Tip for that train ride in Skagway. Get in the last car of the train. You're allowed to go out on the platforms and with no car behind you it's absolutely unbelievable.
One of the excursions in Skagway is a hiking, train trip. You can helicopter up to the start of the hike, the hike to the glacier, then catch the train back. This was awesome and cost about 450USD
Thanks Gary! We just booked our 2026 Alaska cruice on HAL. It's our first time to Alaska and going to Glacier Bay was the #1 prerequisite for choosing the cruise line.
#1....get a tasty beverage, sit back and watch the AMAZING scenery that's everywhere...going for our 3rd time this September...its my favorite most relaxing cruise
Thank you. I watched this video before planning my cruise, and the best tip anyone has ever given me in regards to Alaska is to see Glacier Bay. For me it was absolutely heaven on earth, and made my cruise. Thank you. I would add whale watching in Juneau, I got to see a lot of humpbacks all bubble feeding, an absolutely unforgettable once in a life time experience.
Alaska is Magical!so peaceful and breathtakingly beautiful.Not sure where we were but we took a float plane up the Taco river,had Alaskan salmon,and saw a mother bear and her 2 cubs,who come to lick the salmon juices from the barbecue when the last cooking has been done.Never to be forgotten cruise.
Great presentation, my wife and I are going on our first cruise and it was great getting your insight. You just cost me a lot of money but I know it will be worth it. Thanks a lot!
LOL! Agree about the money! But, it is going to be a dream trip my teen daughter and I will never forget, so I think it is going to be worth every penny.
Once in a lifetime? We went last summer and already want to go again. We have been to Alaska by road befor but by ship was a wonderful experience that we would recommend to everyone. We not only spent a day in Glacier Bay but also a day in College Fiord which also have very impressive glaciers.
For me, this video is your best and most helpful so far (of those few I have watched as yet). We are considering our first Alaskan cruise, and I never would have dreamt of dog sledding! Fabulous idea! All your other suggestions in this video are great as well. Many thanks!
I can highly recommend this cruise. this was my first cruise with my husband, we are brits living on Vancouver island and watch these ships all the time, we did Holland America out of Vancouver in May and had brilliant weather, while we were in Glacier bay a massive chunk of glacier came off ( amazing Sound). Love your videos
There is a very good state museum in Juneau that is about a mile long walk from the cruise ship docks. We also went on the cable car up Mt. Roberts one trip - not expensive but there is a Native American exhibition there and a donation is appreciated. During our first cruise to Alaska, we went on the bus ride to Mendenhall Glacier which also included a stop at a beautiful chapel in the forest.
That was a very good presentation, without the repetition which you often do in many of your other videos. We went on a Holland America Line (Nieuw Amsterdam) cruise to Alaska three weeks ago and (apart from a scary force-12 hurricane near Kodiac which made the ship list 15 degrees(!)) it was magnificent. We experience perfect sunny weather in Glacier Bay, which was exceptional.
Icy Straight Point on Hoona also has the zip line, its one of the largest ziplines in the world and the mountain its on is taller than the Empire State Building. It was cool because we got there on a cloudy day, and at the top of the line you couldn't see the bottom, so we literally zip lined through a cloud.
I enjoy your thoughts on cruising and thank you for sharing. I've been to Alaska 3 times and don't plan to stop cruising there till the Lord takes me home. It is a wonderful place to visit so tell the folks to make Alaska a more than once-in-a-lifetime visit!
I’ve been there three times as well. It’s a different kind of cruising experience, nature definitely takes center stage. A much more relaxed, inspiring vacation than most.
I'm a tour guide in Ketchikan. We have two totem parks. There is Totem Bight State Historical Park, and there is Saxman Totem Park. The commentary that you provided was for the state park several miles north of town. However, your footage was of Saxman village only 3.1 miles south from downtown. Both parks are spectacular. Shout out to the folks at Saxman. I don't do their tours anymore but they do a good job
I really liked Sitka. We did it last May and had a blast. We did an excursion that included a Sea Otter and whale watch, tour of the eagle rehab sanctuary, and a bear sanctuary. My upcoming 2020 cruise does Skagway instead. It looks like the seven days do either Sitka or more often Skagway but not both.
