Alaska May 2018 excursion plan and Sitka help!

[MNcruisingcouple]

We are a family group of six, aged 17-75, planning a Norwegian 10 cruise the end of May 2018. We are experienced cruisers but new to Alaska.

These are our current plans but I didn't realize how quickly it was going to get expensive! Is there better values to be had?

We really want to do a plane ride but is the float plane the best value or is there a glacier trip that would be better?

Is there a way to add the sled dogs to our drive to Emerald Lake without paying the full cost of an excursion?

Could I get some suggestions for Sitka?

 

Thanks in advance for your help!!

 

Ketchikan 7am-2pm

Float plane $240/person, add on glacier fly over $385/person

 

Juneau. 7am-1:30pm

Mendenhall Glacier - taxi or car rental

Small boat glacier excursion from the ship (if offered) $250/person

 

Skagway 7am-5:30pm

Rent car and drive to Emerald Lake $125

Dog sled excursion $130-175/person

 

Icy Straight Point 8am-5pm

Whale watching $160/person

 

Sitka 8am-4pm

 

Victoria 12pm-12am

 

 

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[Budget Queen]

We are a family group of six, aged 17-75, planning a Norwegian 10 cruise the end of May 2018. We are experienced cruisers but new to Alaska.

These are our current plans but I didn't realize how quickly it was going to get expensive! Is there better values to be had?

We really want to do a plane ride but is the float plane the best value or is there a glacier trip that would be better?

Is there a way to add the sled dogs to our drive to Emerald Lake without paying the full cost of an excursion?

Could I get some suggestions for Sitka?

 

Thanks in advance for your help!!

 

Ketchikan 7am-2pm

Float plane $240/person, add on glacier fly over $385/person

 

Juneau. 7am-1:30pm

Mendenhall Glacier - taxi or car rental

Small boat glacier excursion from the ship (if offered) $250/person

 

Skagway 7am-5:30pm

Rent car and drive to Emerald Lake $125

Dog sled excursion $130-175/person

 

Icy Straight Point 8am-5pm

Whale watching $160/person

 

Sitka 8am-4pm

 

Victoria 12pm-12am

 

 

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Out of Ketchikan, this is NOT the place, if glaciers are the priority for flying. Misty is the highlight, the glacier fly overs are superb certainly, so a long flight which the "glacier" are, are excellent. IF you are looking for extended glacier flying then a helicopter glacier landing is going to offer you more. A flight out of Skagway and Hoonah also is better for glaciers. You mention "glaciers" in your question which is the reason for this slant. If you can do both flights, so much the better. Seems allowing a group split is superior as there this no way everyone has the same interests.

 

Skagway, there are 2 drive in Sled Dog operators, you can get a cart ride with. Caribou Crossing is one.

 

Juneau- I'm assuming your "small boat" tour is because you have Tracy Arm on your itinerary? This is grossly superior to a cruise ship transit.

 

Take a look at your shore excursion list and http://www.sitka.org find out what this city is known for and what is of interest to you, narrow down your interests and report any specific questions. Plenty to see and do.

[SuperCrewBear]

Sitka was my favorite stop. After pondering the options I decided I wanted to rent a car for the day so we'd be free to do exactly what we wanted rather than being herded around on a bus. We docked at the Old Sitka Dock a few miles from town so as soon as we were off the boat we grabbed the first taxi we came to and headed to the airport to pick up our car. I have since discovered there is a 3rd car rental company called SITKA CAR RENTAL that offers a pickup/drop-off at about anywhere you'd like, saving a trip to the airport and a waste of your time. (I'll be doing that next time...) With the number of people in your group it would probably be the thriftiest way to get around too.

 

What we did was head out to the Fortress of the Bear which is several miles out of town to the south. There's some nice scenery as the highway runs along the water most of the way - you'll also pass their post office going and coming if you need stamps or to mail something. On the way back to town we stopped at the Alaska Raptor Center - besides the birds they have a cool walking path so you'll be able to see a bit of their flora. Not too far from there is the Sitka National Historic Park with totem poles.

