Originally posted by:
redskins7
Just returned from my first Alaska cruise on Saturday, June 11th on NCL BLISS. We did the 7 day inside passage. This was a rescheduled cruise because of COVID that replaced our June 2020 Alaska cruise. Not knowing what to expect, we booked the newest ship at the time. Over the course of time the itinerary changed. We we told June was the best time to go because it was the end of the rainy season. Not true. The ship ports were Sitka, Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay (unable to see any Glaciers because too much ice was in the water at bay’s entrance). Big disappointment. The last stop was Victoria, Canada where we arrived late because of the storm winds from the previous night had slowed us down. We were only going to be there 4 hours at night and that was shorten because we arrived late in pouring rain. Ended up not getting off the ship. A second major disappointment. Because we couldn’t decide what excursions to take , we decided to see what the locals offered. Unlike you we are senior, looking excursions that offered limited walking. One good thing was most of the ports offered free transportation to the downtown area, except Icy Strait Point which offered a $5 round trip to downtown. We were so unimpressed, we didn’t get off the shuttle like many others. After getting off the ship, there is an enclosed ski lift ride that carries you to a visitor’s center with stores, restaurants, tours and beautiful sights of the river. Overall, it rained everyday, but luckily, by the time we got off the ship, it lighten up. The places I really enjoyed, Sitka, Juneau, Ketchikan and of course Victoria really didn’t offer quality time to visit the ports. Temperature wise, it was never below 40 degrees and some days it go up to the low 60’s. Most of the larger cities offer a variety of local tours. I’m from the east coast, so we never really adjusted to the time difference, the 4:am morning sunrise and the 10:pm sunset. If your ship leaves from Seattle and you plan to fly out from there, please take advantage of the free Port Valet. It allows you to check your luggage through to your final destination from the ship. The only charge is what your airline charges for luggage. It’s good for flights departing up to 1:am. Great for me because I didn’t have to be bothered with my luggage all day because my flight left at 11:54 pm. Alaska, I can now say; been there, done that and. I know for sure the wilderness is not for me. Enjoy your trip and hopefully this was helpful.
) and on returning home, discovered in that one week of exploring, discovered only a sliver of Alaska. LOL - the only bears we saw were rugs in the B&Bs.
