November 12, 2025 • 14 mins
Alaska cruising is unlike any other cruise experience—and the shore excursions truly make the trip. In this exciting episode, travel advisors Ryan and Julie guide you through their favorite excursions at Alaska's most popular ports, sharing the experiences that will create lifetime memories.
Start in Juneau with the ultimate triple-threat: whale watching, visiting the stunning Mendenhall Glacier, and enjoying wild Alaskan salmon grilled over a wood fire—all in one incredible day. Then explore Ketchikan's rainforest with a naturalist guide before marveling at the towering totem poles at Totem Bight State Park.
Ryan shares his absolute favorite Alaska excursion: the legendary White Pass Summit Rail in Skagway. This is THE train everyone talks about, offering a scenic journey through history and breathtaking landscapes, with a bus ride back so you see completely different views. Julie's dad insisted on this experience above all others, and for good reason.
But Alaska's surprises don't stop there. Would you ever think to go snorkeling in Alaska? At Sitka's Magic Island, you can spot colorful rockfish, sea stars, and even giant Pacific octopi in crystal-clear waters—then warm up with hot chocolate afterward. For fishing enthusiasts, Icy Straight Point offers stream fishing expeditions where you can learn fly fishing techniques while angling for trout and salmon.
The episode wraps up in Victoria, Canada (a required stop for maritime law reasons) with a cultural and culinary tour through Chinatown, featuring local breweries and the famous Nanaimo Bar dessert.
Ryan and Julie emphasize how Alaska excursions differ from Caribbean or Mediterranean options—here, the natural beauty and unique experiences are the main attraction, making careful excursion selection crucial to your cruise satisfaction.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (00:00):
Hello and welcome to all Things
Travel.
The main draw of cruising inAlaska is to see amazing
landscape and take part in trulyunique experiences.
Choosing the right shoreexcursions can really impact the
overall cruise and the memoriesyou have.
Don't worry.
Today we're sharing ourfavorites.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (00:18):
Listen in with travel advisors and
destination experts, Ryan andJulie.
He is your travel professorteaching you everything you need
to know to have a magicalvacation.
And I am a Disney lovingMaryland mom of three and a
specialist in family travel.
Whether we're discussingincredible destinations, top
vacation tips, or sharingpersonal stories, it's always
(00:40):
all things travel.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (00:43):
All right, Julie, this is the third
in our series about best shoreexcursions.
We've talked about theCaribbean, we've talked about
the Mediterranean, and now we'retalking about Alaska.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (00:54):
We are, and I'm just laughing because
side note where, where I'mrecording, my dog is in here
sleeping and he's over here justhaving a really big dream and
just like
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (01:05):
Maybe,
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (01:06):
and
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (01:06):
you know what, you know what?
I think he's dreaming of being asled dog.
I think that's, I think that'sthat he, he's following along
with the podcast.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (01:15):
He's going somewhere
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (01:17):
I remember I've done numerous
Caribbean cruises, I've cruisedin Greece, Alaska is unlike any
of those.
And really the excursions makethe cruise because each port is
so unique, but you're havingthese amazing experiences that
(01:37):
you can only get in Alaska.
so I'm really excited to talkabout these today.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (01:42):
I feel like when you think about an
Alaska cruise, you are pickingthat itinerary based off the
excursions can do, and it'salmost like if I don't get that
excursion, I'm not going on thecruise.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (01:55):
Yes, and I have had families,
actually I think it was a familythat I featured a couple weeks
ago when I talked about, trips.
Is they, they went on Alaskancruise a couple summers ago and
it was, it was literally if wecan't ride the train.
I don't think our kids want togo.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (02:11):
Yeah, crazy.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_1428 (02:13):
Alright, but before we do that, I wanna
remind folks if you did notlisten to last week's episode,
we discussed all of those pesky,hidden costs of travel, all
those extra things that you needto factor into your budget from
the very beginning so you don'tget any sticker shock.
All right, Julie, so let's startwith the capital of Alaska.
(02:34):
Let's start with Juno.
And did you know that you cannotdrive to Juno?
You have to either take a boator a plane?
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (02:42):
that sounds cool.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (02:44):
So tell us about Juno and some of
the amazing things.
