Trish and Wade Connell, while entertaining passengers on board as a duo,
Seascape, made 36 trips from Vancouver of which approx half were a one week turn
around, while the other half were 7 day cruises from Vancouver to
Seward. (Seward is 3 hours by road to Anchorage on one of most scenic roads in North
America). We asked them to share their tips and .recommendations
Preparing for your Cruise:
 Most cruise companies operate in Alaska.
Their prices are competitive and
services similar, companies include Princess, Norwegian Carnival, and
Celebrity. They run large cruise ships (1200 -2000 passengers) and
effectively follow same route. Inside cabins are cheapest, outside and
outside with balcony go up in price. If you can afford to upgrade do, but don't feel
disadvantaged by inside cabin as you share all facilities the ship has to offer.
Take:
A warm waterproof jacket,hat,scarf and gloves, Good walking shoes and an
umbrella (it is a rain forest area).
Binoculars are a must, avoids the need to buy from ship's shop.
Alcohol - a bottle of your favourite spirits. Although cruising is
economical, on board prices for drinks can be expensive as well as being in
$US. Be aware also that every service on board incurs a 10-15% mandatory
charge added to your bill. The travel office on ship can arrange many and
varied tours, but be aware that the popular tours, eg helicopter flights
landing on glacier, are often prebooked, so if you decide to take one of
these, make a decision and book before you go or immediately you get on
board so you don't have to listen to other passengers raving about how great it was
and you missed out. Nevertheless, if you can't decide, don't be too worried, because
land based operators will offer you pretty much identical tours on leaving the ship.
These can sometimes be cheaper than company tours that use own vehicles and contracts
and venues.
The state capital of Juneau is an old gold mining town, in fact, the ship
docks alongside one of the original mines. The township is colourful and
attractive with it's wooden two story buildings, hanging baskets and
buntings, leftovers from July 4th celebrations. Next to the dock is an
excellent cable car to a restaurant and walking area offering most
magnificent view over the harbour and far beyond.
For a real treat there is a vintage flying boat service with 1930s De
Havilland aircraft taking around nine passengers on an unforgettable glacial
flight culminating in lunch at a Lodge accessible only by plane or water and
built in 1920s. It is authentic in every way, the lunch is home cooked and
excellent. There is a good chance that a black bear will wander down to see
what's going on and what's for lunch!
Have a meal wharf side where the flying boats take off, lovely views, plenty
of action.
In the town McDonald's does a good coffee and across the road is an
excellent bookshop, an eclectic music/hi fi/white goods store and a couple of boutiques.
The main shopping thrust in Juneau is for souvenirs, be it a
beautiful fur coat, gold or precious jewellery or cheap memorabilia The
locals have to be content with a Kmart for variety shopping and for many
outback Alaskan women the highlight of their shopping year is a flight to
Juneau to stock up on essentials at the store.
Ketchikan - the salmon centre of Alaska, where millions upon millions salmon
spawn every year. When the salmon run is on, the rivers and streams are literally
thick with writhing salmon. Take a gentle hike down the road, find a stream and observe.
Stunning scenery, lots of nice souvenir shops and a pioneer village (complete with
"Dolly's" house of disrepute) remind one of early colonisation of the state.
Eagles abound and they nest in trees just a short walk from the docks, where the
fishing boats harbour.
Sitka
famous for spruce, and lots of totems, has a strong Russian
influence with genuine Russian Orthodox church in town. A beautiful park for walking
borders town and is worth a 45 min ramble amongst spruce and
redwood, preferable maybe to attending the Russian folk dancing exhibition
by the locals. The ship drops anchor and tenders off amongst the pretty
islands in the harbour. |
Skagway
at the top end of Lynn Canal, has the wonderful narrow gauge White Pass Railroad
- an absolute must not miss. With excellent service, views to die for, a tightly
winding route follows the legendary Yukon Trail and a fascinating commentary by a
young local describes the extraordinary achievements of the early gold miners. Another
reconstructed pioneer village - rather like Hollywood western film set, sets the
scene of Skagway. Vintage yellow taxis, horse and buggies and old steam trains take
you back in time. The attendants all dress in turn of the century outfits to complete
the look. It's great.
Skagway offers caffeine lovers a Starbucks where crew and pax alike flock for a caffeine
fix. The Red Onion Pub is great for a locally brewed beer served by lusty wenches
in costumes of the gold mining area. The musicians from the visiting ships (sometimes
four a day) jam together much to the delight of the patrons. Johnny, sporting a bowler
hat, plays a genuine ragtime, so order a beer and an American sized hamburger (national
fare)and have a most pleasant sojourn ashore for very few dollars.
A short walk takes you to the Red Tomato Café for delicious home made
treats, yummy fresh pitta and Turkish breads, muffins, quiches, and great
coffees which made it our regular lunch spot. Walk a little further down the
road to the graveyard where local hero/villain Soapy Smith is buried and
then only a few steps more into the bush to discover a magnificent waterfall and
beautiful resting place. There are some great walks up to a lake high above the town,
beautiful scenery and great exercise but beware of bears, make a noise as you walk
and never carry any food in a pocket, they can smell for miles.
Some excellent helicopter flights enable you to walk on a glacier,
reasonably expensive but a highlight when visiting this part of the world.
Very popular also are the mushing trips, teams of dogs take a sleigh over
the mountain terrain for an adventure of a lifetime. Trips to observe bears
in their natural habitat are fantastic and the whale watching tours are an
absolute must at some stage of the journey.
Seward,
our northern most port, was memorable apart from the stunning
scenery, for the number of Winnabagos (mobile homes) that adorn the
foreshore. At the height of the season a couple of hundred from all over the USA
are crammed in for the American dream holiday.
The Marine Centre is world class and an ideal way to see up close the sea
life and birds that frequent this part of the world.
Linger over a long lunch at one of the marina restaurants then watch the
fish of the day being weighed in. Warning....it's a smelly business!
Hire a local limo (cheaper than a taxi) to spend a day on the nearby
glacier, take a picnic and revel in the spectacular views. You may even
spot a bear higher up the slopes in the snow, we did.
The highlights of Alaska were the natural wonders, the beauty of the
pristine scenery, the giant glaciers excited pax and crew alike as
they 'calved" and crashed into the sea. We never tired of the days at sea,
the ocean was always interesting, even in stormy times and the rescue of a stranded
fisherman was an exciting and risky event in the Bay of Alaska.
Let us know about your Alaskan cruising experiences,
recommendations and tips. |
Cruising Alaska's Inside
Passage