Victoria, British Columbia Blog
The last day of our cruise, and we get to spend the afternoon in Victoria, British Columbia.
Tag: cruise port
Cruise Port Guide: Victoria, BC
Victoria, British Columbia is just across the Canadian border near Seattle, Washington. It is a popular cruise stop on Alaskan cruises and a beautiful city.
Cruise Port Guide: Juneau
Juneau is one of the most popular spots to visit on an Alaska cruise, and it happens to be the Capital city. A lot of visitors are shocked to learn that Downtown Juneau is located at the base of Mount Juneau, which adds to the beautiful surrounding landscapes. It is not possible to drive to Juneau, you have to take a boat or plane at some point in your journey here.
Getting around Juneau is relatively easy. If you’re fit and ready to go, it is an easily walkable town. Juneau has a city bus service, called Capital Transit, that you can take to navigate the Downtown area. It is mentioned in most other blogs that you can rent a car, but unless you have somewhere specific you want to go or have mobility issues, that is not necessary. If you’re interested in going to Mendenhall Glacier, I’ll go over getting there in the excursions section.
to do in downtown juneau
Mt.Roberts Aerial Tramway
Also known as the Goldbelt Tram, the aerial tramway will take you 1800 feet up Mt. Roberts to the summit terminal. There is a restaurant, theater, and store that you can visit while you’re up there. If you’re up for it you could also connect to a few different hiking trails while you’re up there. On a clear day you will have a vast view of the valley below, and on a cloudy day you may have very limited visibility. I would suggest waiting to buy your tickets until the day of, and purchase them directly through the Goldbelt Tram. If you do go this route you will risk them selling out, and you’ll still want to get them early in the day.
Sealaska Heritage Institute
The Sealaska Heritage Institute is a Native nonprofit that promotes cultural diversity and cross-cultural understanding. The museum inside rotates exhibits, and admission is $7 per person. The Sealaska Heritage Institute is much more than a simple stop; however, there are educational programs, lecture series and so much more. Stop into the store one the way out to support the local communities.
Visit Tahku
Tahku is the giant (life sized) bronze Humpback whale sculpture near Juneau’s waterfront. Tahku was commissioned to celebrate Alaska’s 50th year of statehood. While you’re visiting Tahku, take a walk on the boardwalk next door.
Take a Self Guided Brewery Tour
Juneau has a few breweries within walking distance of the port and each other that make for a great afternoon. Check out Devil’s Club Brewing Company, Alaska Brewing Co., and Barnaby Brewing Company.
Visit the Red Dog Saloon
The Red Dog Saloon is a cruise port staple. It originated in the mining era and gives off saloon vibes to this day. When you visit you’ll notice the oddities on the walls, tight seating area and fun atmosphere. If you’re looking for quiet I wouldn’t recommend it..
best excursions
Mendenhall Glacier
Mendenhall Glacier is a breathtaking stop that you have to make if you have the opportunity. There are several ways you can get there, via self tour, guided tour, or part of combination excursion. If you take a guided tour you won’t have to worry about transportation. If you plan on visiting on your own you will need to get your own transportation.
You can take a taxi or a direct shuttle to Mendenhall Glacier. You’ll notice that I didn’t mention taking the local bus. The local bus is mostly for Downtown transportation, it takes an hour and a half one way to Mendenhall Glacier. That is roughly triple the amount of time it would take if you took a direct “Mendenhall Glacier” shuttle. It is around $45 round trip per person to take a cruise line based, direct shuttle. You don’t have to book tickets in advance, but I would recommend you buy your tickets right when you get off your ship. There will be booths lining the dock where the ships let off, and there will be one for the “Blue Bus” which is the shuttle company to Mendenhall.
Once you get there you can visit visitor center or take a walk down to Nugget Falls. Nugget Falls is the famous waterfall right next to the glacier. The walk there is roughly three quarters of a mile and mostly flat, stable ground until you get to the beach.
Whale Watching
Juneau is located in a prime whale watching area and makes for a fantastic day. Guided whale watching tours are a great way to learn about the area’s wildlife and geography. Be sure to choose a company with an outdoor viewing platform as well as indoor seating if possible. This will give you the best opportunity to see a whale-because you can move around if you’re on the wrong side of the boat!
Boating
This category is simply boating because Juneau has a lot to offer via boat. There are zodiac, raft, and kayak adventures offered by a plethora of companies as well as cruise lines. Getting out on a boat in Juneau is one of the top rated excursion activities offered.
Juneau is a great cruise port with plenty of things to do. In our personal opinion-based on our experiences and preferences- we think it is best to either dedicate the day to exploring downtown or booking an excursion to do for at least part of the day. On our trip we explored downtown a little too quickly and were left with the rest of the day to find things to do (even after viewing Mendenhall Glacier). We wished we booked a whale watching tour in the afternoon. Regardless, if you have a plan you’ll have a great day here!
Cruise Port Guide: Icy Strait Point
A cruise port guide to create your own perfect day at Icy Strait Point, Alaska.
Cruise Port Guide: Skagway
Skagway is the most northern deep water, ice-free port in North America. It is also one of the best cruise ports to visit on an Alaskan Cruise.
