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1st ever Alaska Cruise shore tour advice sought

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Hi fellow cruisers,

My husband and I are Aussies embarking on our 1st ever Alaskan cruise on 20th May on the Volendam. We have 3 ports of call Juneau, Skagway Ketchikan as well as scenic cruising in Glacier Bay.

We have decided to do the dog sled tour in Juneau, could someone who has done this tour please give me your insight and which tour operator is best. We would like to take the railway in Skagway but not sure how far to go up on the train and if to take the bus return so I would appreciate input into your experience and we are unsure what to do in Ketchikan so all offers of help would be appreciated. We don't want to do anything that involves more than an hour of hiking.

We are both very excited and I haven't ever been to the "snow" so this is a huge treat for us. Prior to embarking we are doing an APT excursion from Vancouver encompassing the Rocky Mountaineer and stops in Whistler, Banff, and Victoria. All advise concerning tours, packing etc would be greatly appreciated. Thanking you all in advance. I must say we are very excited.

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Budget Queen

Budget Queen

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Are you referring to a fly in glacier dog sled tour?

 

As for the White Pass. only the Fraser/White pass is running. So the distance is already determined. You need to decide if you want a round trip train or a combo tour. With a combo tour, you have 2 distance choices, Fraser, or Emerald Lake. With the shorter tour, you will not get into the Yukon. There are independent vendors available or you can book a ship tour. independent will offer smaller buses, and more personal tours.

 

If you choose Emerald Lake, I can highly recommend Dyea Dave's tour. This would especially be loaded with a lot of snow scenes for you.

 

You need to read up on Ketchikan, take a look at your shore excursion list and determine what are your interests. Then repost your selections if you want more information.

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xlxo

xlxo

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Hi fellow cruisers,

My husband and I are Aussies embarking on our 1st ever Alaskan cruise on 20th May on the Volendam.

 

Prior to embarking we are doing an APT excursion from Vancouver encompassing the Rocky Mountaineer and stops in Whistler, Banff, and Victoria. All advise concerning tours, packing etc would be greatly appreciated. Thanking you all in advance. I must say we are very excited.

Hmm... the Volendam is a 7 day Vancouver round tripper. How many days are you in Vancouver? You might want to budget additional days in Vancouver to see it all.

 

Hmm... found this APT tour.... it appears there is only one day in Vancouver...

http://www.aptouring.com/trips/canadaalaskausa/ut22bwiv?destination=208,210&travelstyle=&departure=&duration=&refine=1&revert=1

 

Does not go into detail to say what you are seeing...

 

I would pad some extra days in Vancouver post-cruise since you are there. Vancouver is bigger than all those Alaskan ports combined.

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Crew News "Live from...." Rare

Crew News

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Posted (edited)
Hi fellow cruisers,

My husband and I are Aussies embarking on our 1st ever Alaskan cruise on 20th May on the Volendam. We have 3 ports of call Juneau, Skagway Ketchikan as well as scenic cruising in Glacier Bay.

We have decided to do the dog sled tour in Juneau, could someone who has done this tour please give me your insight and which tour operator is best. We would like to take the railway in Skagway but not sure how far to go up on the train and if to take the bus return so I would appreciate input into your experience and we are unsure what to do in Ketchikan so all offers of help would be appreciated. We don't want to do anything that involves more than an hour of hiking.

All advise concerning tours, packing etc would be greatly appreciated. Thanking you all in advance. I must say we are very excited.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic and your first HAL cruise. We will be on the Ms Noordam from May 9th to May 23d in Alaska so may be in the same ports with you.

 

My favorite Ketchikan excursion is aboard the Aleutian Ballad (TV series Deadliest Catch) on the Crab Fishing excursion. The boat has heated bleachers and overhead cover for viewing the demonstration of catching various species of crab. They also talk about filming a TV series in the Bering Sea in January. The highlight is the stop to feed eagles at an Indian Eagle Sanctuary. There are more eagles swooping just off the boat to grab fish than your camera can capture.

