Ketchikan, Alaska - May 2022 Cruise

Ketchikan, Alaska - This was our first stop on our May 2022 cruise.

Let me start off by saying that Ketchikan is a VERY rainy city.  They get an average of 141 inches of rain a year.  Our visit was rainy & cold, not something that makes me very happy that’s for sure!

We originally did not have an excursion planned for Ketchikan, we were just going to roam around the town and take in the sites.  However, we decided last minute to book something via the Princess excursion desk.  We selected the salmon fishing excursion.  Based upon my research, we knew it was early for salmon fishing but thought it’d at least be a fun adventure. 

We enjoyed this excursion, and while we didn’t catch any fish we weren’t surprised based on how early in the season it was.  After all they call it fishing, not catching - you aren’t guaranteed to catch anything.  If the weather had been nicer for this trip, I think we would have enjoyed it even more, and if we had caught something that would have been icing on the cake.  One other boat that was on this same trip did catch a few salmon, so it was luck of the draw for our group.  Side note – 6 guests plus the Captain 

Here’s a picture of the boat where I (the only female on the trip) hid out from the rain, wind & cold:

After this excursion we just decided to head back to the cruise ship.  It was still rainy and honestly, I just wasn’t excited about walking around in the cold rain. 

 Overall, Ketchikan was OK - Nothing to write home about in my opinion, but as a first stop in Alaska, I’d be lying if I wasn’t a little nervous about the rest of the cruise.  But the cruise definitely improved with every port!

 Back on board - One thing I do want to highlight is the internet.  (the Medallion experience will be discussed in a seperate post, as there is a LOT to say on that topic)

 Internet on the ship was good in our opinion.  We both utilize the internet for business and work while we travel.  I think setting expectations about the type of internet service you will get is important on any cruise ship.  You are on a moving vessel, miles from land, with 2,000 people all trying to utilize what little bit of satellite internet is available.  It’s not going to be Comcast fast, I wish it was, but it’s not.  We were able to access the internet without any issues. 

 My husband was even able to make a few critical business phones calls via the cellular at sea service during our day in Glacier Bay and had no issues at all.  As far as cost, we are elite with Princess, and we had the all-inclusive package, so cost wasn’t an issue for us.  We did find that early morning, and late evening were when we got the faster speeds which aligns with other cruisers sleeping, or cruise activities. 

 I am grateful for any amount of internet we are able to get while we travel, and I know Princess recognizes that it is vital in today’s world, and they continue to improve the internet service offering to their cruisers. 

 While Ketchikan was ok, the rest of this cruise does improve, so hold onto your hats for the next post.

 Talk to you soon fellow cruisers –

 Mrs. Cruise Navigator