Just skip this post if you are not interested in reading about cruising to Alaska. Reason for posting is that many people are getting NCL certificates for cruises from Harrahs and other properties and may want this info. If not you, skip it.
Part II cruise to Alaska
We've now been on 5 cruises to Alaska, so I have done quite a bit of sightseeing, and I'll try to give some pointers of the best shore excursions to take. Of course anyone who wants to take an Alaskan cruise would be well advised to look for a cruise that goes all the way to Anchorage Alaska, and then take a land tour that goes to Fairbanks and Denali National Park, as we did on a previous cruise. This lets you see more of Alaska, and you'll also get more of a chance to see wildlife such as moose and grisly bears. I highly recommend going to Denali and if possible spending more than 1 night in the park.
Unfortunately, however, NCL's ships only go as far north as Skagway or Juneau, with round trips to ports such as Vancouver or Seattle. The Norwegian Pearl went from Seattle to Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Victoria, B.C. For those choosing a cruise with a choice of either visiting Glacier Bay versus Sawyer Glacier or the Hubbard Glacier, I definitely recommend Glacier Bay over the other two. On our cruise, the Pearl spent all day in Glacier Bay, which was great. Park rangers boarded the ship early in the morning and provided commentary over the loudspeakers (or on the TV or in the Spinnaker Lounge) about what we were seeing, including informing us of any wildlife sightings. Glacier Bay features a number of glaciers, several of which have the chance of "calving" when the ice from the glacier tumbles into the water with somewhat dramatic effect. We saw calving on one glacier and had plenty of time to view each important glacier that we passed. The ship rotated at several spots, but your best bet is to go on the deck for part of the day and stay in the Spinnaker Lounge for part.
Virtually all cruise lines going to Alaska provide extra lectures about Alaska, featuring information on such things as glaciers, flora and fauna, the people, the gold rush, and more. The Pearl had an excellent lecturer who gave several talks. It would have been nice if they had shown these on TV for late-risers such as myself, but unfortunately they didn't. These lectures are definitely worth attending, and would be great for educating kids. The Pearl also showed some films about Alaska, but unfortunately chose to show most of them on the 2-story big screen while we were in port obviously the time to watch a film about what to do if you run into a bear is before you go to Juneau and take a shore excursion, not while everyone is already in the port. A number of cruise lines also will bring in local entertainers in some ports, and the Pearl did this on one night. These great Alaska events were often not well advertised in the daily newsletter, just listed among the plethora of daily events, so keep an eye out for them and go (especially if this is your first visit to Alaska).
Shore excursions in Alaska are much more expensive than you may be used to for excursions to Caribbean and other ports. Still they are very worthwhile as once in a lifetime experiences, but you should be prepared to pay (and pay handsomely) for them. You can try searching the internet before the cruise to book your own excursions before you go from tour operators, with slight savings. Getting off the ship and trying to book excursions in Alaska doesn't work too well. You can, however, save some money on some sights by just walking to them yourself. Researching Alaska in advance can save you a bit of money if you plan what you are going to do and how easy it will be to do it with or without an expensive shore excursion. You can book NCL's excursions online prior to the cruise, which is advisable if you plan some of the more limited excursions involving helicopter or plane rides or seeing bears (usually bear-watching tours are only available in late July or early Aug.). NCL offers some of the most expensive tours I've ever seen too, private tours with your own chauffer that can run as high as several thousand dollars. People traveling in groups might consider them, if you check the per person price you'll get if you have 6 or 8 people sharing the tour.
Weather in Alaska is often rainy and cloudy, and sometimes even a summer day in port can be quite cool if it is rainy, windy, and only 55 degrees. So pack rain gear and plan to wear "layers." If you are lucky it may end up to be quite warm and even sunny, as it was for us on this trip to Juneau (over 80 degrees), but it could equally well be rainy and 50 degrees and so cloudy you can't see the tops of the buildings in the town (as it was on a previous cruise). If you book a shore excursion and it is cancelled due to weather, your money will be refunded.
Trying to sight wildlife in Alaska can be a frustrating experience. Many people expect to see bears on the shore as the ship sails by, huge whales right up close when whale watching, or moose in every scenic corner. Unfortunately you are more likely to see some bald eagles nesting in trees, an otter head popping up in the water by a glacier, a few seals sitting on a small iceberg, or a few dolphins swimming off the ship's bow. If you take a whale watching tour from Juneau to Stephen's Passage ($132) you will see whales, but generally they will be at a distance. Sometimes you'll hear that someone has spotted mountain goats or a bear or a moose, only to find that it is just a dot (or a bunch of dots) on a hillside. But you never know when you might get a great sighting near you. In any case, BRING YOUR BINOCULARS.
