Juneau October retail hours?

[eileeshb]

This may be a wasted question, but …

do the retailers in Juneau adjust their hours to include times when large ships are in port?

I’ll be on Norwegian Bliss in October and our port time is supposed to be 1:30pm to 11pm and given the reduced daylight most of the appealing excursions run from 2pm to 6pm.  In my case I want to go whale watching which means I probably won’t get a chance to see anything (except pub/restaurants) in town if everything is closing at 5 or 6pm. Is there any chance the local craft shops and museums will be open late to cater to the cruisers? AFAIK there’s only 3 more scheduled arrivals for the season after mine, encore x2 and bliss’s final sailing for the season.

[Ashland]

We were in Juneau the end of September and most of the shops seemed to stay open late when ships were there...However not sure they would be open that late. Sorry you have such a late port stop there.

[Northern Aurora]

Regarding museums, the Alaska State Museum should be on their winter hours in October; those hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM.  Their budget is such that I doubt they have the ability to pay overtime to employees.

 

The Juneau Artists Gallery (an artists co-op) is open Tuesday through Saturday 11 AM to 5:30 PM.  

[Northern Aurora]

After posting I realized I didn't mention the Sealaska Heritage Institute.  Their wonderful gift store is open 10 AM to 6 PM daily.  The Exhibit Gallery (paid admission) is open 10 AM to 4:30 daily.

[eileeshb]

On 1/15/2023 at 9:52 PM, Northern Aurora said:

Regarding museums, the Alaska State Museum should be on their winter hours in October; those hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM.  Their budget is such that I doubt they have the ability to pay overtime to employees.

 

The Juneau Artists Gallery (an artists co-op) is open Tuesday through Saturday 11 AM to 5:30 PM.  

I've noticed a few things seem to be closed there on a Monday which happens to be the day we're scheduled to be in port. I can't complain as I work in a resort town and we close on Mondays out of high season. 

 

[Coral]

That is a horrible time in port. Sorry. Most book cruises and look at port times later and realize they can't do everything they could if it was 8-6. I hope weather cooperates with you on your trip.

[donaldsc]

On 1/15/2023 at 11:20 AM, eileeshb said:

This may be a wasted question, but …

do the retailers in Juneau adjust their hours to include times when large ships are in port?

I’ll be on Norwegian Bliss in October and our port time is supposed to be 1:30pm to 11pm and given the reduced daylight most of the appealing excursions run from 2pm to 6pm.  In my case I want to go whale watching which means I probably won’t get a chance to see anything (except pub/restaurants) in town if everything is closing at 5 or 6pm. Is there any chance the local craft shops and museums will be open late to cater to the cruisers? AFAIK there’s only 3 more scheduled arrivals for the season after mine, encore x2 and bliss’s final sailing for the season.

 

Inquiring or just nosy minds have to ask - why did you book such a late cruise?  Can you change it?

 

DON

[eileeshb]

On 1/17/2023 at 7:32 PM, donaldsc said:

 

Inquiring or just nosy minds have to ask - why did you book such a late cruise?  Can you change it?

 

DON

I work in a resort town so can't take vacation between May and September which leaves October as the only option for Alaska. April is hit & miss at work depending on when Easter falls and this year it's quite early which eliminates that month too. 

[eileeshb]

On 1/17/2023 at 6:22 PM, Coral said:

That is a horrible time in port. Sorry. Most book cruises and look at port times later and realize they can't do everything they could if it was 8-6. I hope weather cooperates with you on your trip.

Unfortunately October is the one month that works for me and only NCL sail Alaska that late in the season and only with Bliss, Encore or Sun, and Sun doesn't include Glacier Bay on it's itinerary. 

[Dolphin Doug]

Juneauite here. 
 

Yeah, these late calls have us shaking our heads. Before Covid, season was done in September and everything was locked up. Now some shops will close, maybe lots, as we’re exhausted, and non-local workers don’t want to wait for two ships a week, with budget travelers onboard.
 

I’m guessing you’re on the 10/21 sailing arriving 10/24. Wow. Late October has the worst storms. Not always—but shaking my head. 
 

Whale watching is iffy. There are plenty of whales, if you can get out there. Definitely go, but maybe you’ll get to shop instead.

 

Ask your bus driver to drop you off at the first stop, closest to Sealaska, maybe you can run in. The good news is you get all day in Skagway. You can do your shopping there.

 

And hey, what would an adventure be without a little excitement? 
 

I visited Juneau Oct 94 and remember wind, driving rain and leaves stuck to my windshield. My truck camper mattress didn’t dry out until California. No views, no snow but cold. Nasty in all ways. 
 

I moved here that December and am still here. So hurrah, neighbor! We’ll leave the lights on. (Tom Bodett of Motel 6 fame is Alaskan)
 

Dolphin Doug

[eileeshb]

8 minutes ago, Dolphin Doug said:

Juneauite here. 
 

Yeah, these late calls have us shaking our heads. Before Covid, season was done in September and everything was locked up. Now some shops will close, maybe lots, as we’re exhausted, and non-local workers don’t want to wait for two ships a week, with budget travelers onboard.
 

I’m guessing you’re on the 10/21 sailing arriving 10/24. Wow. Late October has the worst storms. Not always—but shaking my head. 
 

Whale watching is iffy. There are plenty of whales, if you can get out there. Definitely go, but maybe you’ll get to shop instead.

 

Ask your bus driver to drop you off at the first stop, closest to Sealaska, maybe you can run in. The good news is you get all day in Skagway. You can do your shopping there.

 

And hey, what would an adventure be without a little excitement? 
 

I visited Juneau Oct 94 and remember wind, driving rain and leaves stuck to my windshield. My truck camper mattress didn’t dry out until California. No views, no snow but cold. Nasty in all ways. 
 

I moved here that December and am still here. So hurrah, neighbor! We’ll leave the lights on. (Tom Bodett of Motel 6 fame is Alaskan)
 

Dolphin Doug

I'm actually on the October 14th sailing so in Juneau on the 16th. I'm from the west coast of Ireland and grew up in watersports so heavy seas don't worry me. I helped haul fishing boats out of the water as a kid when storms came in earlier than expected. As long as I can see the waves the motion doesn't bother me. 

 

I know the exhausted feeling after a busy season, I work in a surf shop 6 days a week in the summer, thankfully we close on Mondays once it starts to get quiet and I have another day off mid week. I am so happy we don't do rentals or lessons anymore as that used to turn into 12-hr days when the tide was right/wrong. 

 

I'm hoping I might see the northern lights if the weather cooperates on such a late sailing as a possible silver lining to a later date. 

[LeeW]

Any shops still open will have lots of sales!  When we cruised mid-September we got a lot of close-out deals.  Land portion actually had hotels closing and winterizing after our stop.

[eileeshb]

1 hour ago, LeeW said:

Any shops still open will have lots of sales!  When we cruised mid-September we got a lot of close-out deals.  Land portion actually had hotels closing and winterizing after our stop.

I suspect a lot of places will already be closed. If it’s anything like Irish tourist towns they probably rely on a lot of students for in-season staffing and they’ll all be back at school by October. Or they’ll have switched focus to non-cruise tourists like we do. 

[Coral]

11 hours ago, Dolphin Doug said:

Juneauite here. 

 

I moved here that December and am still here. So hurrah, neighbor! We’ll leave the lights on. (Tom Bodett of Motel 6 fame is Alaskan)
 

Dolphin Doug

Glad to have a local on the board! 🙂