What would you think if you get off a bus after a winding, twisting, and scenic drive through…read moreKetchikan, Alaska where you hike a 1/4 mile on a trail over a foot bridge to old, rusting and decaying buildings and docks sitting out over the water? It WAS REALLY COOL!!! This is a historic cannery with displays set up to give you an idea of what life was like in a cannery up to 1959. Unlike today, where you can get nearly fresh salmon and halibut, it used to come in a can and a lot of those cans came from this site! It is hard to imagine the smells and dangerous conditions. The underpaid and overworked staff working insane long hours in living conditions that likely didn't promote job satisfaction. This tour does that. It gives information and ability to peer into the windows as you walk along with the guide as they cover life in the cannery, the thefts by employees, and robberies from competition, plus you get to see the machinery used after the fish traps caught way more fish than was ecologically safe to do so. There is some maintenance done to keep the site safe from age, but not so much where it loses the value of seeing it close to how it was. The displays are old, but fitting. The rust on the machinery adds to it. The stack of old rusting cans full of fish add to it. Only thing missing is the smell! There are king crab traps, other crab traps, nets, long line fishing displays and diver displays. There are even stats of the type of salmon caught from over 60 years ago to give a good idea of how much was harvested back when there were way more fish than today. While they provide a small meal, I really think it would have been better to have had more salmon to eat. I do suggest this tour if you haven't been!

My visit to the George Inlet Cannery was part of a cruise ship shore excursion but I learned that…read morethis venue can also be rented out for private events like weddings and parties. It was a working cannery until 1952 when it was purchased and restored to be somewhat of a museum. The walk from the parking area was pretty serene eventhough we had to look out for bears along the way. There is a beatuful roaring waterfall and you can see when the tides come and go for the water levels. Our guide (Ava) was excellent and was full of salmon knowledge. She made what could have been a boring 10 minute trip into a comedic experience in learning about how the salmon cannery business used to work. At the end, we were given a sample of salmon spread and crackers which were delicious. I also noticed while looking at the water below the cannery there were many different colored starfish and some salmon off in the distance. I didn't see and bald eagles but there could have been one in flight at ant time. This place is not open to the general public but there are bathroom facilities at the cannery. It was a fun and beautiful experience.

Cruin picked us up at our cruise ship on time and ready to go. My wife and I had done Ketchikan…read morebefore opting for the Misty Fjords floatplane tour. Out Princess Ship was not in town long so we chose Cruin. The other couple had not been. Cruin is a character. He has a great Scottish humor and a passion for his adopted home. Cruin gave us the up close and personal touch we saw that people on big tour buses were not getting. We saw that Cruin was not beholden to certain vendors as others were, dropped off at souvenir shops. We let Cruin know that we wererinterested i seeing bear, salmon, eagles etc. and he delivered. We also learned that Ketchikan is so overrun with tourists that the wildlife could cre less how much you spent to get there, it pretty much wanted to be left alone. We saw how Cruin respected the wildlife whereas the other tours we saw would push boundaries thereby chasing away some viewing opportunities. One of the unexpected spots Cruin took us to was the new library, it really was a small town treat. We saw a peaceful waterfall. Much nicer when it was the five of us until the 20 or so from a big tour van showed up. Cruin is knowledgable, especially about totem poles and carving. The other couple included a contractor/woodworker whom Cruin endeavored to answer all questions and share his wood working tools. The personal, heartfelt touch was perfect and the four of us were very happy we chose Cruin. Our only complaint was that Cruin was so knowledgable and accomidating we cut it close getting back to our ship on time. Thanks agan Cruin

Perfect Cruin was…read moreabsolutely amazing! Recognized him immediately by his kilt. So much fun and he really knows the local history. We were both entertained and educated at the same time. The best part is that he goes out of his way to do EXACTLY what you want and also knows how to take you to places where most tourists don't get to go. You won't be disappointed!

Ketchikan is a very unique place as the airport is located on an island across from the city of…read moreKetchikan. There are no roads between the two islands so you need to take a ferry to and from the airport. Once landing, you need to take the Ketchikan Airport Ferry. Fare is $6 one-way for adults and the ferry ride takes about 15 minutes. The ferry leaves the airport at the top and bottom of the hour, while the ferry leaves town at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour. There is no payment counter on the town side. You pay at the airport after exiting the ferry boat if coming from town. The ferry boat is on the smaller side. There isn't a lot of room to sit if it is full. Given that the ride across the water is short, that is totally fine. The ferry terminal on the city side is a couple of miles north of the center of the city, so you will want to factor that into your arrival plans and when you are taking the ferry back to the airport. I would recommend leaving for the airport early since you are dependent on the ferry to reach it.

Home of Alaska Air. This is where Alaska Air all started. A very small airport that serves the…read morecommunity. To get to the airport isn't easy but for $20, you can get sent directly to the door.

The ticket agent was very patient and helpful when I could not locate my boarding passes on my…read morephone because of no WiFi. We wouldn't have been able to board if not for her. I hope that the airport will install WiFi for their customers.

We visited The Mill at Ward Cove during our Norwegian Alaska cruise on the Norwegian Bliss, and…read morethis is the port where Norwegian ships dock instead of downtown Ketchikan. The moment you step off the ship, you walk right into a huge warehouse marketplace filled with multiple shops and tons of Alaska‑themed merchandise. There are so many souvenirs, clothing items, snacks, and gifts that it's easy to spend time browsing before heading into town. To reach downtown Ketchikan, you pass through The Mill to get to the shuttle buses, and sometimes there's even a live singer with a guitar performing while guests wait -- a nice touch that makes the line more enjoyable. Overall, The Mill at Ward Cove is a convenient and lively first stop for anyone arriving on a Norwegian Alaska cruise, with plenty of shopping and an easy setup for getting into town.

