General Cruise Ship Ports-of-Call Question (Ketchikan, Kenai: safe, authority, transportation)

[Ghengis]

Hello, we would like to plan a 10 day visit to some of the towns in SE Alaska using the ferry. We would like to time our visits (thinking of among Ketchikan, Glacier Bay, Sitka, Skagway, Juneau) to avoid the cruise ships being there at the same time. Realize that these are among the most visited towns but was wondering if there were days that specific ports don't have any cruise ships visiting during the summer (June - August) or ports that may only accommodate one ship at a time.

Have checked with my previously reliable source but 2011 seems incomplete as it does not list anything from Princess and HAL among others.
Cruise TT : Your Cruise Ship And Port Timetable - Select A Port

We would also consider an alternate itinerary that focused on the less frequently visited towns to avoid the big ships.

Thanks for any help.

[AKStafford]

What will be your mode of transportation around Southeast? Are you flying from town to town or taking the ferry? If taking the ferry, you won't have too much control over your schedule, because you'll be stuck with the ferry's schedule.

[Metlakatla]

The places that you mention won't be free of the pestilence since around the end of Sept.

There are, though, plenty of communities where the ships can be avoided....Petersburg, Wrangell, Prince of Wales Island---we have an inter Island ferry system that is separate from the Alaska Marine Highway system that connects us all now. You could take the Marine Highway on up to Haines as well.

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by AKStafford

What will be your mode of transportation around Southeast? Are you flying from town to town or taking the ferry? If taking the ferry, you won't have too much control over your schedule, because you'll be stuck with the ferry's schedule.

We'll likely be depending on the ferry but was hoping that there would be routes/schedules that we could sometimes co-ordinate with in missing the big boats. Planning on multi-nites in individual towns so we would presumably have some days without cruise ships at times. Or, is it safe to presume that given the number of cruise lines and ships there will be few days when the cruise ships are not in each of those towns?

[Metlakatla]

There will be no days such as you desire except possibly in Sitka. The other places will probably have about 4-7 of the beasts a day, every day.

Here's the site for the inter-island ferry here:

Alaska's Inter-Island Ferry Authority

[sailorjo]

Originally Posted by Ghengis

We'll likely be depending on the ferry but was hoping that there would be routes/schedules that we could sometimes co-ordinate with in missing the big boats. Planning on multi-nites in individual towns so we would presumably have some days without cruise ships at times. Or, is it safe to presume that given the number of cruise lines and ships there will be few days when the cruise ships are not in each of those towns?

In Ketchikan, Saturday has one ship and Sunday, two. Thursday is the busiest with five.

Maybe the link posted above will be informative.
edit:that list does look incomplete but a pretty good guide. Note the number for load, is the number of berths on the ship and is the count if every berth is occupied.

In Ketchikan there is a company, Allen Marine that takes an amazing trip out to Misty Fjiords and in Juneau the same company does cruises in Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm both are well worth it. They also operate cruises out of Sitka.

You might want to check out their website.

Happy Trails,
Nan

[Dusty Rhodes]

There are also boats out of Seward going to the Kenai Fjords, a day trip worth every penny you pay for it. While you are there, check out the Alaska Sea life Center.