/schedules.html

 

This site has Alaska port schedules.

[Budget Queen]

I agree Ketchikan is nice for just strolling, but not at 7 am ! :eek:

 

Everyone is different. Me I really like Ketchikan. I am always on a flight here, which is superb. Plenty else I enjoy. :)

[Coral]

I agree Ketchikan is nice for just strolling, but not at 7 am ! :eek:

 

Some of your best pictures are at 7. It can be a tad foggy and no one is on the streets.