 

We were scheduled for about the same amount of time as your times and was able to see the bears and birds in time to have lunch back in the center of town. Downtown Sitka is a nice place to walk around - fairly compact. We had our lunch at a food truck called ASHMO'S - very, very good. Only a couple blocks from the center of town is the Russian Bishop's House, St. Michael's Cathedral is in the very center of town, Castle Hill is near the center of town too.

 

Do a little research on Sitka and you'll find out what is possible - it's a very easy place to get around.

 

Good Luck!

[MNcruisingcouple]

There is no way we could do both flights. We are trying to decide which would be better Misty or a helicopter glacier landing. And if we go with the landing, which port.

 

I wish splitting up for excursions would be an option. Unfortunately I have my doubts that my inlaws would do that.

 

I tried to do some research on Sitka on these boards but didn't find a lot. I look at some other resources and see if I can narrow down the options.

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

 

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[donaldsc]

There is no way we could do both flights. We are trying to decide which would be better Misty or a helicopter glacier landing. And if we go with the landing, which port.

 

I wish splitting up for excursions would be an option. Unfortunately I have my doubts that my inlaws would do that.

 

I tried to do some research on Sitka on these boards but didn't find a lot. I look at some other resources and see if I can narrow down the options.

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

 

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That is the problem with traveling w family - you are stuck with them for the duration of the cruise. When we travel with family, it is understood that we are not joined at the hip. We do our thing during the day and they are welcome to come along or not depending upon what they want to do. However, I am not going to change what I want to do on land just because they are not interested in also doing it. We dine together most evenings but not every evening. If we want to go to a specialty restaurant or eat at the buffet one night, we dine at the specialty restaurant or buffet. They are welcome to join us but we are not going to change our plans. We are usually together on sea days as there is little to do on a ship on sea days.

 

Might not work for you but it does work for us. I am not going to let the rest of the family make my vacation less enjoyable. BTW - we also do an annual family get together every year at a house that we rent somewhere. Same rules apply.

 

DON

[MNcruisingcouple]

That is the problem with traveling w family - you are stuck with them for the duration of the cruise. When we travel with family, it is understood that we are not joined at the hip. We do our thing during the day and they are welcome to come along or not depending upon what they want to do. However, I am not going to change what I want to do on land just because they are not interested in also doing it. We dine together most evenings but not every evening. If we want to go to a specialty restaurant or eat at the buffet one night, we dine at the specialty restaurant or buffet. They are welcome to join us but we are not going to change our plans. We are usually together on sea days as there is little to do on a ship on sea days.

 

 

 

Might not work for you but it does work for us. I am not going to let the rest of the family make my vacation less enjoyable. BTW - we also do an annual family get together every year at a house that we rent somewhere. Same rules apply.

 

 

 

DON

 

 

 

Usually I agree, however I'm not going to abandon my 70+ year old inlaws who don't have the skills to fend for themselves in a unfamiliar place just so I can selfishly do everything that I want to do. We can strike a balance so that everyone has a great time, sees what they want to see and doesn't feel abandon.

 

Now back to my original questions. Where to do a helicopter to a glacier flight and suggestions for Sitka.

 

 

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[Glaciers]

Sitka is a gem. There’s so much to do in town that hasn’t yet been spoiled by tourism. Of multiple Alaska cruises, Sitka had one of the best wildlife excursions we’ve been on. We went with Gallant Adventures out to St Lazaria Island. http://www.gallantadventures.com/wildlifetour.html

[Sequim88]

Sitka is a favorite of ours and more so now if not tendering. I don't see NCL on the 2017 Sitka schedule so Sitka might be new for them next year. HAL has a lock on the dock on days they have a ship there. We did a Birds, Bears and Barnacles tour that by the time we would have added up the admissions and ala carte bus ride would have almost been a wash the local narration by the driver was worth the difference. By far the best stop was Fortress of the Bear. All the tours drop off at the community center downtown where the buses back to the dock are at and close to the tender dock. One caution on eating lunch in town - it can be expensive. For example at the Westmark Inn 2 beers, bowl of clam chowder and a salad were $50. We seriously speculated they may have a tourist menu and a locals menu for days when a ship is in town. Then again, Alaska in general is expensive for food.

