Everything You Want to Know about Your Southeast Alaska Cruise 

If you check out the Treadwell Mine Trail in Juneau, be sure to poke your head in the Glory Hole!

Taking a cruise to Southeast Alaska is fun. You are going to see some amazing sights including glaciers, wildlife, and the fine people that live in Alaska. Cruises to Southeast Alaska may include stops in Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Hoonah, and Sitka. All of these Southeast Alaska cruise destinations are amazing but you probably don’t know very much about them. That is about to change.

Other places you may see on your Southeast Alaska cruise

Depending on your cruise, you may see some other amazing places in Southeast Alaska that don’t qualify as ports of call. Your cruise ship may pass through Glacier Bay, which is often referred to Alaska’s Crown Jewel. You may see icebergs in the aptly named Icy Straight. You may even stop in Haines and take a tour of the largest hammer museum in the world! 

Now let’s talk about everything you want to know about your Southeast Alaska cruise

It’s possible you may want to know some things about your Southeast Alaska cruise that aren’t on this list. That’s okay, I won’t judge you. What I will do is offer you this list with a lot of useful information and hope you’re okay with that. Are you ready?

Ketchikan – Most Southeast Alaska cruises go to Ketchikan. You should check out Creek Street and the Totem Park while you’re there. I also think that Ketchikan is the best cruise port for fishing if you’re into that kind of thing. Flights over Misty Fjords are also amazing so be sure to do that if the weather is good. 

Sitka – Few cruise ships go to Sitka but if you’re one of the lucky few, you’re going to love it. I think Sitka is one of the most beautiful destinations in all of Alaska. Totem Park is amazing. It’s very quiet in the morning and wandering through the park is almost a mystical experience. You should eat at Ludwig’s because it’s the best restaurant in town. Also, the fishing in Sitka is better than Ketchikan so if Sitka is on your itinerary, go fishing there instead of Ketchikan.

Juneau – Most people traveling to Juneau go whale watching and visit the Mendenhall Glacier. Both are quality experiences but it gets crowded at the Glacier. I think a better experience is the Treadwell Mine ruins and trail that ends at Sandy Beach. You can do whatever you want but I am totally right about that.

Hoonah – This is one of Southeast Alaska’s newest ports of call so I don’t know a lot about it. The people in Hoonah are very friendly and the town is steeped in native Tlingit culture so you should take time to appreciate the culture and history of Hoonah. If you end up stopping in Hoonah, let me know the highlights so I can update this blog.

Skagway – Skagway is the best place in the world. Everything you do in Skagway will be super fun and amazing because it’s beautiful and the people are very smart and attractive. Go on a hike, take a tour, eat at a local restaurant. Be sure to learn all about Skagway’s crazy history featuring gangsters, conmen, madams, and miners. If they made a TV show about Skagway, it would have to be on HBO because the Gold Rush was totally R rated. 

Well, that’s about all you need to know about your Southeast Alaska cruise. If you’re going on a Southeast Alaska cruise, you are very lucky. With so many amazing things to see and do, you’re going to want to return again next year and the year after that and the year after that…. You get the idea.