Carnival cruise excursion manager shares favorite Alaska tours
Shore excursions are often recommended to make the most of your time in port on an Alaska cruise and to get closer to the rugged wilderness that makes Alaska a unique place to explore. But with so many options for tours that showcase Alaska's glaciers, wildlife, and more, deciding what activities to book for Alaska port days can be a challenge.
To help cruise passengers with planning their Alaska cruise activities, Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald recently sat down with Carnival Shore Excursion Manager Nicola from Bosnia while sailing in Alaska on board Carnival Spirit to talk Alaska tours.
In a video for the more than 670,000 cruisers who follow Heald's popular Facebook page, Nicola shared his personal shore excursion recommendations for the common Alaska cruise ports of Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan.
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White Pass Summit train excursion is a Skagway must-do
In the Klondike Gold Rush town of Skagway, the scenic and historic White Pass & Yukon Route Railway is a top attraction that's considered an Alaska cruise excursion must-do for all ages and activity levels. The train ride takes you up the White Pass Summit and into the wilderness of Canada's British Columbia and the Yukon Territory.
"It's a shorter excursion, and it's accessible to everybody. So, they accept wheelchairs, they accept scooters, and they're very, very, you know, helpful in general. And it's amazing views, breathtaking views," Nicola explained.
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The round-trip White Pass train excursion promises stunning views no matter where you sit on the train.
"You get to see both sides. Once you finish one side of the trip, the train goes back and the seats flip. So, whatever you missed, you get to see that side as well," Nicola added.
He also noted that if you want to see bears while visiting Alaska, Skagway is the place to take a wildlife tour. Along with bears, Skagway wildlife excursions offer the chance to see bald eagles in the wild.
Seaplane glacier tour offers epic flightseeing in Juneau
For a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, Nicola recommends the 5 Glacier Seaplane Exploration & Taku Lodge Feast excursion in Juneau.
The flightseeing tour takes adventurous travelers by seaplane on a flight over the Tongass National Forest and the Juneau Icefield to see five glaciers from above.
"So you fly, everybody gets the window seat. It's an amazing excursion," Nicola said. "You get to take the pictures from window seats, you get to see the five glaciers, then you land on the lodge overlooking a glacier and basically have a fabulous meal. And you listen to the story of the place - where the lady who was actually training her dogs and she traveled 1,000 miles with her dogs."
Additionally, if you're interested in a dog sledding excursion, tours are available in Juneau, as well as Skagway.
Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour is a Ketchikan favorite
In Ketchikan, Nicola recommends exploring by boat on a Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour on board the Aleutian Ballad of "Deadliest Catch" fame. The tour offers the thrill of Alaskan crab fishing without the unforgiving Bering Sea waters. It's even family-friendly and fully accessible.
"Well, rough or not, those folks are very experienced and you're going to experience it yourself, definitely. So, they have the gear, they have everything there. They go rain or shine. They're not afraid of anything. They're fearless and you should be as well," Nicola said.
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It's not just the Alaska crab fishing experience that makes this tour special - it's the story behind it and the bonus opportunity to see eagles, too.
"They have an eagle feeding spot. So, basically what happens is they stop and you're going to see like 30 eagles flying and they're very up close because they feed them and then all the guests are advised to record them in slow motion. So, you get some really, really beautiful videos, like stunning," Nicola said.
No matter what ports you're visiting on an Alaska cruise, keep in mind that booking early is essential for the most popular Alaska shore excursions like the Crab Fishermen's Tour and White Pass Railway, which tend to sell out far in advance of sailings.
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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 8:10 AM.