Our Day in Juneau: First Snow, Mount Roberts & King Crab

The port at Juneau is absolutely stunning.

The city sits between the water and steep mountains, so there's plenty to look at before you've even properly left the cruise port.

We were also visiting right at the beginning of the Alaska cruise season. For most of the day ours was the only ship in port, which meant we got to explore without the crowds Juneau can see when several ships arrive at once.

Around the waterfront we found colourful buildings, shops and totem poles, with the Goldbelt Tram heading straight up the side of Mount Roberts.

That was our planned first stop.

Once we'd sufficiently investigated the snow immediately around the tram, we headed further up Mount Roberts for a walk.

There were plenty of totem poles to see along the way, beautiful views and, of course, more snow.

We also started encountering signs reminding us that this was very definitely Alaska.

Bear warnings.

Coming from Australia, we're fairly accustomed to warning signs about wildlife.

Bears were a new addition. 😂

We didn't actually encounter one while we were walking, which was perfectly fine by me.

Before heading back down the mountain, we stopped to look through the displays and gift shop.

This was also an important moment for Sierra Bear, who apparently needed to have her photo taken with all the Alaskan bears she could find.

Naturally.

Then it was back onto the tram for a very picturesque trip down the mountain.

We'd heard plenty about Tracy's King Crab Shack before arriving in Juneau, and I really wanted to give it a try.

It's right on the downtown waterfront, only a short walk from the cruise docks, so it was an easy addition to our DIY day.

Being so early in the season worked in our favour again. With ours being the only cruise ship in port at the time, the line wasn't particularly long and moved quickly.

None of us had much experience with crab, so we opted for a red king crab combo.

And it was absolutely amazing.

Unfortunately, we were considerably better at eating it than documenting it.

By the time someone remembered that perhaps we should take a photo for posterity, we'd already made a pretty impressive dent in it. 😂

So no, your red king crab won't arrive looking like the one in my photo.

It wasn't exactly the cheapest lunch we'd ever had, particularly once converted back into Australian dollars, but it was one of those things we'd specifically wanted to try while we were in Alaska.

No regrets.

By this point we'd also had another introduction to something that would become quite familiar during our time in Alaska.

Drizzle.

Between playing in the snow on Mount Roberts and walking around Juneau in the rain, we were getting decidedly damp.

We'd ridden the tram, played in the snow, wandered around the waterfront, bought considerably more souvenirs than intended and eaten our first Alaskan king crab.

We were done.

It was time to head back to the ship, get into some dry clothes and put our feet up.

Juneau turned out to be a really easy port for us to explore independently.

We didn't need complicated transport arrangements or an expensive shore excursion to have a memorable day.

The Goldbelt Tram gave us spectacular views and Sierra's first experience of snow. We had plenty of time to wander around the waterfront and shops, and finished it all off with some very good king crab.

After almost four weeks of travelling, that was more than enough for us.

And while I'm sure Sierra will remember the tram, the snow and perhaps even the crab...

I'm fairly certain Sierra Bear's Alaskan family reunion will remain equally important. 😂

Alaska cruise itineraries can vary quite a bit, so it’s worth looking beyond the ship and checking which ports are included. Some of the main ports you may come across include:

• Juneau – Alaska’s capital, with easy access to Mendenhall Glacier, whale watching and the Goldbelt Tram up Mount Roberts.
• Ketchikan – Known for Creek Street, its colourful history, Indigenous culture and easy access to the surrounding wilderness.
• Skagway – A historic Gold Rush town and home of the famous White Pass & Yukon Route railway.
• Sitka – A smaller port with a mix of Tlingit and Russian history, wildlife and beautiful coastal scenery.
• Icy Strait Point – A purpose-built cruise destination near Hoonah, popular for whale watching, wildlife experiences and its huge zipline.
• Seward – Often used as an embarkation or disembarkation port for one-way cruises and home to the Alaska SeaLife Center, with Kenai Fjords National Park nearby.
• Whittier – Another common turnaround port for one-way Alaska cruises, with access to Prince William Sound.
• Victoria, Canada – Often included on Seattle round-trip itineraries to satisfy international port requirements, and a lovely destination in its own right.

Different itineraries also include scenic cruising through areas such as Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier, College Fjord or Tracy Arm, so it’s worth comparing those as well as the actual port stops.

If you’re still deciding which itinerary suits you, you can compare current Alaska cruises, ports and sailing dates through Expedia.

There's one major Juneau attraction we didn't get to on this visit: Mendenhall Glacier.

That's already on my list for the next time we're in Alaska.

One option I'm looking at is the Mendenhall Glacier Express, which can be booked independently through Viator. At around three hours, it appeals to me because we'd still have a decent buffer before final boarding rather than committing most of our port day to a longer independent excursion.

The tour provides transport between the cruise port area and Mendenhall Glacier, with time to explore around the Visitor Center. The area has views across Mendenhall Lake towards the glacier, along with walking trails and access to places such as Nugget Falls.

Given we managed snow on Mount Roberts this time, seeing Mendenhall Glacier seems like a pretty good addition for round two.

As this is an independently booked tour, I'd still allow plenty of time before the ship's final boarding time. Unlike a cruise-line excursion, the ship isn't required to wait if an independent tour is delayed.