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Summary
Going to Alaska is a bucket list destination for so many people and one of the easiest ways to visit the beauty of Alaska is by cruise. Approximately 1.5 million people take an Alaskan cruise each year.
The start of our itinerary was Whittier, Alaska which is about an hour drive south of Anchorage. Our flight only took one layover in Chicago before flying out to Anchorage.
Once in Anchorage, we took a shuttle bus to the Whittier port. The port was a simple terminal that was full of people waiting in line. I would always recommend paying extra for the priority access on all your cruises to be able to skip the lines. Most of the time it is only a couple hundred dollars and it is so worth it in my mind.
There are so many different cruising companies that cruising through Alaska. We did our cruise with Norwegian on the Norwegian Jade. We paid a little extra to get a balcony suite so that we could enjoy the water from our own room.
After leaving the port, we headed for the Hubbard Glacier. Located in the Yakutat Bay, this glacier is a popular destination for many cruise ships and for good reason. The glacier is picturesque and also a sight for wildlife. We saw some sea lions along the shoreline.
Some of the others stops on our cruise include Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. I will talk more in detail about these a little later. If you had to ask me, I would that my favorite port was Icy Strait Point.
After leaving our last port we cruised through the Inside Passage to our final destination of Vancouver, Canada. The Inside Passage is the waterway that run along the coastline of Alaska and British Columbia. While on the water,w e were able to see different glaciers, mountain tops, and fjords.
Icy Strait Point
Icy Strait Point is a unique port in that it is owned and operated by the native Alaskan Tlingit tribe. All profits go directly to supporting the community of Hoonah.
The port is a cruise ship destination and only open when ships are docked. The port only has two docks so make sure to check with you cruising company for if you will need a tender to get to land. Click here for a map of the port.
Short of walking 30 minutes to Honnah, there are only three places to eat at the Icy Strait Point port so be prepared for long lines and wait times. The Crab House is the perfect spot to grab some fresh seafood. When in season the crab is locally caught and cooked to order. I am not a big fan of seafood so we went to The Cookhouse and ordered a burger.
This port may not be the biggest of the cruise but it had so many things to offer. I did a guided kayak shore excursion filled with breath-taking views. Once in the water we paddled along the shoreline to the village of Hoonah. We were able to see sea lions swimming by and bald eagles soaring in the sky.
After being at sea level it was time to head to the mountains for a eagles viewpoint of the area. We book the mountain tram ride experience which included a gondola ride to the top of the mountain along with a tram ride around the top of the mountain top. We were able to learn about the different plants and wildlife that live and grow in the area.
No matter what you are looking to do, Icy Strait has something for everyone. If you want to see the Alaskan wildlife, there are whale watching cruises or a bear search tour. If you are looking for adventure and adrenaline you need to do the ZipRider which is the largest zip line in the world.
Juneau
Juneau is the capital of Alaska with a population of 30,000. It is tied for second most populous city in Alaska with Fairbanks. Anchorage being the most populous with 290,000 which accounts for 40% of the state’s population.
There are a few different docks for the city. We were at the AJ dock which is the farthest one from the downtown area which was about a 25 min walk. There was also a shuttle bus that would run between downtown and the dock.
If you are looking for a good place to eat, there are plenty in the downtown area. We heard good things about Deckhand Dave’s. I’m not a big fan of fish so we went to a place called Pucker Wilson’s, that is in the same food truck area as Deckhand Dave’s. This place had had some of the best burgers and fries.
You can’t say you’ve been to Alaska without doing a nature hike so we did the Mendenhall Glacier guide’s choice trail hike. The weather was perfect this day so the guides decided to take us to the west trail and I understood by the end of the hike why they liked that trail the most.
Don’t get me wrong the hike was not easy. There were some stretches that were steep and could leave you out of breath. However, the views made it so worth it. You could not see a cloud in the sky. It was the definition of picturesque.
This hike may not for everyone but Juneau has a lot other things to offer. You can get off the boat and head downtown to do some shopping, do a whale watching tour, take the tramway to the top of the mountain, take a helicopter over the glacier, and so many more things.
Skagway
The Alaskan city of Skagway was defined by its history from the Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1890s. Since then the city’s history has been preserved and visited by over 50 cruise ships each season.
All of the cruise ship docks are around the same area and a short 5 min walk to get to the downtown area. The downtown area is very walkable with the main strip being a mile long.
While we did not eat at any restaurants since we did a salmon bake, there are still “plenty” to choose from. Red Onion Saloon is blast from the past with tons of history and variety of bar food and drinks. If you are looking for a more family friendly restruant that was first a brothel I would recommend 1898 Burgers n’ Shakes.
The first shore excursion we did in Skagway was a musher’s camp. If you aren’t familiar with what musher camps are, they are where sled dogs train before they participate in the Iditarod. While on the camp, we had a group of sled dogs take around the woods before we went to see the sled dog pups in training.
Since we were docked for the whole day, we were able to do a second excursion. This excursion what called the historical city, salmon bake, and gold panning experience. A bus took us to this area in the woods where we had a salmon bake before heading over to the outside theatre to watch a short skit, and ended the tour with some gold panning.
Another popular activity to do in Skagway is to take a scenic train ride through the Alaskan wilderness. The same ride that the prospectors took when coming to Skagway in hopes of finding gold.
Ketchikan (Ward Cove)
Ketchikan is often called the “First City of Alaska” and the “Salmon capital of the world.” The city is only able to be visited by air or sea. With a population about 8,000 people, it is about the 15 most populated city in Alaska.
However, the cruise ship was not actually docked in the downtown Ketchikan area. We were docked in Ward Cove which is a 15 min shuttle drive from the downtown. Some cruise ships do dock in the downtown area, so just check before hand to be able to plan your time.
One of the most common animals associated with Alaska is salmon, so I couldn’t miss the chance to say I have got a salmon in Alaska. Me and my dad went on a small boat with two other guys for our fishing excursion at Knudson Cove. Don’t ask me what kind of fishing we did or any actually fishing terms. I’ll I know that I caught a silver salmon. I would highly recommend.
If you don’t like to be out on the water patiently waiting for fish to bite, like my mom and brother, I would recommend going to look at the various totem poles at the Totem Bight Park. The park shows what goes into refurbishing a totem pole and the different meanings each totem represents.
If neither of those excursions are your cup of tea, no need to worry because there is loads to do in the downtown area. You can take a walking tour of the area, do some souvenir shopping, or visit a historic museum.