Top 5 Accessible Alaskan Cruise Ports
Best Wheelchair Accessible Ports for Alaska Cruises
In recent years, thanks to the diligent efforts of cruise lines the world over, wheelchair accessible cruises to fantastic destinations across all seven continents have become far more commonplace; it really has never been easier to find yourself whisked away on a cruise adventure to some of the world’s most sensational spots as someone in a wheelchair or a traveller with mobility issues. But, while you might already assume that accessible cruising is more advanced on European cruises and North American cruises to major cities like London and New York, what about cruises to Alaska? This remarkable region is known as ‘The Last Frontier’ after all, known for its rugged wilderness and mountainscapes.
Well, you’ll be pleased to learn that Alaska is actually one of the most accessible, wheelchair friendly places you can visit while cruising – and it offers visitors so much more than clambering up rocky hills and hiking through forested wetlands. If you’re thinking about embarking on an Alaskan adventure of your own, keep reading to find out more about the most accessible Alaskan cruise ports, and what you can expect when you arrive in each one as a wheelchair user or someone with mobility issues.
Contents:
- Juneau Cruise Port, Alaska
- Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal, Alaska
- Port of Skagway, Alaska
- Victoria Cruise Ship Dock, British Columbia
- Port of Ketchikan, Alaska
1. Juneau Cruise Port, Alaska
For those with mobility issues, Juneau is one of the most wheelchair-friendly cruise ports in Alaska, and the first port on our list. It’s home to some of the best sights in Alaska, with some of these popular sightseeing spots actually among the most accessible activities available when you head ashore – so, you don’t need to worry about missing out on the sensational scenery this port city is known for.
When you arrive in the cruise terminal itself, you should find disembarkation simple and stress-free. With flat surfaces and wide walkways from cruise ship to shore, of which adjust to any tidal changes to maintain a gradual incline, there will be more than enough room for wheelchair users, those in mobility scooters, and anyone with mobility issues to navigate the pier to the boardwalk at their own pace. Thanks to Alaska’s staunch commitment to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which ensures that every effort is made to protect and accommodate people with disabilities in public spaces, Juneau Cruise Port and the Juneau Visitor Center – which will likely be the first place you come across when you arrive ashore – are both very accessible with smooth flat surfaces, ramps, and well-lit interiors.
And, you’ll be pleased to know that this level of accessibility isn’t limited to the area around the cruise terminal; Juneau as a whole is far more accessible than you might think when you picture the rugged wilderness ‘The Last Frontier’ is famous for. Getting from the Juneau Cruise Ship Terminal Area to Downtown Juneau is a short 10-minute walk, of which is along flat pavements with dropped kerbs. Although, if you’re not sure if this is something you can manage, you’ll find accessible public transport and private hire taxis in abundance.
Yes, absolutely! The Juneau Cruise Ship Terminal Area is just a 20-minute walk from the centre of Juneau and the Alaska State Museum (just as a frame of reference), and the entirety of this walk features smooth flat surfaces with frequent dropped kerbs.
When you’re in Juneau, you’ll find most venues and facilities are easily accessible for wheelchair users and anyone with mobility issues; although, if you have somewhere specific in mind you want to visit when you arrive, it’s always worth checking how accessible it is ahead of time – just in case.
Beyond the city centre itself, despite Juneau being set in a landscape famous for its steep slopes and mountain walks, you’ll find several popular attractions accessible to wheelchair users and visitors with mobility issues. Mendenhall Glacier, in particular, is one sightseeing spot you’ll want to check out during your visit.
The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center is easily accessible by car, and there will be numerous accessible guided tours of Juneau’s sightseeing spots available – be that a shore excursion with your cruise line, or a locally-organised option. When it comes to reaching the ‘photo point’ and seeing the Mendenhall Glacier in all its glory, you’ll find this entire trail section consisting of gentle inclines and smooth flat surfaces.
If you’re after an excursion a little different, you’ll find Juneau on the itineraries of the best whale watching cruises out there; the larger whale watching boats will be able to accommodate wheelchair users and mobility scooters. And, with expert guides on-hand to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the excitement, it really is one accessible activity you should add to your ‘to-do’ list.
2. Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal, Alaska
Whether you’re on an Alaska cruise from Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, or anywhere else Alaskan cruises sail from, you’ll find Sitka a truly wonderful – and, importantly, very accessible – stop on your adventure to this incredible destination.
