Have to return the love to this thread; everything I booked was result from recommendations here.
Skagway:
Chillkoot Charters & Tours Bus & Rail Excursion with 15 minute Dog Kart Ride
We took the train up and the bus down. Our pick-up time was 7:30 AM and a driver promptly scooped us up and took us to the train depot. From there, we met our guide for the day (Mike) who secured the back car for us. We were the only Disney folks; everyone else was from the Holland America or Princess ships, so it was adults only! Not that it was an adult-only excursion, it just worked out that way. The train rolled out at 8 AM and almost immediately the views were spectacular. Sit on the left side of the car for the most views! We could also pop out to the back platform; it was pretty darn cold as we climbed further up into the mountains, though, so I did not stay out there very long. Some guys with impressive cameras camped out there, though. It was about a 1.5 hour trip to the Canadian border, where they checked our passports and waved us on to the buses. Unlike the major cruise excursions that use the huge charter buses, we had a smaller 20 or so passenger bus (each seat was full). From there, Mike took us up into the Yukon, stopping at a few places for photos.
Note: Your guide takes cues off of you. Our fellow passengers liked to just pop out, snap some photos, then pop back on the bus. By the time we would climb off the bus, people were ready to get back on. My parents and I wanted to take in the sights (being from Florida, it was a truly amazing experience) so we felt a little rushed when we would be the last people standing and our guide waiting on the bus with everyone else. Folks would give us looks by the time we got back on. You're on vacation, folks! Enjoy it!
Every moment was filled with amazing cinematic vistas you only seem to see in movies. However, by the time we made it to the little (tourist) stop (Caribou Crossing) for lunch, we were starved--so make sure you pack yourselves snacks. Caribou Crossing is a cute little tourist trap with a good lunch. Only, because we booked the 15 minute dog kart ride, we only had 30 minutes to eat before we had to be out there for our ride. (The donuts are amazing, BTW.) The karts are not sleds, but look like go-karts with giant wheels that sit about 4 people comfortably. The dogs were excited! Once hitched, we were off! It was truly an adventure I was glad I booked. I took photos and video, then put the camera away to save battery life. Well, I wish I hadn't, because on the stretch back to camp, a
baby bear ran across the track! We were filled with both awe and terror because the dogs began to go after it! But the dog musher had some amazing control and managed to convince them not to. After the ride, we said hello to all the adorable puppies, the new baby donkey, some pigs and goats, briefly walked through a neat little taxidermy museum---only to rush back to the bus promptly at 1:05 when we were told to return. Well, no surprise, our group was sitting there glaring at us as if we had just caused the cruise ships to leave early. The people you're with, of course, is under no control of the tour company, so don't let my comments about our fellow passengers sway you one way or another. The bus ride back to Skagway included many stops and 2 wildlife sightings (a coyote and eagle), and we were back in town by 3:30. All-aboard was 7:30, so we had plenty of time to explore the little shops before heading back to the ship in time for main seating. There was a bus service for $2/person to take you from town back to the port.
I highly recommend this company and this excursion!
Juneau:
Rum Runner Charters 2.5 Whale Watching Excursion
I originally booked this excursion with Captain Chris for 7 AM, however, he called me before I left home to ask if it were possible to move it to 11 AM. All-aboard is 4:30 in Juneau, so we still had time, but it did not leave much room at all to do much of anything after. We appreciated having more time in the morning, though, to grab breakfast in Triton's. The bus service Capt. Chris uses was unfortunately at the wrong dock, so we waited about 10 minutes before that was corrected. It was only the 3 of us on this tour, so we had the bus all to ourselves and the driver explained many of the landmarks on the way to Auke Bay. Capt. Chris and his admiral, Moon Dog (a yellow lab), greeted us at the pier. He escorted us down to his boat where we met his skipper and given the lo-down on the boat and such. From there, we were off, and almost right away Capt. Chris spotted a whale. However, this whale kept moving all over the bay, so after a while we headed off to another hot spot. Well! We joined 2 or 3 other whale watching vessels filled with people to see a mother and baby humpback! And the baby kept breaching (jumping) out of the water! It was AMAZING! Moon Dog kept barking, which made the baby curious and he kept leaping out of the water to get a good look at the dog. Which meant the whales were super close to us! After about 20 minutes of amazing, we headed off down to a buoy to see a ton of Stellar Sea Lions, then finally to an island to see an entire flock of Bald Eagles as Captain Chris tossed out pieces of fish to get them to come close and swarm the boat! I got some amazing photos as result. Once back at the dock, we were escorted back to our bus. We could have stopped at Mendenhal Glacier, but since we were short on time, we just went back to the city center and had a quick bite at the Red Dog Saloon (try the clam chowder!) before poking into a shop or two and grabbing one of the last free shuttle back to the port.
I would highly recommend Rum Runner! Totally private charter for less money than Harv & Marv.