 

Here is a link to the current HAL Specialty Restaurant, Beverage, and Room Service (free 24/7) that I scanned Dec 2014:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/specialty-2/hal-regular-and-specialty-restaurants/

 

Here is the (On Location) daily activities we had last July in Alaska that should be similar to what you will have:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Westerdam-2014-Alaska-Juneau-OL.pdf

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Westerdam-2014-Alaska-Ketchikan-OL.pdf

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Westerdam-2014-Alaska-Glacier-Bay-OL.pdf

 

Packing: Bring layers of clothing instead of heavy coats. Bring a battery-operated clock as only Neptune Suites have them. Poncho is a must since Southeast Alaska is in a rainforest. Extra pair of shoes to change when the first pair gets wet. Plan to use the ship's laundry ($49/week) for all that you can stuff in the laundry bag and it will be back in your stateroom the next day.

 

HAL allows you to bring as much soda/water as you wish, so stop before you board to purchase what you want

Edited by Crew News
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packed already

packed already

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Are you referring to a fly in glacier dog sled tour?

 

If you choose Emerald Lake, I can highly recommend Dyea Dave's tour. This would especially be loaded with a lot of snow scenes for you.

 

Yes, referring to fly in glacier dog sled tour.

I will investigate Dyes Dave's tour.

Thanks for your help.

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packed already

packed already

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Hmm... the Volendam is a 7 day Vancouver round tripper. How many days are you in Vancouver? You might want to budget additional days in Vancouver to see it all.

I would pad some extra days in Vancouver post-cruise since you are there. Vancouver is bigger than all those Alaskan ports combined.

 

We have 2 days pre cruise and 1 day post cruise in Vancouver so would be happy for suggestions there if you have any.

 

Thanks for your input.

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My favorite Ketchikan excursion is aboard the Aleutian Ballad (TV series Deadliest Catch) on the Crab Fishing excursion. The boat has heated bleachers and overhead cover for viewing the demonstration of catching various species of crab. They also talk about filming a TV series in the Bering Sea in January. The highlight is the stop to feed eagles at an Indian Eagle Sanctuary. There are more eagles swooping just off the boat to grab fish than your camera can capture.

 

Thanks for the tour advice in Ketchikan, I will investigate and your other information on the Hal ships was great and useful.

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Budget Queen

Budget Queen

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Yes, referring to fly in glacier dog sled tour.

I will investigate Dyes Dave's tour.

Thanks for your help.

 

This is the most canceled Alaska excursion, so, I suggest you determine some back up plans with phone numbers handy to fill the port time.

 

There are 3 companies that offer this in Juneau 2 are ship contracted. ERA, TEMSCO and Coastal. It has been reported, that this year, the camp being used by Coastal may have a slightly better chance of less cancellations.

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300dtc

300dtc

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Posted
Hi fellow cruisers,

My husband and I are Aussies embarking on our 1st ever Alaskan cruise on 20th May on the Volendam. We have 3 ports of call Juneau, Skagway Ketchikan as well as scenic cruising in Glacier Bay.

We have decided to do the dog sled tour in Juneau, could someone who has done this tour please give me your insight and which tour operator is best. We would like to take the railway in Skagway but not sure how far to go up on the train and if to take the bus return so I would appreciate input into your experience and we are unsure what to do in Ketchikan so all offers of help would be appreciated. We don't want to do anything that involves more than an hour of hiking.

We are both very excited and I haven't ever been to the "snow" so this is a huge treat for us. Prior to embarking we are doing an APT excursion from Vancouver encompassing the Rocky Mountaineer and stops in Whistler, Banff, and Victoria. All advise concerning tours, packing etc would be greatly appreciated. Thanking you all in advance. I must say we are very excited.

 

While this is also our first time to Alaska, I wanted to share what we are doing in Vancouver, BC. We are there for 3 days and for 2 of them I purchased a hop on hop off trolley pass. We have used it in other cities and it is a great way to get around town. You can ride and get off at any of the 14 or so stops all over Vancouver and walk around, eat, shop etc. and then when you want to go again, just hop back on the next trolley!

Have a great time!

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CowPrincess

CowPrincess

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Posted (edited)
>SNIP<

 

My favorite Ketchikan excursion is aboard the Aleutian Ballad (TV series Deadliest Catch) on the Crab Fishing excursion. The boat has heated bleachers and overhead cover for viewing the demonstration of catching various species of crab. They also talk about filming a TV series in the Bering Sea in January. The highlight is the stop to feed eagles at an Indian Eagle Sanctuary. There are more eagles swooping just off the boat to grab fish than your camera can capture.

