Why We Canceled Skagway’s Most Popular Excursion (And I’m SO Glad We Did!)
We canceled one of the most popular excursions in Skagway, Alaska, just weeks before our cruise, and it ended up being one of the best decisions we made on our entire trip!
If you’ve ever researched an Alaskan cruise, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of the famous White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad in Skagway. It’s one of those excursions that seems to be on everyone’s Alaska bucket list, and naturally, it was on ours too!
The historic railway was originally built during the Klondike Gold Rush and takes passengers through some of Alaska’s most beautiful mountain scenery. We’re talking steep mountainsides, waterfalls, tunnels, incredible valleys, and views of the wilderness that you really can’t experience the same way anywhere else.
I’ve had clients experience the train and absolutely LOVE it, so naturally, it was something I wanted to experience myself!
When our excursion booking window opened, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to book the steam train experience. At $324 per person, it was one of our more expensive excursions, but I was excited to finally see what everyone had been talking about.
As our cruise got closer, though, I started having second thoughts.
Was I Booking This Excursion Because I Wanted To, or Because Everyone Else Was Doing It?
As we started booking excursions in our other Alaskan ports, I realized that while I was excited about the train, it was starting to feel like something I was doing just to check a box. Not necessarily because it was something I was genuinely excited about, but because it was something everyone said you HAD to do in Skagway.
Don’t get me wrong, I still want to experience the White Pass train someday! For someone who loves scenic railways, mountain landscapes, and learning about the Gold Rush, I can absolutely understand why this excursion is so popular.
But when I really thought about what I was most excited to experience in Alaska, it wasn’t necessarily sitting on a train looking at the mountains.
It was the wildlife.
More specifically, I wanted to experience the wildlife that calls Alaska’s waters home. Seals, sea otters, whales, and anything else we might be lucky enough to spot!
While the train would offer some incredible scenery, I knew it wasn’t necessarily going to give us the type of wildlife experience I was hoping for.
So one night, completely on a whim, I started researching other excursions in Skagway. That’s when I stumbled across something that immediately caught my attention.
The Skagway Excursion We Booked Instead
A Scenic Wildlife RIB Boat Adventure with Ocean Raft Alaska!
This excursion was approximately 2.5 hours long, which was already more our speed. Instead of traveling through the mountains by train, we’d be exploring the waters around Skagway aboard a high-speed RIB boat.
If you’re unfamiliar with RIB boats, they’re rigid inflatable boats designed to travel quickly and handle different water conditions. They’re similar to boats used by Coast Guard rescue teams and military units.
The excursion included exploring waterfalls, hidden coves, rugged shorelines, and areas where we might spot eagles, seals, sea lions, mountain goats, and other wildlife. Our captain would make stops for pictures and wildlife sightings while sharing information about the area. We’d also be provided with Coast Guard-approved exposure suits to keep us warm and dry throughout the adventure.
And the price? $224 per person!
That was $100 less per person than our original train excursion.
I decided to cancel the train and book the RIB boat adventure instead. Looking back, it was easily one of the best decisions we made during our entire Alaska cruise.
One of My Favorite Things About Alaska: Nothing Is Guaranteed
Before our excursion, I made sure to keep my expectations pretty low. Obviously, there’s never a guarantee that you’re going to see wildlife in Alaska.
I told myself that if we saw some eagles, waterfalls, and beautiful scenery, I would be perfectly happy.
And that’s actually one of the things I grew to love most about Alaska.
Think about visiting a zoo. You can pull up a map, walk directly to an enclosure, and know exactly which animal you’re going to see.
Alaska is nothing like that.
The animals are living in their natural habitats, doing exactly what they would be doing whether you were there or not. You’re not guaranteed to see anything, and you certainly can’t plan exactly when or where you’re going to spot something.
You’re simply a guest in their home, hoping to catch a glimpse of their everyday lives.
And there’s something incredibly special about that.
This particular excursion really made me appreciate that perspective.
Waterfalls, Wildlife, and One Incredible Boat Ride
First of all, the boat ride itself was SO much fun!
We were flying across the water, surrounded by mountains, beautiful shorelines, and scenery that genuinely didn’t look real. Our captain made stops along the way so we could take pictures, admire waterfalls, and learn more about the area.
But the wildlife? That was what completely blew me away.
We saw SO many bald eagles throughout our tour! We also spotted seals resting along the rocky shoreline, which was something I had really been hoping to see.
Every time we stopped, I found myself looking around wondering what we might see next.
And as amazing as everything had already been, nothing could have prepared me for what happened toward the end of our excursion.
The Moment That Made This Excursion Unforgettable
As our tour was wrapping up, another guest on our boat happened to catch a glimpse of something in the water.
ORCAS.
Not just one, either. An entire pod of orcas swimming together!
Our captain stopped the boat, and we all got to sit there watching one of the most magical things I’ve ever experienced while traveling.
The orcas were traveling together, occasionally surfacing as they moved through the water. Our guide explained that they were likely a family group, potentially including a grandmother, mother, and baby.
And one of the coolest parts?
Our captain told us this was her very first time seeing orcas that entire season!
Watching her get genuinely excited about the sighting made the experience even more special. Here’s someone who spends her days exploring these waters, and even she was thrilled to see them.
That really put into perspective just how lucky we were.
We weren’t at an aquarium. Nobody was telling these animals where to swim or when to surface. We were simply in the right place at the right time, and for a few minutes, we got to witness something absolutely incredible.
We came back to our cruise ship absolutely thrilled with our decision to skip the train and try something different.
I still want to experience the White Pass train someday, but after riding alongside a pod of orcas in the Alaskan wilderness, I’m genuinely not sure how I’ll ever top that experience!
My Biggest Advice When Booking Alaska Cruise Excursions
Here’s what I really want people to take away from our experience.
Don’t book an excursion just because someone on social media told you it was a must-do.
When you’re researching an Alaska cruise, you’re going to see countless videos, recommendations, and lists of the best things to do in each port. And while those recommendations can be helpful, they don’t necessarily mean those excursions are the best fit for YOU.
The White Pass train is a perfect example. I have clients who have experienced it and absolutely loved every minute of it! And I genuinely believe I would enjoy it too.
But for this particular trip, the RIB boat was the better choice for us.
Before booking anything, sit down and think about what you’re actually most excited to experience.
What would make you come back to the ship at the end of the day and say, “That was absolutely incredible”?
For me, one of my biggest hopes for our Alaska cruise was to see bears, seals, and sea otters.
Throughout our trip, we were lucky enough to see bears and a whole lot of seals! We never did see any sea otters, and that was completely okay.
Because that’s the beauty of Alaska. You never know exactly what you’re going to experience.
But I knew one thing. My chances of spotting seals and sea otters were going to be a whole lot better exploring Alaska’s waterways than sitting on a train traveling through the mountains.
And in our case, trusting that instinct led to an experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
Planning an Alaska Cruise? Let’s Make It YOUR Trip!
One of my favorite parts about being a travel advisor is helping people figure out what they actually want from their vacations.
Not what everyone else is doing. Not what TikTok says you absolutely have to book. And definitely not just checking things off a list because they’re popular.
Alaska is such a unique destination, and there’s so much more that goes into planning an Alaskan cruise than simply picking a ship and choosing the most popular excursions.
From deciding which cruise line is the best fit to choosing your itinerary, stateroom, and shore excursions, I love helping my clients create an experience that fits their interests.
Whether you’re dreaming about glaciers, wildlife, scenic railways, whale watching, or a little bit of everything, I’d love to help you plan it!
Ready to start planning your own Alaskan cruise?
Let’s start planning your Alaska adventure!
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