Hi Gary, I just came back from an Alaskan cruise on Ruby Princess. Before going, I reviewed all of your videos on Princess cruises and Alaskan cruise. I believe I was able to get the most out of this trip because of your videos. So thank you for posting them.
Great video, thanks. However, that railway recommendation out of Skagway.....We did something we considered much better and much cheaper. We hired a car for the day and drove up the same route, stopping where we liked (as when we saw a family of black bears) , then we had a leisurely lunch at Caircross in the Canadian Yukon. Then we turned around at wonderful Emerald Lake, easily making it back back to Skagway before the ship was due to leave.
Thanks for your input about the railway. Did you make the arrangements (to hire a car) before you started your cruise, or on the day you arrived in Skagway? I am booked for this June and I am starting to look at all the excursions available.
Going in 6 weeks on Ovation. This will be our third cruise to Alaska. 😜 Last time was 2 years ago on Princess and we were plagued with foul weather in July. At sea days were spent inside, NO ONE was out on deck! The Mt. Roberts tramway was shut down because you could not see anything past deck 8. I am disabled and RCCL is stationing an agent on the docks to help with getting my chair on and off the ship. Ovation has lots of indoor activities for our young grandsons. We only have 2 Alaska ports though, Skagway and Juneau. We will be 4 days at sea, one of which is Endicott Arm. Another port is Victoria. We depart from Seattle, Washington.
Hope you brought your “ long johns”, with you. Great video, we did this on a princess cruise an boy did you nail this on what to see an do. Hope those viewing this will do as suggested.
Thank you Gary for the great video. My friend and I are cruising this June and we are starting out with a 3 day land tour and then cruise with Celebrity to Vancouver. Thanks to you video, I have a better idea of what to expect. Never cruised before and Alaska was on my bucket list.
Awesome trip, been there on Celebrity and Norwegian. Caught the glaciers calving in an absolute awesome display once. Burned into my memory for sure. The one that fell from the top hit one underwater and broke one loose and it shot up like a rocket. Just WOW!! Love Ketchikan the best though.
College fjord off of Prince William Sound is more impressive than Glacier Bay. There are 5 tidewater glacier in a narrower Bay. I went with Holland America in 2002.
I rode the White Pass and Yukon from Whitehorse to Skagway way back (1982) when it was a working railway hauling lead-zinc ore out of the Yukon from the Cypress Anvil Mine. And if you want to get a hotel room in Skagway, look for the hotel that has rooms with names... of the "entertainers" that occupied the rooms... instead of room numbers.
@@therrienmichael08 Maybe @Randy Plett is just trolling us. I don't see why 166 or 191 have something to be changed. Maybe if it were 666 or 911 Oh I just caught it... the N166EH in L33t is the N word
We are going on Royal Princess first week in July. Chose that just because of your video about Glacier Bay, also doing Dog sledding, Railway and Lumberjack show. We are doing the Hubbard Glacier & Wilderness Exploration excursion as well. I'm hoping we still have enough ship time with all the excursions, but so excited about going! We are doing our own Land Tour week before: Anchorage, Denali and Seward. It is my second trip to AK, but my 16-yo daughter's first. Your videos have been really helpful in planning.
Thank you so much for your informative video and tips! We will be in Alaska in a few months aboard Disney Wonder Cruise Line. Can’t wait to do some dogsledding.
I live in Vancouver all my life and have never cruised to Alaska or even visited Alaska, time to change that. I will fly to Anchorage and cruise back to Vancouver. Thanks for these great tips. 👍🏼
Thank-you for your help. I'll definitely do these as you said it's once in a lifetime experience. And thank-you for giving a price so I know how much it will cost. Going to these places on Norwegian cruise end of this month. 😊😊😊
Thanks for the great tips, I'm really enjoying watching your videos, and get some great ideas of what to expect while on the cruise. My husband, and I and 2 friends are doing this cruise next June, I can't wait. Can you tell me did you do all these things on the one cruise, every time I see another idea I add it to what I want to do? I was just wondering if you have enough time in each port to do a few different things or if you need to pick from a list of things to do. Looking forward to watching more of your videos.
He left out the whale watching which was a great side trip. We also got lucky and saw several whales from the ship and right from our table at the restaurant in Icy Straight Inlet. We also had sea Otters right outside our window at Skagway. If you are into marine life keep your eyes open and you will see lots. And it your into Eagles you will see lots, especially in Juneau.
