I was also on the July 1-8 trip.
The 4th of July on the ship was cute. As the PP said, there wasn't a ton happening, but there was a celebration with the characters in Patriotic outfits and a special menu in the dining room. We sang the national anthem along with one of the Walt Disney Theater performers. (There are fruity red, white, and blue drinks in addition to the "American Comfort food" themed menu at dinner, too. You could also choose any items from the regular dining room menu that night if you preferred those items.)
Additionally, we spent this day in Skagway, and the town contacted the ship with a list of activities it had going on for the 4th. We of course missed their fireworks celebration (funny, how the town can have fireworks but DCL can't!
because it happened after we left port, but they did have a parade, a rubber ducky race down the creek, a railway spike-diving competition, and a few other things. We were provided with a schedule in our stateroom.
Here's what we did excursion-wise. We booked everything on our own and were thrilled with all of it.
Skagway - Yukon Bus and Rail Tour with Chilkoot Chaters: Definitely a good choice, although this was a long day. The entire excursion took 8 hours (so we missed most of the 4th of July festivities), and included many, many stops - more than what was advertised when we booked the tour. Our driver had lots of information to give us and was a bit of an odd duck, but got us where we needed to go on time and was happy to take photos. The scenery on the way up was just gorgeous - highlights included Bridal Veil falls near Skagway, the Alaska/Canada border, Carcross Desert, and a number of lakes, including Emerald Lake. The stop at Caribou Crossing for lunch was more than adequate, and I felt like we had plenty of time to check everything out. Yes, it's a bit of a tourist trap...but basically every excursion that went anywhere near that area stops there. It is what it is, and the food was certainly decent. The White Pass Railway on the way back was also just stunning. Overall, this excursion was worth every cent.
Juneau - Did a day "on our own":
-Started by taking the "blue bus" shuttle to the Mendenhall Glacier for $8 pp each way. There are a dozen vendors right at the Mt. Roberts Tramway (where the shuttle form the port drops you off downtown) selling tickets. Go with whoever sounds friendliest. We spent about two hours at the glacier, strolling around at our leisure. DO NOT MISS the walk to Nugget Falls - it is just beautiful. We didn't find it necessary to pay the $3 fee to enter the Visitor Center, as we were able to get a map of all the surrounding trails just inside the door. Pro Tip: Since we left early in the morning and were ready to return to town around 10:00 AM, we asked the first shuttle driver we saw if she would take us (she was not with the "blue bus" company). Since her shuttle back wasn't full, she very kindly obliged. We tipped her a couple of bucks, and would definitely recommend going this route to save a bit of time.
-Strolled around downtown for a bit. Saw the Red Dog Saloon, walked into a few ships, found the Governor's Mansion, and visited the Alaska State Museum for about an hour. All worthwhile and inexpensive.
-Splurged on lunch at Tracy's King Crab Shack - probably the best meal of our whole trip. We got the combo meal, which consists of a cup of crab bisque, four small crabcakes, and one HUGE king crab leg, and then we added a 1/2 dungeoness crab to that. This was more than enough food for my husband and I. Well, WELL worth the cost - just trust me. We left around 12:30 and the line weaved its way pretty much back out to the street. Just go; you won't be sorry.
-Finished up the afternoon with a tour and tasting at the Alaskan Brewing Company, also a terrific value. $15 will buy you a shuttle to and from the brewery from their retail store downtown, plus a tour and tasting. The tasting is a super value - you start with samples of their four most popular beers, and from there it's ALL YOU CAN DRINK until it's time for the shuttle to leave. Needless to say, the shuttle ride back tot he port was considerably livelier than the shuttle ride up, and everyone was really happy about it.
We wound up purchasing a six-pack of the Alaskan White for consumption back on the ship, which was very tasty. (Pro Tip: DCL is selling Alaskan Amber, White, and Summer beers on the ship - they have all three in bottles, and Alaskan Summer on tap. Six-packs in the ports are readily available and cheaper if you decide you really like this beer and want to drink a lot of it
)
Finished up the port day with a message and mini-facial back on the ship, as it was my birthday and I love me a good port day special at the spa.
Ketchikan - Misty Fjords Floatplane with Island Wings:
The absolute highlight of the trip...and we had a blast in all three ports. We spent the morning strolling about town and visiting the Totem Heritage Center (worth the couple of bucks for admission - I saw totem poles everywhere in Vancouver and Alaska, but learned the most about them here). Creek Street is quite nice and very picturesque, and KetchiCandies (located right behind the big "Welcome to Ketchikan" sign) had some yummy sweets. We returned to the ship for a quick lunch, and then went back out to meet our excursion at 2:15.
We were shuttled only a mile or two down the road to Island Wings' dock. Michelle, the pilot, and Shona (who runs the shuttle and does the accounting) were very friendly. The rest of this excursion is mostly indescribable, and to even attempt to give you a sense for how beautiful the scenery was would be an insult to how amazing this trip is. The whole thing lasts about 2 1/2 hours, including a 45-minute stop on a lake within the fjords. Michelle is an able pilot, and the entire experience was so surreal that I found myself tearing up towards the end of it. Just go. Do this. You will not regret it. Best money we spent on the entire vacation. I am happy to share photos from Facebook...but they do not do the experience justice
Happy to answer questions if anyone has 'em!
