Free Sitka cruise shuttle to downtown Sitka (what to expect)

Hi there!

Most cruise ships dock at the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal, which is the Sitka cruise port. This is about a 15 minute drive from downtown Sitka, and there’s plenty to do in/from downtown Sitka if you want to explore Sitka on your own.

You can check the official Sitka cruise port schedule to confirm that you’ll be docking at the Sitka cruise port.

There is a free shuttle from the cruise port that will take you directly to downtown Sitka. It will drop you off at Harrigan Centennial Hall, which is right along Crescent Harbor.

Long lines for the shuttle are possible, so it’s best to make a shuttle reservation before you go.

For the way back to the cruise port, you want to be back at the Harrigan Centennial Hall at least 30 minutes before the back-on-board time of your cruise ship, as this is when they say is the last shuttle back. The back-on-board time is usually 30 minutes before the listed departure time on your cruise itinerary.

So basically, you can think of the last shuttle back to the cruise port as being 1 hour before your cruise ship’s departure time.

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You can confirm that your cruise ship will dock here by checking the official Sitka cruise port schedule. If it says STI or STO next to your cruise ship, it means you’re docking at the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal.

STI = Sitka terminal inside
STO = Sitka terminal outside

If you see 2CR, 3CR, or 4CR, if means that Sitka is a tender port for you and your cruise ship will be anchoring off shore. If you only see SIT and nothing else, then check back once your cruise season is closer.

It’s a 10-15 minute drive from Sitka cruise port to downtown Sitka’s shuttle drop-off spot, which is at Harrigan Centennial Hall. On google maps, the drop-off is also listed as “cruise buses” (map)

So if you are docked at Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal, it’s a good idea to make a shuttle reservation before you go.

Once you step off the cruise ship, you can start looking for signs for the cruise shuttle.

Along the way, stop by the information booth. You can pick up a paper map of downtown Sitka, and if you want to bypass the shuttle, there are taxis available. There was some Sitka taxi information given.

I walked off the cruise ship and straight onto the shuttle with no line!

I had made a shuttle reservation, but it turns out I didn’t need it. There was a sign at the port that said “no shuttle reservations necessary at this time.”

This probably depends on how many ships are in port and how big the ships are. On this day, my cruise ship that had a passenger capacity of 2,081 was the only one docked at Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal.

I’d still say, make the reservation! If it does turn out that you arrive to long lines, you’ll thank yourself!

You’ll also want to make note of the last shuttle from downtown Sitka back to the cruise ship. This is 30 minutes before the time you need to be back on the cruise ship (the back-on-board time), which is usually 30 minutes before the scheduled ship departure time. So basically, the last shuttle back to the cruise ship is 1 hour prior to the cruise ship’s departure time as listed on your cruise itinerary.

Once you’ve arrived downtown, you can make a quick visit inside Harrigan Centennial Hall, and then be on your way to starting your day in Sitka!