When you tell your friends you’re cruising to the islands, they probably picture palm trees and parrots, not Hemlocks and eagles. And when you clarify that you’re cruising to Alaska, they likely think of Ketchikan, not Kodiak. Do cruise ships even sail to Kodiak?
Yes! In fact, I’ve been on one. I visited Kodiak aboard Holland America’s ms Zaandam in September 2018.
However, this port isn’t as common as others in Alaska – it’s generally limited to Alaskan cruises over 14 days and cruises to and from the Western United States and Asia. So count yourself lucky if your itinerary includes it!
Ms Zaandam has moved to New England (she’s a Red Sox fan), but here are the ships scheduled to call in Kodiak in 2019:
Go here for the dates each ship will be at port in Kodiak. And search below if you’d like to book yourself on a cruise to Kodiak. That’s what I’m doing right now!
Now you might be feeling superior to your bridge club friends who have only visited Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Sitka. But before you declare in a huff: “you may be a better bidder, but you’ve never even been to Kodiak!” you might want to learn a bit more about it before Mildred retorts: “what makes Kodiak so special anyway?”
Kodiak, with a population hovering around 6,000, is the largest city on Kodiak Island. Kodiak Island is the largest island in Alaska and the second largest island in the U.S., after Hawaii’s Big Island. Kodiak is only accessible via air or boat.
The Alutiiq people have inhabited the larger Kodiak area for over 7,000 years. Then in 1763, Stephan Glotov, a Russian explorer, discovered Kodiak Island and Russian fur trappers settled in Kodiak in the years following. When Russia sold Alaska to the United States in the 1860’s it quickly became a center for commercial fishing and the fishing industry remains a major driver of the Kodiak economy today.
Kodiak Island is home to the Kodiak bear, the largest bear species in the world, and the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, created during the Roosevelt administration. Between its unique history and spectacular natural wonders, Kodiak is a special place indeed. Take that, Mildred!
And as a cruise port, Kodiak is unique because it isn’t a major tourist destination. Instead of Diamond’s International, you’ll get a more authentic Alaskan experience there.
Your cruise ship will offer excursions falling into three categories: city tours, foodie tours, and nature/wildlife tours.
Here are the most common ship sponsored excursions:
We (myself, “H,” and my mom) didn’t book a shore excursion in Kodiak, so I can’t speak personally to any of these. Check your cruise brochure, online booking, or with the excursions desk onboard your ship for descriptions and pricing and the Alaska board on Cruise Critic for feedback from those who have experienced them. You can also explore options for privately booked excursions.
But what I can help with are 6 ideas for things to do on your own near the cruise pier (presented in the order we did them). We made a day of these, which you can too. Or you might pick a few to supplement your excursion. Either way, I hope you enjoy your day in Kodiak as much as we did.
A shuttle will greet your ship and transport you for free into the heart of downtown. However, you may also choose to walk, which we did. Because we walked, we started our day at the Kodiak Harbor which is near the cruise pier. Here’s a map that will help orient you to where everything is relative to the pier and the downtown shuttle stop:
Need a name for the boat your wife’s going to let you buy as soon as you finish retiling the bathroom? The boat she doesn’t think you need because you live in Nebraska. And the one you’re never actually going to get because your precocious Volkswagen keeps driving you to Sports Depot on the weekends instead of Home Depot. Herbie!
But a guy can dream. And you’re on vacation, so go ahead and imagine “Idle Time” parked on the concrete slab that used to be the lawn you hated mowing. You’ll see your dream vessel and many others at the Kodiak Harbor.
And if you don’t like boats (wait, you’re on a cruise!), keep your eyes out for sea creatures clinging to the wood pilings.
Address: 402 Center Ave
Summer hours: 9am-5pm, Tuesday – Saturday
This visitor’s center aims to educate even the surliest of teenagers (or wives) about the landscape and wildlife of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. Grumpy Pants may remain in a hunched posture with arms seemingly super glued in a crossed position, but I guarantee she’ll crack a smile at hearing different salmon species being “interviewed” on the radio.
