SHORE EXCURSION INFORMATION
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ALASKA SHORE EXCURSIONS
The vast choices for shore excursions in Alaska can be
overwhelming. We've listed our picks for the Top Alaska
shore excursions.
Misty Fjords Flightseeing-Ketchikan
Ketchikan is the southernmost port of call on most Inside Passage
glacier cruises. It’s a beautiful little island town set amongst the lush
Tongass rainforest, surrounded by magnificent peaks, waterfalls, and
glaciers.
There is actually much to see within walking distance of the Ketchikan
cruise ship docks, including the shops along quaint and picturesque
Creek Street, with its historic buildings overhanging a crystal-clear,
salmon-filled stream.
However, there is one Alaska cruise shore activity in Ketchikan that you
will really kick yourself if you miss, and that is the float plane excursion
to Misty Fjords National Monument.
With an average rainfall of 160 inches a year, "misty" is a bit of an
understatement -- but don't let the rain and clouds keep you from this
national gem. Once buried under a solid layer of glacial ice, the two
million-acre wonderland features some of Alaska's most dramatic
scenery. Throughout the two-hour ride from Ketchikan, your floatplane
soars over thousand-foot waterfalls, rainforests, narrow fjords and
polished granite cliffs rising 3,500 feet from the sea. During a brief
landing, step out onto the floats into another world, keeping a look out
for sea birds and marine mammals.
Average Shore Excursion Cost By Cruise Line: $210
Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise-Seward
This six-hour excursion travels on a two-deck, 95-ft. boat through
Resurrection Bay into the heart of Kenai Fjords National Park.
Established as a National Park in 1980, its 580,000-acre wilderness is
known for rocky coastlines and glacier-crowned peaks. Above the long,
steep-sided fjords are mountains mantled by the Harding Icefield,
which forms more than 30 named glaciers. Cruising further, Chiswell
Islands in the Alaska Maritime Wildlife Refuge is home to a Stellar sea
lion rookery, nesting puffins and other seabirds You'll also share the
water with Stellar sea lions, sea otters, harbor seals and porpoises. If
you're lucky, you may also see orcas, humpbacks and minke whales.
Shore Excursion Cost By Cruise Line: Holland America: $139 adult,
$79 child; Princess Cruises: $115 adult, $57.50 child.
Helicopter Glacier Trek-Juneau
If you've ever had fantasies about following in Sir Edmund Hillary's icy
footsteps, this trip is for you. The newest way to experience the
massive 1,500 square mile Juneau Icefield is to touch down on one of
three dozen named glaciers. There, a professional guide teaches you
basic mountaineering skills and how to use trekking poles, an ice axe
and crampons. Donning rainproof jacket and pants, gloves and boots,
you're ready to explore the icescape, from deep crevasses to azure
blue melt water pools. The ice portion of this 4 1/4-hour excursion runs
two hours; the helicopter ride half an hour. Note: Guests weighing over
250 pounds incur a 50 percent surcharge.
Average Cost for Cruise Line Excursions: $360
Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest-Sitka
After being hunted to near extinction by fur traders, the adorable sea
otter is making a comeback. This is good news, since otters are
considered a "keystone" species whose feeding habits have a top-
down effect on other marine life. Seventy to eighty percent of the world's
sea otters -- an estimated 60,000 to 90,000 animals -- live in Alaska.
Sitka, the former Russian capital of Alaska, is one of the sea otters'
preferred areas. There you board the 65-ft. Sea Otter Express or a
sister ship for a three-hour otter cruise. Note: Have your binoculars
ready. In addition to otters, this area is home to whales, pinnipeds,
bears, Sitka black-tailed deer and bald eagles. You're guaranteed to
see an otter, whale or bear -- or your money back.
Average Shore Excursion Cost By Cruise Line: $105
Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve-Skagway
Each winter, a late run of chum salmon attracts several thousand
eagles to the Chilkat River, the world's largest gathering of bald
eagles. And even though by summer, the madding crowd has thinned
out to some 400 resident eagles, this is still a worthwhile experience.
The best way to experience this unique preserve is to float quietly
downstream by raft, observing eagles feeding on salmon and nesting
in black cottonwoods. And eagles aren't the only salmon lovers -- if
you're lucky, you'll also see brown and black bears, as well as moose,
river otter, beaver and trumpeter swans. Throw in towering mountains,
hanging glaciers and lush forest and you'll have an unforgettable day.
Average Shore Excursion By Cruise Line: $119.