[txwriter]

A thought about Skagway... There are several tour operators who will rent an entire van just for your group. The prices may be comparable to what you already have planned and also will free up your designated driver to enjoy being with the group, take pictures, etc.

 

These types of trips are highly customizable, so they might be able to throw in some extra activities or stops for the different ages based on interest and activity level.

 

As I said... just a thought after reading some trip reports and doing a lot of research.

[MNcruisingcouple]

Sitka is a gem. There’s so much to do in town that hasn’t yet been spoiled by tourism. Of multiple Alaska cruises, Sitka had one of the best wildlife excursions we’ve been on. We went with Gallant Adventures out to St Lazaria Island. http://www.gallantadventures.com/wildlifetour.html

 

 

 

Thanks for the recommendation. That looks amazing! I wonder what the chances of seeing bears are in late May? Do you know if the whale watching is just as good here as in any other port? Initially we had planned on doing it in Icy Straight Point.

 

 

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[MNcruisingcouple]

Sitka is a favorite of ours and more so now if not tendering. I don't see NCL on the 2017 Sitka schedule so Sitka might be new for them next year. HAL has a lock on the dock on days they have a ship there. We did a Birds, Bears and Barnacles tour that by the time we would have added up the admissions and ala carte bus ride would have almost been a wash the local narration by the driver was worth the difference. By far the best stop was Fortress of the Bear. All the tours drop off at the community center downtown where the buses back to the dock are at and close to the tender dock. One caution on eating lunch in town - it can be expensive. For example at the Westmark Inn 2 beers, bowl of clam chowder and a salad were $50. We seriously speculated they may have a tourist menu and a locals menu for days when a ship is in town. Then again, Alaska in general is expensive for food.

 

 

 

Was that tour through the cruise line or an independent operator? What time of year did you take it?

Thanks for the food tip!

 

 

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[MNcruisingcouple]

A thought about Skagway... There are several tour operators who will rent an entire van just for your group. The prices may be comparable to what you already have planned and also will free up your designated driver to enjoy being with the group, take pictures, etc.

 

 

 

These types of trips are highly customizable, so they might be able to throw in some extra activities or stops for the different ages based on interest and activity level.

 

 

 

As I said... just a thought after reading some trip reports and doing a lot of research.

 

 

 

Thanks for the tip! Do you know which operators? Or how I would search for that option?

 

 

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[Glaciers]

Thanks for the recommendation. That looks amazing! I wonder what the chances of seeing bears are in late May? Do you know if the whale watching is just as good here as in any other port? Initially we had planned on doing it in Icy Straight Point.

 

 

We were there mid-June and were given the option of looking for bears along the coast or heading to St. Lazaria Island. Sounded as though St. Lazaria had more potential for varied wildlife. The Tour operators would probably be a good resource for seasonal viewing opportunities.

 

On our way over we found some humpbacks and sat with them for a while. At or near the island we saw puffins, seals, otters and a plethora of other seabirds.

 

Whale watch tours in Juneau or Icy Strait Point are normally much better than Sitka and have guarantee sightings for humpbacks. Sitka, not so much.

[MNcruisingcouple]

We were there mid-June and were given the option of looking for bears along the coast or heading to St. Lazaria Island. Sounded as though St. Lazaria had more potential for varied wildlife. The Tour operators would probably be a good resource for seasonal viewing opportunities.

 

On our way over we found some humpbacks and sat with them for a while. At or near the island we saw puffins, seals, otters and a plethora of other seabirds.

 

Whale watch tours in Juneau or Icy Strait Point are normally much better than Sitka and have guarantee sightings for humpbacks. Sitka, not so much.

 

 

 

Thanks so much for your help!

 

 

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[MNcruisingcouple]

So I think for Sitka we would try to do the Raptor Center, National Historic Park and Fortress of the Bears, with a little down town shopping thrown in.

