Alaska Questions

[Disnsyncey]

Thank you! Our current plan is to fly into SEA and then take the train to Vancouver but we're waiting for the MLB schedule (my DH is trying to get to all the MLB parks and doesn't have SEA yet) to decide as we might end up doing that in reverse instead.

ooooo Tmobile is one of my favs!

 

[Disnsyncey]

We go to Fairbanks next month. We're hoping to see the Norhtern lights. If you have any Fairbanks recommendations, I'd love them.
I have a feeling we'll most likely be doing another Alaskan cruise. Hopefully we'll be able to get my parents to join us.

I think we might try for a bear excursion in Ketchikan. Sounds like that's our best bet!

Thank you!

so....there's not much in Fairbanks There is the REALLY FAMOUS antique car museum though! And the University museum has some things to see maybe? We had some delicious crepes downtown! There's like nothing there.....fanciest hotel IN TOWN is a Springhill Suites

I think a bear excursion in Ketchikan is a great idea, as MOST of the Ketchikan excursions don't excite me much....the lumberjack show was fun though! hahahah

Just use this trip as a scouting trip for your next visit to Alaska! hahaha

 

[Disnsyncey]

No idea how hard verandahs are to get, just know on an Alaskan cruise the best views are going to be on the top decks because you are SURROUNDED by beauty and if just stay on your verandah you will miss half of it.
The whale and wildlife watching excursions are best, some even offer a money back guarantee that you will see three different kinds of wildlife.

Yes, the guides really do want you to see the wildlife! hahaha

I'm pretty sure that the decks are large enough for everyone not to be too squished! Don't make your first priority to be on your verandah! It's a backup when you are tired of spinning while standing up looking at all the beauty surrounding you

I think our first glacier day I was on deck for 1.5 hours then I brought a hot dog back to the cabin to sit down

 

[amythecat]

We did our cruise the first week of August. Weather was perfect all week long except for our first sea day which was rainy and cold. Glacier day was perfect and sunny.

Flew in and out of Seattle and took the train to Vancouver. We stayed at the Embassy Suites in Seattle right next to the Amtrak station--perfect location! There was a free shuttle bus from our hotel to the waterfront and space needle. Took the light rail in Seattle and Vancouver, so we had no need for car rental. After the cruise, we went to Grouse Mountain in Vancouver on the free shuttles

Our kids are 5 and 8 and we had early dining. With the time change from Eastern time, we woke up early and went to sleep early.
Skagway we did the Chilikoot Charters bus first, train second and had no trouble with timing. We saw a bear on the side of the road
Juneau we did whale watching with Harv and Marv on a super small boat for 6 passengers. Choppy water, but we saw lots of whales.
Ketchican we did the George Inlet crab feast and boat tour. Kids loved this the most.

On glacier day, the top decks were way too crowded, but deck 4 was better for views and not as crowded.

 

[KatieKepic]

so....there's not much in Fairbanks There is the REALLY FAMOUS antique car museum though! And the University museum has some things to see maybe? We had some delicious crepes downtown! There's like nothing there.....fanciest hotel IN TOWN is a Springhill Suites

I think a bear excursion in Ketchikan is a great idea, as MOST of the Ketchikan excursions don't excite me much....the lumberjack show was fun though! hahahah

Just use this trip as a scouting trip for your next visit to Alaska! hahaha

Ha! That's what we've learned. We have 2 nights there before we go to our auroa viewing hotel for 4 nights. It'll be an adventure I'm sure

I've seen a lot of recommendations for teh lumberjack show! One review I read did the bears in the morning and then lumberjack show in the afternoon so that might be an option too.

Love that idea! At the AK cruise & excursion prices, I'm sure my husband will be thrilled when I tell him this trip is my scouting one to plan my next one

 

[KatieKepic]

We did our cruise the first week of August. Weather was perfect all week long except for our first sea day which was rainy and cold. Glacier day was perfect and sunny.

