Photo: Glacier Bay National Park
For family vaca of summer ’22 we decided it was time to cross off a trip from our bucket list. A trip that everyone would enjoy, but most importantly my dad and husband (the mountain men). We sailed on the Norwegian Encore from Seattle, WA, to Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, AK, and Victoria, BC. Canada, and a day cruising through Glacier Bay National Park. This trip was 7 nights on the ship, and we added an extra night before our ship left to explore Seattle a little. Let me just say, this was hands down one of my favorite vacations. I highly recommend a cruise to Alaska, and in this post, I’ll explain why.
Fly to Seattle (the day before the ship departs) and explore The Space Needle
K.C. Airport has non-stop service to Seattle on Alaskan Airlines, which proved to be perfect for our trip needs this year. At just under 4 hours of flight time, a non-stop flight meant we left KC right after lunch and made it to Seattle in time to check in to our hotel and head to the Space Needle before dinner.
We stayed at the Mayflower Park Hotel. Hotels in downtown Seattle are definitely pricey, and this hotel is no exception. However, its location is unbeatable. This hotel also has 2 restaurants, Andaluca and Oliver’s Lounge. The historic décor is beautiful, and the staff is some of the friendliest and most helpful hotel staff we have ever encountered. I could not recommend this hotel more.
The Mayflower Park Hotel is located right around the corner from the entrance to the Seattle Monorail at the Westlake Center. The Monorail tickets are from a self-serve kiosk, and they have trains running every few minutes. This Monorail only service two stops, Westlake Center and the Space Needle. After a beautiful ride with great views of the city, we were at the Space Needle.
The Space Needle also has self-serve kiosks to reserve your tickets. Odds are you will have to reserve a later time slot. We arrived at 6 and were not able to get in line to go up the elevator until the 6:45 time slot. Not to worry, there are plenty of vendors and stores around the Space Needle entrance to keep you occupied while you wait for your time slot. Once you come back for your time slot, you’ll still have to wait in line to get to the elevator. The history of the building of the Space Needle is on the wall for you to read while you wait in line, and it’s actually very interesting.
I have a gripping fear of heights, so needless to say, I was not particularly looking forward to the 43-second ride in a glass elevator to the top of the needle. But- it is incredible. The views are so breathtaking that you do not even notice. And surprisingly, when you get to the top, you somehow do not feel that far off the ground. I was completely surprised at the amazing views from the top of the needle. It was a clear evening, so we could see Mt. Rainier on the horizon. There are two levels: the top level with the open walkaround terrace and glass benches that “hang over” the edge, and the second level with the revolving floor. Both are unique, so be sure to check out both. You have as much time as you want at the top, so make sure to take it all in and enjoy the views!
When we were done at the Space Needle, we took the Monorail back to the hotel, where we decided to walk around and explore the town. Our friend, who is a local, took us to the Amazon Spheres, which is such a unique and awesome idea. In my opinion, it is a must-see in Seattle. Lucky for us (since we were starving), there is a restaurant inside, and oh my word, it is absolutely delicious. It’s called Willmott’s Ghost, and their focaccia bread is MY ABSOLUTE FAV FOOD now. Seriously, words cannot describe it. We also had their fried calamari and pizza, both of which were amazing. I only wish I had more days in Seattle to try everything on their menu. And no trip to Seattle is complete without an ice cream run to Salt and Straw. Once again, I wish I had more days in Seattle simply to try all their ice cream flavors. Seriously, so good.
Pike Place Market in the morning before the ship departs
From the Mayflower Park Hotel, Pike Place is just a few blocks’ walk (totally doable). We got there early, and I headed straight for the Starbucks line. The Starbucks store at Pike Place claims to be the original Starbucks store. Of course, they sell the same overpriced (yet oh so amazing) coffee beverages as every other Starbucks, but if this is the only time you will be in Seattle, just stand in line for the coffee so you can say you did. The line moves pretty fast, and then you can walk around the rest of the market with your coffee in hand.
Pike Place is kind of like one big food crawl. There are so many yummy options to choose from, and you can’t go wrong with any of them. Some of the ones we chose to try (and loved) were The Crumpet Shop, Ellenos Greek Yogurt, Piroshky Piroshky (hands down our favorite), and Beecher’s Cheese Shoppe. One that we tried and were not so impressed with was The Daily Dozen; the donuts were not very flavorful and went bad quickly. At Piroshky Piroshky, the smoked salmon was everyone’s fav. At Ellenos Greek Yogurt, the marionberry hits. At Beecher’s, the mac and cheese is amazing and also try the breadzel. At the Crumpet Shoppe, the lemon curd is great.
Juneau, AK
Our cruise time here was kind of weird. We arrived at 2:30 pm and left at 11:00 pm. Today, we had a fishing trip planned with the Local Guy fishing charters. It was a salmon fishing trip; however, we were not having much luck with the salmon, so our captain changed the itinerary after a few hours and took us halibut fishing instead. Overall, it was a fun experience.