We have kind of a triple threate excursion here.
What do you recommend in Juno?
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (02:54):
In Juno, I am going to tell you to do the
whale watching Salmon Bake andMenon Hall Glacier tour.
on this tour, you are going tocome face to face with a glacier
marvel at a huge humpback whaleleaping out of the water.
and have a scrumptious mealfeaturing wild Alaskan salmon,
(03:15):
grilled over a wood fire, all onthe same excursion, this sounds
like an amazing combination of aday.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (03:23):
I mean, just think of the, the
checked off, if you will,experiences that you've had in
Alaska all in this day.
when I was in Juneau, I remembergoing to the Mende Hall Glacier.
It's absolutely stunning.
We did not do whale watching,but we wish we had added.
That excursion in.
this is such a good way tocombine things.
(03:44):
you're having some yummy food,you're seeing some natural
beauty, and you're also gettingout on another boat doing some
whale watching.
I love it.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (03:52):
Yeah.
Amazing.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_14280 (03:54):
Kechika is the salmon capital of the
world, but that's not what we'redoing here.
We are going in a rainforestwalk and totem park.
So kechika is part of the toganational forest.
In fact, most of the places thatyou're gonna be sailing, if
you're on the inside passage,are part of the time National
forest, and that is actually arainforest.
(04:16):
So you're gonna be going throughhere with a naturalist, taking a
walk, learning about theecology.
Of the time.
Gas, national Forest, you'regonna be seeing all sorts of
things.
you're gonna stop at waterfalls.
Think of the pictures here.
absolutely amazing.
And then following yourrainforest walk, you're gonna
take a break with the guide toenjoy a snack, and then it's off
(04:39):
to the totem by State Park.
Gaze up the elaborate carvingsof the totem poles and visit the
clan house while your guideshares their compelling history
and native heritage with you.
This is a really good familyfriendly, Excursion, your kids
are gonna be able to ask lots ofquestions.
You're gonna learn lots of funtrivia about Alaska and
(05:01):
indigenous cultures there.
I absolutely love it.
one thing that I like abouttrips like this, especially
'cause it's like a nature walk,these are always small groups.
In fact, when I did an excursionlike this on my celebrity crews,
it was just our family.
That was part of the rainforestwalk, so I really liked it.
I wanna take this next one,Julie.
(05:21):
I know we're going back to back,but this is my favorite
excursion in all of Alaska and Iam not alone.
This is in Skagway and SkagwayISS really cool because it's
kind of an old Western town.
It's really got that feel to it.
this is the white pass.
Summit Rail, and that is thetrain that people talk about.
(05:41):
That is the train that you wantto go on.
what I love about this trip isyou go one way on the train, so
you're seeing all sorts ofthings.
Then on the way back, you'reactually gonna take the bus back
so that you can see a completelydifferent area of the
environment.
So you're gonna enjoy a relaxingone hour and 45 minute scenic
(06:02):
journey on the train fromSkagway to the top of the White
Pass Summit.
Along your journey, you're gonnapass Pitchfork Falls, bridal
Veil Falls, William Moore BridgeSkagway Scenic Overlook Frazier,
train Depot, tormented Valley,and the welcome to Alaska Sign.
So you're just gonna havepictures and videos galore.
(06:24):
you're gonna take the time to goout on the balcony and see
stuff, from outside the train.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (06:30):
Yeah, it sounds amazing.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (06:32):
I know my dad is from a train family
and when we went on this cruisehe said, I don't care what else
we do, as long as we ride thetrain.
alright, Julie, before wediscuss some other options, I
wanna know where in the world isWonder and Beyond Travel, and I
think you're gonna take us to atheme park today.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (06:50):
Yes.
So I wanna highlight a quicktrip to Universal Orlando, and I
wanna bring this up because thiswas a very last minute trip.
At the time this podcast comesout, they may have already
traveled.
They're traveling the first weekin November and we planned this
like end of September-ish.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (07:09):
Wow.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (07:10):
really short notice.
this is like a surprise tripcelebrating some kids'
birthdays.
We are staying in a two bedroomsuite at the endless summer
resort, and we've talked aboutthis before Ryan, but the
endless summer resorts are suchan awesome value for.
