Alaska - Inside Passage Sailing, or Sitka?

[AdvanceTripper]

Ok, gang. If you had to choose...which one: sailing the Inside Passage, or a visit to Sitka?

(assuming you had not been to either)

[FireFishII]

I think it all comes down to what type of person are you.  Do you like to sit back and enjoy the scenery or would you rather get off the ship to explore the land?  My mom, who loves to watch the birds and scenery float by, would vote for the Inside Passage.  While my dad and siblings would be - get me off this ship so I can walk the land. To help you decide, the following is from RCL website:

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Sitka truly offers the best of Alaska. Its small-town appeal stems from a unique blend of Russian, Tlingit and American history. Its snow-capped peaks and volcanic Mount Edgecumbe pose among the state’s most postcard-worthy scenes. And its rare wildlife astounds, from Saint Lazaria Island’s orange-beaked puffins to Alaska Maritime Refuge’s 40 million seabirds. This is off-the-path Alaska, where you can kayak Sitka Sound alongside swimming sea otters or fly-fish for the world’s biggest halibut. Whether it’s hiking Baranof Island trails or listening to tribal stories passed down for generations, in Sitka the midnight sun never sets on adventure.

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Your ship offers the perfect platform for viewing British Columbia’s Inside Passage. This archipelago spans 25,000 miles from Seattle to Prince Rupert near the Alaskan border. Here you’ll ply calm waters sheltered between the British Columbia mainland and Vancouver Island. Along the way catch a glimpse of breathtakingly rugged scenery, plus staggering wildlife like salmon sharks, white spirit bears, and millions of seabirds.

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Good luck deciding! There is no wrong answer. 

 

[foxrunner]

Firefish is on point, another take is inclement weather can obscure your scenery. This is especially true in Alaska. I'd take the extra port day, even if it rains you will have peeks of the beauty that is Alaska.  Enjoy!

[Ryan79]

Port days in Alaska are the best. No matter where you are, there is tons to do and it’s very scenic. The one port I could do without is Victoria on an Alaskan cruise, but giving up an Alaska port for an extra sea day would be a no-go for me.

[CruiseMom82]

I think when we sailed from Vancouver we did both? Sitka was really beautiful but all the ports are. Ketchikan wasn’t my favorite but we did a really cool hike there about a mile from port. You really can’t go wrong. 

[smokeybandit]

When sailing out of Vancouver, you do both.

[AdvanceTripper]

Thanks for everyone weighing in! This has been super helpful.

[jrey51]

Sitka was probably my favourite port. 

I think inside passage is nice, but honestly most of the cruise (and especially the ports) is scenic. Personally, I'd rather do Sitka, and then do a wildlife excursion there (whale watching, etc.) 

[BowTieBrigade]

Be sure to check the day of the week you would be in Sitka. The town largely closes down on Sundays. 

[FSUFAN]

 

We are sailing R/T from Seattle on the Quantum in June (12th) with stops in Sitka, Skagway, Juneau and Victoria.  I have not been to Sitka, but I loved the stop in Skagway.  In fact, I vetoed another week that my grown kids had chosen when it did not have the Skagway stop.  The White Pass and Yukon train ride was really great.

[WoodsTravels]

I would like inside passage but that is just because we always wanted to go to Skagway to do the train ride. I think both options are memorable and when you do one, maybe years down the road if possible, choose the other one. Happy Cruising!!!