What was your favorite...

[BeccaC]

I'm sure I'm not the only one wanting to know what everyone's favorite excursion, port, or just thing to do in Alaska is. Maybe it was some hole in the wall shop or restaurant you happened to come across during your adventures. Whatever it is, do tell all. Maybe even include some of the worst things you've done. Why not. Happy cruising.

[Budget Queen]

For me, I do have to say, both my winter trips surpassed anything I experienced May-Sept.

 

 

But as anyone can probably figure out, Alaska is fantastic and offers such a range of experiences. It's all good. :)

[mii]

I have to agree with BQ. Everytime I go to Alaska there is something different in each port that I had not experienced before on other trips there. I will be making my 7th trip there next month and right now not doing any planned excursions; just walking around and savoring the beauty of it all. Since I have been to Skagway a number of times this time we are taking the Fast Ferry over to Haines of which we have not experienced. Really looking forward to that.

 

Marilyn

[jani1231]

Hands down the Float Plane & Taku Glacier Lodge on the discoveryexcusions.com web site. It was a perfect blend of flight seeing on a float plane, salmon bake, and wildlife viewing trip (bears).....it was perfect. Runner up was whale watching on the smaller boats.

[gertz]

This is a must do Kenai Fjords Nat Park. Did the 6 hr tour few years ago will do 9 hour one this August.

 

How about spending a week in Whittier?

 

Jack

for the

[jani1231]

I forgot to say that the float plane is in Juneau. Our favorite in Skagway is the small coach trip into the Yukon but make sure it goes to the museum / outpost in the yukon. Also going up to the glacier on the shuttle bus in Juneau for $6 is great and cheap to.

[bottom-dragger]

I'm sure I'm not the only one wanting to know what everyone's favorite

 

chocolate

[laine80]

My favorite would have to whale watching with Harv and Marv in Juneau. We saw tons of Orcas! Other highlights would have to be driving up to Emerald Lake in Skagway, Marjorie Glacier calving, Kenai Fjords tour, and the bear walking right by our bus in Denali. We had so many great moments, we're going back this year. :)

Here's some videos from our trip:

http://www.youtube.com/laine80

And our pics:

http://ouralaskatrip2008.shutterfly.com

[jhannah]

For me it would have to be taking the White Pass tour to the Yukon. Riding the train was most enjoyable, and the scenery was just amazing.

[psblin99]

The worlds longest zip line in Icy Strait Point was the best!

[CC Help Michell]

I'm sure I'm not the only one wanting to know what everyone's favorite excursion, port, or just thing to do in Alaska is. Maybe it was some hole in the wall shop or restaurant you happened to come across during your adventures. Whatever it is, do tell all. Maybe even include some of the worst things you've done. Why not. Happy cruising.

 

The Kenai Fjords Northwestern Glacier tour out of Seward (the 9 hour one) was unbelievable, but it's not a true "shore excursion" from a cruise ship -- it was our unusual itinerary that let us do that on our back to back, as most itineraries wouldn't have time for it.

 

For a purely "can do it from the cruise ship" excursion, I'd say the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's excursion in Ketchikan on the Aleutian Ballad -- really an amazing day.

[Putterdude]

I love the WP&YR trip in Skagway but my real thrill in Aug 2007 was to revisit Moe's Frontier Bar...it was a bar that I had been served beer in by the town's police officer as and 18 year old some 45 years before when I worked as a crew member on cruise ship.:D I believe that Moe's is now closed but perhaps someone like Yukon can confirm that.

[neecee23]

chocolate

 

I would have pegged your favorite as "beer". Alaskan Ale of course.;)

[CincinnatiGal]

After all of the wonderful excursions...in Alaska nothing can top the early evening site my husband and I spotted coming right by us off of our balcony at around 5:45 pm one evening. Instead of heading to our Main Dining room seating we stopped in our tracks and saw the most incredible site that one could imagine!

 

We got to watch for the next two hours (and that is only because the cold air finally got to us) the migration of sea otters coming back to the Alaska glacier areas for the summer season. THere were hundreds and hundreds of sea otters floating on their backs with the momma's holding onto their baby otters attached to them. The eyes blinking on all the otters as their passed our cruise ship was unbelieveable. My husband told me that the photos he could take would not do justice to what was happening before our eyes. We both stood mesmerized watching this site and we barely spoke to each other because it was so amazing!

 

As a farm girl who lives in the big city now this is a site of wildlife that will be one of the best sites of my entire life. This is why we are returning back to Alaska this year and we now plan to make this trip back to Alaska every two to three years because is is just so beautiful.