I took over 1000 pictures with my camera and probably almost as may with my phone. This trip was a nature overdose for me and I loved every critter and landscape I saw. I got up early to catch the sunrise every morning and stayed up for the sunset and just loved every minute in between. I actually need two weeks off work when I got back to rest up. I hope your trip is as good or better than ours was.
Railway is okay but do the mountain bicycle ride where they drive you to the top of the pass and you get to ride back into town. Excellent views, informative and lots of fun.
@2ysur2ysib - my spouse found it separately from ship excursions. Not sure who was tour company but they met us at ship, drove us to summit with a van and bicycle trailer (we pre-booked the bicycle size to fit us) and we biked back, about a 3 hour tour. Perfect downhill ride with stops and views. (Maybe Klondike Summit to Sea Shore Tour or something like that - Sockeye Cycle Co ??)
Ok, great!! We and the kids did the Virginia Creeper trail just over the border of North Carolina into Virginia this past Fall, and if you like cycling and you’re ever in the area, go for it!!! It was a highlight of our trip!! They drive you about an hour up the mountain from the rental shop, and then you bike back for about 18 miles, all low grade downhill on what was formerly the Virginia Creeper railway line, now converted into a bike trail~ absolutely gorgeous!!
Great video! We just returned from a Royal Caribbean cruise to Ak. I can't add anything to your advice, you're spot on. However, if you take this cruise you'll be stopping in Victoria BC on the way back. Beautiful city! We had nothing planned, so we took a pedicab tour. Turned out to be a very fun and entertaining day. Fisherman's wharf for lunch. Cheers.
Once upon the time I was seriously considering participating in the White Horse canoeing super marathon race originating in Yukon (considering my canoeing touristic experiences)… not sure whether it runs till Alaska, though… Probably, will take part in this race sometime… Although, there are so many grizzly bears on the river banks…
Thanks for the wonderful content Gary. We are going to Alaska on Princess in mid July so your video is very timely. We are doing the 7 days at sea followed by a 4 day land tour. We are so looking forward to the trip. Am I to understand that you will be offering a series of Alaska videos in the coming weeks?
Sounds like a fantastic trip you have lined up! Nice. Which port you sailing from? Yes, next few weeks will be Alaska focused so should be great timing then! Hopefully all helpful ...!
We are sailing from Vancouver, BC. I look forward to your videos. PS. Since I subscribed I think I have watched all your content at least 2X. Just can't get enough of it. Thanks again.
Great video. I've done two Alaskan cruises now and did just about everything you recommended. All very fun and beautiful. I will say though that our first time at the Red Dog Saloon (2008) was a great experience but when we went last year in late May, the service was lousy.
Going in August 2019 and appreciated the tips for excursions per port. Hate to hear I might be “shortchanged” becauseI Cruise to Tracy Arm instead but I believe the experience will be awesome nonetheless. We wanted to celebrate a birthday and an anniversary consequently of our group I am planning so I wanted special dates!
Hi Gary, Question? The dog sledding adventure you did in Juneau, was it a ship excursion or one that you booked on your own? We are cruising on RCL to Alaska in May 2024 & they only offer the dog sledding thru the grass not on the snow. I've looked at a couple of different companies online in Juneau, but thought you may have a company you worked with that was a great experience that you could recommend. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for all the info, Gary. Can you recommend what companies to book the excursions through pls? Also, we would like to go whale watching- where is best for that?
were going in may 2019 and in Juneau were doing the pan for gold an salmon bake, then in Skagway were doing the white pass RR. then in ketchican were doing the lighthouse totem and eagle watch. so are those worth doing
Thanks Gary, it's very helpful! Do you know if meals are included in landtour of Celebrity alaskacruisetour, I know that the Princess alaskacruisetour do.
I really enjoyed your video, but there's only one thing I wouldn't do, and that's the dog sled. I'm deathly afraid of flying, and you have to take a helicopter to get there.
In Juneau and Skagway they have sled dog training camp experiences that you get to by bus. These are summer training camps for the dogs where you can interact with the dogs and puppies and learn about the history and modern sport of dog sledding. They also have specially rigged sleds on wheels that you can ride since there is no snow at the lower elevations. These are also much more reasonably priced at the $150 pp range than the $650 pp helicopter and glacier dog sled experiences.
