Alaska & Inside Passage Cruise

[beanpittsburgh]

Quick question that maybe some of you can answer.  We are taking the Alaska cruise in July 2024.  Viking website itinerary says we do a Skagway train visit on day 6 of cruise.  While picking my excursions, I didn't see any listed excursions for 2 days of the trip (just sailing days) and nothing for Skagway. Anyone that took this trip have any insights?  Thanks

[duquephart]

Train and/or bus to White Pass?

[duquephart]

Skagway has a population of about three during the "off" season. Then several thousand tourists per day descend on it. I think the town businesses are pretty much all owned by one of the lines. Jewelry stores every other door. Don't get too close or you will be grabbed and thrown in.

[OneSixtyToOne]

2 hours ago, beanpittsburgh said:

Quick question that maybe some of you can answer.  We are taking the Alaska cruise in July 2024.  Viking website itinerary says we do a Skagway train visit on day 6 of cruise.  While picking my excursions, I didn't see any listed excursions for 2 days of the trip (just sailing days) and nothing for Skagway. Anyone that took this trip have any insights?  Thanks

What date are you in Skagway? I just looked at the train’s website and it doesn’t run or is fully booked on July 4, 12, 18, 23, and 26.

 

BTW the website has a disclaimer that some tours are not available for all sailings. For example we docked in Rome on Easter and there were no tours of the Vatican. 

Edited May 15 by OneSixtyToOne

[Jim Avery]

1 hour ago, duquephart said:

Skagway has a population of about three during the "off" season. Then several thousand tourists per day descend on it. I think the town businesses are pretty much all owned by one of the lines. Jewelry stores every other door. Don't get too close or you will be grabbed and thrown in.

Another good reason to never wear those key cards lanyards. The jewelry hawkers can yank you in and swipe your room card with one slick motion. That Tanzanite will show up on your account before you get back onboard. And don’t even think about going by the Red Onion Brothel.😱🚢

[beanpittsburgh]

I think the itinerary on the Viking website says day six of our sailing which would be 7/19.  When signing up for excursions, Skagway is not listed for any days.  There are 2 days that don't have any excursions listed at all just sailing.  I was wondering if one of those days would be the Skagway train or are we just out of luck. 

[duquephart]

2 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

Another good reason to never wear those key cards lanyards. The jewelry hawkers can yank you in and swipe your room card with one slick motion. That Tanzanite will show up on your account before you get back onboard. And don’t even think about going by the Red Onion Brothel.😱🚢

 

I liked the Onion. The beer was cold.

[OneSixtyToOne]

2 minutes ago, beanpittsburgh said:

I think the itinerary on the Viking website says day six of our sailing which would be 7/19.  When signing up for excursions, Skagway is not listed for any days.  There are 2 days that don't have any excursions listed at all just sailing.  I was wondering if one of those days would be the Skagway train or are we just out of luck. 

If not listed in MVJ, it’s not happening.

[Murt22]

We were on this cruise last year and we docked at Haines because they limit the ships in Skagway. There was no train option for us, so we did a "Yukon Explorer" which entailed walking to the ferry dock, taking the ferry to Skagway (scenic trip), getting on a bus, driving over the pass (well - after our bus broke down and we had to wait for a new bus), ended up at a made-up tourist stop to see a suspension bridge and eat chili. Rushed back to town, with only about 20 minutes of free time before having to get on the ferry to go back. Expensive and not worth it. Maybe they are just skipping it now...? One of the sailing days involved seeing a glacier, which was great, and one was before disembarking in Vancouver.

Edited May 15 by Murt22
added information

[wolfie11]

Your cruise doesn’t go to Skagway.  Day 6 is Icy Strait Point.

[DrKoob]

6 hours ago, beanpittsburgh said:

I think the itinerary on the Viking website says day six of our sailing which would be 7/19.  When signing up for excursions, Skagway is not listed for any days.  There are 2 days that don't have any excursions listed at all just sailing.  I was wondering if one of those days would be the Skagway train or are we just out of luck. 

