What did you do in Alaska?

[Drbaw5]

For Skagway, does it matter if you bus up and train down or train up and bus down?

 

[Geomom]

For Skagway, does it matter if you bus up and train down or train up and bus down?

Not really, it's personal preference. We chose bus up as it was a later start time (had to meet our driver off the ship by 8:15AM), and we thought the skies would be clearer in the afternoon if the morning was foggy so that we'd have a better view from the train (for us it was 'less foggy' in the afternoon...not completely clear). We also ended up enjoying the fact that the train ride down was relaxing after a day of walking around/

 

[Drbaw5]

Not really, it's personal preference. We chose bus up as it was a later start time (had to meet our driver off the ship by 8:15AM), and we thought the skies would be clearer in the afternoon if the morning was foggy so that we'd have a better view from the train (for us it was 'less foggy' in the afternoon...not completely clear). We also ended up enjoying the fact that the train ride down was relaxing after a day of walking around/

How many people should we expect to be on the tour with us?

 

[Geomom]

How many people should we expect to be on the tour with us?

For Chilkoot charters--the bus holds a total of 24 passengers, less than half what a Disney one would have.

 

[Drbaw5]

We cruised Alaska last summer (not DCL) and did the following:

• Ketchikan - Lumberjak show in the morning, lunch at the Fish House next door (the best salmon and halibut fish and chips!). Then we wandered around town and Creek Street.
• Juneau - Got off the ship and booked a bus to Mendenhall Glacier at one of the excursion booths on the pier. They managed to upsell us to a whale watching tour (we hadn't planned one) by offering child prices for all 3 of us. It was the best excursion of the trip! Lots of wildlife, and we got to see both a mother and baby humpback breach! The baby was just playing in the water - it was adorable!
• Skagway - we booked the Glaicer Point Wilderness Safari - a boat to the Glacier Point area, bus to the canoes, and then canoe to the base of Davidson Glacier. It was awesome! We booked through the ship, but it's also available direct (https://skagwayshoretours.com/tour/glacier-point-wilderness-safari/). We did the tour in the morning, and still had some time to wander around downtown after we returned.

Alaska is beautiful - no matter what you plan, make sure to enjoy the scenery! It's breathtaking 24 hours a day!

In Juneau, what company did you use for whale watching? Was it a private excursion? How long total for the glacier and whale watching... wondering if we'll be starving by the end or if there is an opportunity to eat lunch?

 

[anricat]

In Juneau, what company did you use for whale watching? Was it a private excursion? How long total for the glacier and whale watching... wondering if we'll be starving by the end or if there is an opportunity to eat lunch?

I'm not the poster you quoted, but we did private whale watching and the glacier (separately) so I thought I'd chime in. We rented a car with Juneau Car Rental Company and went to the glacier first thing in the morning. We beat all the crowds and it was marvelous. After that, we brought the car back to town and did some shopping before returning it and jumping onboard the Wonder for lunch. Then we had afternoon whale watching with Rum Runners, who were fantastic. The full details of our day are in the Juneau section of my trip report linked in my signature below.