The larger space that you can
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (07:30):
Yeah.
I think for a family like thiswith teenagers, it just makes a
lot of sense.
and you're like, well, yeah, butyou sacrifice the express pass.
But oftentimes if you price outthe express pass with this value
resort, you're actually savingmoney.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (07:45):
Yeah, I agree.
the only downside of thoseresorts is the transportation.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (07:49):
Yeah.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (07:50):
you have older kids, they can handle kind
of that longer transfer timesometimes than, um, needing that
walk or boat like you get at thedeluxe resorts.
a brief overview.
like I said, they're staying atendless Summer Resort in a two
bedroom family suite, which is alot of space They are also going
to all three parks.
Universal Studios, Islands ofAdventure, and they're going to
(08:12):
Epic Universe.
We actually just updated theirtrip, so like a week before they
go, we just upgraded theirexpress passes to the unlimited
Universal Express passes.
So that they can go on the ridesmultiple times.
this year, epic Universe doesn'thave that.
It's still just the the one rideper another cool thing they're
doing on this trip is they'reactually doing the dark more
(08:35):
makeup experience at EpicUniverse where
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (08:37):
Ooh, very fun.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (08:39):
out in whatever monster they choose
while they're there.
So that's like a really cool,fun upgrade.
I haven't had clients do thatyet, so I'm excited to hear
about it.
this is gonna be such an amazingshort trip and just, you know,
PSA out there, you can planthese things on short notice and
still have an amazing time.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (08:55):
this past summer I booked a,
universal trip for a dad and ason on a Wednesday or Thursday,
and they left that followingSunday.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (09:06):
Amazing,
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (09:07):
All right, Julie, tell us about
Sitka.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (09:11):
All right.
This is one I think is reallycool because this is not
something I think about when Ithink about Alaska.
And this is a Sitka snorkel atMagic Island.
you're gonna have a short driveto Magic Island, and once you
walk down this rocky shore, yousee some crystal clear waters.
You're gonna be able to snorkelthere for, you know, a little
(09:31):
over an hour.
And some of the things you'regonna be seeing here are
colorful rockfish, sand dollars,sea stars, needle fish, and
maybe even the giant Pacificoctopi.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (09:44):
Ooh.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (09:45):
telling me that I'm gonna see an octopus
would intrigue me to like getinto the water.
I feel like I would go the otherdirection, but sure you will
also see like.
Eagles, sea lions, sea otters,harbor seals, and maybe a
humpback whale, which again, Idon't think I wanna be in the
water with it, but from adistance.
(10:05):
Great.
Um,
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (10:06):
cool.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (10:08):
and then after all that's over, you get
to go warm up with some hotchocolate coffee, tea snacks.
Nice little day there.
I would never think ofsnorkeling when I think of going
to Alaska, but I love thisoption.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (10:22):
Next is not a common port in Alaska,
but that's icy straight point.
and I chose this one'cause it'svery different.
It's a stream fishing day tour.
So what you're gonna do isyou're gonna go on a fishing
expedition for the day andyou're gonna have a guide there
and all of the gear and thetackle and they're gonna help
you either a, assist you if youknow how to do fly fishing.
(10:45):
Or teach you if you don't.
depending on the time of theyear, your angling opportunities
could include, dolly vardentrout, cutthroat trout, pink
salmon, chum salmon, co-hostsalmon or steelhead.
they choose the best place atthe best time.
So you spend a few hours outlearning to fish, a few hours
(11:08):
fishing out there, and justthink of.
The great stories.
How much fun just to get awayfrom the cruise environment, get
out into Alaska and just take abreath and do some fishing.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (11:22):
That sounds awesome.
fishing is a big part of beingin Alaska.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (11:26):
Yeah, absolutely.
finish us out here, Julie, witha stop in Canada.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (11:33):
Okay, so nearly every Alaska cruise is
gonna port in Canada at somepoint.
It's kind of maritime law,
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (11:40):
Yeah.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (11:41):
It's not always a long stop.
So.
wanna choose an excursion thatyou kind of get a good bang for
your buck, if you wanna put itthat way.