This is where NCL ships dock, not in Ketchikan. If you want to see the famous creek street, you'll…read morehave to take a shuttle to Ketchikan, which is about 7 miles away. Upon disembarking the ship, one of the first things you'll see is a large warehouse type building that turns out to be a giant gift shop with Alaska themed merch (and is the least expensive so I recommend shopping here, as the merch is pretty much the same at the Alaska ports). It is also meeting place for your NCL booked excursions. We met our captain for our halibut fishing excursion here, and after checking in, we quickly walked to the boat, which was also docked here at Mill Cove (super convenient!) There's also a few dining options, including one that serves Filipino food! There was a food truck featured crab legs but unfortunately ran out of many items by the time we got there, and only had dungeness crab left (which was $50! and the serving we saw people eating was definitely NOT worth the price tag so we passed)

Hands down the highlight of our Alaskan cruise. We called two days before to see if we could…read morepossibly get on a helicopter last minute. Our cruise had canceled our Juneau port and so any helicopter tours there were cancelled, so we were pretty bummed and hoped that Ketchikan would be a little better when it came to getting on a helicopter. My husband booked the flight with the nicest woman over the phone who didn't make us feel pressured in any way. She was super informative and sweet. Our email told us to meet someone from the company near the bronze statue near berth 2, so we waited a few minutes and no one approached us and there wasn't anyone with a sign for the company, so we were a little confused at first. Eventually we were able to find the person picking us up and he was apologetic that he didn't have the sign on him, so no worries there. The tour headquarters is one of the comfiest places I've been, it was so welcoming and everyone is just so nice. We were given a safety demo and Ryan Maehs flew us in one of the cleanest helicopters I've ever seen. Ryan was super knowledgeable and took us to see great wildlife and even landed for about 20 or so minutes while we were able to put our feet in the water and enjoy Alaskan nature away from the crowds. Truly an awe-inspiring moment. Thank you, Ketchikan Helicopters, for being so great. And thank you, Ryan, for putting up with us and allowing us to enjoy Alaska.

My husband, son and I were in Alaska on a Disney cruise and I had specifically left our stop in…read moreKetchikan free of excursions while planning our trip. After my husband enjoyed the excursions at the other two stops on the cruise, he asked if we could book something for our day in Ketchikan, hopefully a helicopter tour. So the night before we docked, I looked on Yelp and found Ketchikan Helicopters and explored their website for almost an hour. I emailed Ryan at Ketchikan Helicopters and he responded very quickly with all of the information I needed. When we pulled into port the next morning, I was able to call Ryan and finalize the details for our trip. Ryan made it extremely easy to find him when it came time for the tour. He was so welcoming and reassuring. And he went out of his way to build a rapport with our six-year-old son, who very quickly lost all anxiety about going up in a helicopter for the first time. My husband is retired from the Army and he immediately felt comfortable with the helicopter given it's immaculate condition, which helped me feel more relaxed. (I had never been on a helicopter, so I have no idea what a well-maintained helicopter looks like. My husband on the other hand has been on dozens and dozens of helicopters.) Ryan made sure we experienced everything we asked for with the tour. He was able to take us where we saw five black bears. He sat the helicopter down for 20 minutes and let us explore the terrain ourselves. (This was amazing! It was so beautiful. It gave us our first experience in Alaska where we were far removed from anyone, which is rare for people who tour Alaska by cruise, but is common for backpackers.) It was a long tour and we felt we really got our money's worth for the excursion. We felt safe with Ryan's decades of experience and his well-maintained helicopter. And the landscape he flew us over was breathtaking. Words and photos can't come close to doing it justice. What's really cool is that both my son and my husband say this way the highlight of the trip for them. I think that's a pretty good endorsement, given the six-year-old really enjoyed all Disney was offering on the ship and my husband had a trip to Alaska on his bucket list.. Everything about the helicopter tour was wonderful. It was very easy to book it, even with very short notice. Ryan was not only a skilled pilot, he was also very warm and informative. You can book your tour with confidence.

This souvenir shop is right on the pier next to berth four. They have a wide selection of items,…read morebut they are poorly organized, and they are EXTREMELY OVERPRICED! We purchased a nativity scene featuring polar bears which they sold in individual pieces for $5.99 each. They were all jumbled with pieces of other nativity scenes -- all cute -- but it was hard to see which pieces went with which set. We picked out our pieces, and took them to the cash register where the attendant wrapped them sloppily. Later, we found the identical nativity, with an additional piece, for a total cost of $12.99 a few blocks away in a cute Christmas store in Skagway. Yes, seven pieces for $12.99 that we paid over $36.00 for at Spirit of Alaska for an incomplete set. Sad. Shape up or lose shoppers, Spirit of Alaska.

Wow... what a great surprise! This souvenir ship shop, that is right off the cruise ship, is…read moreexceptional! The staff is so amazingly friendly and helpful. The prices are shockingly low and but the quality of the items sold are very nice. The staff treated us like old friends who they welcomed back for another visit. What a refreshing and wonderful experience. Thank you!

Our tour guide Tom was full of knowledge and very pleasant to get to know. He quizzed us on…read moreinformation that he gave us about the state of Alaska trivia. Overall it was a wonderful trip trip. The weather in Ke this day was just awesome. A+

The booth at berth 4 in Ketchikan says Bears and Saxman village. We went to Harring Cove and saw…read morean adult ale black bear, no fish. The driver passed by Saxman Village, the largest totem collection, twice. Instead we went to Potlatch Torem Park. It was packed with buses. We found out that the other totems parks, like Saxman, charge the bus company $5 per person and Potlatch is free. Also Bight Totem Park does not allow this company in any longer. False advertising and a rip off