Any ideas for sights in Alaska?

[firenresq77]

My wife and I will be taking an Alaskan cruise next month and was just wondering if anyone has any suggested sights to see. We fly into Anchorage and the next day the ship leaves and we end up in Vancouver....... Can't remember where all of the stops are.........

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

The lovely Mrs. Gonz and I went on an Alaskan cruise in September 2005. Ther are so many shore excursions, quaint shops and such to spend lots of money in etc. there are way too many to list. We did the following on our cruise

Skagway: take the White Pass ansd Yukon scenic railway tour... breathtaking scenery and wildlife.

Juneau: you have to visit the Red Dog Saloon... sawdust on the floor, Phineas T. Poon playing piano for your entertainment, excellent food and drink!

Take the trip to Mendenhall glacier. Thwe salmon hathcery tour is interseting, you can see seals right near rhe fish ladders looking for a meal!

Ketchikan: The Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show and Saxman Native village.

Our cruise made a stop in Victoria, where wifey and I met Pfire 23 (Jenn) and Respect from Calgary (Sher). We went to the Irish Times Pub on Government Street..excellent food and drink!

[firenresq77]

Thanks for the tips, Chief!!

[RspctFrmCalgary]

hmmmmmmmmm

Just might have to do a day trip to Van next month to meet 77 and the new Mrs. 77

Hey Brian, if you PM me your travel details, I'll see if a meeting of crust is workable, based on your flight time out and all that. If we can't meet up, but you have some time between the time the cruise ship throws you off and your flight home, I can suggest some things to do (Granville Island, Stanley Park, Kits (Kitsilano) Beach, that sort of thing).

Too bad your cruise doesn't stop in Victoria! It was great meeting Ron & Trish! We met them coming off the ship, went for a drive to show them some of the sights and then, like Ron said, had dinner and a nice visit.

[FlyingKiwi]

Ice, look for Ice.

It should be the white stuff.

[firenresq77]

Thanks, Sheri! I'll email you the itenerary tomorrow....... It would be nice if we could meet up!

Kiwi, I was actually expecting something like that for you. Glad you didn't let me down!

Any idea on what to expect for weather?

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Anything and everything!



LMFAO!!!



We just broke 2 records in July .... the past 6 days it has rained every day, which broke the "consecutive days of rain in July" record, and in the 2 weeks prior to that we enjoyed temps of 25C to 36.3C, which beat the all time record high for July 10 I think it was.

So take your pick, wait 5 minutes and it will change.

The cruise ship site should have a "suggestions of what to pack" based on the destination of your cruise. If not, let me know and I'll give you a few hints.

Well, unless Ron beats me to it LOL. He'll be speaking from experience, after all.

[bferris01]

Recommendations

HI, sorry to but in on the topic, but I am getting married on OCT 12 this year and we are not doing a big wedding, we both want to go on the Alaska curise thing instead, likey the following year. Could you give us tips or recommends on:

Which curise line is best?

Best Time of Year?

Which ports to make sure we hit?

Any pit falls to watch out for?

Thanks, Stay safe

Chief 7
Brian

[sts060]

My wife and I will be taking an Alaskan cruise next month and was just wondering if anyone has any suggested sights to see. We fly into Anchorage and the next day the ship leaves and we end up in Vancouver....... Can't remember where all of the stops are.........

If you have a day in Anchorage, check at the "log cabin" visitor information center downtown, tell them how much time you have and what you'd like to do. If you have a chance to rent a car, there are numerous short (part-day) hikes in the mountains around Anchorage, with excellent views, and you can still knock around downtown and hit the gift shops and whatnot. Or you could walk along the Coastal Trail a bit without leaving town. There are some pretty good places to eat; the Glacier (micro)Brewery has good food and service, but you can have a long wait during tourist season. Simon and Seafort's (sp?) downtown is very good if you're looking for a tony dinner.

In Juneau, you might try to catch the Gold Creek salmon bake (http://www.juneau-guide.com/trSalmonBake.htm). It's next to the old gold mine so you can do a little exploring and work up your appetite. Fresh grilled salmon with butter and brown sugar glaze, fresh sourdough bread, cold lemonade and beer, yum. Did I say beer? Be sure to try the Alaskan Amber - brewed in Juneau.

If you get to Sitka, there are lots of interesting historic buildings - Sitka was the Russian capital of Alaska before it became part of the U.S. Last time I was there (a long time ago) there was a really interesting store with very old maps and such (well, I like that sort of thing).

And of course, be on the lookout for the wildlife, and enjoy.

[JHR1985]

watch out for bears...

[sts060]

HI, sorry to but in on the topic, but I am getting married on OCT 12 this year and we are not doing a big wedding, we both want to go on the Alaska curise thing instead, likey the following year. Could you give us tips or recommends on:

Which curise line is best?

Best Time of Year?

Which ports to make sure we hit?

Any pit falls to watch out for?

Thanks, Stay safe

Chief 7
Brian

Brian,

I can't tell you anything about the cruise ships, but you might want to consider the AK Marine Highway (http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/) ferries. You can catch one from Seattle. The bigger ones have cabins and restaurants. They are not as fancy as cruise ships, certainly, and the schedule may or may not suit you, but it's a potentially cheaper option - you'll have to comparison-shop - with a bit more of a "frontier" feel.

As far as your other questions, later in the summer - late July or August - is a good bet, as the bugs have declined somewhat, but you'll need to make your plans early. One thing I didn't mention is Denali (http://www.nps.gov/dena/)- if you have a chance to go, do it. You can take the train from Anchorage and stay in a hotel or camp near the park. There are buses that take you back into the park proper (car travel is restricted), and the drivers are very knowledgeable guides.

Congratulation on your upcoming nuptials!

[RspctFrmCalgary]

The best cruise ship / cruise line depends on what YOUR preferences are. If you're having problems researching the various choices, let me know and I'll help out as much as I can.

[jsdobson]

firenrescue77,

If you'll pm me with your arrival date and time, perhaps we could meet for coffee. I'm a "transplanted Buckeye."

bferris01,

For your planning purposes, you might consider the mid to late June. Wild flowers are out and the midnight sun will absolutely mess up your biological clock.

Dobber

[firenresq77]

firenrescue77,

If you'll pm me with your arrival date and time, perhaps we could meet for coffee. I'm a "transplanted Buckeye."

Dobber

I will PM you later tonight when I get back home

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Well, it sucks that your cruise arrives back in Vancouver on a Friday ... was hoping it would be a Sunday.

I need some more detailed info to see if we can pull it off. That's a pretty tight window to try to meet up. Depends on a few things, aside from whether or not I can get the day off. Big things happening employment-wise, I'm hoping to get a job offer or two by the end of the week.

Are you going to be at the Canada Place or Ballantyne cruise terminal?

What's the earliest you can disembark?

Is the transfer from your ship to the airport arranged by the cruise line already? If not, what time do you have to be at the airport?

I'll look for your email, Brian!