Are you interested in experiencing Ketchikan Alaska on your own? Or maybe you have some time before or after your excursion? Then keep reading! This post will share our review, experience and photos doing our own walking tour around Ketchikan!
We visited Ketchikan Alaska as a port stop on our Alaskan Cruise. Our time in port was 7:00am-4:00pm. We had our Bering Sea Crab Fisherman Tour in the afternoon, so we had time to explore on our own and even hop back on the ship for lunch before heading to the excursion.
When researching what to do in Ketchikan, I came across this Ketchikan Walking Tour map. It contains 35 points of interest, including the Welcome Arch, Fish Ladder, Totem Poles, and more, all within walking distance.
We were so happy our ship docked with the Starboard side facing Ketchikan. This allowed us to have the most amazing view of Ketchikan while enjoying breakfast on our balcony!
As you can see, the town is right there and super convenient for anyone wanting to get off and explore for a bit.
We chose to go clockwise around the town. We didn’t entirely follow the path and we didn’t visit every point of interest, but we made sure to visit the main locations and as many totem poles as possible.
Right on the dock next to the cruise ships is “The Rock” statue.
“The Rock” is a bronze sculpture that is a symbolic representation of early Alaskan pioneers and the beginnings of Ketchikan. A fisherman, a miner, a logger, a bush pilot, a frontierswoman, and a Native drummer.
Next was the Ketchikan Welcome Arch. Please be mindful of the road and cars and don’t be an oblivious tourist.
Be on the lookout for all the totem poles! Curious of how many totem poles are in Ketchikan? I read there are over 80! We did not see 80, but we saw a lot….here are a few.
The Creek Street National Historic District is very popular, with restaurants, shops and nice viewing spots of the Ketchikan Creek.
The Ketchikan Creek winds through Creek Street, with some art figures, a waterfall and salmon viewing areas.
There is a Fish Ladder, but we weren’t there during busy salmon time, so not much to see there.
There is a trail through the woods…lots of steps!
But it’s worth it to reach the lookout where you can see the cruise ships! I can see our room!
We spent some time down by the creek skipping rocks, and were greeted by two bald eagles!
Do you see it? Here, I’ll help 🙂
Of course, we were so excited to see a Bald Eagle, but we felt silly later on when we saw 20-30 of them during our Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour later that day!
We ended our walking tour with a stroll down the Waterfront Boardwalk, which gave a great view of the Harbor and the cruise ships.
Overall, we explored for a few hours, taking photos and playing along the way. If you were a little shorter on time, you could skip portions of the trail or not spend as long in certain areas. If you had even more time, you could spend time shopping or eating at a restaurant.
If you have the time, I recommend exploring Ketchikan on your own using this Ketchikan Walking Tour to guide you. Can’t beat a free excursion! 🙂
This post will share our photos and experience on a whale watching tour in Victoria, British Columbia Canada during our Alaskan Cruise.
Victoria, BC was our final port stop on our 7-day Alaskan Cruise onboard Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas. When searching for Victoria, BC shore excursions, we noticed many that were related to the Butchart Gardens or venturing through the city. While those sounded lovely, we knew our kids wouldn’t prefer them. Most other Alaskan ports have a whale-watching excursion of some kind, but since we had other types of excursion planned for each one, Victoria was our last chance for a whale-watching excursion.
We booked our excursion through the ship, as there was an option that was fairly priced. There was only one option, but I’m sure there were plenty more available through private companies.
We had done whale-watching in 2009 during our trip to Seattle. We took a sea plane from Seattle and then went on a small-ish boat in the San Juan Islands. It was amazing, especially for my photographer husband. We knew we wanted the kids to experience something similar.
But here’s the thing…we wish we would have cancelled this excursion. Why, you ask?
By this time in the trip (our last day) we had seen whales directly from the cruise ship several times. We would be lounging on the pool deck and see guests gathered on one side looking out windows, so we would venture over and whaddya know…whales in the wild.
Perhaps one of the most incredible unplanned times of our cruise was like after midnight sometime, while it was a little light out with that dim pink and blue sky (because it’s Alaska and the sun almost never fully sets during some times of the year) and we were on our balcony, it was super quiet and we saw a momma humpback whale and her baby playing, doing little breach jumps and swimming around each other. And here we were just sailing on by with no one else around. You can’t beat that.
We also saw many other types of wildlife from the ship (bring your binoculars! We used these.) so to leave a boat to get on another boat to go out in search of them and pay hundreds of dollars to do something you’ve already done throughout the week just seemed silly at this point.
We also arrived at Victoria late in the afternoon…we were in port 5-10pm, so going on the excursion meant we would miss our last Suite Lounge Happy Hour and normal dinner hours.
But we chose to go because otherwise we wouldn’t get off the ship and we wanted to bring the kids to Canada 🙂
After getting off the ship, we went through customs and then found the meeting location of the tour.
There were a lot of us. We waited for everyone to check in and then we took several busses to the pier where the whale-watching boat was. The boat was pretty large. It had two stories…both with an enclosed area. The bottom floor was fully enclosed with windows all around and seating against the windows.
The top floor also had windows all around with seating, but it also had an outside portion that full wrapped around the boat. So if you sat inside downstairs, you wouldn’t have anyone standing outside to block your view, but the outside area upstairs was completely full once we started seeing whales, so you weren’t able to see past people if you sat inside.
It took a good 30-45 minutes or more to venture out to where the whales are typically spotted. With any wildlife tour, there is no guarantee of what you will see. But the tour operators all communicate with each other when whales are spotted so they can all venture to the same spot and increase the chances of everyone having a successful tour.
