Ward Cove: budget an hour each way
Ward Cove is a two-berth floating dock on the old pulp mill site, with a welcome center in a converted mill building. A complimentary shuttle runs to downtown and drops near the main berths. The ride itself is 20-30 minutes, but the line after disembarkation is the slow part, and port guides advise planning 45-60 minutes each way.
That makes a Ward Cove day about two hours shorter than it looks on paper. If you want a rainforest kayak, zipline or off-road tour, booking one that leaves straight from Ward Cove skips the shuttle altogether. If you want Creek Street, go early or come back early - the return queue builds toward all-aboard.
The city bus reaches the totem parks
Downtown Ketchikan is compact, and two free shuttles run between the cruise docks and the main downtown stops from May to September. For the totem parks, the borough's Silver Line buses are the cheap alternative to a tour: Silver Line South reaches Saxman in about 10 minutes from a stop near the cruise berths, and Silver Line North goes out to Totem Bight and Ward Cove.
Fares are a dollar or two. Carry small bills, because drivers don't give change, or pay through the Token Transit app. Buses run roughly hourly, so check the return time before you wander off from the stop.
Sources: cruiseweb.com, alaska.org, flashpackingamerica.com