While there are many things that catch passengers
out once in Alaska, I want to highlight something that trips up many cruisers before they go,
including my good friends Graham and Pete. After they’d watched my videos about my
last trip to Alaska, they booked a cruise on Norwegian Bliss. They excitedly told me they were going to
visit the ports I had suggested and had scenic sea days cruising glaciers as I had recommended. However, they had fallen into a cruise line
trap. When I looked at their itinerary, I noticed
that while they were calling on the three key ports (Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan),
they were in them for at most four hours each. They arrived so early in the morning that
their exploring time was more like two to three hours. On the way back to Seattle they were in Victoria
for just three hours, but from eight o'clock at night, and even worse they were not scenic
cruising in the best glacier regions. If they'd chosen different cruise at the same
time and price, like the ones I've done on Majestic Princess or Nieuw Statendam, they
would've had all day in the ports, and seen the better and must-see glaciers like Hubbard
Glacier and those in Glacier Alley. Too many cruisers get caught out by focusing
on the itinerary map, and don’t closely examine the actual time spent in each port. It is something that constantly catches travellers
out, and so they don't get the maximum Alaska experience. Luckily, they had time to sort that out and
I got them to change to a cruise that would. Next, I had to make sure they did not get
caught out on sightseeing itself. Here, I had what may seem to be contradictory
watchouts and advice. First, I pointed out there are many great
things they could do in Alaska ports that the cruise line would sell them as tours,
but many they did not need the cruise line to do. By relying on the line, they would lose flexibility
and add unnecessary cost. Here’s some examples in those three most
visited ports where I warned they could be caught out using the line tours. In Ketchikan, the Great Alaskan Lumberjack
Show ( https://alaskanlumberjackshow.com ) is a fun thing to do, and the cruise line would
sell it as an excursion. But all that means is they would walk them
across to it and seat them in an allocated area. However, they could buy tickets online or
at the venue for way less, around $37 for adults and $18 for kids. It's a short, and well signposted, walk from
where the ships dock. In Skagway, the line would sell excursions
on the, in my view must do, White Pass & Yukon Railway (https://wpyr.com ). It's a great
experience, but again they can book tickets on any of the departures for less (around
$142 for adults and $71 for kids). The cruise line tour would involve walking
them to the train, which admittedly often departs from the pier where the ship docks,
and that’s it. The publicly booked ones usually depart from
the station which is also close to where the ships dock anyway. In Juneau instead of a cruise line tour up
the Goldbelt Mount Roberts Tramway (https://www.goldbelttram.com ) for stunning views at 1,800 feet above the
city, they could just book tickets online or there. It’s right on the main pier and they then
could ride whenever they want. Cruise line excursions to view the Mendenhall
Glacier 14 miles from Juneau are popular but costly and would limit their time at the Glacier,
sometimes to as little as 20 minutes. Instead, I suggested they use the local Capital
Transit Buses, which will cost about $2 each way. But as that is an hour bus ride and 30-minute
1.5-mile walk, I suggested they could use the Blue Bus Glacier Express that would cost
around $45 return, taking them right to the visitor centre from the parking outside the
tramway. I told them they can but tickets from sites
like Viator or Expedia, or at the booth dockside. I warned them to not get caught out booking
things where the cruise line is not really adding much value but to book these alternatives
in advance because they often sell out on busy port days. But for some excursions I told them they would
get caught out by NOT booking cruise line excursions. If they are planning to do some of the more
exotic excursions in Alaska, like float plane or like I have done the helicopter excursions
up onto glaciers for dog sledding or walking, then even though cost is important to them
I suggested they could get caught out making potentially bad choices because of money. These are expensive excursions costing several
hundred dollars and are potentially higher risk. The cruise line will have done a lot of research
and locked up some of the top-notch providers based on years of experience. While excursion accidents are very rare in
Alaska, they do happen. I mentioned that this was brought home to
me with the tragic incident in 2021 when guests off Holland American Nieuw Amsterdam booked
their own floatplane excursion out of Ketchikan and unfortunately were killed when it crashed. So, with these more expensive and exotic excursions,
I personally use and rely more on the cruise line expertise and history. But I told them if they preferred not too
and wanted to book in port, which they could easily do, as there are many booths selling
excursions dockside, to do some checks before confirming. For example, “Google” the provider and