Flew in and out of Seattle and took the train to Vancouver. We stayed at the Embassy Suites in Seattle right next to the Amtrak station--perfect location! There was a free shuttle bus from our hotel to the waterfront and space needle. Took the light rail in Seattle and Vancouver, so we had no need for car rental. After the cruise, we went to Grouse Mountain in Vancouver on the free shuttles

Our kids are 5 and 8 and we had early dining. With the time change from Eastern time, we woke up early and went to sleep early.
Skagway we did the Chilikoot Charters bus first, train second and had no trouble with timing. We saw a bear on the side of the road
Juneau we did whale watching with Harv and Marv on a super small boat for 6 passengers. Choppy water, but we saw lots of whales.
Ketchican we did the George Inlet crab feast and boat tour. Kids loved this the most.

On glacier day, the top decks were way too crowded, but deck 4 was better for views and not as crowded.

Thank you! After all the advice I've gotten, I think we're leaning toward late July/early August and hope for the best with weather and wildlife.

Thank you so much for the Seattle info! I'm definitely going to look into the Embassy Suites as that sounds great.

Chilikoot and Harv & Marv are two that we were looking at so perfect! Did y'all do teh George inlet through DCL or someone else?

Love the tip about deck 4, thank you!

 

[amythecat]

Thank you! After all the advice I've gotten, I think we're leaning toward late July/early August and hope for the best with weather and wildlife.

Thank you so much for the Seattle info! I'm definitely going to look into the Embassy Suites as that sounds great.

Chilikoot and Harv & Marv are two that we were looking at so perfect! Did y'all do teh George inlet through DCL or someone else?

Love the tip about deck 4, thank you!

George Inlet was with DCL

 

[Disnsyncey]

Ha! That's what we've learned. We have 2 nights there before we go to our auroa viewing hotel for 4 nights. It'll be an adventure I'm sure

I've seen a lot of recommendations for teh lumberjack show! One review I read did the bears in the morning and then lumberjack show in the afternoon so that might be an option too.

Love that idea! At the AK cruise & excursion prices, I'm sure my husband will be thrilled when I tell him this trip is my scouting one to plan my next one

I did the lumberjack show both years, the first year we couldn't find a tour we liked so we just did the walking tour we found at the info center and the show in the afternoon. Second time, we did a totem tour through the cruise (needed to get some culture! haha) and then lumberjack show. I read rumors that it is owned by Disney, and I can see why (especially cuz it was basically what was done in Canada at Epcot for their lumberjack show haha) but it's not (or that's what I found from my online research), but it IS VERY "show" like. It's just fun. Another popular one in Ketchikan is the Deadliest Catch tour, a lot of people RAVE about it.

 

[pjacobi]

The best place in Alaska to see bears is in Katamai National Park, however, it is quite a trek to get there!

The Katmai bears even have their own live stream on YouTube.


-Paul

 

[ladyofthetramp]

We are headed back to Alaska on the Magic next summer. Our first trip to Alaska was on the Wonder in 2018, early August. Last time we started in Seattle. Did all the Seattle things- Boeing tour, glass tour etc. We stayed at Hotel 5-A StayPineapple Hotel. Great fun there- walked everywhere. Train ride to Vancouver was gorgeous-sit on the left. Business class seats- was awesome. In Alaska we did our own thing. Juneau we rented a car and did Mendenhall Glacier at our own pace. We drove about an hour out of town to Eagle Beach. So many salmon! We were one step behind many bears as we could hear them and saw their scat. Some naturalists there said we were just missing them. Same at Mendenhall. We did Chilkoot tours in Skagway-great tour, very happy. Glacier day we did the little boat. For us it was worth every penny. We saw calving. Not sure what we will do this time around. Ketchikan we did lumberjack show- it was fun, but a one and done. We get ISP on this cruise, so whale watching is a must. We will do something different at the other stops. Hopefully get to see those bears this time!

 

[KatieKepic]

I did the lumberjack show both years, the first year we couldn't find a tour we liked so we just did the walking tour we found at the info center and the show in the afternoon. Second time, we did a totem tour through the cruise (needed to get some culture! haha) and then lumberjack show. I read rumors that it is owned by Disney, and I can see why (especially cuz it was basically what was done in Canada at Epcot for their lumberjack show haha) but it's not (or that's what I found from my online research), but it IS VERY "show" like. It's just fun. Another popular one in Ketchikan is the Deadliest Catch tour, a lot of people RAVE about it.

I need to go look at teh deadliest catch tour! It sounds like something my husband and son would love since they watch the show. The lumberjack show defnitely sounds like it would be fun for the kids. Thanks for all the ideas!

