Cruise booked, EXCURSIONS! Help.....

[julie2s]

Based on lots of great feedback we decided to book HAL Eurodam May 25 - June 1.  This is our first time cruising to Alaska.  We are a mother/daughter celebrating our combined 100th birthday (I'm 61, she's 39.) Now we are trying to decide on shore excursions.  First and foremost, my daughter loves wildlife, so bears, whales, etc. will be of high on the list.  I realize that late May is not optimal for Bear. Also not sure if sled-dog experience is worth the $$.   I love to fly so helicopters and/or floatplanes are something I would LOVE, combining both would be ideal.  

 

We will be in Juneau all day (1pm - 10pm), Sitka (8am - 5pm) and Ketchikan for a short time (7 am - 1 pm) then on to Victoria.  I'm looking at outside tour operators (Island Wings, True Alaskan Tours & Alaskan Shore Tours) as opposed to ship organized excursions.

 

Here's my question, what would be your ABSOLUTE MUST DO excursions in each of these ports.  I realize that this could be subjective, that's why there's chocolate and vanilla, but I'm just looking for feedback from past experiences.  Many Thanks in advance.  These boards are so helpful.

[nini]

Whale Watching in Juneau- with a private tour! We were two of 6 passengers. I am sorry, but I do not remember which company it was with, but do some searches on this board and you may find a good fit. It could have been with Harv and Marv; not sure.

[CoW mAn]

For Juneau I enjoyed the Tram, get to see an Eagle up close

 

 

[Crew News]

HAL has a price match guarantee for excursions and if you book through HAL, you will earn Mariner Points and thus discounts on upcoming wine and Specialty Restaurants visits.

 

For Juneau the cost of dogsledding in the snow via helicopter is a once-in-a-lifetime excursion.  You need to book early as helicopter seats fill rapidly.  Add a whale-watching tour and you will have a perfect day.

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/place/alaska-2/skagway-2/dog-sledding

 

Ketchikan has the Aleutian Ballad boat from the TV series "Deadliest Catch" that stops to feed eagles before demoing crab fishing in the Bering Sea.

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/specialty/wildlife/air-wildlife/eagles

 

Sitka has "Otters, Raptors, and Bears" excursion that starts with a boat ride to see whales, otters, deer, eagles, and harbor seals followed by a visit to the Raptor (rescued) Center and the Fortress of the Bears (rescued).

 

 

[stevejco]

10 hours ago, CoW mAn said:

For Juneau I enjoyed the Tram, get to see an Eagle up close

 

 

Do the locals in the tram talk through the entire ride or do you get a relatively quiet moment to soak in the beautiful view. Did you find that this detracted or added to your experience?  You're a captive audience and it's a great opportunity to for them to promote the local businesses. I realize that there are shops, restaurants and trails on Mt Roberts. Just wondering if you found your visit to Mt Roberts a good value.

 

Thanks 

[CoW mAn]

13 minutes ago, stevejco said:

Do the locals in the tram talk through the entire ride or do you get a relatively quiet moment to soak in the beautiful view. Did you find that this detracted or added to your experience?  You're a captive audience and it's a great opportunity to for them to promote the local businesses. I realize that there are shops, restaurants and trails on Mt Roberts. Just wondering if you found your visit to Mt Roberts a good value.

 

Thanks 

 

I felt the historical and cultural context they put things in added to the experience quite a bit. How much they talk really depends on the operator but I didn't find it distracting at all. As for promoting local business they don't do it at all on the way up (wouldn't make sense) but they do a little bit on the way down but they tend to speak from personal experience rather than an advertising script. It feels more like they just want to give you more options of things to do after the tram. I felt it was a great value. Now if you want a tram that gives you almost no value that would be the one in Ketchikan :p

[stevejco]

1 hour ago, CoW mAn said:

 

I felt the historical and cultural context they put things in added to the experience quite a bit. How much they talk really depends on the operator but I didn't find it distracting at all. As for promoting local business they don't do it at all on the way up (wouldn't make sense) but they do a little bit on the way down but they tend to speak from personal experience rather than an advertising script. It feels more like they just want to give you more options of things to do after the tram. I felt it was a great value. Now if you want a tram that gives you almost no value that would be the one in Ketchikan 😛

Thank you very much for responding to my question. Glad to hear that your experience was a good one. Grateful for the tip on the Ketchikan tram.

 

Steve

[Heidi13]

In Juneau, for a first timer we would do a whale watching cruise, or the dog sledding on Meadenhall. Both are spectacular.

 

Ketchikan - we normally wander around the local town, down Creek Street. Have also visited the Lumberjack Show

 

Sitka - been over 30 years since been in Sitka, so unable to make suggestions.

[nini]

We also went up to Mt. Roberts the first time and really enjoyed it and enjoyed a short tour of the flora and fauna.

 

[Cruise_More_Often]

In Ketchikan, definitely fly with Island Wings. You'll love the experience. We flew with Michelle in 2006, one of our favorite experiences, and I think it's high time we became repeat customers.

[Nanner]

In Juneau you can do Mendenhall on your own, as well as the tram. The latter is great on a nice day. There are trails on the mountain and great views. Our first visit it was so foggy you could barely see where the tram was going up the mountain.  We did a whale watch on that first Juneau visit, and even that was pretty limited visibility.

 

Sitka is a great town to walk around on your own.  If the tram to the totem pole park is operating, that is a help.  The park is worth visiting, but a bit of a hike from the dock. We are returning there this summer, and I've heard good things about the Fortress of the Bear and the raptor center, so we might go there.  It appears our cruise isn't offering an excursion there this time.

 

In Ketchikan, a flight with Island Wings is amazing. We went to see the black bears on a rainy day, and our trip back was a real adventure since they could not fly in to pick us up. We still made the sailaway with time to spare, due to their creative problem solving, so I really am impressed with them.