Unlike Juneau, the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal is around five and a half miles from Sitka itself, which can mean it’s slightly more difficult to access if you require a wheelchair or have any mobility issues. Thankfully, there’s a free shuttle bus service from the cruise terminal to the town centre you can take advantage of when you arrive – and both are wheelchair friendly and well-suited for travellers with mobility issues. The cruise terminal itself features ramps and smooth surfaces throughout, and the shuttle buses available often have built-in lifts and ramps – making getting on and off much easier.
One thing worth keeping in mind when you visit, though, is that the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal isn’t as protected from the open ocean as the other ports you’ll visit on cruises to Alaska – several of which sit within the Inside Passage, for example. So, if the weather is particularly rough, disembarking the cruise ship may become a little tricky for travellers with particularly severe mobility issues.
Although, the same can be said about almost any other cruise terminal around the world when the water is choppy; this isn’t an issue specific to Sitka and the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal has taken every step to make disembarking and embarking as simple as possible for visitors with mobility issues. You can find out more about the best time to cruise Alaska right here.
Yes, they are! Alaskan cruises – whether you're sailing with Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Cunard, or any other cruise line – are wheelchair friendly and a fantastic option for anyone with mobility issues wanting to travel.
When you’re in Sitka itself, much like Juneau and every other destination you’ll visit when cruising Alaska, you’ll find almost every venue and attraction is wheelchair friendly and easily accessible to anyone with mobility issues. From the stunning Sitka National Historical Park and its charming Totem Trail, to the Fortress of the Bear animal rescue centre (which is just a short 10-minute drive from the city centre), you’ll have no trouble ticking Sitka’s most popular attractions off your bucket list – and enjoying everything else this town as to offer.
Sitka is also home to RIDE Sitka, a fixed-route public transport system specifically designed to help people with disabilities navigate the town and get to some of the surrounding areas. With each bus having ramps and lifts onboard, and the ability to request specific stops on each route, making use of this fantastic service – which is run by the Sitka Tribe of Alaska – is definitely worth considering if you’re not planning on going on a pre-planned accessible shore excursion.
3. Port of Skagway, Alaska
A charming town just north of Juneau along the Chilkoot Inlet of the Inside Passage, Skagway is a stunning spot to visit on all the best Alaska cruises available; and, despite its small size when compared to other cities like Juneau and Ketchikan, it’s full of fantastic activities everyone can enjoy – even if they’re in a wheelchair, using a mobility scooter, or walking with an aid.
Whether your cruise ship docks at Skagway’s Broadway Dock, Ore Dock, or Railroad Dock, you’ll find each one is a short walk (of roughly five minutes) from the city centre and everything Skagway has to offer; each one is accessible via ramps and smooth flat surfaces, which extend to the area around the Port of Skagway and into the city itself.
If this short walk is more than you think you can manage, you’ll be able to take advantage of an accessible rail service that begins immediately at the end of the docks themselves; this will take you into the city centre and beyond, should you decide to stay aboard and venture into the wilderness around Skagway – famed for being the backdrop of the infamous Klondike Gold Rush through 1896 to 1899.
If you’d rather stay in Skagway itself, though, you’ll still find yourself with an abundance of accessible activities to enjoy – and navigating this quaint city is simple thanks to smooth flat pavements and frequently dropped kerbs throughout. Whether you want to do a spot of shopping to pick up some souvenirs, grab a bite to eat in one of the inviting restaurants, or just find a nice spot to soak up the truly stunning scenery providing Skagway with a sensational backdrop, you shouldn’t encounter any problems as a wheelchair user or someone with mobility issues.
Yes, Alaska Railroad's passenger trains – and almost every passenger train service in Alaska, including those serving all the ports on this list – are wheelchair accessible, complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and cater to travellers with mobility issues.
If you’re not too keen when it comes to relying on public transport to get around, you’ll be pleased to know that there are often plenty of accessible hire cars and taxis available. This will be particularly useful if you’re planning on checking out exciting attractions like Alaska 360’s Dredge Town and Skagway’s Sled Dog Adventure & Musher’s Camp – both of which are outside the city centre and beyond a reasonable walking distance, despite being quite close by car.
Although, you should find that any shore excursions you book onto – provided they don’t include activities like long hikes and inflatable raft river tours – are also wheelchair friendly and accessible, as almost every public venue and popular attraction is compliant with ADA. As always, though, it’s still worth seeking clarification ahead of time if you’re not certain. Skagway is a real hidden gem on cruises to Alaska and a destination you’ll want to make sure you can fully enjoy when you arrive.
4. Victoria Cruise Ship Dock, British Columbia
Now, we know Canada isn’t exactly Alaska, but Victoria, British Columbia is a popular port on wheelchair accessible Alaska cruises and a destination worth shouting about while we’re talking about the accessibility of cruise-based adventures to this fantastic region.