Juneau is a very small city that backs right up to mountains and the Mendenhall Glacier, so it is the prime place to take a helicopter ride up to the glacier and walk around on one ($289 on NCL). On this trip we took a great excursion to Taku Lodge via a small floatplane ($299). This gave us a chance to view a number of glaciers and lakes from the air and then land at a isolated lodge situated next to the Hole in the Wall Glacier and have a great home-made lunch of fresh salmon and other food. Taku often has bears coming by to check out the salmon dinner, but unfortunately we saw none on this trip. Poor weather can cancel such excursions at the last minute. Handicapped folks might find getting into the floatplane a little tricky (but I got on), so if you have physical limitations check before you choose an excursion. Taku Lodge has no weight limitations unlike some plane/helicopter rides do (when you book through NCL just put your weight as less than 200 pounds since they list a weight limit, but actually Taku Lodge doesn't have one). These are probably the best two excursions that will give you great views of the glaciers and a wonderful, memorable experience.
For those wanting a cheaper experience, you can ride a cheap bus on your own over to the Mendenhall glacier and view it from a visitor center, but this doesn't really give you the full glacier experience. You can also walk around town and even ride up an incline to the top of the mountain for a great view for less than the cost of a ship excursion.
Skagway features the White Pass Railway ($119) that follows the trail the gold rush people took as they headed toward Canada and gold in the 1800s. This has some interesting scenery and we enjoyed the ride on this trip. But on a previous cruise we'd taken a bus ride that parallels this route, and we thought that to be a better excursion because it features an excellent commentary by the tour guide on the gold rush ($95). You can also find tours that combine the bus or train with a trip to Liarsville Gold Camp which features costumed storytellers and a salmon bake. I would recommend the combined tour for a great day, if you haven't been here before. There are also tours involving looking for wildlife, canoeing, and a lot more. The history of the gold rush is quite fascinating, where you will learn that men had to lug 2000 pounds of supplies up into the Yukon by horse or by their backs (taking many trips) before they were allowed to pan for gold, so try to take an excursion in Skagway that will give you a lot of information on history. You'll probably also have time to walk around the quaint city of Skagway on your own. If you hike or bicycle, this city is the place to take a tour that includes one of those options, but be aware that the weather could be cold, cloudy, and rainy. On one previous cruise we took a jet boat through the eagle preserve, hoping to view some moose as well. Unfortunately we only saw eagles on that trip, it wasn't really all that interesting, and the jet boat sent cold damp air down into my lungs, exacerbating the cold I already had.
Ketchikan is another quaint town, with lots to see just walking around the town. Many tours involve going to Totem Bight Park and seeing the many Totems there. You can save money by walking there on your own and paying your own admission. We also saw bald eagles there. Flying over the misty fjords in a seaplane ($255) is another great excursion, and includes landing the floatplane in a fjord. Again, anyone with physical limitations should check to see if they can go on this flight. Bear watching via a floatplane ($350) is another possibility.
Victoria, B.C. is a beautiful city. I highly recommend going to Butchart Gardens which are extensive and beautiful. A city tour including the gardens is $109. On one cruise we went to the Gardens via public transit and paid on our own for a cheaper excursion. Unfortunately on the Pearl itinerary, we didn't arrive in Victoria until 6 p.m. on the last day. That means if you take a tour you may well miss dinner, and you'll need to pack up for the next day early. Fortunately the sun stays up til quite late, making it possible to see the town even this late in the day.
Seattle is the home port. If you have never visited, you could arrive a day or two before the cruise and wander around the city on your own, see the Space Needle, and have a great time. If you fly out after 2:30 p.m. on the day of arrival you can take a shore excursion Seattle city tour ($44), which deposits you at the airport in time for your arrival.
Bus transfers from the airport to the pier (#66) cost $30 per person each way through NCL. Some bus companies charge less for their shuttles (as low as $27 for 2 people each way booking round trip search the internet). We found an even cheaper way by researching through the internet public transit via Rt. 194 from the airport to the International Chinatown Terminal, then transfer to bus #99. Total cost was $1.75 one-way! This does mean carrying your luggage with you, which is best done if you have carry-on style bags. The Pearl returns to Seattle on a Sunday however, and service back from the pier didn't start until after 11 a.m., so we took one of the shuttles waiting in front of the pier area for $32 total for 2 people back to the airport.
If you take another cruise company to Alaska you may go to cities such as Sitka, which was formerly a Russian outpost, and Seward (which is the gateway to Anchorage). Sitka is easy to tour on your own, walking to the Russian church, walking around, taking local bus to the Eagle sanctuary, etc.
Some NCL vessels go in and out of Vancouver, B.C. This is another beautiful city. If you arrive back at the port and have a late flight, don't bother booking the shore excursion through the ship. Just go out into the terminal and look for someone with signs offering a city tour that will drop you back at the airport. This will cost a lot less than the same tour through NCL.
Cruising Alaska is a great way to see the fjords and gold rush towns and beautiful mountains. Hopefully you'll have good weather, but even if it is raining a lot, you'll still enjoy the cruise. But combining the cruise with a land excursion further inland is even better, if you can afford the time and expense.