Page 265 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Alaska

CRUISING IN ALASK A  263

Best Shore Excursions
Providing shore excursions
for their passengers has
become a gigantic industry
for cruise lines. Holland
America Line and Princess
Cruise Line, for example,
offer hundreds of tours in
Alaska and are specialists in
the field. Among the
interesting shore excursions
visitors can expect to find are:
• Halibut and salmon fishing
charters from Ninilchik and
Deep Creek (see p110)
• Walking Creek Street in
Ketchikan (see pp128–9)
• Visiting Saxman Totem Park
near Ketchikan (see p129)
• Flightseeing in Misty Fiords
National Monument (see p130)
• Riding the Mount Roberts
Creek Street, part of a Ketchikan walking tour, a popular shore excursion tramway above Juneau
(see pp142–3)
Going Ashore and if it makes customer testi- • Helicopter tours to the
Information printed on tour monials available. Remember Juneau Icefield (see p145)
• Riding the White Pass and
tickets tells passengers where also that you will be without a Yukon Route Railroad in
and when to meet, either on tour representative, and will Skagway (see pp150–53)
the ship or the pier. Private have to get to the tour start • Brown bear watching in
shore tour operators usually point alone. No matter how Denali National Park (see
hold up boards clearly marked you book, additional expenses pp166–9)
with the tour’s name making will arise, gratuities, food, and • Alaska Railroad trips to
it easy for passengers to drink among them. Denali (see pp166–9) or
spot where they need to be. Getting back to the ship Seward (see pp102–3)
Passengers taking tours enjoy after a tour poses other chal-
priority status once the lenges. While ships usually
gangway opens. Some ports depart promptly at a well-
cannot handle large ships at the publicized time, they will
pier, so small launches bring wait a few minutes for stray
dozens of cruisers ashore, pas sengers after courteous
starting with the passengers public announcements. The
taking tours. only exception to this rule,
and one that will certainly
delay a departure, is if a shore
Independent Travel excursion group booked via
Cruise lines have made it the shore desk is delayed.
easier for pas sengers to book Being completely alone may Helicopter readying for a flight at
tours with the introduction of appeal to the adventur ous, Skagway’s heliport
online billing systems, among but travelers need to plan very
other innovations, and tend to carefully and stay well-informed.
mark up tour costs because
tourists usually pay willingly Safety on Shore
for the convenience.
However, some travelers Alaskan life in small seaside
prefer to arrange hotel stays, towns is slow and steady, with
rail journeys, and tours entirely few residents and not much
on their own. Before taking bustle. Even in the larger cities
such matters into your own along the coast, personal safety
hands, it is wise to consider poses no real concern. However,
all the factors. Research the while most locals will be glad to
company and find out about help you navigate to where you
the level of experience of want to go, as with any travel Floatplane taking off from the serene
the staff and how long the away from home, keep your waters of a lake
operator has been in business, valu ables protected.

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