And this is the cultural sitesand Tasty Delights of Victoria,
and no one is surprised thatthis is what Ryan chose.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (11:58):
Well, you know, I chose it because a
lot of our excursions that we'vetalked about so far are based on
nature, and this one is based oncity and culture, and I like
that.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (12:07):
so this is cool because you are actually
gonna go to the Chinatownsection of Victoria and you're
gonna get there via the HarborFerry, which sounds like a
really great experience You'regonna see some unique
architecture and get to see someof that history that dates back
to the late 18 hundreds.
You're also gonna get to samplesome of the local food scene
(12:31):
where you're gonna be able tohead off to a modern brewery and
sample some brew on their verycharming patio and stumble upon
market square's secrets beforeheading back to the picturesque
harbor Be surprised with anotherculinary delight and Ryan knows
what that is.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (12:48):
I think it's probably a Nanaimo
bar.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (12:50):
And tell us what an
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (12:52):
It's, I, I don't, I don't know
specifically what it is, but Iremember having it when I was
in, Vancouver and it's very muchlike, it's a treat.
It's like a chocolate, dessert.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (13:03):
Good story.
so then you'll keep goingthrough the charming cobblestone
pass of Bastion Square and makeyour way to Government Street
where some of the oldestestablishments in Victoria are.
There's a lot of, great littletales that your tour guide will
tell you about, so you can get agreat idea of that area.
the grand finale will be to themost acclaimed chocolate shop in
(13:24):
Victoria, where you'll probablyhave an a nine mo bar.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (13:29):
So in Nanaimo Bar, Julie.
It includes a base of a Grahamcracker butter, cocoa powder and
nuts, a middle layer of sweetcustard icing made with powdered
sugar, butter, and custardpowder, and a top layer of
semi-sweet chocolate.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (13:47):
All right.
That does sound pretty tasty.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (13:49):
Okay.
so as we wrap up here, which ofthese sound the best to you?
They all sound great, but whichof these is kind of like, Ooh, I
wanna make sure that I do that.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (13:59):
Juno to go whale watching see the
glacier and end the day withsome delicious salmon.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (14:06):
Yeah.
That I think is the best bangfor the buck when it comes to
experiences, that's for sure.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (14:12):
Yeah, absolutely.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (14:13):
Well, I've enjoyed our, our excursion
series here, it makes me want togo on a cruise.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (14:19):
It does make me wanna go on an Alaska
cruise.
The world is full of wonder andyour next great adventure is
waiting at Wonder and BeyondTravel.
We work with you to create a oneof a kind journey, taking the
stress off your plate so you canfocus on the joy of exploring
and the memories that will staywith you forever.
If you're ready to startplanning or just want to dream a
(14:39):
little bigger, head over toWonder and beyond travel.com.
We'd love to help you getstarted.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (14:46):
We look forward to talking to you
next week on All Things Travel,when we discuss common mistakes
when planning amulti-generational trip.
Hello and welcome to all Things
Travel.
The main draw of cruising inAlaska is to see amazing
landscape and take part in trulyunique experiences.
Choosing the right shoreexcursions can really impact the
overall cruise and the memoriesyou have.
Don't worry.
Today we're sharing ourfavorites.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (00:18):
Listen in with travel advisors and
destination experts, Ryan andJulie.
He is your travel professorteaching you everything you need
to know to have a magicalvacation.
And I am a Disney lovingMaryland mom of three and a
specialist in family travel.
Whether we're discussingincredible destinations, top
vacation tips, or sharingpersonal stories, it's always
(00:40):
all things travel.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (00:43):
All right, Julie, this is the third
in our series about best shoreexcursions.
We've talked about theCaribbean, we've talked about
the Mediterranean, and now we'retalking about Alaska.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (00:54):
We are, and I'm just laughing because
side note where, where I'mrecording, my dog is in here
sleeping and he's over here justhaving a really big dream and
just like
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (01:05):
Maybe,
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (01:06):
and
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (01:06):
you know what, you know what?
I think he's dreaming of being asled dog.
I think that's, I think that'sthat he, he's following along
with the podcast.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (01:15):
He's going somewhere
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (01:17):
I remember I've done numerous
Caribbean cruises, I've cruisedin Greece, Alaska is unlike any
of those.
