Ahoy there Maria, I'd like to wish you a warm welcome back to planDisney!
It's certainly been a while since
the first time that you came to our team asking about excursions with teenagers in tow, who've likely grown up into adults by now! As a bit of a
Port Adventure pro myself, it's great to see folks and families like yours putting in the research like I always do before embarking on any journeys while the ship is in port. As you may know from your last Alaskan adventure, the
Alaska season is typically taken on by only one ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet at a time for a few select months out of the year and it definitely makes sense for reviews of certain Port Adventures to be a bit harder to come across; luckily I've taken the time to compile a few reviews from fellow seafaring folks to give you an idea of what you might expect:
- Over this past summer the Disney Wonder has typically sailed into Ketchikan in the late morning, with a bit of a shorter time in Port compared to other longer stops on Alaskan itineraries like Skagway. This makes the limited time you'll have precious, especially for experiences like Knudson Cove Salmon Fishing (KE34), which could take about a half-hour drive along the coast to Knudson Cove Marina. (Don't forget to pronounce the "K" - it isn't silent as in "knife"!)
- It's important to note that though the experience itself is essentially several hours on board a chartered vessel offering you the opportunity to experience trolling for salmon (using weighted downrigger lines), it seems to vary quite a bit depending on the personality of your captain or guide, whether you'll have other guests assigned to the same boat, as well as the weather and time of year. Due to this and perhaps any regulations imposed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game there can never be any guarantee as to whether you'll be able to keep anything that you catch if your group is successful at the spots you hit whether or not you're a party of aspiring anglers or folks well-versed in fishing.
- Though there may be light snacks available, the offerings are subject to change and may depend on each charter boat so it might be a good idea to bring something along for your group to enjoy over the hours on the water you'll be spending together. A set of binoculars may be very key as it isn't unheard of for groups to potentially spot whales; the experience itself may involve a lot of sitting and waiting for a fish on any of the lines so wildlife spotting could be a great way to make the most of your time!
I hope that this helps, Maria! I might also suggest looking around online for videos of folks who've done similar fishing experiences out of Knudson Cove Marina so you can get an idea of what to expect and whether it's something you and your group would enjoy doing together. Since you'll be setting out as group of five there's a great chance that you'll have a charter just to yourselves, which can definitely feel like you're on your own private tour experience whether or not you manage to reel in a salmon smorgasbord. I hope you
come back to planDisney again for more bits of nautical knowledge ahead of your next cruise!
Here's hoping that the salmon are biting without too much fighting on your upcoming Alaskan adventure!
Prince