Arriving to a stop at 7 PM for an Alaskan cruise. Is this normal?

[NicoleTX]

Hello! 

 

I have not cruised for a couple of years and this will be my first cruise through Alaska. We usually stick to Europe! We just booked for 2023. One if our stops arrives to Vancouver BC at 7 PM and leaves at 11:59. I don't recall ever arriving to a port that late. Do you just get dinner and get back on the ship? I'm guessing they won't be offering excursions. It's the "Alaska: Hubbard Glacier, Juneau & Ketchikan" cruise on the Norwegian Sun (departing from Seattle). 

 

Thank you 🙂

[Carpe-Diem]

Yes it’s normal. From the two times I’ve been there, not many people get off the ship. Have time to explore a bit. Nice city. 

Edited January 7, 2021 by Carpe-Diem

[valleyvillage]

I think you mean Victoria. They will probably have some excursions like the horse-drawn carriage.

[deweytrader]

Unfortunately it is normal and a shame!  I really like Victoria - Butchart Gardens is a must do!  There are itineraries with better times in Victoria - you have to compare them all.  

[1025cruise]

It's a mandatory stop for the Seattle round trip cruises to comply with the PVSA. So yes, in this case its normal.

[roger001]

As said, it's just a required stop.  Victoria is pretty much shut down after dark.  With that schedule, might as well stay on the ship, except on the ship most bars must be closed also to comply with some Victoria reg.   However, if you do get a scheduled stop in Victoria during the day, yea, Butchart Gardens are outstanding.  

[SouthLyonCruiser]

This is the result of another of the many goofy laws that our representatives refuse to address. Any foreign flagged ship that cruises our of a U.S. port must make at least one stop in a foreign country.No one wins with this law and U.S. ports and cruisers are the ones to suffer.

[zdcatc12]

2 hours ago, SouthLyonCruiser said:

This is the result of another of the many goofy laws that our representatives refuse to address. Any foreign flagged ship that cruises our of a U.S. port must make at least one stop in a foreign country.No one wins with this law and U.S. ports and cruisers are the ones to suffer.

Uh, no. There is a reason for this rule and reasons why it is still in place. Numerous threads about it.

[NicoleTX]

Yes I did mean Victoria! Sorry for the typo 🙂 We have some family there I guess we can grab dinner with them. Thanks for your help! 

[Named-Tawny]

1 hour ago, NicoleTX said:

Yes I did mean Victoria! Sorry for the typo 🙂 We have some family there I guess we can grab dinner with them. Thanks for your help! 

 

Victoria is such a pretty city, and I wish that the cruise lines would figure out a way to make it an actual day-time stop - maybe by stopping there on the way North and take the sea-day on the trip home.

[bonvoyagie]

when we did our first AK cruise back in 02 on the Sky we did have a much longer stop in Victoria and were able to see the gardens in both day and night it was great. We also went on the inside of the island leaving from Seattle but came back along the outside of the island. As I remember we also had more time in all of the other ports as well. I am not sure why or how things changed between 02 and 12 (our last AK cruise) but it seems that we spent way less time in Juneau and Ketchikan and way less time in Victoria - in fact we did not even get off the ship there as we had visited by car earlier and spent an entire long weekend there in 06. Another observation between 02 and 12 was the total number of ships - in 02 you rarely saw another ship except in port - in 12 it seemed like they were everywhere.

[BirdTravels]

22 hours ago, NicoleTX said:

Hello! 

 

I have not cruised for a couple of years and this will be my first cruise through Alaska. We usually stick to Europe! We just booked for 2023. One if our stops arrives to Vancouver BC at 7 PM and leaves at 11:59. I don't recall ever arriving to a port that late. Do you just get dinner and get back on the ship? I'm guessing they won't be offering excursions. It's the "Alaska: Hubbard Glacier, Juneau & Ketchikan" cruise on the Norwegian Sun (departing from Seattle). 

 

Thank you 🙂

We always get off the ship and do an excursion. It is after a long sea day and by then, we have seen enough of the ship. Many cruise lines make late stops and the city is ready to make money off of you welcome you with open arms. 

[Langham1865]

as mentioned, it's normal.  I like to walk through Fan Tan alley, grab some Chinese food for dinner, poke in a shop or 2 and grab a pedicab back to the ship...

[dexddd]

As mentioned, it is not normal.  Years ago that stop was a full day.  About 7 years ago they started one of the three ships to a night visit only.  What a beautiful city to limit to night only.