And really the excursions makethe cruise because each port is
so unique, but you're havingthese amazing experiences that
(01:37):
you can only get in Alaska.
so I'm really excited to talkabout these today.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (01:42):
I feel like when you think about an
Alaska cruise, you are pickingthat itinerary based off the
excursions can do, and it'salmost like if I don't get that
excursion, I'm not going on thecruise.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (01:55):
Yes, and I have had families,
actually I think it was a familythat I featured a couple weeks
ago when I talked about, trips.
Is they, they went on Alaskancruise a couple summers ago and
it was, it was literally if wecan't ride the train.
I don't think our kids want togo.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (02:11):
Yeah, crazy.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_1428 (02:13):
Alright, but before we do that, I wanna
remind folks if you did notlisten to last week's episode,
we discussed all of those pesky,hidden costs of travel, all
those extra things that you needto factor into your budget from
the very beginning so you don'tget any sticker shock.
All right, Julie, so let's startwith the capital of Alaska.
(02:34):
Let's start with Juno.
And did you know that you cannotdrive to Juno?
You have to either take a boator a plane?
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (02:42):
that sounds cool.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (02:44):
So tell us about Juno and some of
the amazing things.
We have kind of a triple threate excursion here.
What do you recommend in Juno?
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (02:54):
In Juno, I am going to tell you to do the
whale watching Salmon Bake andMenon Hall Glacier tour.
on this tour, you are going tocome face to face with a glacier
marvel at a huge humpback whaleleaping out of the water.
and have a scrumptious mealfeaturing wild Alaskan salmon,
(03:15):
grilled over a wood fire, all onthe same excursion, this sounds
like an amazing combination of aday.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (03:23):
I mean, just think of the, the
checked off, if you will,experiences that you've had in
Alaska all in this day.
when I was in Juneau, I remembergoing to the Mende Hall Glacier.
It's absolutely stunning.
We did not do whale watching,but we wish we had added.
That excursion in.
this is such a good way tocombine things.
(03:44):
you're having some yummy food,you're seeing some natural
beauty, and you're also gettingout on another boat doing some
whale watching.
I love it.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (03:52):
Yeah.
Amazing.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_14280 (03:54):
Kechika is the salmon capital of the
world, but that's not what we'redoing here.
We are going in a rainforestwalk and totem park.
So kechika is part of the toganational forest.
In fact, most of the places thatyou're gonna be sailing, if
you're on the inside passage,are part of the time National
forest, and that is actually arainforest.
(04:16):
So you're gonna be going throughhere with a naturalist, taking a
walk, learning about theecology.
Of the time.
Gas, national Forest, you'regonna be seeing all sorts of
things.
you're gonna stop at waterfalls.
Think of the pictures here.
absolutely amazing.
And then following yourrainforest walk, you're gonna
take a break with the guide toenjoy a snack, and then it's off
(04:39):
to the totem by State Park.
Gaze up the elaborate carvingsof the totem poles and visit the
clan house while your guideshares their compelling history
and native heritage with you.
This is a really good familyfriendly, Excursion, your kids
are gonna be able to ask lots ofquestions.
You're gonna learn lots of funtrivia about Alaska and
(05:01):
indigenous cultures there.
I absolutely love it.
one thing that I like abouttrips like this, especially
'cause it's like a nature walk,these are always small groups.
In fact, when I did an excursionlike this on my celebrity crews,
it was just our family.
That was part of the rainforestwalk, so I really liked it.
I wanna take this next one,Julie.
(05:21):
I know we're going back to back,but this is my favorite
excursion in all of Alaska and Iam not alone.
This is in Skagway and SkagwayISS really cool because it's
kind of an old Western town.
It's really got that feel to it.
this is the white pass.
Summit Rail, and that is thetrain that people talk about.
(05:41):
That is the train that you wantto go on.
what I love about this trip isyou go one way on the train, so
you're seeing all sorts ofthings.
Then on the way back, you'reactually gonna take the bus back
so that you can see a completelydifferent area of the
environment.
So you're gonna enjoy a relaxingone hour and 45 minute scenic
(06:02):
journey on the train fromSkagway to the top of the White
Pass Summit.