We are going to Alaska in May 2023 and are looking to do this adventure however carnival has only train tour up bicycle ride down I'm old not in good shape I don't want to ride down what do you suggest
Thanks for all your great tips! Do you have a recommendation for the dog sledding as far as best time of day/company/itenerary? Some have options like a s
This was a wonderful video on Alaska, thank you so much. Question, when is the best month for the Norris Dog Sledding and did you book that on your own directly with the company or as a cruise shore excursion? Again my many thanks.
What month did you go? It looked to be very snowy and wonderful. What month would you suggest is best for the dog sledding? I know someone that went in August a few years ago and she said it was on dirt and rocks and was not enjoyable..
Tip for that train ride in Skagway. Get in the last car of the train. You're allowed to go out on the platforms and with no car behind you it's absolutely unbelievable.
Thanks for that tip!
One of the excursions in Skagway is a hiking, train trip. You can helicopter up to the start of the hike, the hike to the glacier, then catch the train back. This was awesome and cost about 450USD
Thanks Gary! We just booked our 2026 Alaska cruice on HAL. It's our first time to Alaska and going to Glacier Bay was the #1 prerequisite for choosing the cruise line.
Your videos are always crisp and to the point with some wonderful visuals, please keep them coming.
Thanks for letting me know your feedback! Great to hear 😀😀
#1....get a tasty beverage, sit back and watch the AMAZING scenery that's everywhere...going for our 3rd time this September...its my favorite most relaxing cruise
What day are you going. I’m going on the 21st. Norwegian joy. My 3rd time also.
@@prdeacon974 we went on the Pearl twice but we're trying the new ship, the Bliss this time
Thank you. I watched this video before planning my cruise, and the best tip anyone has ever given me in regards to Alaska is to see Glacier Bay. For me it was absolutely heaven on earth, and made my cruise. Thank you.
I would add whale watching in Juneau, I got to see a lot of humpbacks all bubble feeding, an absolutely unforgettable once in a life time experience.
Alaska is Magical!so peaceful and breathtakingly beautiful.Not sure where we were but we took a float plane up the Taco river,had Alaskan salmon,and saw a mother bear and her 2 cubs,who come to lick the salmon juices from the barbecue when the last cooking has been done.Never to be forgotten cruise.
I did my first Alaskan cruise on the Island Princess last year and loved every minute. I will definitely be going again once it is safer!
Great presentation, my wife and I are going on our first cruise and it was great getting your insight. You just cost me a lot of money but I know it will be worth it. Thanks a lot!
LOL! Agree about the money! But, it is going to be a dream trip my teen daughter and I will never forget, so I think it is going to be worth every penny.
Once in a lifetime? We went last summer and already want to go again. We have been to Alaska by road befor but by ship was a wonderful experience that we would recommend to everyone. We not only spent a day in Glacier Bay but also a day in College Fiord which also have very impressive glaciers.
For me, this video is your best and most helpful so far (of those few I have watched as yet). We are considering our first Alaskan cruise, and I never would have dreamt of dog sledding! Fabulous idea! All your other suggestions in this video are great as well. Many thanks!
Great to hear you found it helpful. Thanks for letting me know ‘
I can highly recommend this cruise. this was my first cruise with my husband, we are brits living on Vancouver island and watch these ships all the time, we did Holland America out of Vancouver in May and had brilliant weather, while we were in Glacier bay a massive chunk of glacier came off ( amazing Sound). Love your videos
Going to Alaska in a few weeks so i have been watching a lot of videos and this was one of the best/most informative. Thanks!
Awesome! Great to hear. Have a fabulous time
Thank you so much especially for subtitles
There is a very good state museum in Juneau that is about a mile long walk from the cruise ship docks. We also went on the cable car up Mt. Roberts one trip - not expensive but there is a Native American exhibition there and a donation is appreciated. During our first cruise to Alaska, we went on the bus ride to Mendenhall Glacier which also included a stop at a beautiful chapel in the forest.
That was a very good presentation, without the repetition which you often do in many of your other videos.
We went on a Holland America Line (Nieuw Amsterdam) cruise to Alaska three weeks ago and (apart from a scary force-12 hurricane near Kodiac which made the ship list 15 degrees(!)) it was magnificent. We experience perfect sunny weather in Glacier Bay, which was exceptional.
