1st alaskan cruise

[cruiselover19811981]

Questions regarding our 1st cruise to Alaska next summer:

 

1.) If we do a whale watching excursion and it's raining do those get cancelled? I am looking at the weather in Alaska right now (we go in August) and realize weather is unpredictable, rains off and on in Alaska - we are prepared for that, just wondering if our excursions would carry on?

 

2.) Skagway - best excursion to do with our 8 and 10 yr olds

Ketchikan - best excursion " "

Juneau - best excursion " "

[BirdTravels]

Alaska is our favorite cruise location. We enjoy sitting on our balcony watching the whales, dolphin, and other sea life for hours each day.

 

No. Rain will not cause the cancellation of a whale watching excursion. Places like Ketchican get over 150 inches of rain a year.

 

Skagway, maybe the white pass train and sled dogs (on land).

[ColinIllinois]

Check out the Alaska ports of call forum for a bazillion ideas and recommendations for excursions and things to do in those ports. Here is the link for you:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

 

 

Don't worry about your whale excursion getting canceled because of rain. Whales don't mind getting wet. :)

[garycarla]

And when you can not find this link again, just look under PORTS OF CALL and then ALASKA.

 

A must read for Alaska trips.

[don't-use-real-name]

The excursions both your own and commercial that are most apt to be cancelled are those with aviation involved.

Most SX are operated 'Rain-or-Shine' - the fine print maybe smudged over with a wet fingerprint.

Hunker down - layer up - don a rain slicker - you may never pass this way again - so take it as is and enjoy.

Alaska weather is predictably best in the summer - cruises don't ply Alaska waters in the winter except for the

Alaskan Ferry service. August is perhaps the driest and warmest of all the cruising months.

The cruise season spans mid May to just a few days into October - starts cold and finishes with a warm

autumn flourish hasten by wet winter weather - Que Sera Sera

 

For the best excursion for the youngsters ??? my own evaluation

 

Skagway the White Pass and Yukon Railroad trip to the Canadian

border and back about 3-4 hours would be better than anything else I can think of.

 

Juneau - a visit to the Mendenhall Glacier and then a ride on the Mt. Roberts Tram

 

Ketchikan - hard to gauge the interests of your kids - maybe a walk up the boardwalk looking at fish in the

creek bed - go a bit further and see the spawning ladder that the fish use to go upstream - visit the site of totem poles near the public library downtown about 4 blocks from the pier - oh there are SX that go whale watching

and other commercial stuff lot of mixed reviews on these. You are on your own here read the SX literature that

NCL has.

 

Optional (your cruise may not stop here) -

 

Sitka - don't miss the Raptor Center

 

Hoonan (Icy Straight Point) - History of Salmon Canning with display

and a Zip-Line to die for (although the kids may not be tall enough for this ride)

 

North and Southbound cruises terminate/originate at Seward (Anchorage)

***** Take the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Seward (v-v) for some of the most spectacular vistas

of Alaska - unlike a bus ride on a train most everyone can get up and move about the train - enjoy !

 

MAXIMIZE every minute of your cruise - come back again and again if you can - you will never tire of this

fantastic 'Final Frontier' !

[Blondie008]

Questions regarding our 1st cruise to Alaska next summer:

 

 

 

2.) Skagway - best excursion to do with our 8 and 10 yr olds

Ketchikan - best excursion " "

" "

 

Grizzly Falls Zip Wire in Skagway is really something - and fantastic for a family -

You can find it on Trip Advisor

 

The drive up there is amazing - hubby and I chickened our way through it as we are both scared of heights - an 8 year old pretty much got me through it :eek:

But yeah - def a good one for a fun family day out :)

Scenery is gorgeous - there are around 11 zips in total I think plus suspension bridges over waterfalls ..

[jimsig]

If your kids are fans of the TV Deadliest Catch check out the Aleutian Ballard's Crab Boat Tour in Ketchikan. http://www.alaskacrabtour.com/

Our then 6yo DD loved it when we did it last year. They take you out in protected waters and show you how they catch crab and other sea creatures and you should also see a ton of Bald Eagles.