Going on an Alaskan Cruise. Any tips and must things to do?

[TaySan]

I'm planning on going on an a 7 day Alaskan cruise on the Norwegian bliss. We are stopping at Juneau, Skagway, Glacier bay, Ketchikan and Victoria. I'm saving up at least $500 for 1 or 2 excursions while there. What are must things to see and do over there? Any tips i should know ahead of time? I'm visiting on May 31st and this is my first time in Alaska. :)

 

[BackwardCap]

Bring a jacket, gonna be chilly out there.

 

[Swig]

The train in Skagway is awesome. Takes you way up into the mountains, about as far from civilization as you'll ever be. I saw a bear standing next to the tracks as we passed him.

 

[Swig]

Also, whale watching is really amazing.

 

[Autumn]

Did you get a good deal? With the Coronavirus I imagine prices have gone down drastically.

 

[Grimm Fandango]

Not sure when when whales come back up to Alaska but whale watching excursions are amazing.

Also the tramway/gondola in Junaeu is very nice.

 

[TaySan]

The train in Skagway is awesome. Takes you way up into the mountains, about as far from civilization as you'll ever be. I saw a bear standing next to the tracks as we passed him.

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That's definitely i want to do. The scenery just looks breathtaking from the pictures! :D

Did you get a good deal? With the Coronavirus I imagine prices have gone down drastically.

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For everything(The cruise, flights, Taxi and tip) the total was about $2000 which i didn't think that was too bad for a 7 day cruise. We checked out Disney and there prices was so much more expensive.

 

[kyle mechlachlan]

I really want to do one of these. Do you mind saying how much the total cost is? Are you having to spend a lot on the plane tickets as well?

edit: nvm, saw above.

 

[poofynamanama2]

Go dog sledding on top of a glacier. One of the best days of my life :D

 

[Adder7806]

It's expensive but a helicopter ride up there is amazing. Don't do ziplining. It's really terrible. Kayaking is also great (we got whales swimming near us).

 

[Grimm Fandango]

A Google search later, whales will be back in Alaska by the time you arrive. Again, definitely consider a whale-type excursion.

 

[Riddler]

If you can try to Pan for gold. Did it near Denali so I'm not sure if your able too. Also taking a helicopter to a glacier(if still available) is fun.

 

[TaySan]

A Google search later, whales will be back in Alaska by the time you arrive. Again, definitely consider a whale-type excursion.

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Whale watching and the train ride in Skagway are the top excursions i want to do for sure.

If you can try to Pan for gold. Did it near Denali so I'm not sure if your able too. Also taking a helicopter to a glacier(if still available) is fun.

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I have a fear of heights so anything with Helicopters is a no go for me sadly. :(

 

[Coriander]

My Alaskan cruise was beautiful, but even in the summer it was often incredibly cold and damp, and it often rained much of the time. Make sure to pack layers, and some kind of lightweight rain gear with a hood you can carry in knapsack would be a good idea.

 

[Lombaszko]

We rented Jeeps in Skagway, they gave us lunch in a cooler and just let us drive. It was amazing. Went into Canada, saw sled dog puppies, and the scenery was out of this world.
Would highly recommend!

 

[carlsojo]

Take me with you.

 

[Stinkles]

Do what all tv Alaskans do - murder someone- flee in a seaplane then build a cool off grid sustainable house and catch and smoke absurd amounts of salmon to survive winter.

 

[CrocM]

Be prepared to get Corona-virus, and be stranded for several weeks.

 

[fluffydelusions]

Do what all tv Alaskans do - murder someone- flee in a seaplane then build a cool off grid sustainable house and catch and smoke absurd amounts of salmon to survive winter.

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I've only ever seen this Alaskan reality TV show which was enough for me:

 

[DrEvil]

we hiked up to the upper dewey lake trail in Skagway, it took all day, but was free and the view at the top was INCREDIBLE.

It's steep as fuck, but a well maintained trail, just bring lots of water and snacks for your way up, took us about 3 hours to get up and nearly 2 to get down (our legs were tired lol), but its doable while your ship is in port.

 

[LiquidDom]

I can't help you too much because I personally didn't go, but my parents did and they said it was breathtaking and spectacular. Enjoy it.

 

[TaySan]

we hiked up to the upper dewey lake trail in Skagway, it took all day, but was free and the view at the top was INCREDIBLE.

It's steep as fuck, but a well maintained trail, just bring lots of water and snacks for your way up, took us about 3 hours to get up and nearly 2 to get down (our legs were tired lol), but its doable while your ship is in port.

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That looks incredible!
Now i'm legit hyped for this trip lol

Be prepared to get Corona-virus, and be stranded for several weeks.

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A good excuse to be away from work at least. :x

 

[Zoe]

I'm hoping to go on one next year. We had a choice between either a Western Caribbean cruise the first week of March or Alaskan in May. Went with the former due to timing.

 

[DrEvil]

That looks incredible!
Now i'm legit hyped for this trip lol

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You should be, Alaska is absolutely breathtaking, we went in late august and were able to do a glacial ice cave hike and a number of other things along the way.

We did juneau/skagway/glacier bay/ketchikan.

Here's a few more pics from our trip to whet your appetite... also, these are unfiltered and uncorrected.. This is how it actually looked. The colors of the glacial water are indescribable.

 

[Nida]

Train is awesome. We did whale watching in Victoria and Juneau. It's fantastic. If you go through Glacier Bay try to find a spot in your head where you want to stand on deck as you go through.

 

[SteveMeister]

When in Juneau, go on a tour with Gastineau Guiding Company. They're excellent.

Juneau Excursions and Tours | Gastineau Guiding Company

Gastineau Guiding Company offers whale watching and hiking shore excursions for cruise passengers and private custom tours in Juneau, Alaska.

www.stepintoalaska.com

I'll echo others on Skagway - take the train ride. We did it in two segments - ride the train up partway, took a 4 mile hike through old growth forest, and then caught the train again to continue up towards the Yukon pass. We also saw a bear from the train.

I don't remember the name of the company, but in Ketchikan we went on a fishing trip that culminated with a trip to an island camp where they prepared a delicious meal of our catch. Nice warm fire, fresh hot coffee and camp made cobbler for dessert.

 

[Einbroch]

Go kayaking. We went on an Alaskan cruise and it was awesome.

I don't know if yours is going through a fjord, but DO NOT SLEEP THROUGH THIS. I went with my mother, brother, and wife, and my mother and brother slept through it because it was at 5am and they really missed out.

 

[TaySan]

Welp looks like my Alaskan cruise was cancelled and i'm disappointed. :( Really wanted to see it for the the first time with my father, but oh well what are you going to do? Damn you, Covid.

 

[Garp TXB]

Welp looks like my Alaskan cruise was cancelled and i'm disappointed. :( Really wanted to see it for the the first time with my father, but oh well what are you going to do? Damn you, Covid.

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Yeah... if that cruise was still going, and I couldn't cancel, I'd be wearing a hazmat suit the whole time. Cruise ships are just the most terrible idea right now.

 

[MidnightMania]

Best excursion we had was one in Ketchikan where you go out and fish for an hour or two. They take you to a camp where the fish is filleted in front of you and is cooked. Your group gets to eat afterwards. I've never eaten fresh Alaskan salmon and other fish we caught before, there is nothing else like it.

Edit: Train in Skagway was interesting, whale watching in Juneau was quite a sight.