Customer Reviews

Inside Passage Activity Guide: Exploring Major Ports of Call in Southeast Alaska

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have not yet taken my Alaska cruise, but I am so happy that I discovered this book. Each Port of Call is listed and then suggestions are made for different lengths of time that you might be there. As an example, for Ketchikan, the reader gets a slice of the local history and facts (climate, etc)with a map of the town. Next, recommendations of things to do in four hours are listed. This includes a suggested walking tour of the city, if you just want to be sure to hit all of the main sites within walking distance of the ship.

Both sights and tours are discussed, including listing several tour companies that provide different options for travelers (again, using Ketchikan tours by bus, classic car or horse drawn carriages are available - details are provided). The next section gives recommendations for travelers who will be at the Port for a full day and then there is a section on visiting for two or more days.

Be warned that this is not a picture book. While there are a few pictures, you will find much more details than pictures. This book is designed to help the cruiser plan what sights they want to visit and provides excellent detail of the different sights, tours and shows that are available.

I am very excited about this book and have started planning what I'll be doing once I hit each stop on my cruise next September. I highly recommend this book if you want to know as much as possible about the area and the options, rather than just taking cruise sponsored tours or shopping.

This 250-page book contains factual information regarding many activities at the ports of Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Haines and Skagway. The ports activities are divided up by the amount of time you have to participate in the activity. This is a text heavy book without many images. The descriptions are short and concise including addresses and contact numbers for the activities. The problem is that there is not enough of a description or recommendation to allow the reader to pre-plan which activities they really would like to do.

This is one of the few cruise-centric guides I found that doesn't waste half of the book discussing how to choose your cruise line. Instead, it focuses on how to spend your time wisely in each port (Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Haines, and Skagway). For each port there is a concise introduction, then suggestions for activities that can be done in <4 hour, 1 day, and 2+ days. It covers more of the less-touristy activities than other books I've seen. I highly recommend this book.

This book, though small in size, holds a lot of information. Nine of us are doing an Alaskan cruise tour this summer and I am sharing this book with the group--it is really helping us make our touring decisions.