We arrived in Sitka several days prior to the cruise. It was very nice having the cruise employees pick us up at the airport and delivering us to our place of lodging. Their overview of the town and a general layout of where things were was also helpful. (Not that Sitka is that big :-) )
Some positives:
Overall, the cruise was very good. We saw all the expected wild life - humpbacks, orcas, black bears, brown bears and the list goes on.