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Planning

How to Plan an Alaska Port Day

By Reviewed by Callum VanceUpdated 3 min readLast fact checked on .

A printed port time of 7:00 am to 6:00 pm does not mean eleven usable hours. Gangway queues, tender transfers, transport to the activity and the buffer before all aboard together consume two to three hours. Planning against the printed time rather than the real time is the most common source of a stressful port day.

The short answer

Subtract roughly two hours from your printed port time to get real usable hours, and three if the ship tenders. Get ashore in the first wave, do your booked activity first, keep the town for last, and be back on board ninety minutes before all aboard. All aboard is typically 30 to 60 minutes before the published sailing time.

Key points

  • Real usable time is roughly printed time minus two hours, or three if tendering.
  • All aboard is not sailing time. It is typically 30 to 60 minutes earlier.
  • Getting off in the first wave can save 30 to 45 minutes on a busy day.
  • Check how many ships are in port. Four ships changes everything about the day.
  • Carry your ship card, identification, a waterproof layer and a plan B.

Alaska port days are short, and they are shorter than they appear. The gap between what the itinerary promises and what you actually get is consistently around two hours, and travellers who have not accounted for it end the day feeling rushed regardless of how good the excursion was.

How much time you actually have

Where the port day goes
StageTime consumedNotes
Clearance and gangway opening15 to 45 min after arrivalShips must be cleared before anyone goes ashore
Gangway queue10 to 40 minWorst between 30 and 90 minutes after opening
Tender transfer, if applicable20 to 40 min each wayPlus waiting for a tender ticket
Transfer to the activity15 to 40 min each wayAuke Bay in Juneau is 12 miles from the berth
Buffer before all aboard60 to 90 min recommendedNon negotiable
All aboard before sailing30 to 60 minPublished separately from sailing time

The structure that works

  1. Step 1

    The night before, check three things

    The all aboard time, whether the ship docks or tenders, and how many other ships are in port. All three are in the daily programme or the app.

  2. Step 2

    Eat early and light

    The buffet opens early on port days specifically for this. A large breakfast on a small boat in a swell is a poor combination.

  3. Step 3

    Be at the gangway when it opens

    On a busy day the first thirty minutes save you a queue that later builds to forty minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Do the booked activity first

    Fixed departure times drive the day. Everything flexible fits around them.

  5. Step 5

    Keep the town for the end

    Shops, museums and walking are all close to the berth and can be cut short without consequence if you are running late.

  6. Step 6

    Be back ninety minutes before all aboard

    This is the single habit that removes all port day stress. Sit on deck with a coffee and watch everyone else run.

What to take ashore

  • Ship card, which is your identification to re board
  • Photo identification, kept separately from the ship card
  • Waterproof shell with a hood, regardless of the forecast
  • A small amount of cash for small purchases and tips
  • Phone, charged, with a screenshot of the all aboard time
  • Binoculars if you are doing anything on the water
  • A dry bag or waterproof pouch for a boat trip
  • Any medication you take during the day
  • A snack and water, since ports have limited options at peak times

Tender ports and how they change the day

Sitka is the port most often tendered on an Alaska itinerary, and tendering changes the arithmetic substantially.

  • Ship organised excursions get priority. Independent travellers wait, sometimes for an hour on a busy morning.
  • Tender tickets are issued on many ships. Collect one early even if you do not intend to leave immediately.
  • The transfer is 20 to 40 minutes each way. That is up to eighty minutes of your day gone before you have done anything.
  • Rough water cancels tendering. Sitka faces the open Pacific and calls are occasionally shortened or cancelled entirely.
  • Return tenders queue too. Allow forty minutes to get back aboard, not twenty.

How to handle a four or five ship day

Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway all publish daily ship schedules, and a day with four or five ships is a fundamentally different experience from a day with one.

  • Book everything in advance. Walk up availability effectively disappears.
  • Go early or go late. The middle four hours of the day are the crush.
  • Walk away from the dock. Two or three blocks inland the crowds thin dramatically in every Alaska port.
  • Expect restaurant waits. Eat on the ship, or eat at 11:00 am.
  • Allow more return time. Traffic on the Juneau road backs up badly when several ships sail on the same tide.

Frequently asked questions

How much time do you actually get in an Alaska cruise port?
Roughly two hours less than the printed time, and three hours less if the ship tenders. A 7:00 am to 6:00 pm call gives most travellers about eight to nine usable hours once you account for clearance, gangway queues, transfers and the buffer before all aboard. Plan against the real number, not the printed one.
What time is all aboard on a cruise?
Typically 30 to 60 minutes before the published sailing time, and it is printed in the daily programme rather than on the itinerary. Missing all aboard means missing the ship. Set an alarm for ninety minutes before all aboard and treat it as the real deadline.
What happens if I miss the ship in Alaska?
You are responsible for reaching the next port at your own expense, and because Southeast Alaska ports have no road connections that means a flight, which can be expensive and may not run the same day. If the excursion was booked through the cruise line the line will assist. If it was independent, it will not. This is the main reason to build in a wide buffer.
Should I get off the ship as soon as it docks?
On a busy day, yes. The gangway queue builds over the first ninety minutes and being in the first wave can save thirty to forty five minutes. It also matters at tender ports, where independent travellers wait behind ship organised excursions. On a quiet one ship day it makes little difference.
What should I bring ashore on a port day?
Your ship card, separate photo identification, a waterproof shell with a hood, some cash, a charged phone, and any medication you need during the day. Add binoculars and a dry bag if you are going on the water. Leave your passport in the cabin safe unless you are taking a tour that crosses into Canada.
How do I know how many ships are in port?
Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway all publish daily cruise ship schedules online, and the information is usually available in the ship's daily programme or app. It matters: a four or five ship day means every shuttle, tour and restaurant runs at capacity, and it is worth planning around.

Keep researching

Juneau

The busiest and most time sensitive port day.

Sitka

How tendering changes the day.

Call an Alaska cruise specialist