I took my first Cruise in May to Alaska and you were spot on with your recommendations thanks for the videos
Icy Straight Point on Hoona also has the zip line, its one of the largest ziplines in the world and the mountain its on is taller than the Empire State Building.
It was cool because we got there on a cloudy day, and at the top of the line you couldn't see the bottom, so we literally zip lined through a cloud.
I enjoy your thoughts on cruising and thank you for sharing. I've been to Alaska 3 times and don't plan to stop cruising there till the Lord takes me home. It is a wonderful place to visit so tell the folks to make Alaska a more than once-in-a-lifetime visit!
Lucky you to have been three times already! Agree with you on it being awesome. Thanks for watching and good to hear you enjoy the videos !
I’ve been there three times as well. It’s a different kind of cruising experience, nature definitely takes center stage. A much more relaxed, inspiring vacation than most.
As the immortal Bob Ross said many times on his TV show, "When the Good Lord made Alaska, he was having a great day."
The whale watching excursion was fabulous as well.
I tried it and the Whales were not watching me.
I'm a tour guide in Ketchikan. We have two totem parks. There is Totem Bight State Historical Park, and there is Saxman Totem Park. The commentary that you provided was for the state park several miles north of town. However, your footage was of Saxman village only 3.1 miles south from downtown. Both parks are spectacular. Shout out to the folks at Saxman. I don't do their tours anymore but they do a good job
you are so right about Glacier Bay, the best one. I have done 3 Alaska cruises, and the next one must have Sitka on it.
I really liked Sitka. We did it last May and had a blast. We did an excursion that included a Sea Otter and whale watch, tour of the eagle rehab sanctuary, and a bear sanctuary. My upcoming 2020 cruise does Skagway instead. It looks like the seven days do either Sitka or more often Skagway but not both.
This is brilliant, you are so informative, even more excited for my trip now x
Hi Gary, I just came back from an Alaskan cruise on Ruby Princess. Before going, I reviewed all of your videos on Princess cruises and Alaskan cruise. I believe I was able to get the most out of this trip because of your videos. So thank you for posting them.
We are going to Alaska cruise in June 2020. I’m so excited !!
I’m envious! It’s so awesome!!’n
Great video, thanks. However, that railway recommendation out of Skagway.....We did something we considered much better and much cheaper. We hired a car for the day and drove up the same route, stopping where we liked (as when we saw a family of black bears) , then we had a leisurely lunch at Caircross in the Canadian Yukon. Then we turned around at wonderful Emerald Lake, easily making it back back to Skagway before the ship was due to leave.
Thanks for your input about the railway. Did you make the arrangements (to hire a car) before you started your cruise, or on the day you arrived in Skagway? I am booked for this June and I am starting to look at all the excursions available.
@@heidicurrier596 we booked the car in advance
Great tip!!
We are going 8/2019
Looking into a private car also!
Who did you book the car through? we usually do this when we go to Mexico and the Bahamas, but it would be nice to do ahead of time.
Going in 6 weeks on Ovation. This will be our third cruise to Alaska. 😜 Last time was 2 years ago on Princess and we were plagued with foul weather in July. At sea days were spent inside, NO ONE was out on deck! The Mt. Roberts tramway was shut down because you could not see anything past deck 8. I am disabled and RCCL is stationing an agent on the docks to help with getting my chair on and off the ship. Ovation has lots of indoor activities for our young grandsons. We only have 2 Alaska ports though, Skagway and Juneau. We will be 4 days at sea, one of which is Endicott Arm. Another port is Victoria. We depart from Seattle, Washington.
Just what we were looking for before we go
Awesome ! Great to hear!!!
Hope you brought your “ long johns”, with you. Great video, we did this on a princess cruise an boy did you nail this on what to see an do. Hope those viewing this will do as suggested.
I did indeed pack my long johns 😀 Great to hear you agree on the tips! Hopefully others are positive as you !
Thank you Gary for the great video. My friend and I are cruising this June and we are starting out with a 3 day land tour and then cruise with Celebrity to Vancouver. Thanks to you video, I have a better idea of what to expect. Never cruised before and Alaska was on my bucket list.