First we saw a small pod of whales, I want to say humpback, but they were pretty far in the distance and we didn’t stay with them for long.
We then traveled some more and arrived at an orca pod. We stood outside and the boat followed them from multiple angles, allowing everyone a good view.
We followed this pod for the rest of the tour. So the excitement eventually wore off and the kids asked to go sit inside. There was a small snack stand there, so the kids bought chips and soda from Canada. Not sure how they’re different, probably healthier haha.
We then went downstairs to find a spot we could relax by the window and see outside, since we couldn’t see out much from inside upstairs with all the people standing outside.
We got bored 🙁 I know that sounds awful, but it was just too much of the same thing for too long. I would have preferred a shorter trip for less money. It probably also didn’t help that the kids were a little cranky from being bored and I wished I had brought electronics of some sort. I was trying to be the good mom but didn’t realize just how much downtime there would be.
Do we recommend this shore excursion?
We would recommend A whale excursion depending on your circumstances. If you are in an area as part of a land vacation, sure, and maybe even look at other Alaskan cities as options, as Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, etc. all also offer whale-watching tours. As part of a cruise where you may have already seen whales from the ship? Perhaps not. However, if we hadn’t already seen whales from the ship during the week, this was a guarantee that we would see them during the trip. So perhaps be flexible and book somewhere that allows cancellations/refunds.
I would have also preferred a smaller boat with less people that could travel a little faster and maybe not take so long.
If you are into nature photography, then this will definitely get you closer to the whales for better photos.
Last but not least, there is a cute shop right on the cruise pier where you can get Canada souvenirs before returning to the ship, but that was pretty much the only shop right there. Any more than that will require you to venture towards the city more.
Looking for more Alaska Shore Excursion reviews? Check out these posts!
Well, not really…but we did as close to skydiving as I will EVER get…we experienced RipCord by iFly while on Ovation of the Seas! Actual skydiving scares the bejeezus out of me and I have never been interested in partaking in the activity that has you falling to the ground at insane speeds to rely on fabric coming out of a backpack to save you. But a simulator on the ground (or ship) where you are only a few feet up in a controlled environment with an instructor holding onto you almost the entire time…I can do THAT!
This post will share our review, photos and experience with RipCord by iFly on Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas. I will also share general details about RipCord by iFly on all Royal Caribbean ships.
About RipCord by iFly
RipCord by iFly is indoor skydiving available on some Royal Caribbean ships. It provides the simulation of true free-fall conditions in a vertical wind tunnel, without the whole jumping out of a plane thing.
Which Royal Caribbean Ships have RipCord by iFly?
RipCord by iFly is on all Quantum and Quantum Ultra-Class Ships
Quantum Class
Quantum of the Seas
Anthem of the Seas
Ovation of the Seas
Quantum Ultra-Class
Spectrum of the Seas
Odyssey of the Seas
RipCord by iFly Price & Experience Options
Similar to the North Star, Royal Caribbean offers options when it comes to your iFly experience.
Free: There is a free option that you can book once per cruise. With this option, you get one 60-second turn.
Extended Flight Experience (Paid): With this option, you get two 60-second turns. This was the option we chose.
How to Book RipCord by iFly
Both options can be booked via the Cruise Planner. The free options are released nightly during your cruise, and I’m sure they fill up fast, as ours did.
Ripcord by iFly Restrictions
Must be 3 years old, weigh less than 230 lbs. if shorter than 6’ or less than 250 lbs. if 6’ and taller. All loose articles, including jewelry, wallets, phones, loose change and any other materials that might fall or come loose must be removed prior to the experience.
You must wear sneakers, socks, comfortable pants/shorts, and a shirt that covers your mid-section.
Our RipCord by iFly Experience in Alaska
Just like the North Star experience, RipCord by iFly was a must for us on Ovation of the Seas because it is on ships that aren’t typically sailing from Florida, so we didn’t know when we would get the opportunity to experience it again. My husband and daughter chose not to do it, but that meant we had our own photographer and videographer.
Shortly before our scheduled time, we arrived at the iFly check in location. We were brought to a small room to watch a brief video that discussed safety, basic mechanics of how to position your body to perform certain actions, and the most important part…the iFly hand signals! When you’re in a wind tunnel, there is no talking because you can’t hear anyone! Once inside the tunnel, the instructor uses hand signals to tell you to bend or straighten your legs, put your chin up, or relax….he will also show the hand spread out…all as a reminder to do those things to improve how you’re “flying.” The hand signals are important, so after the video, the instructor gives a quick test to confirm you remember what they meant.
After the video, we were given our flight suits, helmets and goggles. If you’re trying to look cute and demure, this ain’t the place…those helmets and goggles are tight so they won’t budge with all that wind flying at you. Plus, once you are in that tunnel, good luck looking cute with your cheeks flapping around 😀
We got in a line and walked up to the tunnel and sat at the bench while we took turns. The first person got their 1st 60-second turn, then the 2nd person, all down the line, then it starts over for each person’s second turn. There were 6 of us, so it never felt long to wait and it was also pretty fun watching the others take their turns.
I liked having 2 separate turns because the instructor will give you quick tips to improve for your next turn.
When it’s your turn, you stand at the entrance opening and lean forward and then the wind does its job. The instructor holds onto your suit as needed to guide you, but will let go if you’re doing well. There is a second instructor outside the tunnel controlling how much wind is pumped out…smaller kids need less, bigger adults need more.
