First Alaskan cruise which excursions are a must do?

[cruisinqt]

This will be our first time in Alaska. We are a family of 4, we are in our 50’s and our 2 daughters are in their 20’s. The cruise is in late May of next year. Our ports are Sitka, Skagway, Juneau, and Victoria BC. Since our cruise is almost 6 months out, I started researching excursions and got overwhelmed. There’s just so much info out there!
 

We aren’t looking for anything in the water or overly physical like canoes or biking. My husband had back surgery a couple years ago and I had total knee replacement surgery last year. We could probably do snow mobiles since it’s mostly sitting but definitely no hiking. I’ve always wanted to go dogsledding, ride snow mobiles, see some whales, and see real igloos. I also saw some reviews of scenic railways that looked like fun. What are your favorite excursions on Alaskan cruises? Is there something that’s a must see or do in Alaska? Tell me where to start because there’s just too much to choose from for a first timer like me. 

[whyme]

which ship are you sailing ?? we are on the quantum May 22nd 2023.family trip

[rkacruiser]

In Skagway, the train trip to Carcross was a trip that I recommend.  Such a difference in environment from where one starts to the end of the line.

 

In Victoria, if your port time allows it, a visit to Butchart Gardens is a delight.  But, to fully appreciate the Gardens, one needs several hours to see the various gardens and absorb the experience.  Another suggestion would be to arrange to have Tea at a venue that offers such or at the Empress Hotel.  

 

In Juneau, the 5 Glacier flightseeing tour that includes a visit to the Taku Lodge with their Salmon lunch/dinner is scenic and the meal is excellent.  Sometimes, a bear visits the premises when the cooking of the Salmon on the grill for an easy meal.  That was a highlight of my experience!  

Edited October 30, 2022 by rkacruiser

[bonvoyagie]

I would suggest that you do excursions that interest you - each port has different things they are known for but there are also excursions for every interest in any of them. Juneau is known for Mendenhall Glacier and whale watching - it also has some gold mining. Skagway is known for being a gold rush town - you can visit an old dredge, ride the White Pass RR or just walk around town and take in the history. In Victoria you can take a romantic horse drawn carrage ride, do a pub crawl, and if you have lots of time - visit the Buchart Gardens - they are great even at night. Havent been to Sitka so no reccomendations there. Good luck and enjoy your cruise.

[disneyochem]

So from your post, it sounds like you want to see/experience dog sledding, whale watch, ride snow mobiles and see a real igloo?  I can make some suggestions on the first two items but don’t know of any place that has snow mobiles at the ports you are visiting.  I know you can take a helicopter to land on a glacier but those are dog sledding excursions.  Not sure what a ‘real igloo’ is but there are great cultural museums about Alaska’s indigenous people at Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka.  
 

Dog sledding:  there are a couple of different excursions at Skagway.  There is a mushers camp close to town (https://alaskashoretours.com/excursions/skagway/skagway-sled-dog-and-mushers-camp/).  I took my 23 and 25 year old daughters there this past summer after our cycling tour.  They loved it.   Or, as part of a White Pass Railroad excursion, you can visit sled dogs in the Yukon .  There’s also a company in Juneau but I’m not familiar with them.  These tours are summer tours—if you ride a dog sled is basically a wagon pulled by dogs.  There are tours on a glacier where you ride a sled on snow/ice.  Pricey but people I know who went on this tour raved about it.  https://northstartrekking.com/treks/tours/juneau-glacier-dog-sled-adventure/
 

Whale watching:  Of the ports you are visiting, I would recommend Juneau.  Most tour companies guarantee seeing a whale or they refund part of your money.  My two favorite companies are Harv and Marv, and Jaleen’s Whale Watching.  You generally have a long port stay in Juneau so you could other things in Juneau after whale watching.  If the weather is good, the Mt Roberts Tram is fun to do.  There is a small museum at the top in addition to a restaurant/bar.  And, I always recommend at trip to Mendenhall Glacier.

 

Sitka:  might be a good place for wildlife.  There is the Fortress of the Bears (a rescue facility) and the Alaskan Raptor Center.  Your cruise ship will probably combine a visit to these two places along with a wildlife cruise (seals, otters, maybe whales).  Sitka is also great for history and culture of the area.  Love the Totem Park (but it might be too much walking for you).

 

Have fun planning!

.

Edited October 31, 2022 by disneyochem

[AKStafford]

7 hours ago, cruisinqt said:

I’ve always wanted to go dogsledding, ride snow mobiles, see some whales, and see real igloos.

For riding snowmachines, you'll be here the wrong time of year and in the wrong location.

Igloos... what you are picturing of an igloo was a temporary structure that would be put together as an emergency shelter. I would suggest you visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center to see traditional dwellings used by the Native Alaskan people, but it's in Anchorage and you aren't going to Anchorage.

Whales: Juneau is a good spot for whales.

Dog sledding: either you'll have to do a helicopter flight up to a glacier, or do a wheeled cart pulled by dogs. Or come back to Southcentral Alaska in the winter.

