Celebrity - Skagway

[Putterdude]

I was looking at a schedule of ships in Skagway this season and to my surprise Celebrity appears to have dropped Skagway as a port of call and are useing Sitka instead. Does anyone know why?

[Coco Creek]

Not so for all trips. My Millennium Northbound trip is stopping at Skagway (as are all Millennium trips this summer).

[Iggipolka]

The Mercury is going to be in Skagway on May 7th.

[Putterdude]

You are both correct, the Millie is in there pretty much every other week and the Mercury appears to only be in there on May 7th. As as I was scanning the schedule I was looking for the prefix "Celebrity" and didn't see any so assumed the worst. However that appears to be it for Celebrity and Skagway this season (unless I have missed some others); does anyone know why?

[cruisequeen10]

We are on the Mercury Aug 3 sailing to Alaska. We picked this because of the stop in Sitka. I have been there once before, but the others hadn't. It is a refreshing change to see something different, as I have been on the Alaska cruise a few times, with the same stops. I only wish that they would substitute Juneau or Ketchikan for Skagway.

[Putterdude]

We are on the Mercury Aug 3 sailing to Alaska. We picked this because of the stop in Sitka. I have been there once before, but the others hadn't. It is a refreshing change to see something different, as I have been on the Alaska cruise a few times, with the same stops. I only wish that they would substitute Juneau or Ketchikan for Skagway.

 

I have never been to Sitka but I can't imagine it being as interesting as Skagway and I would agree with you that you could probably drop Juneau or Ketchikan for Skagway. I am kind of thinking Juneau!

[Drew B]

I've done Juneau, Ketchikan & Skagway 2 consecutive years. Both times, Skagway was BY FAR my favorite port. I imagine they make more money in Juneau with the expensive excursions, so I don't see them dropping that one. I think Ketchikan would be a far better choice to drop, though, than Skagway...

[cruisequeen10]

Of course some cruise lines are shortening their stays in these ports. I don't understand why they do that. I think that the Sitka stop is from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the Ketchikan is just as long. Juneau is 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. At least you can sleep in a little before getting off.

[MMDown Under]

We spent a day in Skagway and found it a tourist town well set up for visitors. However, we prefered to stay at Haines nearby, where many of the people who work on tours in Skagway live.

 

As Skagway is the gateway to spectacular scenery, we hired a car and drove to Whitehorse, Yukon and Atlin, BC. We arrived back, as the last cruise ship left at the end of the cruise season, to find Skagway a ghost town.

[Jenbo57]

Infinity is doing roundtrips out of Seattle with a stop in Sitka this year instead of Skagway. We had booked one for next month, but after returning from Hawaii in November to a wet, miserable, Pacific Northwest, decided we wanted a warm weather cruise destination instead. We canceled Alaska and we're doing the Caribbean. Figured we'd go back up to Alaska again next year, and hit Sitka. Low and behold, when Celebrity opened their bookings for '09 the other day, we saw that they're doing Icy Strait (Hoonah) instead of Sitka! Bummer! We booked anyway, figuring at least it's someplace new for us, and if we decide we really want to see Sitka, it's an easy flight from Seattle for us.

 

I'm amazed at how many posters would rather see Skagway over Juneau or Ketchikan -- wow! I thought Skagway was, while picturesque, a little too touristy. Ketchikan was my favorite; we even got to watch Holly Churchhill weaving cedar baskets at the Crazy Wolf Studio -- that was a treat! I'd like to buy a gallery or gift shop in Ketchikan, spending the cruise season in Alaska and the off-season in Hawaii. Aaaahhhhhh, what a life!

[Drew B]

I'm amazed at how many posters would rather see Skagway over Juneau or Ketchikan -- wow! I thought Skagway was, while picturesque, a little too touristy.

 

My preference for Skagway isn't about the town itself -- it's about the wonderful excursion opportunities with some of the most gorgeous scenery and wildlife I saw in Alaska. In all fairness, I understand Misty Fjords out of Ketchikan is also spectacular, but my float plane tour got canceled due to weather (a not uncommon occurrence, from what I've heard).

[Jenbo57]

My preference for Skagway isn't about the town itself -- it's about the wonderful excursion opportunities with some of the most gorgeous scenery and wildlife I saw in Alaska. In all fairness, I understand Misty Fjords out of Ketchikan is also spectacular, but my float plane tour got canceled due to weather (a not uncommon occurrence, from what I've heard).

 

Yeah, I think it's one of those different strokes for different folks things! (Which is what makes these boards so interesting!) Living, and playing, in the Pacific Northwest, we're already surrounded by so much beauty (and wildlife!) that maybe we're a little bit jaded. In Skagway we hiked to the cemetary and a waterfall, looked around town, and said, "ok, we're done". Didn't really have an interest in the train. Glad you found something memorable!

 

Oh, and I hope you get a chance to get up in a floatplane to see Misty Fjords at some point...pretty amazing!