As someone who has taken the White Pass train at least six time (cruise to Alaska nine times...we live in Seattle so it's easy for us) it is not worth it. You get to see a bunch of pine trees. If the train is not the "included" excursion, skip it. Do this instead: https://www.skagwaystreetcar.com. Best tour we have ever taken. 

And patronize locally owned shops. If you decide to get lunch in town, go to the Skagway Brewery. Great beer and awesome chili.

[SparkyGal]

Not all of the Viking Alaska/Inside Passage cruises stop at Skagway. Some go to Haines ((like mine August 2), some to Wrangall, some to Glacier Bay. I think it has to do with dock space at Skagway. Most do go there and I would guess that’s why Skagway is the port highlighted on the website. The alternate itineraries are listed in the fine print. Perhaps this is why you aren’t seeing it in your MVJ. Give Viking a call to verify.

I too was disappointed when I first discovered we would miss the train ride. But we have decided to have a great time in Haines, and we will!

[duquephart]

38 minutes ago, DrKoob said:

As someone who has taken the White Pass train at least six time (cruise to Alaska nine times...we live in Seattle so it's easy for us) it is not worth it. You get to see a bunch of pine trees. If the train is not the "included" excursion, skip it. Do this instead: https://www.skagwaystreetcar.com. Best tour we have ever taken. 

And patronize locally owned shops. If you decide to get lunch in town, go to the Skagway Brewery. Great beer and awesome chili.

 

How many locally owned shops can there be with such a small off-season population to support them? All those relatively high end jewelry stores are certainly not year round operations.

[DrKoob]

17 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

How many locally owned shops can there be with such a small off-season population to support them? All those relatively high end jewelry stores are certainly not year round operations.

You would be surprised. Many of the owners work other jobs in the winter or create their art/crafts. Then they open the shops in the late spring. We were on the first cruise to arrive in Skagway (in late April) one year and the locals were so glad to see us.

 

The jewelry stores (and all the rest of the typical crap you see in the Caribbean ports) bring people in. When we did the Street Car tour we drove by a huge tent city where they house the workers they bring in to man the stores. It's kind of sad. Another local owner says that whenever a main street building goes up for sale the big companies buy it. 

 

Would someone please tell me who buys tanzanite or buys from Diamonds International? I have never met anyone who does. Must be the same people who are suckered in with the onboard art auctions. 

[duquephart]

1 minute ago, DrKoob said:

You would be surprised. Many of the owners work other jobs in the winter or create their art/crafts. Then they open the shops in the late spring. We were on the first cruise to arrive in Skagway (in late April) one year and the locals were so glad to see us.

 

The jewelry stores (and all the rest of the typical crap you see in the Caribbean ports) bring people in. When we did the Street Car tour we drove by a huge tent city where they house the workers they bring in to man the stores. It's kind of sad. Another local owner says that whenever a main street building goes up for sale the big companies buy it. 

 

Would someone please tell me who buys tanzanite or buys from Diamonds International? I have never met anyone who does. Must be the same people who are suckered in with the onboard art auctions. 

 

The locals were glad to see your money.

[Islandbc]

I am interested in knowing what the wifi is like on the Alaska cruise.  We will be on the Orion (between Kodiak and Dutch Harbor) on Sept. 20, 2024.  This is the day that bookings open up for excursions on our next cruise.  At this point, the Alaska cruise isn't full, so if the computers on deck 1 have good connectivity, we might be able to use them.

Thanks for any information you can share.

[DrKoob]

29 minutes ago, Islandbc said:

I am interested in knowing what the wifi is like on the Alaska cruise.  We will be on the Orion (between Kodiak and Dutch Harbor) on Sept. 20, 2024.  This is the day that bookings open up for excursions on our next cruise.  At this point, the Alaska cruise isn't full, so if the computers on deck 1 have good connectivity, we might be able to use them.

Thanks for any information you can share.

