Juneau Cruise Holidays

Juneau, Alaska, USA

Juneau is not only a city and borough in Alaska but it actually the state’s capital city, although it does lack the big city feel usually expected from a capital city but that is part of its charm.

Its location in the Gastineau Channel makes for an incredible entry and exit from the downtown cruise port, so we would always recommend getting up on the top deck before docking and for your departure.

The downtown of Juneau and the cruise port you dock at is located at the foot of Mount Juneau and with Douglas Island just across the channel, the port offers a traditional Alaskan experience where’re you are surrounded by mountains and waterfalls and the waterways you cruise on is busy with float planes, ferries and private boats.

Our Visit

For our visit, we docked at the slightly out of the way AJ Dock and although there were shuttles provided, we decided to just walk into town and in the end, we actually beat the first shuttle bus.

We had an excursion to take a helicopter flight over the stunning Mendenhall Glacier, which including landing on it and been taken on a guided walk. What an incredible experience that was.

When you are sailing away from the port, you will finally be able to answer the question Juneau, Juneau (Do you know, Juneau?), with an affirmative, yes!

Cruises To Juneau

Juneau Cruise Guide

This cruise guide is ideal for those who have booked a cruise calling into the port of Juneau and who want to make the most of their time onshore or for those who are still researching trips of the Inside Passage and are trying to decide if a stop in Juneau is the right option for them.

Type of Cruises Available

There is no turnaround services in Juneau, so the only way to visit is by choosing an itinerary that cruises the fabled Inside Passage of the Alaskan and Canadian west coast.

There are mostly 2 different options for those wanting to visit, with the first been a repositioning cruise heading north from either Seattle (USA) or Vancouver (Canada) or heading south from Anchorage (Alaska).

The most popular option however is to enjoy a round trip from Vancouver or Seattle that head through the Inside Passage to ports such as Juneau and to nearby glaciers.

Both of those options and the 3 main turnaround ports in the region offer both great opportunities to spend some time on land before or after your cruise and also good international connections from their airports.

Juneau Cruise Port Location

The cruise port in Juneau is perfectly placed to simply exit your ship and stroll into town to enjoy all that is on offer.

The port can be split into 2 main areas, the downtown docks of South Franklin dock and Marine Parks and the slightly out of the way AJ Dock, which is about 1 mile walk from the others but with free shuttles offered.

If you are cruising onboard a Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ship, the line has developed a new dock just a short walk from the downtown area on Egan Drive.

Juneau Attractions

There is lots to enjoy whilst in port in Juneau but the highlight for many is a trip up Mount Roberts via the Mount Roberts Tramway.

The cable car makes quick work of the trip up the mountain and allows great views over this stunning part of Alaska, including looking almost vertically back down at your cruise ships docked below.

There are numerous forest trials both at the top of Mount Roberts and from downtown itself for those wanting to work off some of those extra cruise pounds.

There are lots of opportunities to see the culture of the local Tlingit people including a huge totem’s near to the main cruise ports.

A more modern attraction in the city is the Whale Project sculpture that sees a realistic looking breaking humpback, named Tahku, that features a fountain of water to give it an extra realistic finish.

There is a boardwalk that links the cruise port, to the downtown and down to the statue which makes for an interesting waterfront walk where you can often spot local wildlife including American Eagles.

The boardwalk also features a number of gift shops, tourist friendly restaurants and a statue of Patsy Ann, a dog and local legend that used to welcome back local sailors and fishermen.

If the weather isn’t great, and this is Alaska after all, the Alaska State Museum gives a great insight into local life and that of native Alaskans.

Juneau Shorex

The most popular excursion is to the spectacular Mendenhall glacier, which is on the outskirts of town and allows visitors to see one of the most spectacular sights in nature whilst standing close to the Nugget Falls waterfall.

For the more adventurous, it is possible to take a floatplane ride or to head on a helicopter over the beautiful Alaskan scenery, with the chance to land on the stunning Mendenhall glacier.

Other excursions include dog sledding, whale watching and the chance to enjoy some local cuisine.

Best Time To Visit Juneau

The cruising season in Alaska is relatively short as it starts in April and ends in October but as the weather can be poor early on in the season and in October and the summer months of July and August can see the port become very busy, we would recommend visiting in June or early September.

Transport

Although there are many roads in Juneau, it is not linked to anywhere else in Alaska as those driving to the city have to arrive on ferries.

That has led to helicopters (from the cities airport) and floatplanes been the preferred methods for exploring the nearby area although coaches will take you from the cruise port to the nearby Mendenhall glacier.

There is the chance to take a tour bus around the city but for most, there is no need to use transport to take in the sites of the port, with all tourist attractions in walking distance including the Mount Roberts tramway.

Juneau Cruises From UK

Unless you get fortunate an find a World Cruise that calls in Alaska and the port that sails from the UK, it is not possible to visit it from the UK.

Thankfully, there are good connections from the UK’s leading airports to nearby turnaround ports including Vancouver, Seattle and Anchorage.

Juneau Cruises From Southampton

If you do find that 1 in a million itinerary visiting there from the UK, it will more than likely be from Southampton.