 

[KatieKepic]

We are headed back to Alaska on the Magic next summer. Our first trip to Alaska was on the Wonder in 2018, early August. Last time we started in Seattle. Did all the Seattle things- Boeing tour, glass tour etc. We stayed at Hotel 5-A StayPineapple Hotel. Great fun there- walked everywhere. Train ride to Vancouver was gorgeous-sit on the left. Business class seats- was awesome. In Alaska we did our own thing. Juneau we rented a car and did Mendenhall Glacier at our own pace. We drove about an hour out of town to Eagle Beach. So many salmon! We were one step behind many bears as we could hear them and saw their scat. Some naturalists there said we were just missing them. Same at Mendenhall. We did Chilkoot tours in Skagway-great tour, very happy. Glacier day we did the little boat. For us it was worth every penny. We saw calving. Not sure what we will do this time around. Ketchikan we did lumberjack show- it was fun, but a one and done. We get ISP on this cruise, so whale watching is a must. We will do something different at the other stops. Hopefully get to see those bears this time!

So helpful, thank you! I like the idea of renting a car and exploring different areas. I'd love to hear what y'all end up and what you thought if you think about it after your trip. I'm crossing my fingers for y'all that you get to see the bears this time and have a great trip!

 

[Marley21]

I need to go look at teh deadliest catch tour! It sounds like something my husband and son would love since they watch the show. The lumberjack show defnitely sounds like it would be fun for the kids. Thanks for all the ideas!

For the lumberjack show, we visited Grouse Mountain in Vancouver the day before embarkation, and they have a free lumberjack show there. It was a great show, and it allowed us to free up some space on our Ketchikan itenerary. If you're staying in Vancouver at all before embarkation, this may be a possibility.

As for bears, as others have mentioned, Ketchikan in late July or early August is your best bet. We went on the Alaskan Sanctuary Tour offered through Disney (KE12) and we saw probably close to a dozen black bears feeding on the spawning salmon in a creek next to a fish hatchery. As has already been mentioned, the black bears are more active when the salmon are making their run, and this is the best time of year to see them in Ketchikan.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

So helpful, thank you! I like the idea of renting a car and exploring different areas. I'd love to hear what y'all end up and what you thought if you think about it after your trip. I'm crossing my fingers for y'all that you get to see the bears this time and have a great trip!

Renting a car is fun. And in Juneau easy to get around. We have black bears here in our backyard routinely, but we want to see them in Alaska! LOL

 

[bakofarmgirl]

wondering if anyone can comment on favorite sled dog excursions and fishing excursions? thanks!

 

[Marley21]

wondering if anyone can comment on favorite sled dog excursions and fishing excursions? thanks!

For the sled dog excursion, I assume you are referring to the helicopter ride to the glacier where you visit a sled dog camp. My only recommendation for that is to have a backup plan, as the excursion is cancelled roughly 50% of the time. Ours was cancelled in Skagway this past July due to the cloud cover. I have heard the afternoon excursions are more likely to move forward.

 

[bakofarmgirl]

For the sled dog excursion, I assume you are referring to the helicopter ride to the glacier where you visit a sled dog camp. My only recommendation for that is to have a backup plan, as the excursion is cancelled roughly 50% of the time. Ours was cancelled in Skagway this past July due to the cloud cover. I have heard the afternoon excursions are more likely to move forward.

what about the non helicopter ones?

 

[Marley21]

what about the non helicopter ones?

We did not participate in that excursion, but my understanding is that they almost always move forward rain or shine. I've seen several vlogs where the vlogger is riding in the "sled" while it's pouring down rain.

 

[Disnsyncey]

I need to go look at teh deadliest catch tour! It sounds like something my husband and son would love since they watch the show. The lumberjack show defnitely sounds like it would be fun for the kids. Thanks for all the ideas!

I'm pretty sure they have converted one of their actual boats for the tour, so it's REAL If they like the show even a little I bet they will love it (because I have heard that so many people who don't even watch the show enjoyed it before haha)

 

[Stormypetrel]

Did Alaska on the wonder this past August and you’ve gotten a lot of good advice so far but if I could go back in time and change one thing about my trip it would be to pack rain PANTS!