Inside Passage/Kenai
 

I'm trying to finalize plans for our first trip to Alaska in July. We're planning a 6-day, 5-night cruise with Cruise West from Juneau to Ketchican, including Glacier Bay. The cruise on Sheltered Seas appealed to us because we will stay in hotels in port towns, rather than on board. With a 21 and 23-year old, we think that will be more interesting. I am not sure how much free time we have in each port for land excursions. Either before or after the cruise, we want to spend 5-7 days on the Kenai Peninsula. Our priorities are fishing (2 days: salmon & halibut), sea kayaking, and hiking. Possibly also Emerald Air flight for bears. We want to see Anchorage, Seward, and Homer, and if possible, Exit Glacier, the Kenai Fiords, Halibut Cove, and Seldovia. We are very active and prefer to "pack it in" while traveling (enjoying the scenery, of course!). Denali will have to wait for next time.

Questions: Does it matter whether we cruise first or last? If our cruise ends in Ketchikan, what's the logical city to fly into on the KP? Is it better to rent a car or ferry between Homer & Seward and train between Seward & Anchorage? Can anyone recommend excellent fishing guides from Homer? I assume the Kenai Fiords tour will be significantly different from the Inside Passage...yes? Any suggestions/advice? I have read tons of posts and have volumes printed out but still don't know whether this itinerary is realistic. Thanks.

A ferry between HOmer and Seward places is possible, but time consuming. If you end your trip in Juneau, you could fly to Anchorage and then drive to Seward & Homer. If you want to fly to the Kenai Peninsula, then you could fly to Kenai or Homer. There is no airport in Seward as far as I know. Try Era Aviation or Alaska Airlines for flights and the Alaska Marine Highway schedule for the ferry schedules.

You will only be able to fly into Anchorage from Ketchikan or Juneau, or v.v. Get a car and enjoy the drive from ANC down Turnagain Arm, then onto the Kenai Peninsula. I would not bother connecting to another plane at ANC; you will need a car anyway and things will be easier and cheaper at ANC.

We took the ferry up the Inside Passage to Skagway. We didn't get close to glaciers and although we were lucky to see a couple of orcas close, you don't usually get close to wildlife. OTH the trips out of Seward will stop when there is a good sighting. We have wonderful video of orcas. We also stopped with the engines turned off for 1/2 hour to watch and listen to a glacier calve. The bay is full of ice chunks. The boat also gets very close to rocks with birds and seals.
We used the Boardwalk Hotel package deal for our trip to Seldovia. It was a nice overnight with a wonderful flight back to Homer over a glacier but if you are short on time, it might be something to skip.
I think it makes the most sense to fly into Anchorage and rent a car there. The drive along the Turn Again Arm is beautiful. We've flown on ERA into Kenai. It's a decent flight but not beautiful like the drive would be. If time is short and your budget is open, you might consider flying into Homer then back to ANC. Then take the train to Seward. That would cut out the drive between Seward and Homer, about 4 hours. Considering a total savings of 8 hours minimum, you might be giving yourself another day at the best places. The flight to Kenai was 20 minutes, Homer probably isn't much longer. You can probably have your bags checked all the way through. ERA does not have a security check. The land part of the trip might be more exciting and active. Since we like the flexibility of being on our own I would cruise first to build up the fun of being in Alaska. Sounds like a great trip!

I too agree, you will need to fly to Anchorage and rent a car or RV. Request visitor guides www.kenaipeninsula.com as well as city guides. Should be able to do all your priorities. :)

Thank you. I did sign up at all the Chamber of Commerce and on-line visitor sites a few weeks ago. My email box and real mailbox have been flooded with info, but the BEST recommendations always come from these forums! I will look into car rental from ANC as well as flights.

lina,
last september we rented a car in anchorage and drove to homer. the ride was beautiful. we saw beluga whales on the turnagain arm, stopped at a historical gold mine, and took incredible photos. in homer, we checked out the Pratt museum and the sealife center(i can't remember the name). I went with Emerald Air to Katmai and it was the highlight of my trip. to walk on this terrain with the two best guides (Ken and Chris) and experience the bears is a lifetime experience.We then drove to seward and stayed for 3 nites. we went to exit glacier. we were unable to take the Kenai boat tour which was a shame but the year prior I had and it is not to be missed. The marine life is amazing. I agree with the post that you need alot of time to take the ferry between seward and homer. i had looked into it last year and time was a factor. whatever you choose have a great time..