Cruise Port Guide: Ketchikan
Ketchikan is the southernmost Alaskan cruise port and the Salmon capitol of the world. It is a very small town surrounded by the Tongass National Forest. The weather here is best in the summer months, with the normal Alaskan rain and fog still making its appearance. We cruised in June and it was about 60 degrees and overcast, but manageable.
When cruising to Ketchikan, there are two places your ship could be docking. You will either be docking right in Ketchikan, or at Ward Cove. The Ketchikan cruise port is convenient to town with all of the shops close by. If you dock in Ward Cove you will need to transfer via bus into town. There isn’t anything wrong with that, but you’ll be adding time to your day and possibly need to take that into account when booking excursions. Also you should note that there is nothing to do in Ward Cove. You’ll need to go into town to do any sightseeing or activities.
Things to do in ketchikan
There are a lot of different activities to choose from in Ketchikan. In order to narrow your choices down you should first decide what type of activities interest you and what your budget is. Helicopter rides, scenic planes, and glacier hikes sound absolutely fantastic, but when you’re booking excursions for every port day of your cruise they add up. If you don’t like hiking in your day to day life you probably won’t love it on vacation either. That being said, you won’t have any issues finding something you want to do here.
My Personal Advice: Pick one excursion, and walk around downtown before or after your excursion. We were able to get off the ship early during our day in Ketchikan and we were able to see all of downtown while the crowds were low.
Downtown
Creek Street
This is one of the most famous photo spots in Ketchikan. It is a short walk from Downtown and just across a foot bridge. The buildings on Creek Street are built over Ketchikan Creek and are all connected by a boardwalk. There are niche shops, restaurants and experiences on Creek Street. You can tour Dolly’s House Museum, a remnant of the old days on Creek Street. Between 1903 and 1954 Creek Street was known as Ketchikan’s red light district.
Totem Viewing
Just downtown alone there are about a dozen Totem poles to see. It is an easy, walkable route to see them all. If you want to further your Totem pole adventure check out the Totem Heritage Center, also a short walk from downtown. The Southeast Alaska Discovery center is another place to learn the history of the area.
The Rock
The Rock is a bronze sculpture located downtown, directly in front of the famous Ketchikan sign. The sculpture has seven people, of which one of them was a real person. A tlingit Chief, Chief Johson, representing the people that first called the area home. The others are a native drummer, frontierswoman, bush pilot, logger, miner and a fisherman. This is a famous photo spot and can get busy in the mid day.
Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show
The Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show is located downtown, just steps away from the main cruise dock. The show portrays the logging history of Southeast Alaska and lasts about an hour. Some say the show is a little scripted, but it is a fun family stop. Beware that the show is mostly outside. The seating area is partially covered for shade but if it rains you’re in the elements.
Best ketchikan excursions
We booked all of our Alaska cruise excursions through Alaska Shore Excursions, and I highly recommend using them if you’re looking to book outside of your cruise line’s offered excursions. Here are a few of the top excursions offered in Ketchikan:
Sea Kayaking
This is the excursion that we chose and it was more than worth it. We took a half day sea kayaking excursion where we were picked up in Ward Cove and transported to Clover Pass Resort. There we kayaked for about 3 hours (I would say 2 of those hours were coasting) before being transferred back to Ward Cove. Our guide was amazing, she was constantly giving us little facts and wildlife lessons.
Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour
If you love watching Deadliest Catch, this tour is for you. You get to board a fishing vessel and observe fishing techniques and wildlife encounters on a 3 hour excursion. It’s a great introduction into the commercial fishing world.
Bear Encounters
Neet’s Bay observatory and Traitor’s Cove are popular spots for observing bears. Traitor’s Cove tours require a 70-ish minute boat ride to the observation platform. Neet’s Bay tours require a 30 minute bus ride to Clover Pass Resort, followed by an hour boat ride to Neet’s Bay. These locations are natural viewing spots so there is no guarantee that you will see bears, but the odds are decent.
Zodiac Tour
Zodiacs are rigid, inflatable boats that are small and make for perfect touring boats. Most of the Zodiac tours offered are wildlife viewing or general cruising. Either would be a great way to spend the day. The advantage to taking a Zodiac wildlife tour over another tour on a bigger boat is that you are able to move around more freely, and into more difficult spots where you might see more wildlife.
General planning
There are plenty of things to do other than a pre-planned excursion, but you should take into account how long your port day is. If you have 8-10 hours in port it would be worthwhile to book an excursion unless you want to enjoy extra time on the ship. If you have 6 hours or less, doing a self guided tour of downtown would be fine.
Ketchikan is a great port to visit on your Alaskan cruise. My general recommendation for this port is to do one excursion, and explore the town on foot before or after the excursion if you can. There is a local bus service if you want to move around more freely. It really is a small town, so if you choose not to do an excursion here it will be a laid back day. There are shops, restaurants and museums in town to visit but be prepared that it is touristy for the most part. This leans into my recommendation to do an excursion and explore. Every group is different though and that may be your perfect day, so remember to do what you want in the end!