Musher's Camp and Sled Dog Experience-Skagway
If you loved "The Call of the Wild" and are crazy about dogs, don't miss
this outing. Jack London traveled to the Klondike in search of adventure
and that's what you'll get during this two-hour adrenaline rush at
Klondike Gold Rush National Park. Hold onto your seat -- and your hat
-- as a powerful team of huskies whisks you on a wheeled sled;
spruce and hemlock forest, glacial-fed waterfalls and the Taiya Inlet
tidal flats will surround you. If you're not already smitten with these
handsome, hard-working dogs by the end of the ride, stop by the
kennel and meet the adorable puppies.
Average Shore Excursion Cost By Cruise Line: $99
Glacier Point Wilderness Safari-Skagway
The port of Skagway is the northernmost in the Inside Passage.
Located at the end of a long, beautiful fjord, Skagway has a rich gold
rush history which lives on in its historic buildings and museums.
As with Ketchikan and Juneau, there is much to see within walking
distance of the cruise ship docks in Skagway, including the wonderful
small shops, museums, and restaurants of the main street.
The best Skagway shore excursion is the Glacier Point Wilderness
Safari. The adventure starts with a 45 minute catamaran ride along
Alaska’s deepest fjord to Glacier Point, where you will land on a beach,
where a bus awaits to take you to a trailhead for a short walk to an
overlook with an absolutely stunning view of the glacier.
From there, you will head to a landing, where you will board long
canoes for a paddle past massive icebergs, along the base of the
huge glacier. This is a simply incredible experience that you just can’t
miss.
Average Shore Excursion Cost by Cruise Line:
WHITE PASS SCENIC RAILWAY-SKAGWAY
No trip to Alaska is complete without a ride on the White Pass & Yukon
Route narrow-gauge Railroad that served the mad rush to the Klondike
in 1898. It became the supply line for the Yukon gold fields, the Alaska
Highway and postwar mining development. Board an old-fashioned
parlor car and take a 40-mile, round-trip excursion. A panorama of
wilderness unfolds as you leave Skagway and pass through two
tunnels, sky-high trestles and remote valleys. Outside your large
picture window, view Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and Dead
Horse Gulch. Your guide will announce all points of interest and tell the
unique story of this railway. After reaching White Pass Summit, the
international boundary between Canada and the U.S., you will begin
your return journey down the White Pass & Yukon Route.
Average Shore Excursion Cost By Cruise Line:
The vast choices for shore excursions in Alaska can be
overwhelming. We've listed our picks for the Top Alaska
shore excursions.
Misty Fjords Flightseeing-Ketchikan
Ketchikan is the southernmost port of call on most Inside Passage
glacier cruises. It’s a beautiful little island town set amongst the lush
Tongass rainforest, surrounded by magnificent peaks, waterfalls, and
glaciers.
There is actually much to see within walking distance of the Ketchikan
cruise ship docks, including the shops along quaint and picturesque
Creek Street, with its historic buildings overhanging a crystal-clear,
salmon-filled stream.
However, there is one Alaska cruise shore activity in Ketchikan that you
will really kick yourself if you miss, and that is the float plane excursion
to Misty Fjords National Monument.
With an average rainfall of 160 inches a year, "misty" is a bit of an
understatement -- but don't let the rain and clouds keep you from this
national gem. Once buried under a solid layer of glacial ice, the two
million-acre wonderland features some of Alaska's most dramatic
scenery. Throughout the two-hour ride from Ketchikan, your floatplane
soars over thousand-foot waterfalls, rainforests, narrow fjords and
polished granite cliffs rising 3,500 feet from the sea. During a brief
landing, step out onto the floats into another world, keeping a look out
for sea birds and marine mammals.
Average Shore Excursion Cost By Cruise Line: $210
Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise-Seward
This six-hour excursion travels on a two-deck, 95-ft. boat through
Resurrection Bay into the heart of Kenai Fjords National Park.
Established as a National Park in 1980, its 580,000-acre wilderness is
known for rocky coastlines and glacier-crowned peaks. Above the long,
steep-sided fjords are mountains mantled by the Harding Icefield,
which forms more than 30 named glaciers. Cruising further, Chiswell
Islands in the Alaska Maritime Wildlife Refuge is home to a Stellar sea
lion rookery, nesting puffins and other seabirds You'll also share the
water with Stellar sea lions, sea otters, harbor seals and porpoises. If
you're lucky, you may also see orcas, humpbacks and minke whales.
Shore Excursion Cost By Cruise Line: Holland America: $139 adult,
$79 child; Princess Cruises: $115 adult, $57.50 child.