All ages will enjoy a topographical map of the island, pelts to touch, dioramas, an impressive whale skeleton and the corresponding story of how it was procured, an interactive bird call display, and a 12 minute video providing an overview of the refuge. There’s an elevator available to 2nd floor for those with mobility limitations and restrooms on both levels. Don’t forget to check out the great little bookstore where you can pick something up to throw at your husband on sea days when he says he’s bored: “here, read this!”
Address: 385 Kashevarof St
Clothed in white wooden planks. A tower containing multiple bells peaking through angled cathedral style windows. Blue onion domed steeples capped with gold crosses. A display of cracked bells, remnants from her previous incarnations. A diminutive cemetery where past priests and their wives lay resting. All enclosed within a white picket fence marking her grounds.
The beautiful and quaint exterior of the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Cathedral beckons visitors to Kodiak to trek up Mission Road from Center Street to get a more intimate look. Because to truly experience her, you must step inside.
Through her doors you’ll stand in awe at her display of orthodox iconography and her wooden reliquary housing the remains of St. Herman, the Russian Orthodox Church’s patron saint of Alaska.
Take it all in and then spend a moment in quiet reflection or prayer (or catching your breath from puffing up the hill) at this can’t miss spot in Kodiak.
Address: 612 Egan Way
Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-8pm; Sat 10am-5pm; closed Sundays
Looking for an internet connection so you can get caught up on Days of Our Lives? Head up to the Kodiak Public Library where you can make your Kindergartener practice his reading while you find out who kidnapped Holly!
I’m not sure if it’s Northend Park or North End Park, but they got 20% on their sign due to the missing space. Either way, you’ll think you’re still at the library with your nose in a fairy tale featuring an enchanted forest upon hitting the trails at Northend/North End Park.
The park is located on Near Island, just over the Near Island Bridge from downtown Kodiak. Stop along the bridge for spectacular views of Chenega Bay before you come upon the park entrance just past the end of the bridge on your left.
Venture down to the overlook and then to the rock beach for beautiful sights and treasures to discover at low tide.
The full loop trail through Northend Park is approximately 2 miles and, while not flat, is manageable for most without mobility challenges. There are stairs leading down to the overlook and beach, but it’s still a gorgeous walk through the lush forest even if you can’t make it down the stairs. “H” (age 5) and my mom (age 70, but don’t tell her I told you) didn’t have any trouble with the trail or stairs.
Address: 101 Marine Way
Summer hours: Mon-Sat 10am-4pm
Admissions: $5 for adults; children 12 and under free
The Baranov museum is housed in the oldest Russian building in the U.S. and the oldest building in Alaska. Originally used as a pelt warehouse, she later housed a Russian family and is even rumored to be haunted by the patriarch who was murdered by a drifter. If her walls could talk, they’d have some interesting stories to tell!
Thankfully, she’s been turned into a museum with carefully crafted displays and lovingly preserved artifacts giving her voice. With several of her rooms furnished in the style of her early inhabitants, you’ll be transported to a time when locals rightfully and confidently declared, “I can see Russian from my house” because their house was, in fact, in Russia.
Native artifacts and photographs of Kodiak after the 1964 tsunami are among the highlights of the Baranov. It also houses a collection of oral histories from elderly Kodiak residents.
While I wouldn’t travel far for such a small museum or plan my day around it, it’s right across the street from the cruise ship shuttle and can easily be covered in an hour or less.
As you’re running from a shaggy green tree trunk in Northend Park – a tree you’ve convinced your 5 year-old is a monster – plant your feet in the spongy earth for a moment to touch her brilliant mossy covering and notice how soft it is. Appreciate the beauty of this unique place. Breath it in. Close your eyes and listen.
Later, hear the stories of her people. Bare witness to the unique experience of another and in the process add something new to your own story. Kodiak. A place you’re lucky to see, because most don’t make it this far.
Class dismissed.
*Check out my other Alaska port posts here. And don’t forget to follow me on social media:
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