We both did amazing! My son was a natural, but this mommy sure hopes he never wants to skydive for real. We had a few hand signals thrown at us, mostly me to relax, but I always need to relax so that’s nothing new.
Gosh, I hope I don’t regret sharing this next photo on the internet…I’m doing it for you!
After us newbs all went, the instructor showed us how it’s really done. They amp up the wind and do some tricks, fully utilizing the entire height of the tunnel…so cool!
After, we walked back, removed our suit/helmet/goggles and that was it.
There was a photographer taking photos available to purchase after. They have a computer that shows you all the photos that were taken and you can select which one(s) you want with a couple packages to choose from. We did not have any type of overall cruise photo package, but we were able to purchase these separately.
Is Ripcord by iFly right for you?
This experience is quite active and loud, so if those things are not your bag, then you may want to be entertained by watching. I don’t think being scared of heights should affect your decision, as you don’t go high at all. In fact, your horizontal body doesn’t go higher than the instructor’s head or else he would not be able to control you. This photo shows your height compared to the instructor that is standing…sometimes you go a little higher than this, but never outside of their reach.
Overall, we enjoyed it and are glad we got to experience it. I’m not sure I would go out of my way to do it locally, but since it was available on my cruise, why not?!
This post will share our review, photos and experience on the North Star on Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas. I will also share general details about North Star on all Royal Caribbean ships.
About the North Star
The North Star was introduced by Royal Caribbean in 2014 with the first Quantum Class ship, Quantum of the Seas. It is a clear glass observation capsule that can hold up to 14 guests (plus the operator). The capsule (or “pod”) is attached to an extendable, mechanical arm that slowly elevates guests 300 feet above sea level, directly above and over both sides the ship, providing an incredible 360-degree view. Per Royal Caribbean, it is the winner of the Guinness World Record for tallest viewing deck on a cruise ship! Additionally, Royal Caribbean’s Voom WiFi works inside the North Star pod…not sure why you would need it, but I’m sharing anyway.
Which Royal Caribbean Ships have the North Star?
The North Star is on all Quantum and Quantum Ultra-Class Ships
Quantum Class
Quantum of the Seas
Anthem of the Seas
Ovation of the Seas
Quantum Ultra-Class
Spectrum of the Seas
Odyssey of the Seas
North Star Price & Experience Options
Royal Caribbean offers several experiences to choose from, each varying in length of time and price:
Basic Experience (Complimentary)
The North Star Basic Experience is complimentary and included in the cost of the cruise. This ride is 15 minutes long and typically only available in ports. According to reviews, the pod just goes up and down, not over the sides of the ship. We did not partake in this experience.
Extended Experience ($19 per person)
The North Star Extended Experience is slightly longer at 16 minutes. During this experience, you go straight up, then over both sides of the ship. This was the experience we chose.
Premium Experience ($69 per person)
The North Star Premium Experience is a 20-minute ride. The biggest reason for the increased cost is that it is during high demand times, such as sailing through the glaciers in Alaska. We did not partake in this experience, but saw the people that did. There were several time slots for the North Star while at the Dawes Glacier in Endicott Arm and I’m sure they’re view was spectacular! But our balcony was plenty amazing and included in the cost of our room HAHA
As with anything you read that is not from the official site, these details can change and it is always best to check your Cruise Planner for the most accurate, current info for your sailing. The details I provide are based on our sailing on Ovation of the Seas in Alaska with additional details per my research/knowledge.
North Star Restrictions
Guests must be at least 42 inches tall or 48 to ride alone and weigh a maximum of 300 lbs.
The North Star is wheelchair accessible, with an elevator to the entrance and a ramp into the pod. One wheelchair per time slot is allowed.
How to Book the North Star
Prior to the cruise, the Premium Experience was available to book in the Cruise Planner. The basic and extended experiences were not available in the app until we were actually on the ship, but not for the entire week all at once. Each day, available slots would open for the next day or two. Just use the app to select your experience, date/time, enter the number of people, and reserve…for paid experiences, you will check out and the cost will be added to your bill.
The basic (FREE) time slots fill up fast! We had an excursion for each port day, so we were pretty much left with the Extended experience as our only option except for a few slots here and there at the beginning or end of our port day.
Our North Star Experience in Alaska
We finally decided to reserve the Extended Experience on our last day, but it was in the morning on our way to arrive at Victoria, British Columbia, Canada in the afternoon. So while we did not get the glacier view, there was a lot to see at that point. I also wasn’t aware that the free experience doesn’t go over the sides of the ship. If that was true at the time of our sailing, I would have been disappointed.
About 10-15 minutes before our scheduled time, we checked in at the North Star desk. We were each weighed – which is not a fun thing when it’s the last day of your cruise!
When everyone was checked in and the last group finished, we ventured up the stairs and walked into the North Star capsule. The Operator gave a brief intro and then we began our trip upward!
It was so cool getting to see the ship from that angle! It was similar to flying low over the ship in a helicopter, but without feeling nauseous.
The pod was extremely sturdy; it didn’t rock back-and-forth even with all of us moving around. There were a few other people in there with us, not the max of 14, but we didn’t feel crowded. We were all also good at slowly moving around the pod to give everyone a full view from all angles…it was like an unspoken rule we were all willingly following.
When we first woke up that day, you couldn’t see anything! It was so foggy and they even were blowing the horn every 2 minutes as an alert for nearby marine craft. We were so nervous this was going to be our view…
Thankfully, it cleared up and we had the most incredible view.
We could see our room!
As you can see, I got a lot of photos of the ship and its wake. You wouldn’t have that wake picture if you did the experience while in port since the ship wouldn’t be moving. I did get a few out into the ocean…kinda 😉
Definitely bring your sunglasses if it’s sunny!