When you dock at Victoria Cruise Ship Dock, located at Ogden Point and roughly one and a half miles from Victoria city centre by foot, you’ll find disembarking a breeze thanks to smooth flat surfaces and ramping in places where it’s needed. The journey into Victoria itself from the cruise terminal is an easy one, and you shouldn’t encounter any problems as a wheelchair user or someone with mobility issues. However, if you do want to avoid this, you’ll find an accessible shuttle bus service often available – and something you can specifically request ahead of time, if you want to make certain. Accessible private hire taxis are also always an option in larger city centres like Victoria.
Within Victoria city centre, you’ll find a fantastic range of accessible activities and venues – whether you’re in a wheelchair, using a mobility scooter, or walking with an aid of some kind. The main entrance to the ever-popular Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia’s largest collection of visual art, is accessible via a short ramp and power-assisted doors for visitors with mobility issues. Meanwhile, the Victoria Butterfly Gardens are also wheelchair accessible, with complimentary wheelchairs available to use during the duration of your visit on a first come, first serve basis. You’ll also find the sensational whale watching tours available are almost always conducted on fully-accessible catamarans.
Some of the most popular wheelchair-friendly attractions in Victoria, British Columbia, are: Fairmont Empress Hotel, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia Parliament Buildings, Butchart Gardens, Victoria Butterfly Gardens, and Royal BC Museum.
Unlike Alaskan cities like Skagway and even Juneau, Victoria is a fairly large city centre, something that can make getting around as someone with mobility issues seem quite daunting. Even with smooth flat surfaces and dropped kerbs, it could end up being quite a lot of walking. Thankfully, Victoria is continually improving the accessibility of its public transport network – more so in recent years thanks to the release of the Accessible Public Transportation Action Plan in 2020 – and its urban tram system already features low-flooring and ramps to make it more accessible to people with mobility issues.
In addition to this, most public buses also feature low flooring and allocated spaces onboard for passengers using wheelchairs or mobility scooters. There’s also the Freedom Adventure Bus, a private-hire group transportation service that specialises in catering to travellers with mobility issues – though, this is really only financially viable if you’re travelling in a group of 10 or more people.
Victoria might not be in Alaska, but it’s a popular port on Alaskan cruises and one destination you’ll definitely want to explore when you visit. Thankfully, with measures in place to make attractions and activities as accessible as possible, you should have no trouble doing just that.
5. Port of Ketchikan, Alaska
The final port on our list, but far from the final accessible destination in Alaska, is the Port of Ketchikan. An Alaskan city facing the Inside Passage with incredible snow-capped mountains as a backdrop, this is one of the most underrated cruise destinations out there and somewhere where you’ll find a wonderful selection of accessible activities to enjoy when you arrive. Although, there are a few things you need to be aware of, depending on the severity of your mobility issues.
When you arrive in Ketchikan, you’ll find disembarking just as simple as you would anywhere else on this list – whether you’re on a cruise to Alaska from Vancouver, Seattle, or anywhere else in the world. There will be smooth flat surfaces on the walkways and ramps where necessary from ship to shore. However, when you are ashore, you may need to traverse some wooden walkways; this can be a little bumpy in a wheelchair, but won’t be uneven enough to cause any real trouble for someone walking with an aid.
The same can be said when you head further afield, where you may encounter some packed gravel paths around some attractions. While smooth enough and something that shouldn’t cause anyone with mobility issues any serious issues, pushing a wheelchair – or using a motorised mobility scooter – on these walkways when it’s wet can be difficult. So, unfortunately, this may limit some of the attractions you can access.
However, this isn’t something that should put you off venturing ashore when you arrive in Ketchikan; almost all of the venues in the city centre are wheelchair accessible in accordance with ADA and there are numerous accessible bus tours available right from the port – perfect if you want to see the sights without having to worry about getting to and from each one.
While it might take a little pre-planning, and (rather ironically) you may need to be prepared to alter your plans slightly if the weather takes a turn for the worse, Ketchikan still has a lot to offer for visitors with mobility issues. From the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary & Totem Park to tours of the Saxman Native Village and ‘Red Light District’ – which is more of a historic attraction offering you an insight into Prohibition-era Alaska than an actual ‘red light’ district – accessible activities are aplenty here, much like they are across Alaska.
Book Your Next Alaska Getaway with Iglu Cruise Today
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For those of you who want to travel beyond Alaska, you can find out more about the best cruise ports for wheelchair users and travellers with mobility issues below.