[cruisinqt]

2 hours ago, AKStafford said:

For riding snowmachines, you'll be here the wrong time of year and in the wrong location.

Igloos... what you are picturing of an igloo was a temporary structure that would be put together as an emergency shelter. I would suggest you visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center to see traditional dwellings used by the Native Alaskan people, but it's in Anchorage and you aren't going to Anchorage.

Whales: Juneau is a good spot for whales.

Dog sledding: either you'll have to do a helicopter flight up to a glacier, or do a wheeled cart pulled by dogs. Or come back to Southcentral Alaska in the winter.

I was wondering why all of the dogsled tours were so expensive. It’s because of the helicopter ride. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll be looking into some of the whale tours in Juneau then. Thanks. 

[GTJ]

13 hours ago, cruisinqt said:

I also saw some reviews of scenic railways that looked like fun. * * * Is there something that’s a must see or do in Alaska? Tell me where to start because there’s just too much to choose from for a first timer like me.

It is difficult to give an all-purpose response on what is a "must see" in Alaska. The tourist industry (including the cruise lines themselves) certainly do have a tourist circuit of what they believe everyone should do . . . because it makes money for them. And if you like being with other tourists while traveling, the industry will gladly accommodate that. But the real answer to your question, as has been alluded to above, depends on what it is that is interesting to you, personally. For example, a political junkie would certainly make a point of visiting the state capitol while in Juneau. I am a transport enthusiast, so I would make a point of exploring the local public transit systems (e.g., visiting bus garages, photographing equipment at pulse points) and railroads. But it is hard to say what you should see or do without falling victim to simply enumerating the stops along the standard tourist circuit.

 

As to the "scenic" railways (a matter in which I have an interest as noted above), keep in mind that there is only a single railroad that can reasonably be visited among the ports of your itinerary. The White Pass & Yukon Route is a rail route from Skagway up into the mountains, and then onward across the international frontier into British Columbia and Yukon. At one time the railroad carried both freight and passengers all the way to Whitehorse, but there is virtually no freight now and passengers are carried only so far as Carcross. There's actually multiple turn-around locations to which passengers may travel the scenic railroad from Skagway and return. The shortest excursion is to the White Pass summit, which marks the international frontier. Longer excursions continue into Canada, to Fraser, to Bennett, or to Carcross, each correspondingly further in distance, time, and cost for a round-trip excursion. Victoria used to have passenger trains as well, but the Equimalt and Nanaimo Railway, including its rail diesel cars, is now long gone. A portion of the railroad is operated as a heritage railroad, at Port Alberni. But that heritage operation is 2-1/2 hours distant from Victoria, and it is not even certain yet if the railroad will be operating in 2023, making it likely impracticable to visit. And finally, not strictly a railway, there is the Goldbelt aerial tramway in Juneau, which ascends nearly 4,000 feet up Mount Roberts.

[Sigyn]

14 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

In Skagway, the train trip to Carcross was a trip that I recommend.  Such a difference in environment from where one starts to the end of the line.

 

In Victoria, if your port time allows it, a visit to Butchart Gardens is a delight.  But, to fully appreciate the Gardens, one needs several hours to see the various gardens and absorb the experience.  Another suggestion would be to arrange to have Tea at a venue that offers such or at the Empress Hotel.  

 

In Juneau, the 5 Glacier flightseeing tour that includes a visit to the Taku Lodge with their Salmon lunch/dinner is scenic and the meal is excellent.  Sometimes, a bear visits the premises when the cooking of the Salmon on the grill for an easy meal.  That was a highlight of my experience!  

the 5 Glacier Taku Lodge experience must be popular - it's already sold out for my July cruise!

[cw2go]

4 hours ago, njsmom said:

the 5 Glacier Taku Lodge experience must be popular - it's already sold out for my July cruise!

I have this booked! I knew to grab it quickly! Keep an eye out if it's something you want to do, many times they'll add another tour or people cancel. 

 

Patty 

[Cali Viajera]

Kenai Fjords tour is a must.

[cruisinqt]

On 10/30/2022 at 4:12 PM, whyme said:

which ship are you sailing ?? we are on the quantum May 22nd 2023.family trip

That’s the same cruise we’re on. I’m a long time cruiser but this is our first time going to Alaska. 

[cruisinqt]

On 10/30/2022 at 4:20 PM, rkacruiser said:

In Skagway, the train trip to Carcross was a trip that I recommend.  Such a difference in environment from where one starts to the end of the line.

 

In Victoria, if your port time allows it, a visit to Butchart Gardens is a delight.  But, to fully appreciate the Gardens, one needs several hours to see the various gardens and absorb the experience.  Another suggestion would be to arrange to have Tea at a venue that offers such or at the Empress Hotel.  

 

In Juneau, the 5 Glacier flightseeing tour that includes a visit to the Taku Lodge with their Salmon lunch/dinner is scenic and the meal is excellent.  Sometimes, a bear visits the premises when the cooking of the Salmon on the grill for an easy meal.  That was a highlight of my experience!  