We feel like we chose the right experience for us and our family of 4. We had a moderate amount of time, over the ocean but near land, and got the full up and side-to-side tour.
Is the North Star right for you?
If you are scared of heights, then this is not the experience for you. Otherwise, this is a chill way to experience this kind of height and view over a cruise ship. If you are willing to pay a little, this is a great way to be entertained during a sea day. Or take advantage of the free times if you don’t plan on getting off the ship for the entire length of your port day.
As I mentioned earlier, weather could affect your experience or even cause it to be cancelled. Some days are gorgeous where you can see for miles…
…and other days may be a little more dreary. This, of course, isn’t Royal’s fault, and you should enjoy the experience the best you can…or hey, even book another time to do it again!
Ovation of the Seas was an incredible ship, and the North Star is one of its main attractions that we did not want to miss, especially since none of the recent ships closer to home in the Caribbean have it. We definitely recommend it for all ages.
And if you need a reminder, just look up or to the side at any point while onboard, it was always there!
This post will share our photos and review of the White Pass Railway Train Excursion in Skagway, Alaska!
About the White Pass Railway
Technically, it is called the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway, but we’re gonna shorten it a bit for this post. I’ve also seen it referred to as the “Skagway Train Ride” No matter what you call it, it is an amazing Skagway excursion idea. The railway was a product of the Klondike Gold Rush. Men were taking the treacherous journey on foot and the railway provided a safer and faster journey. Construction started in 1898 and it began operations in 1900. It closed in 1982, but then reopened as a tourist attraction in 1988. You can read more history on their website.
White Pass Summit Excursion
The company actually offers several tour options. They offer longer one way trips and shorter round-trips. What to choose depends on a few factors, such as time availability and transportation options.
The one we chose was the White Pass Summit Excursion, which is a 40 mile roundtrip to White Pass Summit, just on the Alaska/Canada border. The tour is approximately 2.5-2.75 hours. There were a couple of time slots available given the length of stay in port, so you would have time to explore the town or do other things in addition to this excursion.
Skagway Landslides
Our Alaskan Cruise was in June 2023. Skagway had been experiencing landslides and falling rocks by the cruise port prior to that, so they had some modifications on how to travel once arriving. First, they have these open trailers that we had to walk through to protect us as we walked down the length of the pier.
Second, we had to take a shuttle the rest of the way down the pier. They ran continuously so no one was waiting around in an unsafe area. It was a very short ride, but I understand that it is safety first and I was appreciative of the extra precautions.
This photo shows some other safety precautions they’ve taken, such as barriers by the rocks and closer to the pier walkway.
The train is just at the end of the pier, so it is a super convenient excursion if you are there from a cruise. We waited a short bit for our time and man it was so hot! I know it sounds crazy, but Alaska was experiencing much higher than normal temperatures while we were there. I share this because you never know what will happen with weather in Alaska and to always bring layers!!
I had done some research prior to the excursion and knew we wanted to sit in the furthest back train car. When they let us in and told us to “pick a car” we turned right and walked to the back train car. The reason we wanted this is because you are allowed to stand outside of the train cars on the outside platforms (pardon my lack of train technical-term knowledge) and this would allow you an unobstructed full view from the very back of the train, but be prepared to compete with “view hogs” – more on that in a bit.
Below, you can see a cruise ship in the window behind us, showing just how close the train is to the pier.
Our excursion does a loop, so for those that choose to sit, this means that it doesn’t matter which side of the train you pick to sit, you are going to get a great view either going up or coming back. You can see below that both sides have large windows, so you can see out of both sides no matter where you are.
Before we started moving, our attendant came by with an intro speech, passed out brochures and pointed us to the cooler with free bottled water. Once the train started moving, we were free to get up. Our train had two other families that got up IMMEDIATELY…one took over the back platform and one took over the other platform at the front of the car.
The family in the back basically stayed there the entire trip up, then only a few of them sat down on the way back. I got tired of waiting and went and stood on the platform in the front of the car and the family saw us and scooched over to let us see and then eventually left. The back also opened up a few spots eventually. So here are my few tips there:
If you want to be the first outside, pick your seat accordingly and get up quick and go when given the all clear. When we arrived, both the front and back sets of seats were taken by those two families, so we sat in the middle. We didn’t have a chance against them haha
Be patient. This is a long train ride and folks will get tired of standing and go sit back down eventually. Or they will say they’ve “seen it on the way up, no need to see it on the way back” and go sit down.
Be friendly. Go stand outside and either squeeze in or wait. The view is still great and maybe someone will see you and give you some room.
Knowing the trick and heading towards the back…worth it! Look at that wide open view!
I particularly enjoyed the fresh air flow of being outside, so even if I was standing back a bit, it was still better than being inside.
The main event of this excursion? The view!
We were so fortunate to have a beautiful sunny day that provided such a spectacular view.
Some other fun parts of the trip:
You go through some caves that are pitch-black and you may even get a little wet if you are standing outside. The kids loved this and said it was like being on Big Thunder Mountain in Disney.
Throughout the trip, you can see broken down tracks and bridges. Sometimes it looked like that was what you were headed towards! We tried to scare the kids with a “Oh no! We’re gonna fall off!” but they weren’t buying it.
There are some crazy ledge spots, where I advise you to not look down if you are afraid of heights!
On the contrary, there were times when we would be so close to the mountains.
We had a lot of fun taking photos on the way back. Can you tell I was excited to be in ALASKA?!
