Weather, wildlife and what to do!

[ohnonotmeagain]

Ok booked for the 3rd time !!!! the C word allowing, I should be in Alaska May 9th 2022 with RCCL. As it's early in the season,what are the odds of everything being open?  ie;shops,fjords etc? Ports are Sitka, Ketchikan,Endicott, Juneau and Victoria.

also, what wildlife [ in general] can I expect to see that early?

Not so keen on ships excursions [ but if I have to.....], do independant vendors sell tours at the pier [as they do in most other places] or is it restricted in some way?

I am aware that everything can and probably will change!

 

[CruiserBruce]

Some reading around the board would be beneficial.

 

Most of the ports have a booth at the dock selling excursions. Doesn't mean everything you will want will be available, as some excursion types are extremely capacity limited. Those you definitely want to book in advance.

[kochleffel]

If you want any flight-seeing or small-boat excursions, definitely book in advance, because they will fill up when a cruise ship is in port. Some larger boats will also fill up -- both of Adventure Bound's two boats were at capacity when I went with them in August. (That's an all-day trip from Juneau to Tracy Arm Fjord.) Some excursions on land will be available up to the last minute, but if anything is make-or-break for you, book that in advance, too.

 

 

[Northern Aurora]

If you dock at Sitka you will be docked several miles from downtown.  But a free shuttle takes folks downtown to the Harrigan Centennial Center.  There you will find companies set up outside the center offering excursions.

 

At Ketchikan and Juneau there will be kiosks set up with vendors offering their excursion options.  

 

In Victoria we usually walk from the cruise terminal to the Bard and Banker Pub on Government Street.