 

>SNIP<

 

 

Post # 5 in this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2165296&highlight=first

 

gives information provided directly from the operator

 

 

A friend had asked the tour operator about the "eagle preserve" that she had read about in a couple of places. This is part of the reply she received (which she forwarded to me). I'm sharing it here in case it is of interest to others.

 

Quote:

We do not go to an eagle preserve. We go to Annette Island native reserve where there are wild eagles along the coast line. We are able to throw out herring and between 20 and 70 eagles will swarm the side of the boat, depending on the time of year.

END QUOTE

 

 

So in fact it is not an "Indian Eagle Sanctuary". The wild eagles live on native land, in the wild, not in any kind of preserve. They have learned that the tour boat will feed them, so they come looking for food.

 

I realize that to most people this is a subtle difference that makes no difference in whether or not they book this tour. But there are some who want to know. So I am posting this information for those people, the ones who want to know.

Edited by CowPrincess
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Lizzie68

Lizzie68

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While this is also our first time to Alaska, I wanted to share what we are doing in Vancouver, BC. We are there for 3 days and for 2 of them I purchased a hop on hop off trolley pass. We have used it in other cities and it is a great way to get around town. You can ride and get off at any of the 14 or so stops all over Vancouver and walk around, eat, shop etc. and then when you want to go again, just hop back on the next trolley!

Have a great time!

 

As a Vancouverite I second this suggestion. We always purchase tickets for our visitors, we usually get them through Groupon Vancouver for half price. It's a great way to explore the city and enjoy so many different sights - and foods!

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packed already

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Thanks for your information so far, I wish I could hit the "like" button to your suggestions as I go, I have read so much that I am very confused and overwhelmed.

If you book a tour privately do they deduct your credit card now or when you actually take the tour? I got caught out in New Zealand when a helicopter ride was cancelled and it ended up costing me over $30 once they conversion rate went both ways and an international tranaction fee was charged. It was an expensive excursion that I didn't take.

Thanks

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surgie

surgie

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Posted
While this is also our first time to Alaska, I wanted to share what we are doing in Vancouver, BC. We are there for 3 days and for 2 of them I purchased a hop on hop off trolley pass. We have used it in other cities and it is a great way to get around town. You can ride and get off at any of the 14 or so stops all over Vancouver and walk around, eat, shop etc. and then when you want to go again, just hop back on the next trolley!

Have a great time!

 

We have two days pre-cruise in Vancouver in May. We are excited to go on a bike tour of the city. If you search for Cycle City Tours in Vancouver you will find it. We are doing the Grand Tour which is 5 hours but rated as easy/moderate. No more than 15-20 minutes of continuous biking since many stops are made for photos. An hour break at the Granville Market is built in for lunch on our own. We're really excited to get an introduction to the city by bicycle.

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Deeliteful "Live from...." Rare

Deeliteful

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Most of the private tours I have booked for my first Alaskan cruise in June, deposits are taken and balance is payable either on the day of the tour or about 6 weeks prior.

 

Vancouver, I have also booked a HOHO trolley and also Rocky Mountain Sea to Sky train to Whistler and back.

 

I have booked the Misty Fjords flight with Island Wings in Ketchikan as heard many good reports of this. I have also booked Whale Watching in Juneau with Hank & Marv again due to great reports of their trips.

 

I'm getting pretty excited already. Hope you have a great cruise.

 

Pat

Edited by Deeliteful
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300dtc

300dtc

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Thanks for your information so far, I wish I could hit the "like" button to your suggestions as I go, I have read so much that I am very confused and overwhelmed.

If you book a tour privately do they deduct your credit card now or when you actually take the tour? I got caught out in New Zealand when a helicopter ride was cancelled and it ended up costing me over $30 once they conversion rate went both ways and an international tranaction fee was charged. It was an expensive excursion that I didn't take.