How did we book this excursion?
We booked through the cruise line since the price was lower due to a sale. You can also book directly through their website at wpyr.com, through alaskashoreexcursions.com or various 3rd party tour sites.
Do we recommend this shore excursion?
Absolutely! This is an amazing way to take in the Alaskan scenery. If you enjoy photography, this excursion is a must.
Did the kids enjoy this shore excursion?
Yes! They enjoyed the freedom being outside and being able to go in and sit if they wanted. My daughter (who was 8 at the time) was the first to call it and went back in and sat, but she still enjoyed the view from inside, she just got to play on the phone a bit in between. So if you have younger children, you may want to make sure you bring something for them to entertain themselves, whether it be a book or electronics – I don’t judge – but you know your children and don’t be naive and think they will want to stand or stare outside for 3 hours straight if that’s not something they’ve ever done before. Best to have a backup plan 🙂
Looking for other Alaska excursion ideas? Check out this post!
This post will share our review and photos from our stay in a Grand Suite with Large Balcony onboard Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas!
When we decided to go on an Alaskan cruise, we without a doubt knew that we had to have a balcony. If there was ever a time to have a balcony, an Alaskan cruise was THE time. We wanted to enjoy the view as much as possible. We chose the Grand Suite with Large Balcony because of the way the balcony is configured…it actually wraps around the corner, giving a much wider vantage point.
Ovation of the Seas Stateroom 13634
Stateroom 13634 is located on the 13th floor. When booking, I completely forgot that Royal Caribbean ships don’t have a 13th floor because it is considered unlucky. When I remembered some time later, I thought I did something wrong and freaked out! However, upon consulting my friend, Google, I discovered that the Quantum Class ships do actually have a 13th floor because the number is not considered unlucky in Asia, where the these ships’ market is primarily located.
13634 is fairly close to the elevators without being too close and noisy. You can see on the Ovation of the Seas deck plan for deck 13 below that the balcony wraps around the room. I’ll show and talk more about that later in the post.
Upon entering the room, you are immediately in the living area. To the right is one entrance to the bathroom (there are two).
To the left is a mirror-covered closet and high-top dresser/table with drawers.
The couch pulls out to a sleeper sofa. I think the intention is that two kids could sleep long ways side-by-side, but my kids we just short enough to lay the other way so they could have more room between them.
Back to the right, there is a desk with the coffee maker, some shelves and a tv.
This angle shows the rest of the living area, where you can see the extra chair, table, phone and extra space in front of the balcony door. You can also see the large curtain that spans the entire opening…this can be used to separate the rooms for privacy and light control. Because you’re in Alaska, where, depending on the time of year, there might be 20+ hours of daylight in a day, there’s light-blocking curtains for every door and window to keep it dark while you’re sleeping.
Just look at the next photo…the kids are in bed because it’s late and bedtime, but it’s completely light outside!
I liked the separation of the rooms, as opposed to one giant open room, but in order to have that, the wall between them does kind of make certain parts of the room feel cramped at times, specifically between the tvs and the bed/glass table. I’m not complaining, it’s a Grand Suite after all, but I did see some reviews sharing the same thought before we went. It just has a different configuration than most Grand Suites and some were saying they felt “roomier” in a Junior Suite on this ship.
The bedroom has a nightstand with drawers on both sides of the bed, a tv, closet and small desk/vanity.
There is another door to the bathroom here.
The bathroom is very roomy! There is one toilet, 2 sink/vanities and a tub/shower.
I absolutely loved the amount of windows that allow you to have such a great view even from inside the room, especially after grabbing a plate of Coconut Ranger Cookies from the Windjammer to enjoy from the comfort of my bed.
This view though…come out of the shower and BOOM mountains right there.
Ovation of the Seas Stateroom 13634 Balcony
While I felt that the room configuration left us a little cramped for a Grand Suite, the balcony more than made up for it.
The main part of the balcony can be accessed by both the living room slider door and the bedroom slider door. There is a table with 2 chairs, 2 reclining chairs with ottomans and a smaller table.
This table is a decent size to enjoy your breakfast before venturing to your shore excursion! You can even slide over more chairs and the smaller tables if you need them.
At the corner point, there is a wall with a door that you can open and close on your own, no need for stateroom attendant assistance. This to help with wind control.
Around the corner, there are 2 full loungers and a small table.
A small portion of this side of the balcony has some overhang from the deck above. We actually enjoyed it because it allowed for some shade when we wanted it.
Like when I want to enjoy my ice cream as we sail away from port.
Here’s another view of the overhang if you are wanting to see what that looks like for other Deck 13 rooms.
We loved sitting outside and using binoculars to take a closer look at wildlife. We bought these compact travel binoculars and they were prefect for the kids.
This was our favorite spot to relax and enjoy the view after hitting up the Suite Lounge!
Tip! See the blue blankets in all our photos? You can check them out at the towel stations just like pool towels! Alaskan cruises are so amazingly bizarre!
The balcony made viewing special events much easier, too! Like when we spent time at Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier. The ship gets as close as it safely can to the glacier and does a complete turn so that all sides of the ship get a viewing opportunity. We could enjoy the view from the balcony without having to go up to a top deck with lots of other people.
Oh, hey there!
Some of best whale-spotting from the ship happened from our balcony at late hours of the night/early morning.
Of course, a perfect view all of the time is not guaranteed. We woke up one morning to this!