We really enjoyed our guide and appreciated his willingness to find us some fish! Being in the water in Juneau, Alaska, is incredible. We saw many bald eagles, whales, and even some porpoises. The mountains surrounding the area are breathtaking.
By the time we got back to downtown Juneau, we were starving. We ate at Tracy’s King Crab Shack. This was some of the best crab I’ve ever had. You definitely pay for it, but you can’t beat how fresh the crab is. After dinner, we were disappointed at how little was still open in Juneau. We still had over an hour until we needed to head back to the ship, but because of the hours, most shops and restaurants had already closed. We were able to stop in a few stores, but unfortunately, with our cruise itinerary, we did not see as much of Juneau as I would have liked. This is definitely something to keep in mind when booking your Alaskan cruise, as port times vary and may not align with peak times for excursions/sightseeing.
Skagway, AK
This was, without a doubt, our favorite port. We were here from 7 am to 8:15 pm, so we had the whole day to fill. This made for a very relaxing and adventurous day, not to mention the views are BREATHTAKING in every direction.
We started with the streetcar tour (booked through our cruise line), and really enjoyed it! The drivers tell you so much about Skagway and its history. This tour also drives you out to the Gold Rush Cemetery, part of the National Historic Park, so this tour is a great way to get a ride out there instead of walking.
After the car ride, we walked around the town of Skagway and visited the National Historic Park museum. Skagway is full of stores, restaurants, and fun places to stop and enjoy the town. Some of our favorites were Skagway Brewing Company (spruce tip ale is a must-apparently it’s an excellent source of vitamin C), the Klondike Doughboy, Glacial Smoothies and Coffee, and The Bananza restaurant.
At 1 pm, we walked to the train station right off of the main street of Skagway and took the White Pass Scenic Railway up to the Yukon territory. I cannot, and I repeat, cannot encourage this excursion more. I think it was all of our favorites. The views are indescribable. It definitely gets cold, so bring a jacket and something warm to drink. But the cold is well worth it. This is a round trip with no stops, so just sit back, relax, and enjoy God’s incredible creation.
Cruising Glacier Bay National Park
The day in Glacier Bay NP starts early, but one look out the window at the landscape, and I did not mind one bit. At 7 am, the ship hosts a ranger talk in the observation lounge given by one of the national park rangers who boards this ship while we are in the park. The talk lasts about 30 minutes, and during it, they will fill you in on the schedule/information for the day, the history of the NP, and introduce themselves and the rest of the NP ranger team on board for the day. I highly recommend going to this talk, but seats in the observation lounge go quickly, so arrive 30 minutes-1 hr early to grab a nice seat next to the window so you can still enjoy the passing scenery.
From 8 am- Noon (ish), the NP rangers will be narrating the cruise through Glacier Bay over the ship’s intercom system. This will be a mix of animal spotting, history, and pointing out what glaciers, etc., we are passing by. For the rest of the day in Glacier Bay, the biggest part will be deciding where on the ship you want to be to take in the scenery. I suggest finding a spot and staying there; it’s more relaxing this way, and no matter what side of the ship you are on, you won’t miss anything because the captain maneuvers the ship to allow both sides to have the same view. We started in the observation lounge, but it quickly got so crowded that we couldn’t see anything or enjoy ourselves.
Next, we went to deck 8, and this proved perfect for what we needed. Deck 8 has lots of outside furniture to sit and relax, but also allows you to walk around the back of the ship to the other side if you want to watch the glacier for longer. Deck 8 also has binoculars, as well as hot cocoa/alcohol bar carts, walking around throughout the cruise through Glacier Bay. Around lunch time, they even brought around cups of hot salmon chowder. It is COLD outside on deck 8, especially close to the glaciers, so make sure to bundle up and even bring a blanket to cover up in while you sit outside. IMO, deck 8 was the perfect place to see the whales, sea otters (my fav), and the sea lions on the rock formations you pass by. Make sure to keep an eye out for the whales near the shoreline, and for bears on the shore. While you’re near the glaciers, watch and listen for glacier calving. It is such a stunning thing to see. You will hear the loud crack first, then see the ice fall into the water.
If you have a balcony with your state room, you can obviously sit on your balcony and enjoy Glacier Bay from there as well. We felt like the view from deck 8 was better because our stateroom was on deck 15 and much higher up/farther away from all the action.
This particular stop on our cruise was the reason we booked the cruise we did. My bucket list is to visit all the U.S. national parks, and Glacier Bay is unique in that it can only be accessed via boat or plane. There are no roads that lead all the way to Glacier Bay. You must either take a plane to Gustavus, AK, and drive to the Visitor Center/Lodge, or boat into the park. Only 2 cruise ships a day are allowed into the park, so the majority of Alaskan cruises don’t include this in their itinerary. IMO- this is an absolute MUST SEE. If you only take one Alaskan cruise in your life, make sure your itinerary includes this.
