Interesting places to visit in the off-season (Fairbanks, Kodiak: ferries, activities)

[Arktikos]

Ride a bike from Fairbanks to Nome on the frozen Yukon like an old gold prospector did, now that would be an adventure.
My sister worked/lived in Nome for a couple years. I regret not visiting her, but she says I didn’t miss much.

[terracore]

For sure, Nome is a "nice place to visit but wouldn't want to live there" sort of place.

[lepoisson]

April got away from me and here we are in May. I'm hoping to go somewhere this weekend or next. When do the cruise ships start running? I'm hoping to beat that crowd.


I think I'll head up to Ketchikan and Sitka since those are relatively short flights from Seattle.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by lepoisson

April got away from me and here we are in May. I'm hoping to go somewhere this weekend or next. When do the cruise ships start running? I'm hoping to beat that crowd.

This would be fairly easy to do the legwork on for yourself. The cruise "season" starts in mid April for some.

The companies that offer the majority of itineraries to SE AK seem to be Norwegian, Princess, Holland America, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival. You could check their websites for ports of call dates that include Ketch and maneuver your visit around them. Don't have any idea how many ships Ketch can accommodate at the same time.

Be aware that a number of local attractions/businesses orient their own operating seasons around cruise arrivals. AK imposes relatively strict air quality standards on cruiseships (use of low sulphur fuels, stack emission limitations, speeds) so not all cruise lines or specific ships are licensed to operate in state waters.

[lepoisson]

Looks like Princess cruises will be arriving in Sitka and Ketchikan as early as this weekend and it's a pretty big ship. Kind of a bummer if you are hoping to avoid crowds. Maybe it's better if I go somewhere else. Is Kodiak an interesting place to visit for a weekend?

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by lepoisson

Looks like Princess cruises will be arriving in Sitka and Ketchikan as early as this weekend and it's a pretty big ship. Kind of a bummer if you are hoping to avoid crowds. Maybe it's better if I go somewhere else. Is Kodiak an interesting place to visit for a weekend?

Just ONE ship? Services in a city the size of Ketch can easily manage that! Now if there were 2-3 scheduled to be in port at the same time I might alter plans to avoid them. Peak season tends to be later once more kids are out of school. There will definitely be more variety of things to do in Ketch than Kodiak. Don't discount potential people watching. IME, cruise ship passengers can be comical .

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by lepoisson

Looks like Princess cruises will be arriving in Sitka and Ketchikan as early as this weekend and it's a pretty big ship. Kind of a bummer if you are hoping to avoid crowds. Maybe it's better if I go somewhere else. Is Kodiak an interesting place to visit for a weekend?

Kodiak could be interesting for a weekend. I wouldn't avoid SE just because one cruise ship happens to be in town. You won't experience "crowds" anywhere in the region, except perhaps along the main street accessible from the dock for tourists to be strolling along.

[ketchikanite]

Originally Posted by lepoisson

Looks like Princess cruises will be arriving in Sitka and Ketchikan as early as this weekend and it's a pretty big ship. Kind of a bummer if you are hoping to avoid crowds. Maybe it's better if I go somewhere else. Is Kodiak an interesting place to visit for a weekend?

The cruise ship crowd in Ketchikan sticks to the area right around the docks. They don’t wonder far. In my 8 years of living there I was never bothered by the crowds. There is a lot more to Ketchikan then those 4 or 5 blocks that make up downtown.

[lepoisson]

Originally Posted by ketchikanite

The cruise ship crowd in Ketchikan sticks to the area right around the docks. They don’t wonder far. In my 8 years of living there I was never bothered by the crowds. There is a lot more to Ketchikan then those 4 or 5 blocks that make up downtown.

Any recommendations for things to do besides wandering around the area near the docks?

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by bromsi

I want to visit green areas

Try the Tongass or Chugach forests. Off season leaves the possibility of snow. Less chances for this in SE Alaska-Tongass.