Overall Thoughts on the Grand Suite with Large Balcony
If you can swing it, a balcony is a must on an Alaskan Cruise. If you can’t, there are plenty of viewing spots up on the top decks. In fact, I found myself hanging out in various locations of the ship taking in the view just because it was such a different vibe than being on a Caribbean cruise. But we definitely hung out on this balcony more than any other cruise balcony we’ve ever had.
Do you need a suite? No, you don’t NEED one to get a balcony, but the Grand Suite provided extra benefits as well, since it is in the Sky Class of Royal’s suite categories. There is a Suite Lounge, which is open throughout the day to enjoy various snacks and drinks, with an espresso machine to use any time. You can also go in the evenings, typically 5-8, for hors d’oeuvres and complimentary alcoholic drinks.
There is a Suite Concierge, that will help you book shows, dining, excursions, etc. One of our favorite concierge amenities was that they will walk you off the ship via your own exit at each port and debarkation. We didn’t know how beneficial that was until we passed lines of people each time!
To see more Suite Class benefits, check out Royal Caribbean’s Suite information page here.
Overall, my favorite aspects of this room are the balcony, the bathroom and the suite benefits.
Looking for more stateroom reviews? Check out this one!
This post will share our photos and review of the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour in Ketchikan, Alaska!
Ketchikan, Alaska was one of our ports during our Alaskan cruise onboard Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas. This Alaska shore excursion stood out to us because we used to watch the Deadliest Catch and even met Sig Hansen in EPCOT several years ago. It is labeled as kid-friendly, offers several time options and doesn’t consume the entire time in port, which left time for us to explore a bit on our own. I was worried it would be a little too “touristy” but we ultimately decided to book based on the many overwhelmingly positive reviews and recommendations for it online. We really enjoyed it and the kids had a blast!
Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour Background
The boat you take the tour on is the Aleutian Ballad, which is a crab boat that was featured on season 2 of the Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel. It is most known for an episode where a 5-story tall rogue wave almost capsized the crab boat. You can watch that portion of the episode in this video.
Fast forward and the Aleutian Ballad has been converted to a tour boat! It now has an amphitheater-style sheltered lower deck and a panoramic open-air upper deck, with lots of seats to view the the speakers and creatures.
How to get to the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour
The tour boat is located at the same pier the cruise ship docks at and is just a short walk to the meeting location and then specifically to Berth 3 – Tender Float. There is no need for additional transportation if you are coming from a cruise ship for this shore excursion.
We arrived about 30 minutes prior to the tour, which is what was recommended. There were folks already there sitting all along the front row that had purchased a VIP option, but reviews I read prior to the tour said that 2nd row was actually best as it allows a better view beyond the boat, so we chose 2nd row center and it was a great spot.
As we waited for others to arrive and settle in, there is a tank with various live creatures for everyone to look at.
Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour Schedule
The tour is approximately 3 hours and begins by venturing to the fishing ground locations. But don’t worry! This isn’t the “fishing grounds” you might be thinking of from the Deadliest Catch! The tour stays within the calm waters of the Inside Passage.
As we made our way to the first location, the tour guides shared the history of the Aleutian Ballad and facts about crab-fishing, crabs, and other Alaskan wildlife and history. They also allowed some free roam where you can take photos. Do I look like a crab fisherman now?
The crew demonstrated pulling up real crab pots.
One of the crab pots contained several types of crabs, which we were allowed to come down and hold.
Aubrey was so funny…she wasn’t scared at all and would just reach in the pot and grab a crab next to the tour guide.
We’ve got crabs!
They also pulled up an octopus pot and showed everyone the octopus that was inside. The octopus was just to see and not for us to hold. With each creature, they would share facts about them, what they like to eat, how they are caught, etc.
They don’t pull up any real Alaskan King Crab in pots, but they do highlight them in two ways…
They show one for everyone to see that they have in the tank up front. These guys are crazy big!
They pull up a crab pot with fake red crabs but with tags tied to the pot. This is a fundraiser they operate where you can donate and have a note tied to the pot. At the end of the season, they collect them all.
There were a few other types of creatures pulled up as well.
Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour Eagle Experience
While the tour’s focus is crabs, one highlight was the bald eagle experience! The boat ventures to the protected waters of Annette Island. Guests are welcome to leave their seats and stand by the edge of the boat to witness the crew throwing food to the bald eagles.
You can never guarantee what you will see when it comes to wildlife, but we were so fortunate that there were so many bald eagles this day! They fly all around you, it was incredible!
The funny thing is, when we were walking around Ketchikan on our own earlier that day, we spotted a bald eagle and were so elated to have seen it. Little did we know we would have 20-30+ bald eagles putting on a show for us just a few hours later!
This would be a good time to also go upstairs and view from up there, as you get a more 360 degree view and perhaps even some close-ups as the eagles fly by and swoop in.
Eating Alaskan King Crab on a Crab Boat!
On the way back to the pier, they offer some free-roam around the boat, suggesting you check out their gift shop, where you can watch the featured Deadliest Catch episode on repeat on video screens on the wall. They also offer chilled, halved King Crab to eat.
We debated on if that was how we wanted to enjoy crab, but ultimately decided we HAD to do it. How many people can say they ate Alaskan King Crab on a Deadliest Catch Crab Boat in Alaska!? We can now!
Bonus points for the fact that it was actually really good and easy to eat in the way they prepared and served it. You don’t have to worry about doing any kind of cracking. With it being halved, you just use your fork to pull it out, dip it in the butter and enjoy!
They also offer to take photos with you. The tour guides were incredibly entertaining, knowledgeable and friendly.
Are we glad we did this shore excursion?
