I would highly recommend a whale watch excursion in Juneau. And take a trip to see the Mendenhall Glacier too.
If you go to Skagway, we really enjoyed the White Pass rail trip. Beautiful scenery.
I'm going to Alaska this year for the first time(totally excited!)
Celebrity Infinity -May 11-25
Totally interested in tips/places to visit/excursions that are must see. Whale/bear/bald eagle sightings are the top of my list atm.
Bear in mind that sightings from the ship are fairly rare. We have several times seen whales from the ship but it was very lucky, and they were usually far off. The best way to guarantee whale sightings is to take a whale watching excursion, probably in Juneau. Even then, seeing the exciting breaches is fairly rare. More often you get a spout and a rolling back. Often you will see sea lions, dolphins and other sea life.
We like to ride the Ketchikan ducks and they usually find a tree with bald eagles nesting someplace around the bay.
Bear sightings are much rarer. Icy Strait Point is known for bears, but the other ports may or may not have much chance.
The railroad in Skagway is fun, but we like to rent a car and drive over the pass into the Yukon ourselves. You can go to Caribou Crossing, a tourist trap, but lots of fun.
There are so many great excursions in Alaska. Check out our experiences and pictures at Alaska Excursions Guide.
We did the Duck in Ketchikan too and it was really fun. Goofy but fun and our 9 yr old really enjoyed it.
We've "done" Alaska 3 times, all in August and saw whales from the ship a lot. But as Mike said, they were far off. Much better to go to Auk Bay in Juneau.
I would highly recommend a whale watch excursion in Juneau. And take a trip to see the Mendenhall Glacier too.
If you go to Skagway, we really enjoyed the White Pass rail trip. Beautiful scenery.
I did the above excursions and I highly recomend them as well.
TM
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MM or Peter may know the answer to this one. I've noticed a few hundred difference in price on Princess going from Whittier to Vancouver over going northbound? It seem to be higher going South, is there a reason for that?
MM or Peter may know the answer to this one. I've noticed a few hundred difference in price on Princess going from Whittier to Vancouver over going northbound? It seem to be higher going South, is there a reason for that?
There is one and only one reason for differences in cruise fares -- supply and demand!
For some reason the southbound trips seem to be more popular than the northbound trips. In fact, oft given advice on message boards may possibly have some effect on that. I don't know why but a lot of people (including one very outspoken self proclaimed "expert" on "that other board") recommend southbound.
The Travel Agency DW works for actually received some literature from one of the cruise companies (I disremember which) offering tips on how to sell the northbound cruises.
I think I'd prefer southbound. Do the hectic traveling on trains and busses first, then get on the ship to unwind. And as Donna mentioned, I'd prefer the shorter plane flight after the cruise as well.
My main concern is the day the cruise ends, easier to fly out of Vancouver over Whittier...
Indeed. And you also have to consider the cost of the transfer to Anchorage. Either by bus or by train, it adds a considerable amount to the price of the cruise. Offsets some of the price difference.
We took the train in. It leaves early in the morning, and goes past some beautiful scenery.
Along the way we were very lucky to see belugas in Turnagain Arm. So it is a fun thing to do, but a bit expensive.
Cruising to Alaska on the Infinity May 25-June 1. Can't wait .... first time cruiser. I have already booked the White Mountain Pass but that's all. I have also reserved the US speciality restaurant on the 27th for our 35th wedding anniversary. Is there anyone else on these boards going to be cruising then?
I'm here :-) Looking forward to our first ever cruise. We are a family of 4 (Husband 56, wife 49, son 17, and possible addition of 23 yr old daughter) We are traveling the Coral Princess in late June from Vancouver to Whittier. Figured going n-bound we would continually see more and more beautiful sites. The down side - overnight flight back home!
Several people suggest whale watching in Juneau - anyone suggest an outfitter/service?
We are staying an extra day in Anchorage before returning home - any suggestions to see/visit there?
Our family likes to hike, spend time outdoors (have done Montana-Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, Appalachia, etc). Thanks for any suggestions!!
It is very easy to book whale watching with Capt. Larry, Orca enterprises in Juneau. He is a short walk in town to their office where they will then bus you to their pier/harbour....You can find their web-site and pre book.
Several people suggest whale watching in Juneau - anyone suggest an outfitter/service?
Captain Larry and Orca Enterprises are very popular. Many people like the smaller boats.
Personally, we prefer to book through the ship on Allen Marine. Their boats are large, luxurious, fully equipped and especially designed for whale watching, even having "stealth mode" engines. It becomes a matter of personal taste.
The Allen Marine boats have huge picture windows, an open top deck, an onboard naturalist, and facilities such as flush toilets and a nice snack bar.
The best pictures we have of the Allen Marine boats are on our Sitka page, but the ones operating out of Juneau are substantially similar.
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