Juneau

Eph60 · April 7, 2013

Juneau will more then likely be on every Alaskan cruise. Juneau is the capital of Alaska. Juneau is a city that is about 24 miles long and at the widest only about 5 miles wide. You can only get to Juneau by air or by boat. Juneau is surrounded by water and the Mendenhal Glacier. The airport for Juneau is actually on an island out in the waterway. If the plane runs long on landing you are in the water.

The Mendenhal Glacier is a big draw. You can actually get quite close to the glacier. You can do river rafting down the river from the melt of the glacier. There are many tours that go to the glacier but you can also get there by the local bus service.

There is a tramway in Juneau that will take you high up on the mountain for some very impressive views. Gold mines were a very big part of Juneau and you can also visit some of the old mines and still do some gold panning on tours. If you find gold on the tours you get to keep the gold.

Flight tours are very big here in Juneau. There are plane and helicopter flights, they are expensive but well worth the trip. A flight tour out onto a glacier is really a must do if you can afford it.

Fishing is also big in Juneau. If like fish there are many shops here that will specially pack it and ship it home for you.

Juneau is one of the hottest spots for whale watching. I personally have always seen whales when I take a whale watch in Juneau. The cruise line has tours that will take you out on larger boats, but there are several excellent local whale watch outfits that take you out on smaller boats.

There is a great cultural center to learn about the Alaskan past and some of the native tribes that live there. The Red Dog Saloon is a big attraction here. It is not in the original spot that it once was but it is easy to find and is known for fun and good food and drink.

You will find many shops to buy gifts in Alaska and many of the shops will be related to the cruise industry and shops that you find anywhere in cruise ports. If you want the true Alaskan products head off the main drags and check the side streets. Juneau will also have the franchise food stops such as McDonalds or Subway if you want them.

Juneau has an excellent bus system that is reasonable in price if you want to see much of the area on your own. You can spend a lot of time checking out Juneau and a lot of money if you are not careful.

Jan115 · April 8, 2013

Thanks for the port info on Juneau. For our upcoming cruise from San Francisco on Grand Princess, we booked a whale watch and Mendenhall Glacier photo safari, a small boat tour focusing on getting the best shots of nature and wildlife. I hope we have time to see a little of Juneau while we're there.

hazelson · April 9, 2013

Jan - we did that tour a couple of years ago. It was amazing. DH actually got pics of the barnacles on the whales tails.

The windows of the boat lift up so there is nothing in the way of your lens.

Have fun.

Jan115 · April 9, 2013

That's great to hear - I'm really looking forward to it! Did you see any other sea life besides whales? How was the glacier walk?

WeCruiseToo · April 12, 2013

Our first trip to Juneau we enjoyed the river raft tour but the highlight of the port was when the cruise line brought aboard Iditarod champion Libby Riddles to give a fascinating presentation. We even got a great photo with two of her sled dogs!

Our second trip to Juneau we did an exclusive whale watching (just four passengers on the boat) for only $10.00 per person more than the super-crowded boats! We saw plenty of whales and otters and eagles, but the highlight was watching a group of whales bubble feeding! Afterward we still had time to take the free shuttle over to Mendenhall Glacier (next time we plan to spend a lot more time here) and do some quick shopping.

DennaBeana · July 10, 2013

We're going on an Alaskan Dog Sled and Musher's Camp excursion while in Juneau!

WeCruiseToo · July 11, 2013

We're going on an Alaskan Dog Sled and Musher's Camp excursion while in Juneau!

We love the sled dogs – always great fun! :thumbup:

zebra · July 12, 2013

We did the whale watching tour in Juneau as well - it was tremendous. We saw so many whales up close and personal. We have alst done a Salmon Bake here too. We have done many salmon bakes in Alaska - especially during the 6 months we traveled the state by RV but Juneau's was the best. On a creek where you can pan for gold as well, and the entertainment was awesome - not to mention the delicious salmon and all other food. Yummmmm!!