Thank you for mentioning the cost of the excursions. I find that very helpful.
Awesome trip, been there on Celebrity and Norwegian. Caught the glaciers calving in an absolute awesome display once. Burned into my memory for sure. The one that fell from the top hit one underwater and broke one loose and it shot up like a rocket. Just WOW!! Love Ketchikan the best though.
College fjord off of Prince William Sound is more impressive than Glacier Bay. There are 5 tidewater glacier in a narrower Bay. I went with Holland America in 2002.
I rode the White Pass and Yukon from Whitehorse to Skagway way back (1982) when it was a working railway hauling lead-zinc ore out of the Yukon from the Cypress Anvil Mine.
And if you want to get a hotel room in Skagway, look for the hotel that has rooms with names... of the "entertainers" that occupied the rooms... instead of room numbers.
Wow! That must have been amazing! Thanks for the tip on the hotels. I like that !!
We road that train in the 70s, great trip. Too bad they took out the track from Carcross to Whitehorse.
Great video Gary. Alaska is on the bucket list. Good tips to keep in mind.
It is so gorgeous I wish I had gone earlier! Thanks as always for watching and so appreciate the comments!
Make the journey, you won't regret it
Great video. Informative without being too detailed.
The number on the helicopter at 1:43 caught my eye. Maybe they should change that. LOL
Tried to see several times and couldn't make anything out.
@@therrienmichael08 Maybe @Randy Plett is just trolling us. I don't see why 166 or 191 have something to be changed. Maybe if it were 666 or 911 Oh I just caught it... the N166EH in L33t is the N word
We are going on Royal Princess first week in July. Chose that just because of your video about Glacier Bay, also doing Dog sledding, Railway and Lumberjack show. We are doing the Hubbard Glacier & Wilderness Exploration excursion as well. I'm hoping we still have enough ship time with all the excursions, but so excited about going! We are doing our own Land Tour week before: Anchorage, Denali and Seward. It is my second trip to AK, but my 16-yo daughter's first. Your videos have been really helpful in planning.
One great ride in Alaska is White mountain railroad Carnival just purchased it and since I own stock I earn money every time someone rides it.
Yes that is the White Pass Railway in the video . It is awesome
Must have taken a beating with all of carnivals legal issues?
Im going to alaskan cruise in a week for my nana and pop pops 50th anviresery
Thank you so much for your informative video and tips! We will be in Alaska in a few months aboard Disney Wonder Cruise Line. Can’t wait to do some dogsledding.
Thanks so much. My husband and I hope to take an Alaskan cruise one day. Jeannine
Thank you for the videos and tips. My wife and I are taking our first ever cruise on Discovery Princess in September 2022 to Alaska,
I've heard amazing things about the Discovery. Enjoy! I'm doing the Inside Passage with Glacier Bay on the Crown Princess this Saturday. Can't wait!
This is a fantastic video Gary. Extremely informative with beautiful videography. Definitely one of my favourites of yours. :)
Thanks ! Great to hear!
Thank you for the tip about Holland America and that they can go into the bay.
Thanks for the tips Gary. We're going on September next year. Will definitely keep in mind your pointers.
Ive lived in this paradise for awhile
Lucky you. I've been on the inside passage cruise twice and will be going back. I love Ketchikan the best.
I live in Vancouver all my life and have never cruised to Alaska or even visited Alaska, time to change that. I will fly to Anchorage and cruise back to Vancouver. Thanks for these great tips. 👍🏼
Thank-you for your help. I'll definitely do these as you said it's once in a lifetime experience. And thank-you for giving a price so I know how much it will cost. Going to these places on Norwegian cruise end of this month. 😊😊😊
I’m envious as I’d love to go again so soon! Hope you have a fantastic time !!!
LUcky you.. HOpe you had a wonderful trip
Thank you so much for all the wonderful information you provide for those who enjoy cruising as often as we can.
Thank you so much.That was very informative and enjoyable. Faith
Thanks for all of the great tips and insights....
Great video, saving it as I am starting to plan my trip.
Thanks for the great tips, I'm really enjoying watching your videos, and get some great ideas of what to expect while on the cruise. My husband, and I and 2 friends are doing this cruise next June, I can't wait. Can you tell me did you do all these things on the one cruise, every time I see another idea I add it to what I want to do? I was just wondering if you have enough time in each port to do a few different things or if you need to pick from a list of things to do. Looking forward to watching more of your videos.