I just looked at the scenic railway tours in Skagway and they look like fun. I’ll have to look into Butchart Gardens and Taku Lodge, they look interesting too. Thanks 

[cruisinqt]

On 10/30/2022 at 8:21 PM, disneyochem said:

So from your post, it sounds like you want to see/experience dog sledding, whale watch, ride snow mobiles and see a real igloo?  I can make some suggestions on the first two items but don’t know of any place that has snow mobiles at the ports you are visiting.  I know you can take a helicopter to land on a glacier but those are dog sledding excursions.  Not sure what a ‘real igloo’ is but there are great cultural museums about Alaska’s indigenous people at Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka.  
 

Dog sledding:  there are a couple of different excursions at Skagway.  There is a mushers camp close to town (https://alaskashoretours.com/excursions/skagway/skagway-sled-dog-and-mushers-camp/).  I took my 23 and 25 year old daughters there this past summer after our cycling tour.  They loved it.   Or, as part of a White Pass Railroad excursion, you can visit sled dogs in the Yukon .  There’s also a company in Juneau but I’m not familiar with them.  These tours are summer tours—if you ride a dog sled is basically a wagon pulled by dogs.  There are tours on a glacier where you ride a sled on snow/ice.  Pricey but people I know who went on this tour raved about it.  https://northstartrekking.com/treks/tours/juneau-glacier-dog-sled-adventure/
 

Whale watching:  Of the ports you are visiting, I would recommend Juneau.  Most tour companies guarantee seeing a whale or they refund part of your money.  My two favorite companies are Harv and Marv, and Jaleen’s Whale Watching.  You generally have a long port stay in Juneau so you could other things in Juneau after whale watching.  If the weather is good, the Mt Roberts Tram is fun to do.  There is a small museum at the top in addition to a restaurant/bar.  And, I always recommend at trip to Mendenhall Glacier.

 

Sitka:  might be a good place for wildlife.  There is the Fortress of the Bears (a rescue facility) and the Alaskan Raptor Center.  Your cruise ship will probably combine a visit to these two places along with a wildlife cruise (seals, otters, maybe whales).  Sitka is also great for history and culture of the area.  Love the Totem Park (but it might be too much walking for you).

 

Have fun planning!

.

My 2 daughters are 23 and 25 just like yours! And they’re coming along on the cruise. I think they’d like the mushers camp. Thanks for the recommendations on whale watching tours, I’ll check them out. 

[disneyochem]

5 hours ago, cruisinqt said:

My 2 daughters are 23 and 25 just like yours! And they’re coming along on the cruise. I think they’d like the mushers camp. Thanks for the recommendations on whale watching tours, I’ll check them out. 

Yes, cuddling with puppies was a hit with my girls!

 

One of my daughters took this tour in Juneau:  https://www.juneauwhalewatch.com/book-a-tour/details/32329/mendenhall-glacier-juneau-whale-watching-combo-tour/.  She and her fiancé really enjoyed the whale watching and the visit to Mendenhall Glacier.  They just wished they had more time at the glacier (there was an option to stay longer).

 

Enjoy your planning!

[rkacruiser]

22 hours ago, Cali Viajera said:

Kenai Fjords tour is a must.

 

Agree, but, one must have the time in Seward to experience this.  

[kayehall]

29 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Agree, but, one must have the time in Seward to experience this.  

HA leaves from Whittier.  Can I see them from Whittier?

[Northern Aurora]

Post #11 and #16, if I understand them correctly, are referring to the Kenai Fjords National Park.  In addition to other glaciers it includes Exit Glacier and the Harding Ice Field.  Day excursions are popular due to the abundance of wildlife.  It is essentially accessed from Seward.

 

There are some other day excursions out of Whittier.  Check the Whittier visitor's bureau website.

 

 

[Cali Viajera]

Yes, our Kenai Fjords excursion was in Seward. It was a Princess excursion take took us from the Kenai Princess lodge to Seward. It would have been difficult to have gotten their on our own as the lodge is located many miles to Seward. For us, the cruise line's excursion was the way to go as I really wanted to experience the fjords.

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, kayehall said:

HA leaves from Whittier.  Can I see them from Whittier?

 

It would be difficult to do unless you had a rental car and planned an overnight in Seward.  There is some distance between Whittier and Seward, plus, one needs time for the Kenai Fjords Tour.  

[cruisinqt]

On 11/1/2022 at 8:00 AM, disneyochem said:

Yes, cuddling with puppies was a hit with my girls!

 

One of my daughters took this tour in Juneau:  https://www.juneauwhalewatch.com/book-a-tour/details/32329/mendenhall-glacier-juneau-whale-watching-combo-tour/.  She and her fiancé really enjoyed the whale watching and the visit to Mendenhall Glacier.  They just wished they had more time at the glacier (there was an option to stay longer).

 

Enjoy your planning!

Thanks