Helicopter Glacier Trek-Juneau
If you've ever had fantasies about following in Sir Edmund Hillary's icy
footsteps, this trip is for you. The newest way to experience the
massive 1,500 square mile Juneau Icefield is to touch down on one of
three dozen named glaciers. There, a professional guide teaches you
basic mountaineering skills and how to use trekking poles, an ice axe
and crampons. Donning rainproof jacket and pants, gloves and boots,
you're ready to explore the icescape, from deep crevasses to azure
blue melt water pools. The ice portion of this 4 1/4-hour excursion runs
two hours; the helicopter ride half an hour. Note: Guests weighing over
250 pounds incur a 50 percent surcharge.
Average Cost for Cruise Line Excursions: $360
Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest-Sitka
After being hunted to near extinction by fur traders, the adorable sea
otter is making a comeback. This is good news, since otters are
considered a "keystone" species whose feeding habits have a top-
down effect on other marine life. Seventy to eighty percent of the world's
sea otters -- an estimated 60,000 to 90,000 animals -- live in Alaska.
Sitka, the former Russian capital of Alaska, is one of the sea otters'
preferred areas. There you board the 65-ft. Sea Otter Express or a
sister ship for a three-hour otter cruise. Note: Have your binoculars
ready. In addition to otters, this area is home to whales, pinnipeds,
bears, Sitka black-tailed deer and bald eagles. You're guaranteed to
see an otter, whale or bear -- or your money back.
Average Shore Excursion Cost By Cruise Line: $105
Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve-Skagway
Each winter, a late run of chum salmon attracts several thousand
eagles to the Chilkat River, the world's largest gathering of bald
eagles. And even though by summer, the madding crowd has thinned
out to some 400 resident eagles, this is still a worthwhile experience.
The best way to experience this unique preserve is to float quietly
downstream by raft, observing eagles feeding on salmon and nesting
in black cottonwoods. And eagles aren't the only salmon lovers -- if
you're lucky, you'll also see brown and black bears, as well as moose,
river otter, beaver and trumpeter swans. Throw in towering mountains,
hanging glaciers and lush forest and you'll have an unforgettable day.
Average Shore Excursion By Cruise Line: $119.
Musher's Camp and Sled Dog Experience-Skagway
If you loved "The Call of the Wild" and are crazy about dogs, don't miss
this outing. Jack London traveled to the Klondike in search of adventure
and that's what you'll get during this two-hour adrenaline rush at
Klondike Gold Rush National Park. Hold onto your seat -- and your hat
-- as a powerful team of huskies whisks you on a wheeled sled;
spruce and hemlock forest, glacial-fed waterfalls and the Taiya Inlet
tidal flats will surround you. If you're not already smitten with these
handsome, hard-working dogs by the end of the ride, stop by the
kennel and meet the adorable puppies.
Average Shore Excursion Cost By Cruise Line: $99
Glacier Point Wilderness Safari-Skagway
The port of Skagway is the northernmost in the Inside Passage.
Located at the end of a long, beautiful fjord, Skagway has a rich gold
rush history which lives on in its historic buildings and museums.
As with Ketchikan and Juneau, there is much to see within walking
distance of the cruise ship docks in Skagway, including the wonderful
small shops, museums, and restaurants of the main street.
The best Skagway shore excursion is the Glacier Point Wilderness
Safari. The adventure starts with a 45 minute catamaran ride along
Alaska’s deepest fjord to Glacier Point, where you will land on a beach,
where a bus awaits to take you to a trailhead for a short walk to an
overlook with an absolutely stunning view of the glacier.
From there, you will head to a landing, where you will board long
canoes for a paddle past massive icebergs, along the base of the
huge glacier. This is a simply incredible experience that you just can’t
miss.
Average Shore Excursion Cost by Cruise Line:
WHITE PASS SCENIC RAILWAY-SKAGWAY
No trip to Alaska is complete without a ride on the White Pass & Yukon
Route narrow-gauge Railroad that served the mad rush to the Klondike
in 1898. It became the supply line for the Yukon gold fields, the Alaska
Highway and postwar mining development. Board an old-fashioned
parlor car and take a 40-mile, round-trip excursion. A panorama of
wilderness unfolds as you leave Skagway and pass through two
tunnels, sky-high trestles and remote valleys. Outside your large
picture window, view Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and Dead
Horse Gulch. Your guide will announce all points of interest and tell the
unique story of this railway. After reaching White Pass Summit, the
international boundary between Canada and the U.S., you will begin
your return journey down the White Pass & Yukon Route.
Average Shore Excursion Cost By Cruise Line:
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