On our nine Alaska cruises (none with Viking), Wifi coverage is usually pretty good in Alaska ship to satellite. 

[haydn12]

We just did this cruise back in September, 2023.  Wifi was very good through the whole cruise. 

 

I found the White Pass & Yukon train to be my favorite excursion on the cruise. 

[beanpittsburgh]

Thanks to all for your advice and experiences.   I know we stop in Wrangall so that must be our optional port.  I didn't know about the different itineraries.  Can't wait - I know we will have a great time.

[Islandbc]

1 hour ago, haydn12 said:

We just did this cruise back in September, 2023.  Wifi was very good through the whole cruise. 

 

I found the White Pass & Yukon train to be my favorite excursion on the cruise. 

Were you on the Orion?

[Jjg34219]

12 hours ago, DrKoob said:

As someone who has taken the White Pass train at least six time (cruise to Alaska nine times...we live in Seattle so it's easy for us) it is not worth it. You get to see a bunch of pine trees. If the train is not the "included" excursion, skip it. Do this instead: https://www.skagwaystreetcar.com. Best tour we have ever taken. 

And patronize locally owned shops. If you decide to get lunch in town, go to the Skagway Brewery. Great beer and awesome chili.

Totally agree…never quite understand all the excitement over the train ride!

[duquephart]

15 hours ago, DrKoob said:

You would be surprised. Many of the owners work other jobs in the winter or create their art/crafts. Then they open the shops in the late spring. We were on the first cruise to arrive in Skagway (in late April) one year and the locals were so glad to see us.

 

The jewelry stores (and all the rest of the typical crap you see in the Caribbean ports) bring people in. When we did the Street Car tour we drove by a huge tent city where they house the workers they bring in to man the stores. It's kind of sad. Another local owner says that whenever a main street building goes up for sale the big companies buy it. 

 

Would someone please tell me who buys tanzanite or buys from Diamonds International? I have never met anyone who does. Must be the same people who are suckered in with the onboard art auctions. 

 

There is some very nice tanzanite out there - high quality deep purple. It's not all tourist trap junk. My wife got a tanzanite hustle in Kotor - she was wearing a stunning 12 carat stone set in 18 carat yellow gold at the time.

[OneSixtyToOne]

3 hours ago, Jjg34219 said:

Totally agree…never quite understand all the excitement over the train ride!

You obviously aren’t a Railfan. 
if an excursion or extension involves a train or is train related, I’m all in.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railfan#:~:text=A railfan%2C rail buff or,trains and rail transport systems.

Edited May 16 by OneSixtyToOne

[Heidi13]

17 hours ago, Islandbc said:

I am interested in knowing what the wifi is like on the Alaska cruise.  We will be on the Orion (between Kodiak and Dutch Harbor) on Sept. 20, 2024.  This is the day that bookings open up for excursions on our next cruise.  At this point, the Alaska cruise isn't full, so if the computers on deck 1 have good connectivity, we might be able to use them.

Thanks for any information you can share.

 

Connectivity may depend on whether the ship is still using the geostationary satellites, or if they have a Starlink system.

 

As you proceed further north in Alaska, the altitude of the geostationary satellites reduces, and with mountainous terrain, you have increased potential for the signals being blocked. Over the years we have received a signal almost everywhere except alongside the Railway Dock in Skagway. Even on the large Princess Grand Class ships, we didn't get a signal when alongside that berth.

 

Haven't experienced Starlink, but with the ever increasing number of satellites being launched, I anticipate they should have a reasonable chance of continuous connectivity.

 

With respect to sailing between Kodiak and Dutch Harbour, you have open waters to the south, so if using geostationary satellites, while they will have low altitude, you should not have any obstructions to block the satellite signals. If Starlink, with the route being mostly open waters, you should get some visible satellites, so I expect you would receive connectivity.

[OneSixtyToOne]

6 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

Connectivity may depend on whether the ship is still using the geostationary satellites, or if they have a Starlink system.

I believe the entire Viking Ocean fleet has been upgraded to Starlink.