Thanks

 

For the tours that I have booked, the whale watching in Juneau with Juneau Tours is already paid and the tour to Emerald Lake in Skagway with Dyea Dave is not. Dyea Dave doesn't collect until after you take your tour, which is really nice! I have already purchased our trolley tickets online, since they had a buy one and get the next day free. I did ask what would happen if our ship didn't make it to Juneau for some reason and they did say they return the full price of the tour, but that had never happened .:)

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Miss Dot

Miss Dot

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Most of the private tours I have booked for my first Alaskan cruise in June, deposits are taken and balance is payable either on the day of the tour or about 6 weeks prior.

 

Vancouver, I have also booked a HOHO trolley and also Rocky Mountain Sea to Sky train to Whistler and back.

 

I have booked the Misty Fjords flight with Island Wings in Ketchikan as heard many good reports of this. I have also booked Whale Watching in Juneau with Hank & Marv again due to great reports of their trips.

 

I'm getting pretty excited already. Hope you have a great cruise.

 

Pat

 

This will be our first time to Alaska in June also . We booked Island Wings & Harv & Marv based on reviews too. Now looking at the HOHO. Need to check into the Groupon.

 

When are you going in June?

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travgurl

travgurl

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We are booked for next July on the Holland Oosterdam for our first time to Alaska. After lots of research and reading reviews this is our plan for excursions. Juneau-whale watch with Harv and Marv, also Mendenhall Glacier; Skagway-Trail of 98 tours 7 hour tour up to Emerald Lake; Ketchikan-Island Wings tour of the Misty Fjords; Vancouver where we disembark we are using LandSeatours for 2 days--4 hour city tour of Vancouver, Sea to Sky tour and some are going on the Victoria tour. Check these out to see if they are of interest to you. At each port we will explore the actual towns. We are very excited about going and doing all of these wonderful excursions. Enjoy your trip!

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xlxo

xlxo

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We have 2 days pre cruise and 1 day post cruise in Vancouver so would be happy for suggestions there if you have any.

 

Thanks for your input.

Because your APT tour includes Vancouver.... I would be hesistant to sign up for additional tour companies such as Hop on. Without knowing where APT will take you... you might find yourself duplicating the same stops with a different company.

 

Perhaps you should start with finding where APT will take you. Clarify what is a drive-by and which is a stop in Vancouver.

 

Must see places...

  • Grouse Mountain (free shuttle from cruise terminal)
  • Capilano Suspension bridge (free shuttle from cruise terminal)

[YOUTUBE]txO8VK4LaLQ[/YOUTUBE]

Other ideas...

What about food? This can be away to experience a city/culture...

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Budget Queen

Budget Queen

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What about food? This can be away to experience a city/culture...

 

I ended up stalking Pig on the Street food cart last year a few times. :) Their Brownie is worth chasing them down. :) All their food was excellent.

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Deeliteful "Live from...." Rare

Deeliteful

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This will be our first time to Alaska in June also . We booked Island Wings & Harv & Marv based on reviews too. Now looking at the HOHO. Need to check into the Groupon.

 

When are you going in June?

 

I'm cruising from 7th June in Vancouver from 4th.:)

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packed already

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Thanks again everyone, I think I need several computer screen and a clear head to compare everything, love the Japadog idea, or my husband will. Once again totally overwhelmed by your generosity of ideas. As Aussies it will probably be our only trip to Alaska and want to get it right. I looked at Groupon but the hop on bus voucher expires at the end of April, have thought about purchasing a discounted massage to iron out the kinks at the end of a long flight though

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mapleleaves

mapleleaves

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Posted (edited)
Thanks for your information so far, I wish I could hit the "like" button to your suggestions as I go, I have read so much that I am very confused and overwhelmed.

If you book a tour privately do they deduct your credit card now or when you actually take the tour? I got caught out in New Zealand when a helicopter ride was cancelled and it ended up costing me over $30 once they conversion rate went both ways and an international tranaction fee was charged. It was an expensive excursion that I didn't take.

Thanks

 

You'll need to check with each vendor about their payment requirement and cancellation policy. Usually both are listed on the vendor web site.

 

As for xchg rates, they vary greatly between credit card companies to this might be a good time to look for a better deal. The individual transaction fees can add up quickly when you're travelling and using the card nearly every day.

 

The following trip report includes interesting information about a heli-dog sled trip in Juneau. And if you look down the report a bit, you'll find a link to some photos.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=43436631#post43436631

Edited by mapleleaves
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