Let's be honest. The cities that cruise ships visit in Alaska, and they all visit the same cities, have become dependent for much of their survival on tourist dollars. The first couple of streets in each town open up for business with the coming of the first ship of the season and shut down after the last ship leaves in the fall. Therefore, the prices will be high and the merchandise for the most part low quality. The side trips will be expensive and will cater to tourists, with a goal of making the accountants happy.
However, select carefully and you can see sights you will not see at home but the price for the better tours will not be cheap...worth it but not cheap.
Juneau is a great place to view Alaskan scenery and wildlife. However, in most of the costal cities you will have to learn to enjoy liquid sunshine. Protect your camera.
Ships rarely stop at Haines now, with Skagway being the port of choice. That is too bad because rafting on the Chickalt River is worth the trip. Normally it is an excellent place to view bald eagles. If you go to Skagway, it is about a 15 minute ferry ride to Haines.
Stay away from the stores you will see within easy walking distance of the ship. However Ketchikan has some excellent wildlife tours. A tour to view Alaskan black bears was all I had hoped for. I took over 100 pictures.
Victoria is Victoria. Having lived in Seattle, we used to take a ferry over. The main tour is to visit the butterfly gardens. It is a crowded but enjoyable trip. Not worth what you pay for the privilege but hey you are on vacation remember.
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