We can easily walk to everything except the bears. What's the best way to get there? It seems like it would be a shuttle but I'm struggling to find clear directions.

 

Any thoughts on Misty Fjord vs a helicopter glacier landing? And which helicopter company to use?

 

 

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[Budget Queen]

So I think for Sitka we would try to do the Raptor Center, National Historic Park and Fortress of the Bears, with a little down town shopping thrown in.

We can easily walk to everything except the bears. What's the best way to get there? It seems like it would be a shuttle but I'm struggling to find clear directions.

 

Any thoughts on Misty Fjord vs a helicopter glacier landing? And which helicopter company to use?

 

 

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Raptor Center and National Park, could be a lot of walking, the bridge was out early this year when I was there. There is a HOHO shuttle bus that is a day pass. Fortress of the Bears has shuttle service.

 

As for flying, there is NO clear answer. Both are excellent, and I have done both. You may want to look at your ENTIRE schedule and book a flight where it fits your time best, depending on your entire day in ports.

[txwriter]

Thanks for the tip! Do you know which operators? Or how I would search for that option?

 

I can't make any recommendations since I still haven't been, but I have booked a private tour with Beyond Skagway. I also know that I contacted Dyea Dave; and, though it is not advertised specifically on their website, they said they can rent the whole van as well.

 

Some other vendors do the private tours too, but you'd have to check their websites l, email or call them. More vendors can be found here: http://skagway.com/play/attractions-tours/

 

I hope that helps.

[AryMay]

Two things caught my eye about your post...

 

1. That you are going on the NCL Sun in May. (We did a 14-day cruise on the Sun to Alaska this May.)

 

2. Your location. (I am 30 miles west of you!)

 

I am in the process of SLOWLY getting a review done of our cruise. Here is the link: 14 Day Cruise on the NCL Sun.

 

If you have time, you might want to check it out because we visited the same ports and also did some of the things you are asking about. Eventually I will also get my personal blog caught up with more in-depth descriptions of our port days and lots more photos. :rolleyes:

 

The one thing I notice about your itinerary is how short your port times are. Unfortunately I don't see the 14-day itinerary offered by NCL next year. Did you consider any other cruiselines besides NCL? One-way cruises instead of round trip? You might be better off booking a one-way 7 day itinerary and adding on a few days to do a short land trip. That is what we did the last time. We didn't have enough time to go to Denali, but our couple of days in Seward were a highlight!

 

Some answers to your questions below in red.

 

 

 

 

Ketchikan 7am-2pm

Float plane $240/person, add on glacier fly over $385/per person

The flight over Misty Fjords is beautiful (weather permitting.) I don't think I would pay that much extra to see a glacier however. If you really want to fly over glaciers, then maybe consider booking a flight out of Skagway instead. We did an hour long flight over several glaciers and it was $199/person.

 

Juneau. 7am-1:30pm

Mendenhall Glacier - taxi or car rental

A rental car gives you a lot more flexibility. On our first trip in 2014, we visited Mendenhall Glacier and then drove out to the Shrine of St. Therese. On the way back we were able to stop and watch a mother bear and her little cubs along the highway.

This trip (besides going to Mendenhall) we drove across the bridge to Douglas Island and explored the ruins of the old Treadwell Gold Mine.

Small boat glacier excursion from the ship (if offered) $250/person

Are you referring to seeing the Sawyer Glacier? Our cruise was scheduled to go to Sawyer Glacier (via Tracy Arm), but due to ice we went up Endicott Arm to Dawes Glacier instead. It is my understanding that Tracy Arm is missed frequently.

 

Skagway 7am-5:30pm

Rent car and drive to Emerald Lake $125

Make sure you reserve your car ASAP...the price will only go up. If you plan to get a vehicle large enough for six people the price will be higher. Our very small compact car was $125 and I never saw prices any lower than that. We did this drive in May as well as back in 2014 and both times we saw several bears along the highway.

This time we drove about 15 miles past Emerald Lake and explored the ruins of the Robinson Roadhouse...a little village along the railroad during the Gold Rush.

