UNALASKA OR DUTCH HARBOR?

Your cruise itinerary calls this port “Dutch Harbor”. However, the name of the town you visit is called Unalaska. There isn’t any town called Dutch Harbor. Unalaska’s Port is named Dutch Harbor.

Unalaska and Dutch Harbor are well known for the TV show “The Deadliest Catch.” More HERE. All the fishing is in October and January, so you won’t see anything when you visit in the summer.

What does Unalaska mean? The name Unalaska is derived from various Native Aleut words that have been used for some time. In the 1890s, the United States Board on Geographic Names settled on the name Unalaska after reviewing several names that had been in use previously. More HERE 

ARRIVING IN DUTCH HARBOR

We arrived at the commercial port around Noon, but the island was in view by 10 am. The island is rocky, without significant green vegetation or wildflowers. If you are here later in the summer, everything should be green, with plenty of wildflowers in the hills.

The ship will moor at the Dutch Harbor Commercial Port. There isn’t any tourist infrastructure here. It’s a mile walk to the WWII Memorial/Visitor Center, another mile to the Safeway retail complex, and a little further to the Museum of the Aleutians. The other major tourist attraction is the Russian Orthodox Church, which is another mile further away.

Holland America didn’t offer any shore excursions or make any arrangements for a shuttle. Unalaska normally gets much smaller cruise ships, and arranging shuttles for 200 passengers is easier than getting shuttles for almost 2,000 passengers.

This blog was written in June 2024, but things may be different in future visits. I advise you to make your own tour/taxi or transportation plans and not rely on the ship for anything.

Here is the website for the Unalaska Visitors Bureau. HERE is the website for the city of Unalaska. Both sites have lots of useful information. Don’t wait until the ship’s port briefs a few days before your visit.

You can find useful maps HERE

CELL PHONE SERVICE

T-Mobile didn’t work. We heard reports that AT&T had cell phone service. I wouldn’t make plans where having a cell phone is essential. We were able to use T-Mobile WiFi calling as long as we were near the ship’s Wi-Fi.

PRIVATE TOURS

We arranged for a private tour with Lynda Lybeck-Robinson well in advance. More HERE. We paid $100 per person, but the prices may fluctuate with demand, and you may pay $150.

Our tour lasted about 90 minutes. We visited several scenic view spots and stopped to see some baby eagles in a nest (from a distance).

We also visited the Russian Orthodox Cathedral and Memorial Park. We had about twenty minutes to visit the MOTA before heading back. If we did this again, I would have arranged to have our tour end at the MOTA so we could check out the Rat Saloon, The Safeway, and other shops and then walk back to the ship, stopping by the WW II Visitor Center on the way.

Bald Eagles were EVERYWHERE – They seemed to have more Bald Eagles than Seagulls!

Other private tours are offered through the Museum of the Aleutians (MOTA) More HERE

Some people arranged for Taxi Tours on the spot for $80 per hour.

Check out the Unalaska Visitors Bureau website for more information about possible tours. HERE

TRANSPORTATION

It’s a 2.1-mile walk over level, paved roads to the MOTA

The Unalaska Visitor Bureau set up a Hop-on Hop-off bus system for $50 per person. They had three 11-passenger vans set up for shuttle between the ship and the MOTA and then from MOTA to the Russian Orthodox Church. After you paid on the dock, you got a blue wristband, which allowed you to reboard the shuttles at the various stops.

This service was not very well publicized, and most people didn’t know how it worked or became frustrated by the long lines without clear expectations of what would happen. This Hop On – Hop Off was set up by the Unalaska Visitor Center. I suggest you contact them well before your visit and try to get more detailed information. Based on our experience, they may change how it works. HERE is their Website, where you can find contact information.

RENTAL CARS

Rental cars were available, and could be arranged to meet you at the dock. Getting a car would be very economical, and you could visit all the sites. There are only about 9 miles of roads on the island. If you self-drove, you will miss having expert commentary, but you may be able to find a local person to act as your guide in your rental car if you start researching early enough. Here is the quote I received from BC Vehicle Rentals Reservations reserve@bcvehiclerental.com

Full Size Sedan – $110
Mid Size SUV – $130
Full Size SUV – $160
Full Size Truck – $160
15 Passenger Van – $190

TAXIS

Taxis were available – $5 to $10 to get from the ship to the WWII Museum/Visitors Center, Safeway Retail Complex, or the Museum of the Aleutian. There wasn’t a marked Taxi stand, but we learned taxis would appear from time to time at the nearby port gate.

The city has a nice website with lists of taxis and rental car companies HERE 

HIKING

If you want to hike to some of the historic areas you may need to get a permit – inquire at the visitors center first – more HERE.
There are several nice trails and hikes available. More HERE

MUSEUM OF THE ALEUTIANS

This is a small but nice museum. Worth your time – you will probably need 30 minutes to 1 hour. Admission is $10 for Adults, $7 for Seniors and Veterans are FREE. There is a nice gift shop. More HERE

RETAIL AND RESTARAUNTS

There is a Safeway that we didn’t visit. If you have a chance to look around, please leave me some comments or observations.

The Norwegian Rat Saloon is across the street and down the road from the Safeway. We didn’t have a chance to visit, but everyone who did said they had a great time. Check it out! More HERE

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL

These sites are about 1 mile from the center of Unalaska and are worth checking out. We explored the outside of the church. The church is still in use but I don’t know when it may be open for tours. If you are interested – shoot them an email. Their contact information is on their website HERE

MEMORIAL PARK

The memorial part is small, with flags flying from the various military services. It’s about 1/2 mile from the Russian Orthodox Cathedral.

SUMMARY

Unalaska was interesting but not a place we would ever make a special trip to visit. It’s about as far west as you can get in the USA unless you were in the Navy and spent time in Adak or Midway Island—both further west than Unalaska. Unalaska is further west than the Hawaiian Islands.

Plan your time here well in advance – Don’t wait until your cruise departs.

BACK ON THE SHIP

We enjoyed a great performance by Evolution Motown – Full House for both shows – Outstanding