 

If you take a balcony cabin on a ship USE THE BALCONY! IT is upsetting to miss things that are free to see without going on an excursion. THe beauty of Alaska is right off your balcony cabin!

 

CincinnatiGal

[jhannah]

If you take a balcony cabin on a ship USE THE BALCONY! IT is upsetting to miss things that are free to see without going on an excursion. THe beauty of Alaska is right off your balcony cabin!

You are so right! How wonderful that you got to see this unique sighting.

[Rejeana]

IMHO, the TWT in Denali cannot be beat. Taking a floatplane in Ketchikan was a close second.

 

There is nothing about Alaska that I didn't enjoy.

[qiangf2]

For me, nothing can beat the whale encounter from Dawn Princess, more than 50+, some of them were very close to the ship. It was free too.:D

[renalrn]

:confused:

For me it would have to be taking the White Pass tour to the Yukon. Riding the train was most enjoyable, and the scenery was just amazing.

I have to second this, the train ride is breathtaking. In addition to the scenery and history lesson we saw bears and eagles practically close enough to touch.

-maryann

[poss]

Question for those of you who best loved the train ride in Skagway: Did you happen to do the excursion to Glacier Point (and Davidson Glacier) as well? Those are the 2 I'm flip-flopping about. I'd be interested to hear people say if they liked the train EVEN better than the Glacier Point trip.

[tampafish]

We went with kids so I might have a different perspective than everyone else.

 

In Ketchikan we kayaked with Souteast Tours and it was amazingly fun and such an adventure for our kids to be out there in the water in Alaska (we are from Florida and now own kayaks thanks to this trip). We had a seal follow us around in the water and it was so fun to see where he was going to pop up. We went in mid-Sept so it was chilly, but it was a day my kids still talk about almost two years later.

[bottom-dragger]

I'm sure I'm not the only one wanting to know what everyone's favorite excursion, port, or just thing to do in Alaska is.

 

you probably can't on a scheduled cruise

but if you could

hike the chilkoot

but know the history of why you're doing it

 

it's that or the bush company in anchorage

[LoriPhil]

Our favorite port was Skagway - wonderful place, terrific sense of history with lots of local and Alaska-made items (it's where we bought all our gifts). DH did the helicopter - glacier tour there and it was the highlight of his trip. We also enjoyed the whale-watch with Captain Larry at Orca in Juneau. We're heading back in September and are looking forward the WP&YR based on what we've read on these boards.

 

(CincinattiGal - when did you sail? The otters sound spectacular!)

[tetons]

Best that I have experienced.... whale watching tour, landing on any glacier, seeing bears that are unpredicted, the scenery anywhere with the blue skies, glacial ice and beautiful mountains. What's not to like in Alaska. Except for the harsh winters, I would live there in heartbeat.

[judyf]

After all of the wonderful excursions...in Alaska nothing can top the early evening site my husband and I spotted coming right by us off of our balcony at around 5:45 pm one evening. Instead of heading to our Main Dining room seating we stopped in our tracks and saw the most incredible site that one could imagine!

 

We got to watch for the next two hours (and that is only because the cold air finally got to us) the migration of sea otters coming back to the Alaska glacier areas for the summer season. THere were hundreds and hundreds of sea otters floating on their backs with the momma's holding onto their baby otters attached to them. The eyes blinking on all the otters as their passed our cruise ship was unbelieveable. My husband told me that the photos he could take would not do justice to what was happening before our eyes. We both stood mesmerized watching this site and we barely spoke to each other because it was so amazing!

 

As a farm girl who lives in the big city now this is a site of wildlife that will be one of the best sites of my entire life. This is why we are returning back to Alaska this year and we now plan to make this trip back to Alaska every two to three years because is is just so beautiful.

 

If you take a balcony cabin on a ship USE THE BALCONY! IT is upsetting to miss things that are free to see without going on an excursion. THe beauty of Alaska is right off your balcony cabin!

 

CincinnatiGal

 

I see by your signature that you sailed in may. This would be a highlight for us too. :cool:

 

What time in May and where were you at the time?

 

I can only dream of something like this happenig to us.

 

Thanks for sharing, yes, we have a balcony this cruise.:D

[jbags58]

WOW! Glad to see some things...like the train ride.

My parents did the TAKU GLACIER LODGE and said it was FABULOUS!! We found it privately for $250 pp. I'm sure it's WELL WORTH IT. SO that is what we are doing in that port.

I'm not looking forward to the cooler weather in alaska because i'm a fair weather girl...but hopefully it wont be COLD! lol....

Thanks for the input!!

Julie :D