Pro tip: The NP rangers bring souvenirs from the NP store onto the ship and will have merchandise for sale at the front of the observation lounge. They had books, t-shirts, stickers, magnets, DVDs, etc. Also, for those who have the NP stamp books, they bring the stamp on board and have a station for you to stamp your book!
Ketchikan, AK
We were here from 7:00 am to 1:15 pm, which is a weird time frame and does not allow for much sightseeing. However, my biggest complaint is that Norwegian docks about 15 minutes outside of town in Wards Cove. They offer complimentary shuttle service, BUT they stop running their shuttle back to the ship at 11 am- absolutely ridiculous. Fortunately, my family was not going to let Norwegians plot to get us to spend more money in their massive gift shop keep us from missing out on what little time we had in Ketchikan.
Ketchikan is a bit different from the other ports we had been to. We traded snow-capped mountains for a more coastal rainforest climate. It is beautiful and unique, and of course, it rained the entire time we were there. We started out taking the shuttle into town. They drop you off about a 10-minute walk from the famous Creek Street. We first stopped at the Alaska Crepe Co. for some breakfast- I am a crepe person, and these were fantastic. Must try- Monte Cristo and Black Forest. Honestly, two people could split one crepe; they are so stuffed. Coffee was from 55 North Bakery and Coffee– amazing (and believe me, I know a good coffee when I taste one). Next, we headed to Creek Street, which was super cool. There were not as many shops as I was expecting, but the ones that were there were super unique and worth the stop.
Here is where we used our determination to see as much of Ketchikan as we could: Next, we took the city bus along the Silver North Route to Totem Bight State Park.
The bus is $2 a person, and there is a bus stop right up the street from Creek Street. It’s about a 20-minute ride out to the state park. It’ll drop you off right at the entrance, and it’s a self-pay park entry fee.
The park is gorgeous! The totem poles are so pretty amidst the forest backdrop. There is a walking trail that runs through the park, and areas to walk out to the beach and take in the beautiful ocean view. This is a great excursion idea in Ketchikan. By now, it was up to us to find a way back to the ship, so we called a taxi- $20 from Totem Bight State Park to the cruise terminal and welllll worth the extra 2 hours in Ketchikan exploring the state park instead of being back on the cruise ship at 11:15.
Victoria, B.C. Canada
This port was our weirdest port time yet. We did not arrive in Victoria until 7:30 pm, and we were there until 11:59 pm. It was still light when we disembarked, so we walked to the meeting point for our carriage ride. Victoria is a very walkable town. The cruise ships do dock on the opposite side of the island from pretty much anything you could hope to see or do in Victoria, however. If you are exploring Victoria on your own (not on a tour booked through the cruise ship-those tours will leave from the dock by the ship), you can walk, taxi, bike taxi, or my personal favorite- a Rickshaw to downtown Victoria on the other side of the island. It is about a 20-minute walk, but you will pass by the adorable neighborhoods of Victoria, so it’s a lovely walk.
For our evening in Victoria, we booked a 60-minute carriage ride through Beacon Hill Park with Victoria Carriage Tours on TripAdvisor. We LOVED this tour. Our driver was fantastic and told us many interesting facts about Victoria and its history along our tour. Beacon Hill Park is also so pretty; we even saw some deer grazing on our drive through. We saw many of the famous sites in Victoria, including many of their famous “heritage homes,” all from our comfy and warm (they supplied blankets) horse-drawn carriage. This was the perfect way to take in as much of Victoria as we could during our short amount of time there. There are flowers EVERYWHERE, and they are simply stunning. Our tour dropped us off right across the street from the Parliament building just in time for it to light up with its magnificent display of lights. In fact, the entire downtown Victoria at night is just a dream. I was so disappointed to not have more time here. Victoria is definitely on my list of places to return to and spend more time exploring and taking in its beauty.
BONUS: Tips for your Alaskan Cruise
As I mentioned before, a stop in Glacier Bay National Park is a must! This was such a core memory for us and something I would definitely do again.
Pack more warm clothes than you think. It gets cold on the ship at night, and even our day at sea was cold and rainy. Coming from the 90+ degree heat of Southwest MO, my family was definitely not primed for this.
Pack RAIN GEAR. It rained basically every day on us, even if it was just for a short while.
Alaska is a cruise destination where it is extremely easy to book shore excursions on your own and not through the cruise line. This is so much cheaper and honestly more enjoyable. The cruise ports thrive on tourism, so your tour will most likely include a pick up/drop off at the terminal and times that accommodate your cruise itinerary.
If in Skagway, definitely do the train ride. Views like no other.
We departed from Seattle, so our day at sea on Monday was in open ocean with rough seas and lots of rain. I’ve heard that if you leave out of Vancouver, your day at sea is through more of an inlet with better wildlife viewing opportunities and smoother waters. However, if flying from the U.S., it’s obviously cheaper to fly into Seattle.