Along your journey, you're gonnapass Pitchfork Falls, bridal
Veil Falls, William Moore BridgeSkagway Scenic Overlook Frazier,
train Depot, tormented Valley,and the welcome to Alaska Sign.
So you're just gonna havepictures and videos galore.
(06:24):
you're gonna take the time to goout on the balcony and see
stuff, from outside the train.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (06:30):
Yeah, it sounds amazing.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (06:32):
I know my dad is from a train family
and when we went on this cruisehe said, I don't care what else
we do, as long as we ride thetrain.
alright, Julie, before wediscuss some other options, I
wanna know where in the world isWonder and Beyond Travel, and I
think you're gonna take us to atheme park today.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (06:50):
Yes.
So I wanna highlight a quicktrip to Universal Orlando, and I
wanna bring this up because thiswas a very last minute trip.
At the time this podcast comesout, they may have already
traveled.
They're traveling the first weekin November and we planned this
like end of September-ish.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (07:09):
Wow.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (07:10):
really short notice.
this is like a surprise tripcelebrating some kids'
birthdays.
We are staying in a two bedroomsuite at the endless summer
resort, and we've talked aboutthis before Ryan, but the
endless summer resorts are suchan awesome value for.
The larger space that you can
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (07:30):
Yeah.
I think for a family like thiswith teenagers, it just makes a
lot of sense.
and you're like, well, yeah, butyou sacrifice the express pass.
But oftentimes if you price outthe express pass with this value
resort, you're actually savingmoney.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (07:45):
Yeah, I agree.
the only downside of thoseresorts is the transportation.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (07:49):
Yeah.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (07:50):
you have older kids, they can handle kind
of that longer transfer timesometimes than, um, needing that
walk or boat like you get at thedeluxe resorts.
a brief overview.
like I said, they're staying atendless Summer Resort in a two
bedroom family suite, which is alot of space They are also going
to all three parks.
Universal Studios, Islands ofAdventure, and they're going to
(08:12):
Epic Universe.
We actually just updated theirtrip, so like a week before they
go, we just upgraded theirexpress passes to the unlimited
Universal Express passes.
So that they can go on the ridesmultiple times.
this year, epic Universe doesn'thave that.
It's still just the the one rideper another cool thing they're
doing on this trip is they'reactually doing the dark more
(08:35):
makeup experience at EpicUniverse where
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (08:37):
Ooh, very fun.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (08:39):
out in whatever monster they choose
while they're there.
So that's like a really cool,fun upgrade.
I haven't had clients do thatyet, so I'm excited to hear
about it.
this is gonna be such an amazingshort trip and just, you know,
PSA out there, you can planthese things on short notice and
still have an amazing time.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (08:55):
this past summer I booked a,
universal trip for a dad and ason on a Wednesday or Thursday,
and they left that followingSunday.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (09:06):
Amazing,
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (09:07):
All right, Julie, tell us about
Sitka.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (09:11):
All right.
This is one I think is reallycool because this is not
something I think about when Ithink about Alaska.
And this is a Sitka snorkel atMagic Island.
you're gonna have a short driveto Magic Island, and once you
walk down this rocky shore, yousee some crystal clear waters.
You're gonna be able to snorkelthere for, you know, a little
(09:31):
over an hour.
And some of the things you'regonna be seeing here are
colorful rockfish, sand dollars,sea stars, needle fish, and
maybe even the giant Pacificoctopi.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (09:44):
Ooh.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (09:45):
telling me that I'm gonna see an octopus
would intrigue me to like getinto the water.
I feel like I would go the otherdirection, but sure you will
also see like.
Eagles, sea lions, sea otters,harbor seals, and maybe a
humpback whale, which again, Idon't think I wanna be in the
water with it, but from adistance.
(10:05):
Great.
Um,
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (10:06):
cool.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (10:08):
and then after all that's over, you get
to go warm up with some hotchocolate coffee, tea snacks.
Nice little day there.
I would never think ofsnorkeling when I think of going
to Alaska, but I love thisoption.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (10:22):
Next is not a common port in Alaska,
but that's icy straight point.
and I chose this one'cause it'svery different.