 

Dog sled excursion $130-175/person

If you wanted to do a sled dog tour without booking an excursion, stop at the Tagish Lake Kennels on the way to Emerald Lake. You can play with the puppies and look at the recreated musher's camp for $5/person or if you want to do the sled dog ride I believe it was $39/person. They hook up a team of sled dogs to a 4-wheeler. The kennel is run by Michelle Phillips who was the 13th place finisher in this past year's Iditarod.

 

Icy Straight Point 8am-5pm

Whale watching $160/person

I'm sure you have seen lots of recommendations for Glacier Wind on these boards and for good reason. They run a top notch business with fantastic customer service. I would also plan on booking this ASAP as well. Glacier Wind's boats only carry six people so you would have your own private tour...IF you book early enough.

We were very lucky and got to see bubble-net feeding and whales breaching several times on our tour. In fact, people sitting on the shore saw way more whale action than we did on our first whale watching tour in Juneau back in 2014.

 

Sitka 8am-4pm

We walked to the National Historical Park first thing in the morning and were pretty much the first ones there. We were able to walk the trail through the woods and see most of the totems before others started showing up. My husband loved visiting with the woodcarver at the visitor's center.

Our afternoon was spent on a wildlife tour with Gallant Tours which I have mixed feelings about. Paul, the owner, was a super guide and very enthusiastic, but the boat ride was EXTREMELY rough. We got to see puffins, sea otters, sea lions, a lone whale, and beautiful scenery around St. Lazaria island. I think I would have been more excited if we hadn't had such an incredible day in Icy Strait Point. Taking photos was very hard because of the boat movement and I literally was sore from bouncing up and down so much.

 

Victoria 12pm-12am

Neither of our cruises have stopped here.

 

 

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Good luck on your planning. I can tell you are wanting to make this a very special trip for your family and the research will pay off! Let me know if you have any questions...either about Alaska or the logistics of traveling from SW Minnesota!!

[Caribbean Allan]

Although I am a cruiser, I just happened to be working in Sitka for over two months. I left for home on June 17, 2017.

 

I can tell you that Super Cruiser's post is right on. All the suggestions are good. With one minor suggestion. As we get closer to salmon season, in fact it just started.... the bears are coming out of the woods. I can assure you that the locals would NEVER, EVER consider going on any type of a hike this time of year without bear spray attached to their hip. It is a bear-sized and bear-strength pepper spray that is available for about $37 each at a few places in town, including the sporting goods store. So although the trail by the Raptor Center is beautiful, as are other trails, I just wouldn't take the hike during Salmon season. So for all cruisers: Google samon runs up the Indian River other rivers in Sitka for your cruise dates, prior to a walk in the forest. This includes Totem Park. If you want to keep up on the bear sightings, the locals have set up a Facebook page where you can look up where the latest bear sightings in town have happend: https://www.********************/232225736811175/

 

Also, although you haven't asked, but other cruisers that are experienced in Sitka may suggest a walk through Totem Park to the Raptor Center. Everyone should know that the bridge over the Indian River was torn down in May 2017, and they have started to rebuild it with new. I'm sure it will be done this summer, I just don't know when. So if anyone plans on walking from downtown to the Raptor Center, then take another route that is not across the Indian River in Totem Park.

 

By the way, I did a beautiful glacier helicopter landing in Juneau with ERA. It was nice, because they didn't just go straight to the glacier. They took a round-about trip over snow capped mountains and down a georgous valley towards the glacier. I loved the route!

[MNcruisingcouple]

Two things caught my eye about your post...

 

 

 

1. That you are going on the NCL Sun in May. (We did a 14-day cruise on the Sun to Alaska this May.)

 

 

 

2. Your location. (I am 30 miles west of you!)

 

 

 

I am in the process of SLOWLY getting a review done of our cruise. Here is the link: 14 Day Cruise on the NCL Sun.

