What to expect on your shore excursion in Skagway

Part 1

If you’re visiting Skagway on a cruise ship, you are probably wondering what to expect. Most tourists plan a shore excursion in Skagway, which often means traveling to some remote places. If you’re unprepared, you could end up cold, hungry, or simply wishing you’d been better prepared. This blog is all about helping you help yourself when you go on a shore excursion in Skagway.

Your shore excursion in Skagway will be a lot more fun if you remember the things you need.

Bring the essentials on your shore excursion in Skagway

First and foremost, you want to make sure you have the things you need for the shore excursion. Without these items, you may not even be able to take your tour, so pay close attention to this list.

• Your ticket – Believe it or not, many tours require a ticket. Still, tour vendors are more than happy to help you out when you forget your ticket, but only if you can remember what tour you’re on. Many tourists mistakenly believe that random Skagway locals will know what tour they’re on, where it picks up, and what time it starts. This is not true. However, your shore excursion ticket outlines all of this information. If you bring it with you, it will be a lot easier to be in the right place at the right time.
• Identification – Your shore excursion in Skagway may require traveling to Canada. There are also a few “you-drive” tours that require a passport. It’s important to have the required identification, otherwise, you may end up very sad and/or angry. Many foreign travelers also need Canadian or United States visas. Some people may need to bring their green card. It’s really up to you to make sure. One last thing – if you’re a parent traveling with your child and the other parent is not present, you need a notarized letter from the other parent if you plan on traveling to Canada. So make it happen.

Things you really should bring on your shore excursion in Skagway

You’ve got your shore excursion ticket and all required identification. Good job. Now, let’s focus on other things that you really should bring along.

• Money – One inescapable fact of life is that you need money. Alaska, like the rest of the country, is part of our national capitalist economy. Very few things are free in life, and this may be even truer in Alaska. We recommend bringing both cash and credit cards. If you need cash for something like the local shuttle bus and only have a credit card, you won’t be able to ride. Blaming other people for not having cash is also not recommended. Remember that Skagway is a remote, rural community, so you need to be prepared or you may not be able to find what you’re looking for.
• Proper clothing – Many shore excursions go to even more remote places in the wilderness. If you’re taking a helicopter to a glacier, which is a giant chunk of ice, you should bring a coat. If you show up for the tour 5-minutes before departure and then ask the tour rep, “You don’t think I’ll need a coat on that glacier, do you?” that’s deferring your responsibility to dress yourself to someone trying to make a living. Don’t do that. Bring a coat. Bring a hat. Bring gloves. Remember, it’s always better to have more clothes than you need rather than end up cold and wet.

Now imagine that you dock in Skagway and you walk off the boat without knowing where your shore excursion picks up or what time it begins. You forget your passport, cash, credit cards, jacket, and pants. You’re going to have a bad time. By making sure you have what you need, you’re taking responsibility for yourself and will have a wonderful time on your shore excursion in Skagway.

…be sure to check out Part 2, coming soon!