Docking in Juneau

[Candy Apple 12]

I have booked an independent shore excursion in Juneau for our Bliss cruise. According to the documents I received, there are four cruise docks in Juneau: the Cruise Ship Terminal, the Franklin Street Dock, the Alaska Steamship Dock, and the AJ Dock. Historically, where has the Bliss docked? Thank you.

[karatemom2]

NCL ships will be on the AJ Dock - here is a link to the schedule.

 

https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.189/2xl.54d.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/JNU-Juneau-2022.pdf

[LMKakaThing2]

You can use this link to see where the Bliss will be docking at each of your Alaskan ports.

https://claalaska.com/?page_id=1551

[Old & Retired]

Even when all the other docks are empty for the day, NCL still docks at AJ, which is out of town and the worst dock in Juneau.

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, Old & Retired said:

Even when all the other docks are empty for the day, NCL still docks at AJ, which is out of town and the worst dock in Juneau.

NCL also uses the new Ward Cove in Ketchikan which is nowhere near Ketchikan and charges you to shuttle to town. And the new dock in Icy Strait where you need to use the gondola over to the main cruise ship terminal. 

[bluesea777]

1 hour ago, Old & Retired said:

Even when all the other docks are empty for the day, NCL still docks at AJ, which is out of town and the worst dock in Juneau.

 

Not all NCL ships dock at AJD ... thanks heavens! For the 2022 season Bliss, Encore and Jewel will dock at AJD every time, but the Sun and Spirit will dock in town (FKL, ACT, AS or CT).

 

We're on NCL Spirit for Alaska B2B in May 2023 and I'm so happy we'll be docking in town!

 

 

[Candy Apple 12]

3 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

NCL also uses the new Ward Cove in Ketchikan which is nowhere near Ketchikan and charges you to shuttle to town. And the new dock in Icy Strait where you need to use the gondola over to the main cruise ship terminal. 

I knew about Ward Cove, but not about the gondola at Icy Strait. That almost sounds like a tender port! 
 

My shore excursion information said the shuttle from AJD is about $5 to get to town.

[bluesea777]

7 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

NCL also uses the new Ward Cove in Ketchikan which is nowhere near Ketchikan and charges you to shuttle to town. And the new dock in Icy Strait where you need to use the gondola over to the main cruise ship terminal. 

 

Just looked at the 2022 Ketchikan schedule .... all NCL ships will dock at WW. Crap! Thanks anyway for warning us about the new dock.

 

[BirdTravels]

1 minute ago, Candy Apple 12 said:

I knew about Ward Cove, but not about the gondola at Icy Strait. That almost sounds like a tender port! 
 

My shore excursion information said the shuttle from AJD is about $5 to get to town.

Use to be free

 

Gondola

 

[Candy Apple 12]

1 minute ago, BirdTravels said:

Use to be free

 

Gondola

 

Aah…I see. Being that this is Cruise Critic, I thought gondola referred to a boat! Do you know how much the gondola costs?
 

Is that the only method of transportation? I’m not sure how cruise passengers with acrophobia or agoraphobia will feel about that.

[wacruiselover]

2 hours ago, Candy Apple 12 said:

Aah…I see. Being that this is Cruise Critic, I thought gondola referred to a boat! Do you know how much the gondola costs?
 

Is that the only method of transportation? I’m not sure how cruise passengers with acrophobia or agoraphobia will feel about that.

I have extreme acrophobia and was really dreading the Transporter Gondola when we were on the Encore last September. Turns out my fear was unfounded. The Gondola only goes about 20 or so feet above the ground and the short trip is rather enjoyable. We had just the two of us in the capsule both directions. I was able to stand up and take some great pictures.

[Candy Apple 12]

1 hour ago, wacruiselover said:

I have extreme acrophobia and was really dreading the Transporter Gondola when we were on the Encore last September. Turns out my fear was unfounded. The Gondola only goes about 20 or so feet above the ground and the short trip is rather enjoyable. We had just the two of us in the capsule both directions. I was able to stand up and take some great pictures.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Was this your only choice for transportation? Is there a fee?

[debenson0723]

6 minutes ago, Candy Apple 12 said:

Thanks for sharing your experience. Was this your only choice for transportation? Is there a fee?

No fee and the ride is only a few minutes long.  There is also a path you can walk but the gondola is by far more enjoyable.

[Steve in Omaha]

On 4/6/2022 at 3:17 PM, bluesea777 said:

 

Just looked at the 2022 Ketchikan schedule .... all NCL ships will dock at WW. Crap! Thanks anyway for warning us about the new dock.

 

There is a schedule of where NCL ships dock?  Where can I find that?  First-time AK Cruise leaving 9/4/23.

[bluesea777]

38 minutes ago, Steve in Omaha said:

There is a schedule of where NCL ships dock?  Where can I find that?  First-time AK Cruise leaving 9/4/23.

https://claalaska.com/?page_id=1250

 

btw, Ward Cove at Ketchikan isn’t too bad - the shuttles were plentiful and the store in the terminal is great - and at low prices. 
 

 

[tw0sugar5]

There’s a correlation between ship size and docking at AJ.

[cturner0013]

On 4/6/2022 at 1:03 PM, LMKakaThing2 said:

You can use this link to see where the Bliss will be docking at each of your Alaskan ports.

https://claalaska.com/?page_id=1551

Hmm, this seems to differ quite greatly from the itinerary on my booked cruise. Should I believe this document or my cruise itinerary?

[TheDawg79]

My first Alaskan cruise was in NCL and our dock was so far away from the actual town that I left with a bad impression of Juneau. This summer we cruised on Royal and docked in town….whole different experience! LOL. Our first cruise predated this and other websites so we didn’t know what we were missing out on. We just stuck our heads out our balcony, saw a very ugly dock, and said “Nope!” 😂🤣