 

 

 

If you have time, you might want to check it out because we visited the same ports and also did some of the things you are asking about. Eventually I will also get my personal blog caught up with more in-depth descriptions of our port days and lots more photos. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

The one thing I notice about your itinerary is how short your port times are. Unfortunately I don't see the 14-day itinerary offered by NCL next year. Did you consider any other cruiselines besides NCL? One-way cruises instead of round trip? You might be better off booking a one-way 7 day itinerary and adding on a few days to do a short land trip. That is what we did the last time. We didn't have enough time to go to Denali, but our couple of days in Seward were a highlight!

 

 

 

Some answers to your questions below in red.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good luck on your planning. I can tell you are wanting to make this a very special trip for your family and the research will pay off! Let me know if you have any questions...either about Alaska or the logistics of traveling from SW Minnesota!!

 

 

 

You must be in/near Worthington? Too funny! Thanks for your help, I've already been following your review and I look forward to more of it. Your pictures are great.

We really want to stick with NCL. We are planning the 10 day Seattle to Vancouver. It looks like our best option, partly because we are considering driving. I'm not fond of the short ports on two of the stops though.

I may have more questions for you in the future. Would you be willing to share your email or is there another way I could reach you?

Thanks again!!

 

 

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[MNcruisingcouple]

Raptor Center and National Park, could be a lot of walking, the bridge was out early this year when I was there. There is a HOHO shuttle bus that is a day pass. Fortress of the Bears has shuttle service.

 

 

 

As for flying, there is NO clear answer. Both are excellent, and I have done both. You may want to look at your ENTIRE schedule and book a flight where it fits your time best, depending on your entire day in ports.

 

 

 

How much is the HOHO bus, where do you catch it, is there a map of the route?

Also where would you pick up the Fortress of the Bear shuttle?

 

Thanks for the flight advice too!

 

 

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[MNcruisingcouple]

Although I am a cruiser, I just happened to be working in Sitka for over two months. I left for home on June 17, 2017.

 

I can tell you that Super Cruiser's post is right on. All the suggestions are good. With one minor suggestion. As we get closer to salmon season, in fact it just started.... the bears are coming out of the woods. I can assure you that the locals would NEVER, EVER consider going on any type of a hike this time of year without bear spray attached to their hip. It is a bear-sized and bear-strength pepper spray that is available for about $37 each at a few places in town, including the sporting goods store. So although the trail by the Raptor Center is beautiful, as are other trails, I just wouldn't take the hike during Salmon season. So for all cruisers: Google samon runs up the Indian River other rivers in Sitka for your cruise dates, prior to a walk in the forest. This includes Totem Park. If you want to keep up on the bear sightings, the locals have set up a Facebook page where you can look up where the latest bear sightings in town have happend: https://www.********************/232225736811175/

 

Also, although you haven't asked, but other cruisers that are experienced in Sitka may suggest a walk through Totem Park to the Raptor Center. Everyone should know that the bridge over the Indian River was torn down in May 2017, and they have started to rebuild it with new. I'm sure it will be done this summer, I just don't know when. So if anyone plans on walking from downtown to the Raptor Center, then take another route that is not across the Indian River in Totem Park.

 

By the way, I did a beautiful glacier helicopter landing in Juneau with ERA. It was nice, because they didn't just go straight to the glacier. They took a round-about trip over snow capped mountains and down a georgous valley towards the glacier. I loved the route!

 

 

 

Thanks for the advice. We will be there the last week of May, will bears be an issue at that time of year?

 

Thanks for the suggestion on the flight as well.

 

 

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[AryMay]

You must be in/near Worthington? Too funny! Thanks for your help, I've already been following your review and I look forward to more of it. Your pictures are great.

We really want to stick with NCL. We are planning the 10 day Seattle to Vancouver. It looks like our best option, partly because we are considering driving. I'm not fond of the short ports on two of the stops though.

I may have more questions for you in the future. Would you be willing to share your email or is there another way I could reach you?

Thanks again!!

 

 

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Yes...I would love to visit with you about your trip!!

 

I don't want to post my "real" email address, but you can send an email to MaryMN55 at hotmail dot com. I only use that email address for junk mail, but I will try and check it to see if you have sent a message and then I will respond with my other address.