Have a great trip. I did all of these in one trip so is possible yes!!
He left out the whale watching which was a great side trip. We also got lucky and saw several whales from the ship and right from our table at the restaurant in Icy Straight Inlet. We also had sea Otters right outside our window at Skagway. If you are into marine life keep your eyes open and you will see lots. And it your into Eagles you will see lots, especially in Juneau.
Thank you TimDyck for your tips, I will certainly be looking out of any wildlife I can see and photograph I am so looking forward to our trip.
I took over 1000 pictures with my camera and probably almost as may with my phone. This trip was a nature overdose for me and I loved every critter and landscape I saw. I got up early to catch the sunrise every morning and stayed up for the sunset and just loved every minute in between. I actually need two weeks off work when I got back to rest up. I hope your trip is as good or better than ours was.
This is my dream vacation so thank you for tips :)
Railway is okay but do the mountain bicycle ride where they drive you to the top of the pass and you get to ride back into town. Excellent views, informative and lots of fun.
Would love to do this!! Did you book this through the ship, or offshore?
@2ysur2ysib - my spouse found it separately from ship excursions. Not sure who was tour company but they met us at ship, drove us to summit with a van and bicycle trailer (we pre-booked the bicycle size to fit us) and we biked back, about a 3 hour tour. Perfect downhill ride with stops and views. (Maybe Klondike Summit to Sea Shore Tour or something like that - Sockeye Cycle Co ??)
Ok, great!! We and the kids did the Virginia Creeper trail just over the border of North Carolina into Virginia this past Fall, and if you like cycling and you’re ever in the area, go for it!!! It was a highlight of our trip!! They drive you about an hour up the mountain from the rental shop, and then you bike back for about 18 miles, all low grade downhill on what was formerly the Virginia Creeper railway line, now converted into a bike trail~ absolutely gorgeous!!
I really like your videos.
Great to hear!! Thanks for watching and letting me know 😀
Thank you for your vedio Iam going to ALASKA CRUIZE . in Aug.
Mariaj ImL me too!!!
Me too!!
Going 8/2019
We are taking a Helicopter in Juneau and doing the dog sledding!!
Soooooooo expensive but glad you said it's worth doing!!
My most magical helicopter experience was air assaulting into Kunar. Those were the days. Bastogne
Great video! We just returned from a Royal Caribbean cruise to Ak. I can't add anything to your advice, you're spot on. However, if you take this cruise you'll be stopping in Victoria BC on the way back. Beautiful city! We had nothing planned, so we took a pedicab tour. Turned out to be a very fun and entertaining day. Fisherman's wharf for lunch. Cheers.
Thanks ! Agree with you on Victoria. It is a great city
Your tips are very useful. Hoping to do an Alaska cruise soon.
Very helpful information
very good video & excellent tips. thank you :)
Great video....thanks for posting.
Magnificent vistas! Very exciting Alaska journey! Thank you, Gary!
It was very exciting! Glad you enjoyed the video !
Once upon the time I was seriously considering participating in the White Horse canoeing super marathon race originating in Yukon (considering my canoeing touristic experiences)… not sure whether it runs till Alaska, though… Probably, will take part in this race sometime… Although, there are so many grizzly bears on the river banks…
This is awesome and so helpful! Thank you!!!
Going on my first cruise this summer. I'll be on Quantum of the Seas going to Alaska :D
It’s an amazing holiday wasn’t it? We’ve been there too last year just before the Covid start. I have a video too about our trip.
Thanks for the wonderful content Gary. We are going to Alaska on Princess in mid July so your video is very timely. We are doing the 7 days at sea followed by a 4 day land tour. We are so looking forward to the trip. Am I to understand that you will be offering a series of Alaska videos in the coming weeks?
Sounds like a fantastic trip you have lined up! Nice. Which port you sailing from? Yes, next few weeks will be Alaska focused so should be great timing then! Hopefully all helpful ...!
We are sailing from Vancouver, BC. I look forward to your videos. PS. Since I subscribed I think I have watched all your content at least 2X. Just can't get enough of it. Thanks again.
Awesome to hear! Keep watching! If you ever have topics you’d suggest I cover let me know. Vancouver is a fab city.
