Frequently Asked Questions

The term "ocean raft" comes from the raft-like inflatable tubes that surround the vessel. Yet, with its deep 'V' aluminum hull and triple 250-horsepower outboard engines, it's much more of a speed boat than a raft. The giant inflatable raft collar helps keep the boat stable and buoyant in the most extreme sea conditions, making it the safest vessel of its kind.

The meeting location is a restroom South of 1st Ave on Broadway Street next to a grassy field. The building has wood siding and Native artwork. Please check in with us in the front of the building before boarding our bus. Get your printable map and detailed walking instructions here

Wear whatever clothing you would normally wear to walk around town in. Don't forget to consider the weather on the day you're in port — you won't need to bring extra layers or rain jackets for the tour. All the gear you need to keep warm and dry is provided by Ocean Raft.

First we outfit you in a one-piece exposure suit that you wear over your existing clothing, which will keep you warm and dry on your tour. The suit is also a United States Coast Guar (USCG) approved floatation device that will act as your life jacket. We also provide an optional balaclava style hat, gloves, and goggles. The goggles are designed to go over your prescription eyewear. However, they aren't tinted, so we recommend bringing sunglasses, even on a cloudy day, to help with the glare from the water.

United State Coast Guard

Absolutely! Everyone looks fantastic in orange, we promise!

We have several different sizes to fit all types of individuals. However, we do have restrictions for this tour. See the next question.

• The minimum age to participate is 10 years old.

• The maximum guest weight allowed is 350 pounds.

• Guests must be able to walk a minimum of 100 yards without assistance in order to participate. Scooters, wheelchairs, or walkers are not allowed on the vessel.

• Guests with pre-existing neck or back conditions, or pregnant women, are restricted from booking this tour.

This is an active tour. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns regarding our restrictions. We would be happy to chat with you to determine if this is the best tour for you and to assist in any way we can.

We have found that seasickness is not typically a problem on our tour. Since our location is over 100 miles from the open ocean, we do not encounter the large rolling swells associated with the outer coast. When we do encounter waves, they are wind generated and are, therefore, much closer together and do not rock the boat like the open ocean swells would.

Also, our tour hugs the shore and our vessels are open to the elements. You'll be staring ahead at the spectacular views of the shoreline and get an endless supply of fresh air to breath. However, if you are extremely sensitive to motion, you may want to take a dose of typical motion sickness medicine before coming on tour or bring one just in case.

The exposure suits we provide are designed to keep you warm and dry. If the wind is blowing and there are waves in the Fjord, you will experience some ocean spray into the boat, but our gear will keep you protected throughout the tour. 

We recommend bringing a camera and/or cell phone to take photos, which you can store in one of the many exposure suits pockets. Also recommended are:

• Sunglasses and/or prescription eyewear 

• Any medication you may need for the approximately 2 hours you'll be on the tour

• Your own beanie style cap if you like, but we don't recommend bringing baseball style caps since they tend to blow away. 

Fear not! We will provide you with bins and totes to place all your extra gear, goods, and souvenirs from shopping in Skagway. During the tour, we keep them secure in our storage locker.

Larger cameras are fine to bring, as long as you have a strap to wear it around your neck. This will allow you to tuck the camera underneath the exposure suit while we are going fast, then it becomes more functional during our multiple photo opportunity stops to use.

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We recommend you bring one universal lens but if you would like to bring multiple lenses then, we have found that most extra lenses fit in the pockets of the exposure suits we provide. This will give you quick access to change lenses if/when needed.

Southeast Alaska is fun of wildlife, though the abundance and diversity changes by the seasons and the minutes. You are likely to see but not guaranteed to see: 

• Bald Eagles,

• Harbor Seals

• Mountain Goats

• River Otters

• Sea Lions

• Seabirds of all types

• and MORE!

On the luckiest of moments, we may even see a bear on the beach. In regards to whales, we see Humpback whales on occasion, but Skagway is not known for it’s whale-watching. So, if you are in absolute need of seeing a whale, we highly recommend booking a whale-watching excursion during your day in Juneau.

Anytime! That being said, you should choose your departure time based on what other activities you have planned in and around Skagway. Since we are located so close to your cruise ship dock, we have a very short transfer time and pair nicely with other excursions in town.

Every tour has a Captain and a Naturalist onboard at all times to enhance your experience. We will stop the boat approximately every five minutes for photo opportunities and to allow the Naturalist to come forward and talk to you about the wildlife or scenery that we are looking at. The crew is always at your disposal for questions, to take photos, or just to chat.  

The raft is an open vessel that seats anywhere from 17 guests to 25 guests...so ALL seats are fantastic!

However, the front of the boat is like the first row on a roller coaster; when the waves are up, it can be very bouncy and you can really feel all the oceanic action. The seats towards the back are much smoother and are recommended for guests looking for a calmer yet still fun ride. The middle is the middle, it’s the best of both worlds.

If you are looking to be up close to the shoreline throughout the excursion sit on the Starboard side of the boat. If you’d like a more expansive view of the Fjord and the mountains sit on the Port side of the vessel.

No matter where you sit, half way through the ride we play a game of musical chairs and give everyone the opportunity to switch seats, so everyone gets to experience it all! 

No refunds will be given to "no show" guests.

Cancellation Policy:

• Cancellations within 24 hours of travel will receive no refund.

• If, for any reason, Ocean Raft Alaska has to cancel your tour, all deposits and payments will be refunded in full, or, are fully transferable to another tour time. 

• Ocean Raft Alaska will not be responsible for any cost associated with cancellations including, but not limited to: flight cancellation fees, flight change fees and/or associated lodging and meal fees.

• If, for any reason, your cruise ship does not arrive in Skagway in time for your scheduled tour, all deposits and trip payments will be refunded in full, or, are fully transferable to another tour time.

Looking for something fun to round out your day after exploring the fjord with us? These are a few of our favorites:

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Beyond Skagway Tours

Skagway Brewing

Klondike Beer

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