WARNING! 2023 NCL Ketchikan Port (Ward Cove) Shore Excursions

Please be careful booking shore excursions in Ketchikan, Alaska while sailing on Norwegian Cruise Line sailings. For Ketchikan stops, NCL ships dock at Ward Cove. Learn how this could affect your shore excursion plans. My wife and I learned this on a previous cruise aboard the Norwegian Bliss.
@cruisealaska

[@susancourtney8028]

Very informative and helpful. Thanks for posting.

[@CruiseAlaska]

You’re welcome and thanks for the kind words! Happy cruising! 👍😎

[@Rob_Whitworth]

Thanks. You just saved me making some terrible plans. So helpful.

[@CruiseAlaska]

Yeah... everyone needs to be careful with the NCL stops in Ward Cove. Here's a link to my recent trip to Ketchikan and Ward Cove... th-cam.com/video/RSqG9NbcSvU/w-d-xo.html

[@keisha4620]

Thanks for posting

[@CruiseAlaska]

You’re welcome! 😎

[@lauragwillim1055]

Your videos are so helpful. This shuttle business in Ketchican is a time eater. I will have to re think my plans. We dock at 7 and leave at 1:15. Thanks so much for making all these little videos. Soooo helpful. I really like to be prepared so I don't have any unwanted surprises.

[@CruiseAlaska]

You’re welcome and thank you for your feedback! We’re cruising again in early May 2023. This time to Icy Strait Point, Sitka, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Vitoria. I’ll post more videos as soon as we get back. Happy cruising!
😎

[@lauragwillim1055]

@@CruiseAlaska I’m going April 29-May 6 2023. First time to Alaska second time on NCL and this is my 2nd cruise.

[@williamwatson689]

Just don't book NCL if the cruise stops in Ketchikan. There are too many other choices.

[@jenkayla2492]

I picked the wrong cruise line from my Alaskan cruise. This makes me so mad that they doc. At ward cove.. Now I'm not even sure I'll even try to go into town in Ketchukan Because I don't want the chance of missing. The boat are all the horrible lines in chaos. I really wanted to see creek street. I looked at a boat excursion, But it literally gets us back fifteen minutes before all aboard, and that makes me too nervous

[@CruiseAlaska]

Yeah… docking at Ward Cove limits what you can do on a short stops. Visiting downtown Ketchikan and Creek Street should be okay, but going on excursions are iffy.

[@cokeswigga]

I noticed that your itinerary said arrival at 6:30am and departure 1:15 at do you remember what time you were actually able to get off the ship?

[@CruiseAlaska]

I'm guessing maybe a half hour or so after docking?
Last May, we were scheduled to arrive at 7am. I'm not sure exactly what time we arrived there, but I have a photo timestamped at 6:50am with us already in port and another photo timestamped at 7:10am with passengers walking into the Mill.
Here's a Ketchikan and Ward Cove video from last May... th-cam.com/video/TIMdWUaRidE/w-d-xo.html
😎

[@jaydiaz7815]

if I take the shuttle from the NCL Bliss to downtown, what time do I have to be back on the boat if leaving at 1:15?..I was thinking of Ubering back

[@CruiseAlaska]

We just got back from the May 6 - 13 cruise aboard the Bliss with arrival in Ketchikan (Ward Cove) at 6:30am and departure at 1:15pm. The all aboard was 12:45pm.

[@louisco3603]

Hey, is this a good itinerary on the Norwegen Sun? I'm disappointed in the time in Ketchikan and I think I will order Uber to Totem Bright and from there to downtown and catch the last shuttle back is this doable? I hope to hear from you!!! THX
WEDNESDAY
Seattle, Washington
5:00 PM Embark
THURSDAY
At Sea
FRIDAY
Sitka, Alaska
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
SATURDAY
Glacier Bay (Cruising)
SUNDAY
Skagway, Alaska
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
MONDAY
Juneau, Alaska
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
TUESDAY
Icy Strait Point, Alaska
7:00 AM - 3:00 PM
WEDNESDAY
Ketchikan (Ward Cove), Alaska
6:30 AM - 1:00 PM
THURSDAY
Victoria, British Columbia
7:30 PM - 11:59 PM
FRIDAY
Seattle, Washington
6:00 AM Disembark

[@CruiseAlaska]

That looks like a great itinerary except for the short stays in Ketchikan and Victoria. As for Ketchikan… sorry, but I haven’t been to Totem Bight or caught an Uber there.
Happy cruising!

[@patgal2359]

NCL should be boycotted for these lousy 3 hour excursions. whats the point to be in ketchikan and have to decide of you see the town or do something else? same thing in every "port." juneau, skagway, ketchikan and most horribly victoria. in victoria, the tours were being driven around in a bus in the dark, having things described to you , that you cant see. Because its dark!! People, please dont think these port stops are worth it....ridiculously short.... heres one hint, buy your shirts in ward cove at the dock. better quality that skagway and less expensive.

[@CruiseAlaska]

Thanks for sharing. Agreed… longer port stops would be nice! 😀

[@Jacklewis1026]

This has to be NCL most disappointing decision

[@CruiseAlaska]

Yeah… I’m guessing NCL had difficulty getting on the downtown Ketchikan docking schedule. 🙃