check their reviews on TripAdvisor or CruiseCritic on their phone. Or, before the trip ask in their cruise Roll
Call on CruiseCritic if anyone had a great experience or recommendations for providers
that they felt safe and were impressed with. Next, knowing they are big souvenir buyers
on their trips I had to warn them about not getting caught out here. There are several ways I’ve seen Alaska
cruisers fall into traps that part them with more cash than it should. It all starts on board the ship with the support
of the cruise line itself. Every Alaska cruise I've been on has Port
Shopping Advisors on board who run talks, provide coupons and maps. They are not employed by the cruise line,
and they are not unbiased nor recommending the best quality or value stores necessarily. In fact, they work for promotion companies,
like Onboard Media and PPI Group , and earn commissions by pushing cruise passengers to
shop in specific Alaska port stores, like Diamonds International and Effy Jewellery
stores, Del Sol colour-changing clothes and so on. These stores also pay hefty fees to the cruise
lines to be in these programs. An investigation by the Huffington Post for
example, reported stores in Alaskan ports pay several hundred thousands of dollars every
year to be included. I warned them that in their cabin on embarkation
they may find, like I did, discount vouchers and free charms to start collecting with the
promise of more free ones by visiting certain stores. But that they needed to remember they’re
designed to get them to visit stores which may not be the best value with highly skilled
salesman to pressure them into buying jewellery, watches, diamonds, clothes - and not always
at the sharpest and best prices. I said if they are going to follow the advisor’s
suggestions and wanted to avoid getting caught out, at least double check the prices online
to see if it really was a good deal before buying. The next area I see Alaska cruisers getting
caught out shopping in port is focusing on the big souvenir shops close to the docking
area. Some reports say they are owned by the lines,
but I could not confirm that, but they do seem to be chains and not owned by locals. So, I suggested to Graham and Pete to really
support the community they are calling on to look for locally owned stores, often selling
the same or similar items. Local stores proudly advertise it on their
signs or windows, and so they’re easy to find to find. Though I did warn them it may mean heading
a block or two back from those clustered right as they got off the ship. This brought me to tell them about another
way cruisers get caught out when shopping for souvenirs and taking back something to
remind them of the trip. Most of the merchandise in the stores are
mass-produced items, made aboard in places like China, and have almost no link to Alaska
itself. I told them as they called into different
ports, they would see the same item with just the port name changed. Instead, when shopping I recommended they
look for items with the “Silver Hand” and the “Made in Alaska” logos. These are controlled, monitored, and must
be applied for to ensure authentic Alaskan goods. When buying, I pleaded that they don’t get
too caught up in the “smoke and mirror” promotions in stores either. I suggested they be sceptical of the deep
discounts off so-called usual selling price, the multi-buys like buy three T-shirts for
price of two, and other tricks of the trade. I admit I have been caught out buying more
mugs, T-shirts, and candy than I needed thinking it was a good deal. It wasn’t! I did stress that to not get caught out overall,
to remember that in Alaska there are only a few ports, its’ a short season and so
all are focused on, and being developed, to separate
us from as much money as possible. Skagway, for example, has just over one thousand
permanent residents, but it explodes when cruise passengers are there. So, they should be ready for “tourist trap”
venues. Not to say that they’re not going to have
a good time in them, but venues close to the port, like the bars and restaurants, are crowded,
costly and often manufactured for the tourist trade. For example, in Juneau on the dock front there
are often long lines for places like Tracy’s Crab Shack but 10 minutes away in a quieter
and more local part of town where the float planes are, I told them they’d find more
authentic restaurants, like Alaska Fish & Chips where I had the best fish and chips for a
long time anywhere. The Red Dog Saloon is one of the more famous
places to go in Juneau. However, the original Red Dog Saloon is long
gone and was two blocks away. So, while they’d find it packed and very
popular it is very much about creating a place for passengers like them to have a good time
and take a big slug of their money. I did stress that while exploring the port
towns are entertaining, they should not get caught up in just doing but Graham and Pete
gave me a challenge as the cruise and flights blew most of their budget and they wanted
to know how to make the most of the ports with little to no money. And to help them do that, I suggested they,
and you, watch this video where I talk about the best things to do in each Alaskan port
for no, or tiny amounts of money. See you over there.
