Alaska Cruise May 2017

The ship docks right in the cities of Ketchikan and Juneau and Skagway is perhaps 2-3 miles away from where the ship docks.

Skagway was our favorite port and I would advise you to not miss a tour that included the White Pass Railway (at least one way).

Many people go Whale Watching in Juneau and visit the Mendenhal Glacier.

There is less to see in Ketchikan, but we found a very inexpensive tour with ketchikan taxi.

Here is my review of our cruise.
http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=547125&et_cid=2764671&et_rid=17221689&et_referrer=Boards

I took an Alaska Cruise last September. The ship docked within easy walking distance of Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.

My favorite excursion was a trip to Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. Not only was the glacier beautiful, we saw a bear with her two cubs on the hiking trail. We were originally booked to do a whale watching excursion in Juneau, but the company cancelled because we were so late in the season that the whales had already gone elsewhere.

I wish that we has done the White Pass Railroad excursion in Skagway. Unfortunately, we did the bus tour instead. It was insanely foggy, and we didn't see anything but fog --- pretty much a waste. There is a nice, flat hiking trail that starts in downtown. I enjoyed the short hike.

Ketchikan was rainy, really rainy. The Tlingit Indian excursion was interesting, except that it was difficult to concentrate on what they were telling us about the symbolism of totem poles when we were standing in a 39 degree downpour. Make sure to take really good rain gear. My rain pants held up in Ketchikan, but my Marmot Precip jacket was not up to the job.

I don't mean to sound negative. We had magnificent weather on glacier viewing days, we saw plenty of sea lions and eagles. Also, we saw Northern Lights, which was a real treat. One of the unexpected treats was the Wildlife Conservation Center, located on the way to the cruise terminal in Whittier. They rehabilitate orphaned and injured animals, and it was the easiest way to see a wide range of Alaskan wildlife. Definitely bring your camera (with a long lens) --- I came away with great bear pictures.

Overall, I would have preferred more active excursions, maybe some kayaking or hiking, but I was traveling with my 81 year old mother, and I wanted to do things that both of us could enjoy.

Highly recommend the White Pass Railway. We bussed up and took the train back to port. Excellent scenery. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

In Juneau we went whale watching in the morning and went to Mendenhal Glacier in the afternoon. Both are well worth it.

The highlight of both our Alaska cruises was a float plane trip to the Misty Fjords National Monument out of Ketchikan. Our pilot was a skilled young woman who also worked as a fish spotter for the fleet. The fjords were breathtaking. We landed on a small lake in the park and had the beauty all to ourselves. Another memorable trip was a helicopter in Juneau to the Hubbard Glaciers. Most folks went to Mendenhall which is right there. We opted for a marginally longer and more expensive flight. When we landed on the glacier we were alone on miles of ice. Spectacular!

If you want to a whale- watching tour at Juneau but book it yourself instead of the cruise ship one, I see Harv and Marv recommended a lot:

http://www.harvandmarvs.com

Just be aware that is you book an independent tour rather than the cruise ship excursion, the ship is not required to wait for you if you return late. The independent operators are well aware of this anI am sure are very good at meeting the ship schedule. But I would book an earlier trip rather than the later one just in case.

Different ships use different docks on different days in these ports. Some of the Juneau docks are right downtown, others about a mile south but the cruise line will run a shuttle bus. I think the Ketchikan docks are all downtown. Skagway is so small it's impossible to be far from "downtown."

In Ketchikan, if you have a chance to visit the Misty Fjords National Monument (boat or much more expensive float plane) I'd recommend it. Totem Bight Park, a few miles north of town, is also beautiful and interesting.

In Juneau, the Mendenhall Glacier is spectacular on a good day, impressive always. It's receded so much that I doubt if you can walk up to it the way I did decades ago. It's well north of the city, you need a tour (but not necessarily the overpriced one offered on the ship). Also, close to downtown is the Mount Roberts Tramway which will whisk you up into alpine country with great views of the city, mountains, and water. My wife greatly enjoyed a helicopter ride up onto the Juneau Icefield, for a high price.

I agree that the White Pass & Yukon Railroad out of Skagway is a good experience, taking you up through the canyons to the pass at the Canadian border, and back. Otherwise, I'd visit Skagway as a pedestrian and just enjoy the (mostly hoked up) ambience. A local bus can take you to an interesting pioneer cemetery a couple of miles north, but it's too far to walk. Apart from its natural setting amid mountains and water, Skagway has done more with less than any other tourist destination I can think of. Something interesting -- the gold rush -- happened there for a couple of years more than a century ago, and they're still milking it as the only real reason the town exists. So have fun. Next time we visit Skagway will be our fourth and we'll probably stay onboard.

In addition to any replies you get here, be sure to look at Cruise Critic. Here's their Alaska Ports Forum: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=73cfc4f85151dd3043214cb42083a23f&f=55

Try alaskaportreviews.com. We are taking Celebrity to Alaska in July. Someone on this forum mentioned the website and it was very informative. Enjoy and write a trip report.

I appreciate all of your great input. I do have another question: what means of transportation have you used to Mendenhall Glacier other than a planned tour? I have read about the "blue bus" which stops about 1.5 miles away, taxis, and car rentals. Interested in current experiences and contact information.
We are getting excited!

We took a cab from the dock to Mendenhall. We set an approximate time for our pick up and then phoned to confirm. We were dropped and picked up right at the visitor center. No problem. We thought we would rent a car for the day but all the open rentals were at the airport; the downtown office near our dock had closed for the season the day before (we went in late September). We had rented a car in Juneau a few years earlier. As I remember it : We drove in one direction until the road ended, turned and drove the other way until it ended. Not our best decision. A couple of hours at Mendenhall was sufficient for us, we did not walk too far....almost to a waterfall, admired the views, and headed back, but saw some bears. There is a nice visitor center that doesn't require a lot of time. Have a great trip.