Absolutely! This was our very first shore excursion on our Alaska cruise and it was a great way to kick off the fun and adventure. I appreciated the variety…times where we could sit and take in the show and knowledge, and other times we could venture around, take photos and interact with the wildlife. The kids were entertained and never bored.
A coworker recently went on an Alaskan cruise (her first cruise ever!) and when she was planning, she asked me for tips on what to do. I recommended this tour to her and she booked it! She sent me photos of her holding a jumbo shrimp, as well as photos of them doing some of the same activities we did. She was super pleased with the recommendation.
Is the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour Good for Kids?
The answer is yes. Just check out all the photos in this post…my kids loved it! If your kids are interested in sea creatures like this, this excursion is perfect! Just the right amount of time, time to explore, time to sit and enjoy the show, and a truly hands-on experience.
Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour Tips
Being out on the water in Alaska can get cold! They do offer large stadium jackets, coffee and hot cocoa if you need it! We were fortunate to have a beautiful, sunny day for our tour, but we still got quite cold. Not enough to need their extra jackets, but don’t let a “beautiful, sunny day” make you think you will be ok out on the water…always bring layers in Alaska no matter what you are doing! We were also shielded by the wind being on the bottom floor. When we ventured upstairs for a portion of the tour, it was much colder up there! Keep that in mind when picking your seat.
Be silly and adventurous! Explore around the boat, take the photos, hold the creatures…have fun!
Take in the view, you’re in Alaska!!
Grab a cool photo on your way to/from the tour in front of your cruise ship.
Looking for other Alaska shore excursion reviews? Check out this one!
This post shares our experience from our Juneau Dog Sledding & Glacier Helicopter Tour during our Alaskan Cruise!
We live in Florida and have cruised the Bahamas, Caribbean and Mexico many times. We have always wanted to do a cruise to Alaska. However, you often hear the advice “Save the Alaska cruise for when you’re older” or “Kids don’t want to go on an Alaskan cruise.” As middle-aged parents with two young kids, we considered both of those when deciding whether or not to stray away from our usual Caribbean cruises and do something different. Let me shout it from the rooftops – DO NOT LISTEN TO EITHER PIECE OF ADVICE!
An Alaskan cruise can be for anyone at any time in their lives. Our Alaskan Cruise was one of our all-time favorite vacations and the kids had a blast. But, we didn’t just stare at the beautiful scenery. We MADE it the most epic trip by choosing the ship we wanted with lots of onboard activities and packed our port days with shore excursions. I will share all about our Alaskan Cruise, including our ship and all the shore excursions, in separate posts.
What to do in Juneau, Alaska
Many ports on an Alaskan Cruise have similar options and will include glaciers, nature, whale-watching, etc. so we had to ask ourselves what to do while in Juneau. We compared options across all of our ports to arrive at what the best option was at each stop. The Juneau Icefield in Alaska is home to at least 40 large glaciers and many small ones. Given what we chose at other stops, this was a perfect location to take a helicopter tour and go on a dog-sledding adventure on a glacier!
I’ll be honest, before we even chose any shore excursion, this was a must-do for me. I’m not like a crazy dog person or anything, so it wasn’t that. This is one of the top activities you think of when you think Alaska. Dog sledding is a one-of-a-kind adventure that you won’t find in many other destinations. Taking a helicopter to the glacier location was icing on the cake.
To book through the ship or not, that is the question
With every single shore excursion purchase, we compared the cost and benefits of booking through the ship versus booking with an independent vendor. Cost is obviously a huge factor, especially given the typically elevated costs of Alaskan shore excursions. I will definitely pay more for the security of knowing the ship will not leave the port without us if we happen to be delayed while on a ship-sponsored excursion (at least that’s what they say). So, for us, the cost savings need to be substantial in order to book independently. We booked all our Alaskan cruise shore excursions through the ship, except this one.
We booked our Juneau Dog Sledding & Glacier Helicopter Tour through Alaska Shore Excursions, which we chose for several reasons:
Price: The price was significantly cheaper than the ship’s version of the tour
Options: Alaska Shore Excursions offered several options that the ship didn’t offer, including varying lengths of time, different glaciers, etc. When scheduling your tour, the website has the dates/ships/times as options so you know whether the option works with your itinerary.
Guarantee: They offer an on time ship return guarantee. You won’t see me running down a pier to catch the ship! I want to be back in plenty of time to be enjoying a drink on my balcony watching the other pier runners.
Cancellation: They offer free cancellations, whether it be due to weather or personal reasons.
*As with anything you read on the internet, be sure to review the company’s current policies when booking, as they may be updated at any time after this blog post was written.
Given all that, we felt comfortable booking with Alaska Shore Excursions. 🙂
Juneau Dog Sledding & Glacier Helicopter Tour Review
Now for the fun part, our experience on the tour!
During our entire Alaskan Cruise, we experienced unusually high temperatures. I’m talking almost Florida temps! While I am grateful that we had zero rain, this temperature anomaly made for some interesting packing and dressing. This day was no different and Juneau was incredibly warm. Layers are your friend when you start at the port, then venture all the way to the top of a glacier.
When we booked, we received directions to meet our driver right outside the Mt. Roberts Tramway building. We arrived a little early and did not see anyone holding a sign, so we patiently waited. After some time, we started to worry if we were not in the correct location because no one with a tour sign showed up and we couldn’t tell if anyone else was there waiting with us for the same tour. It was hot and the kids were getting antsy.
Eventually, a tour van appeared but it was for the next time slot after ours. The driver contacted our driver and apparently there was major traffic holding him up, which we could clearly see all the traffic in that area…it was busy! Our driver arrived after a few minutes, we loaded up and were on our way to the helicopter facility.