We went in late July on the Island Princess. Great trip and I hope ours was as good as ours was.
Great video. I've done two Alaskan cruises now and did just about everything you recommended. All very fun and beautiful. I will say though that our first time at the Red Dog Saloon (2008) was a great experience but when we went last year in late May, the service was lousy.
Going in August 2019 and appreciated the tips for excursions per port. Hate to hear I might be “shortchanged” becauseI Cruise to Tracy Arm instead but I believe the experience will be awesome nonetheless. We wanted to celebrate a birthday and an anniversary consequently of our group I am planning so I wanted special dates!
Very informative. Great advice on best things to do in Alaska
Thanks!
Pleasure! Good to hear 😀😀
Wow I’m so tired of this Caribbean islands I may have to switch it up and try this.
Hi Gary, Question? The dog sledding adventure you did in Juneau, was it a ship excursion or one that you booked on your own? We are cruising on RCL to Alaska in May 2024 & they only offer the dog sledding thru the grass not on the snow. I've looked at a couple of different companies online in Juneau, but thought you may have a company you worked with that was a great experience that you could recommend. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Yet another informative video!
Thanks for all the info, Gary. Can you recommend what companies to book the excursions through pls? Also, we would like to go whale watching- where is best for that?
Don't need bug spray up their echo blue niner yall fit wise
were going in may 2019 and in Juneau were doing the pan for gold an salmon bake, then in Skagway were doing the white pass RR. then in ketchican were doing the lighthouse totem and eagle watch. so are those worth doing
Hi!!!!
How was your Vacation?
I'm about to go....8/2019
Thanks Gary, it's very helpful! Do you know if meals are included in landtour of Celebrity alaskacruisetour, I know that the Princess alaskacruisetour do.
I really enjoyed your video, but there's only one thing I wouldn't do, and that's the dog sled. I'm deathly afraid of flying, and you have to take a helicopter to get there.
In Juneau and Skagway they have sled dog training camp experiences that you get to by bus. These are summer training camps for the dogs where you can interact with the dogs and puppies and learn about the history and modern sport of dog sledding. They also have specially rigged sleds on wheels that you can ride since there is no snow at the lower elevations. These are also much more reasonably priced at the $150 pp range than the $650 pp helicopter and glacier dog sled experiences.
Thank you for your detailed advice. I’m not sure about the helicopter 🚁 (even if it could be within our budget), but my husband would love it.
Really helpful info :) TY
Great to hear ! Thanks !
What is the best first timer itinerary with kids 11 and 16. We did most of our cruise with RC. Thank you
Been Alaska. 9x
Looks like a beautiful Cruise!
It was amazing ! I have some more videos coming with more...
So so so so helpful! Thank you!
Awesome! Great to hear! Thanks so much for watching
Thank you for the video!! It was very helpful!
Thanks.
We are going to Alaska in May 2023 and are looking to do this adventure however carnival has only train tour up bicycle ride down I'm old not in good shape I don't want to ride down what do you suggest
Thanks for all your great tips! Do you have a recommendation for the dog sledding as far as best time of day/company/itenerary? Some have options like a s
second stop to walk around in addition to the dog sledding...
Great info, thank you
Thanks ! Good to hear!
What is the age requirement for the helicopter and dog sledding trip? My daughter is 3, and I wonder if I could take her to this excursion.
thank you so much
Love your videos! How is the weather normally in July?
I would ask your opinion that if one carry on luggage is good enough to put warm clothienng and essential items?
Great video!
Planning to go this summer. Is there a specific company you recommend for the helicopter and dog sledding adventure?
Great job!
Thanks. Good to hear
Any recommendations for salmon fishing, or fly fishing?
Went on NCL in September and missed most all of this because of weather or time in Port, what would be the best time or year to go to Alaska?
This was a wonderful video on Alaska, thank you so much.
Question, when is the best month for the Norris Dog Sledding and did you book that on your own directly with the company or as a cruise shore excursion?
Again my many thanks.
Thanks! We booked through the cruise line excursions, and as soon as hey opened as it sells out fast!
What month did you go? It looked to be very snowy and wonderful. What month would you suggest is best for the dog sledding? I know someone that went in August a few years ago and she said it was on dirt and rocks and was not enjoyable..