It's a stream fishing day tour.
So what you're gonna do isyou're gonna go on a fishing
expedition for the day andyou're gonna have a guide there
and all of the gear and thetackle and they're gonna help
you either a, assist you if youknow how to do fly fishing.
(10:45):
Or teach you if you don't.
depending on the time of theyear, your angling opportunities
could include, dolly vardentrout, cutthroat trout, pink
salmon, chum salmon, co-hostsalmon or steelhead.
they choose the best place atthe best time.
So you spend a few hours outlearning to fish, a few hours
(11:08):
fishing out there, and justthink of.
The great stories.
How much fun just to get awayfrom the cruise environment, get
out into Alaska and just take abreath and do some fishing.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (11:22):
That sounds awesome.
fishing is a big part of beingin Alaska.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (11:26):
Yeah, absolutely.
finish us out here, Julie, witha stop in Canada.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (11:33):
Okay, so nearly every Alaska cruise is
gonna port in Canada at somepoint.
It's kind of maritime law,
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (11:40):
Yeah.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (11:41):
It's not always a long stop.
So.
wanna choose an excursion thatyou kind of get a good bang for
your buck, if you wanna put itthat way.
And this is the cultural sitesand Tasty Delights of Victoria,
and no one is surprised thatthis is what Ryan chose.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (11:58):
Well, you know, I chose it because a
lot of our excursions that we'vetalked about so far are based on
nature, and this one is based oncity and culture, and I like
that.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (12:07):
so this is cool because you are actually
gonna go to the Chinatownsection of Victoria and you're
gonna get there via the HarborFerry, which sounds like a
really great experience You'regonna see some unique
architecture and get to see someof that history that dates back
to the late 18 hundreds.
You're also gonna get to samplesome of the local food scene
(12:31):
where you're gonna be able tohead off to a modern brewery and
sample some brew on their verycharming patio and stumble upon
market square's secrets beforeheading back to the picturesque
harbor Be surprised with anotherculinary delight and Ryan knows
what that is.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (12:48):
I think it's probably a Nanaimo
bar.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (12:50):
And tell us what an
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (12:52):
It's, I, I don't, I don't know
specifically what it is, but Iremember having it when I was
in, Vancouver and it's very muchlike, it's a treat.
It's like a chocolate, dessert.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (13:03):
Good story.
so then you'll keep goingthrough the charming cobblestone
pass of Bastion Square and makeyour way to Government Street
where some of the oldestestablishments in Victoria are.
There's a lot of, great littletales that your tour guide will
tell you about, so you can get agreat idea of that area.
the grand finale will be to themost acclaimed chocolate shop in
(13:24):
Victoria, where you'll probablyhave an a nine mo bar.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (13:29):
So in Nanaimo Bar, Julie.
It includes a base of a Grahamcracker butter, cocoa powder and
nuts, a middle layer of sweetcustard icing made with powdered
sugar, butter, and custardpowder, and a top layer of
semi-sweet chocolate.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (13:47):
All right.
That does sound pretty tasty.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (13:49):
Okay.
so as we wrap up here, which ofthese sound the best to you?
They all sound great, but whichof these is kind of like, Ooh, I
wanna make sure that I do that.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (13:59):
Juno to go whale watching see the
glacier and end the day withsome delicious salmon.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (14:06):
Yeah.
That I think is the best bangfor the buck when it comes to
experiences, that's for sure.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (14:12):
Yeah, absolutely.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (14:13):
Well, I've enjoyed our, our excursion
series here, it makes me want togo on a cruise.
j_3_10-31-2025_142804 (14:19):
It does make me wanna go on an Alaska
cruise.
The world is full of wonder andyour next great adventure is
waiting at Wonder and BeyondTravel.
We work with you to create a oneof a kind journey, taking the
stress off your plate so you canfocus on the joy of exploring
and the memories that will staywith you forever.
If you're ready to startplanning or just want to dream a
(14:39):
little bigger, head over toWonder and beyond travel.com.
We'd love to help you getstarted.
ryan_2_10-31-2025_142804 (14:46):
We look forward to talking to you
next week on All Things Travel,when we discuss common mistakes
when planning amulti-generational trip.
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