Helicopter Over Glaciers Portion of the Tour
When we arrived at the helicopter facility, we checked in and they weighed us to divide folks up among the helicopters. We then put any belongings that we can’t take on the tour in a large locked box for free. This includes backpacks, purses, tablets, selfie sticks and anything that can’t comfortably be on your body. Sunglasses, phones and cameras are allowed on the tour. Some people were even leaving their jackets in there due to the temperature, my son being one of them. He made sure to tell me that I made him wear too much clothing.
They then provided us with boot covers that you wear on top of your current footwear and go several inches up your leg, so you do not need to concern yourself with special snow boots or water-protective sprays for your sneakers.
We lined up to board our helicopters and sat in our assigned seats to make sure the weight was evenly distributed. We put on our headwear and we were off!
The helicopter tour was amazing! Our tour was to the Herbert Glacier. We meandered through the valleys and icefields, getting so close to the mountains and taking in the beautiful scenery.
After about 15 minutes, we arrived at the dog camp!
Juneau Dog Sledding Portion of the Tour
After landing, a camp operator became our guide and gave us a short talk on safety and what we would be doing. We had a family of 4, so we got a dog sled to ourselves plus our guide. Smaller groups were put together and larger groups got split up. Our guide then gathered our troop of dogs and connected them to their positions on the sled. We talked to him quite a bit about how they operate. There are hundreds of dogs and they like to rotate them so they all get opportunities throughout the day to be active. Dog-sledding dog breeds want to run, and you can tell they were so excited when it was their turn.
Now, what I’m going to share next may be a bit much, but I’m going to do it anyway because it’s reality. You are at a camp with hundreds of dogs. It smells like you are near hundreds of dogs. Dogs poop. Guess what? You will get whiffs of it. However, I did not think any of it was overwhelming. Perhaps because we were out in such a wide open space; it was only when we were right next to all the dogs did we get the lovely aroma. This did not stop our enjoyment, but it’s not something I’ve seen any other reviews share, so I’m gonna share it!
Our lead dog was Galaga and she was the goodest girl!
Once our dogs were all ready to go, we chose our seats. Everyone gets a seat, except one person can stand at the back, so my son chose to do that.
The guide stands behind the first set of seats and controls the speed and direction, we did not have to do anything other than lean if he asked us to.
The dogs led us around several loops on the glacier. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and it was so incredible knowing we were doing this ON A GLACIER IN ALASKA!
You ever think to yourself “This is a core memory. We are doing something we may not ever do again. My kids get to say they did this and remember it their entire lives (hopefully).” That was running through my head and made me appreciate the moment so much more. Was it worth the money? 100% yes. I’ll let my smile in this photo tell you how happy I was.
About halfway through, we stopped to take some pictures. We were in the middle of the glacial valley and had mountains all around and the sun shining. Speaking of the sun shining, because of the high temperatures, the camp operators were wearing shorts and shirts with no sleeves! Some even had sunburns! It was hilarious and they knew it.
Oh, remember when I mentioned dogs poop? Well, these dogs are special and are apparently really good at pooping while running and pulling the sled. Only a couple of dogs did it, so don’t let me sharing this make it seem like they were doing it the entire time. My kids thought it was hilarious, whaddya gonna do?! When ya gotta go, ya gotta go!
We gave each one of our doggies lots of love.
We were on the dog sled for about 35 minutes. When we arrived back to the camp, we got to interact with our doggy crew before they were brought back to their little houses. The operator said the dogs aren’t used to the high temps and were rolling around in the snow and laying down flat in the snow to cool down.
While we waited for the next batch of helicopters to arrive, we got to play with some of the puppies and the kids played with the snow.
Our helicopter tour followed the same path back to the facility. We took off our boot covers, grabbed our belongings, then were taken back to the pier in a van with plenty of time to spare before getting back on the ship.
Do we recommend this shore excursion?
Absolutely! This felt like two excursions wrapped up in one experience: the helicopter tour over the glaciers and the dog sledding. We get to say we went dog sledding in Alaska!
Would we do this shore excursion again?
If money was no object, absolutely! However, this excursion was not cheap, especially when we had to pay for four people. If we found ourselves in Juneau, Alaska again, we would choose another excursion to experience something different that the area has to offer. If you only get to go once and you are interested in an excursion like this, do it.
Did the kids enjoy this shore excursion?
Yes! This was the third excursion on our cruise and they told me I was “3 for 3” so far. That’s like winning mommy of the year, right?
Random Tips & Thoughts
Bring your sunglasses! Whether it’s sunny or cloudy, you are surrounded by white snow, which can be just as blinding as sun. For the kids, we bought smaller sunglasses and with straps like these. For us adults with glasses we already like, we bought just the straps since we didn’t know how jostled the activities would get and we didn’t want to drop them.
Bring cash for tips. This Alaska Shore Excursion has several folks guiding you throughout the tour, such as the van driver, helicopter operator, and dog-sledding guide. We gave each a tip relative to their portion of the tour.
Consider your tolerance of helicopter rides. Have you been on a helicopter before? My first experience on a helicopter had an operator that liked doing tricks and it was like my least favorite part of a rollercoaster over and over. Thankfully, this operator kept it pretty steady and there were no trick moves here, so I didn’t feel nauseous at all. You can try taking Dramamine or if you’re already wearing some sort of motion-sickness prevention item for the cruise, you should be good.
Your Thoughts
Have you done this excursion? What did you think? What was your favorite part?
Questions?
Have any questions for us? Post a comment below!
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