Our Unexpected Ketchikan Excursion: George Inlet Lodge Wilderness Cruise and Crab Feast
Initially we had booked the Deadliest Catch Crab Fishermen’s Tour, but the day before we arrived in Ketchikan, I got an email saying that they had oversold the tour and our reservation was canceled. That whole experience deserves its own blog post, including what you can do to reduce the chances of it happening to you, so I will get into that later.
We were pretty disappointed because we were really looking forward to that excursion, but I went down to the excursion desk on the ship and ended up booking the Crab Feast at George Inlet Lodge & Wilderness Cruise through Princess and honestly, I think it was better than if we had done the other tour.
Not only did we still get a wilderness cruise and an interactive crab-fishing demonstration, but with this excursion we also got an all-you-can-eat crab feast.
And when I say all you can eat, I mean it. This is how the excursion went down.
Getting to George Inlet Lodge
The nice part about booking excursions with the ship is you always just have to look you’re your number excursion. Like for this one I think it was number 350 (don’t quote me on the number). But all we had to do was find the person with the big Princess sign and the number 350. You don’t have to find the person with the yellow jacket etc..
Anyway, once everyone was accounted for we loaded the bus and then had a narrated bus ride out to George Inlet Lodge. The ride was 30 minutes, so just enough to rest the legs, but not too long to get bored. Along the way, our guide shared information about Ketchikan and the surrounding area, so the ride felt like part of the experience rather than simply transportation and plus our guy was kind of funny so that was nice.
Once we got there we walked to the boat. Important to note, there are about 80 some steps going down to the lodge and dock. They are fairly steep. They do have a van available for anyone who isn’t up for the steps, although you still need to be able to walk a short distance to get on and off the boat.
Our Wilderness Cruise
Once we reached the dock, we boarded an enclosed boat for our “wilderness cruise”. The boat is enclosed so it isn’t too cool, but we were always dressed in layers so take that into consideration when planning what to wear (because I know that is always a question people have when visiting Alaska).
The windows slid open, which made it easy to enjoy the scenery and take pictures without trying to photograph everything through the glass.
The crab-pot demonstration was very interesting and interactive. A nice part about that also was that the boat’s seating could be flipped so the people sitting in front could turn around, giving everyone a good view of the demonstration without having to twist our necks.
My son was even invited to help pull up the crab pot!
Once the pot was onboard, the crew showed us the Dungeness crabs and explained more about how they are caught. Everyone who wanted to was given the opportunity to hold one.
Even I did! I was so proud of myself. It was a fun, hands-on experience and made the cruise feel like more than just a sightseeing boat ride.
And Then Came the Crab Feast
After our time on the boat, we returned to George Inlet Lodge for the part we had really been waiting for: the crab feast.
When they say all-you-can-eat Dungeness crab, they take that very seriously.
The crab kept coming, and we kept eating. Dungeness crab has some nice, substantial pieces of meat that you can get from it. We were in crab heaven let me tell you.
We ate SO. MUCH. CRAB.
Seriously. Look at the table in the pictures. (This was taken near the beginning, I think we were too messy to take a picture at the end.)
Our original plan was to stop at Tracy’s King Crab Shack when we went to Juneau. We all love crab, so we thought we would certainly be ready for more.
We were not.
No even a little.
Not one of us was even slightly hungry for crab the next day. That gives you an idea of how much crab we ate!
Would I Recommend This Excursion?
Absolutely.
What started as a disappointing last-minute change ended up being a great excursion. We enjoyed the boat ride, the crab-pot demonstration and, of course, the crab feast.
This excursion could be a good fit if you:
- Love crab and want a true all-you-can-eat experience
- Enjoy scenic boat rides
- Want to learn about Alaska’s crabbing industry
- Like excursions with an interactive element
- Are looking for something both adults and older children can enjoy
Just be aware of the steps at the lodge. Van transportation is available for those who need it, but guests still need to walk a short distance and be able to board the boat.
We never would have chosen this excursion if our original tour had not been canceled. In the end, though, it turned out to be one of those travel changes that worked out even better than what we had originally planned.
Planning an Alaska cruise of your own? Choosing the right excursions can make a big difference in your experience. I would love to help you find an Alaska cruise and port-day activities that fit the way you want to travel.
