Seasoned Caribbean Cruiser Trying Alaska :0 - Advice/Tips Wanted

[HLNFan]

:oThanks in advance - We are doing the Seattle Inside Passage cruise on the Emerald Princess. As I said, I usually cruise the Caribbean and either on RCL or Carnival, so this will be the first time on Princess.

 

Please give any suggestions and/or tips for the following ports, the ship, etc. That's what I love about CruiseCritic, when I don't know, someone else does :)

 

Ketchikan - any suggestion on great Clam Chowder?

Juneau - Want to do whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier

Skagaway - ???

Victoria - Bought a Hop On/Hop Off Bus pass, but I think it shuts down before we get there....lesson learned

[kctwinmommy]

In Skagway, we loved the Glacier Wilderness Safari! It's a long day, but so worth it. A lot of fun, up close to the glacier, great people leading the tour. It's definitely on the top of our list for things we've done. Well, just after the helicopter on the Mendenhall glacier.

 

Pack lots of layers. We did Carnival, and honestly, way less people dress up for the MDR. Princess may be different, but I have a feeling there are still fewer people dressed to the nines. Pack gloves, clothes you can layer, and good walking shoes/boots.

[ccndfw]

We did this cruise last summer and had a great time. As someone who loves the beach, I wasn’t originally that excited about going somewhere cold, but I loved Alaska and we are actually doing another cruise there this summer.

 

This blog helped with my planning...

 

https://travelontheside.com/category/alaska/

 

We did two of the tours mentioned. Island Wings in Ketchikan and Frontier Adventures in Skagway were both excellent. Unfortunately, we had a lot of rain in Juneau so the float plane tour we had booked was canceled and by the time we found out, most of the other tours were either fully booked or had already departed so we ended up walking around town. This next time, we are considering whale watching with Harv & Marv which is also mentioned in that blog.

 

We really enjoyed the naturalist presentations on the ship... they were very interesting and a good way to spend your time. We went to a few of the shows and from what I can remember, they are good. The best thing we ate was the fried halibut at the Alaska Fish House in Ketchikan. The hardest part was trying to figure out what to pack... as others have mentioned, plan to dress in layers. Have a great time!!!

[mapleleaves]

Past trip reports are a great resource; there are a few hundred of them listed near the top of the page. Many are detailed photo journals with info on excursions, sights, DIY activities, vendors, restaurants etc.

 

Many people rent a car in Skagway and drive into the Yukon, usually stopping at Emerald Lake ... you'll need passports or appropriate documentation. Before you leave town, visit the Goldrush and Yukon Museum to get a good understanding of the areas history, And stop at the Goldrush Cemetary at the edge of town on your way back.

 

Juneau is another good location to rent a car esp if you have an extended port visit. With a car you can go to Auke Bay for whale watching, drive to Mendenhall and drive out to the coast to explore. Without a car find a whale watching vendor that will drop you off at Mendenhall then you can order a cab for the ride home .

[jonyboy]

:oThanks in advance - We are doing the Seattle Inside Passage cruise on the Emerald Princess. As I said, I usually cruise the Caribbean and either on RCL or Carnival, so this will be the first time on Princess.

 

Please give any suggestions and/or tips for the following ports, the ship, etc. That's what I love about CruiseCritic, when I don't know, someone else does :)

 

Ketchikan - any suggestion on great Clam Chowder?

Juneau - Want to do whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier

Skagaway - ???

Victoria - Bought a Hop On/Hop Off Bus pass, but I think it shuts down before we get there....lesson learned

 

I'd go to Maine for the clam chowder. Billy's chowder house in Wells

[HLNFan]

Thank everyone for the info so far....Yes, I understand the Chowder is probably better in New England, but surely there are some good places in Alaska??

[Northern Aurora]

Thank everyone for the info so far....Yes, I understand the Chowder is probably better in New England, but surely there are some good places in Alaska??

 

 

There is some recreational clamming in Alaska, but if you are interested in chowder look for halibut and salmon versions. Annabelle's Keg and Chowder House in Ketchikan has three types of chowder on their menu. And they also have wonderful dungeness crab.

 

But I want to reinforce the suggestion by Mapleleaves -- skim through the trip reports located at the top of this forum. It won't take much time and will answer so many questions.

[Dancing Shoes]

Make sure you bring a waterproof jacket.

[dkitty]

We did this cruise last summer and had a great time. As someone who loves the beach, I wasn’t originally that excited about going somewhere cold, but I loved Alaska and we are actually doing another cruise there this summer.

 

This blog helped with my planning...

 

https://travelontheside.com/category/alaska/

 

We did two of the tours mentioned. Island Wings in Ketchikan and Frontier Adventures in Skagway were both excellent. Unfortunately, we had a lot of rain in Juneau so the float plane tour we had booked was canceled and by the time we found out, most of the other tours were either fully booked or had already departed so we ended up walking around town. This next time, we are considering whale watching with Harv & Marv which is also mentioned in that blog.

 

We really enjoyed the naturalist presentations on the ship... they were very interesting and a good way to spend your time. We went to a few of the shows and from what I can remember, they are good. The best thing we ate was the fried halibut at the Alaska Fish House in Ketchikan. The hardest part was trying to figure out what to pack... as others have mentioned, plan to dress in layers. Have a great time!!!

 

 

I too, love the sun and vaca's to warm places......going to Alaska the end of June. I loved reading your blog and seeing your amazing pics! Thanks so much for posting!

[darwinsrule]

Just a warning. Once you do it the first time you will want to go back. You quickly realize there is so much more to see and do than you have time for in one trip. Did our first last August (RT from Seattle). Booked a North - South run for August 2019 last week.

[HLNFan]

Just a warning. Once you do it the first time you will want to go back. You quickly realize there is so much more to see and do than you have time for in one trip. Did our first last August (RT from Seattle). Booked a North - South run for August 2019 last week.

 

 

I'm seeing that is true. My mother and father went 2 years ago and my mom is more excited than me about going this time around. So it should be fun.

[bingobunny14]

This is our first trip to Alaska..DH dream cruise..We have always gone either by cruise or tour to hot tropical places..I am so thankful for all the tips i have been reading on here..We leave on Princess the end of July ..Hoping no bad weather..So much to see and do can't wait