Easy to find excursions last minute?

Hi. Thinking of booking a Noordam sailing in early August. Price is pretty good for the sailing but need I be worried that I will be unable to find excursions? There is no activity on the roll call, so I can't ask those folks.

Ports are Seward, where I would hope to see some whales, since our other ports (Haines, Juneau and Ketchikan) may not have such favorable opportunities. Any thoughts?

Hi. Thinking of booking a Noordam sailing in early August. Price is pretty good for the sailing but need I be worried that I will be unable to find excursions? There is no activity on the roll call, so I can't ask those folks.

 

Ports are Seward, where I would hope to see some whales, since our other ports (Haines, Juneau and Ketchikan) may not have such favorable opportunities. Any thoughts?

Would you KNOW what tours you want and have phone numbers etc, contacts known ahead? Overall, it's "necessary" to have plans in place before you get there. I do a lot of last minute, and am very successful at getting everything I want done.

Juneau whale watch tours, have 100% sightings of humpbacks, so your best location for bookings.

With last minute, you must be accepting of some vendors being sold out.

I'd suggest if you are going to wait, to have 3 vendors, known, for every tour you want to book.

Would you KNOW what tours you want and have phone numbers etc, contacts known ahead? Overall, it's "necessary" to have plans in place before you get there. I do a lot of last minute, and am very successful at getting everything I want done.

Some popular tours will be sold out. You should be flexible about doing things in port. If you set your mind to believe that if you don’t get a particular tour your cruise will be ruined, then it would be better not to go. For example, the Yukon Expedition may be sold out but the IMO much superior Lake Bennett tour seldom is... the Haines Wilderness tour is usually available and the secret is that in August they often spot brown bears on the Chilkoot River. Even if you just get off and walk around in a port or pick up a last minute tour on the dock, you’re in one of the most amazing places on the planet!

Thanks for the encouragement. I have booked the cruise and will spend the next few days arranging excursions.

With such a last minute booking you will need to be flexible -- but flexibility is not to your disadvantage.

For Seward, Major Marine has choices on Kenai Fjords tours and you will see more whales on one of their cruises than you will anywhere. We even saw orcas. For Juneau, tours aren't needed, take a taxi to Mendenhall Glacier and maybe do the Mt Roberts tram in the afternoon. For Ketchikan, you can get a Misty Fjords seaplane flight right at port. We didn't stop at Haines, but there's always something. Enjoy.

For Seward, Major Marine has choices on Kenai Fjords tours and you will see more whales on one of their cruises than you will anywhere. We even saw orcas. For Juneau, tours aren't needed, take a taxi to Mendenhall Glacier and maybe do the Mt Roberts tram in the afternoon. For Ketchikan, you can get a Misty Fjords seaplane flight right at port. We didn't stop at Haines, but there's always something. Enjoy.

How many times have you sailed Kenai Fjords? I've been on over 50 trips and can tell you, I've had a lot maybe 30%++ with NO whale viewings. These are route trips. Whales have to be in the proximity of that route, and they aren't "always". A resident orca pod has moved in the last several years. but it is not a given to see them.

As I mentioned- Juneau is 100% over 20+++ years. All vendors really have to do is make a trip around Shelter Island and humpbacks are seen.

Make sure you make time to spend in Seward. It is an amazing town and most miss it entirely.

How many times have you sailed Kenai Fjords? I've been on over 50 trips and can tell you, I've had a lot maybe 30%++ with NO whale viewings. These are route trips. Whales have to be in the proximity of that route, and they aren't "always". A resident orca pod has moved in the last several years. but it is not a given to see them.

 

As I mentioned- Juneau is 100% over 20+++ years. All vendors really have to do is make a trip around Shelter Island and humpbacks are seen.

Spend some time in Trip Advisor and read all of the reviews this summer and they mention lots of whale sightings. Nothing is guaranteed, but it seems to be a good summer. If OP is starting cruise in Seward, then they can do the Kenai Fjords cruise and if they don't see anything, they can then try to get a whale watch in Juneau. If they do see what whales in Seward, then maybe they can do something else in Juneau (like Mendenhall).

I do want to add one thing. Our boat was a major yak fest. So many people do not prepare themselves for the motion and it got pretty gross at the tables. We were wearing sea band and had no problem. Some believe sea bands don't really work, but it's a good idea to wear them anyway.

If OP is starting cruise in Seward, then they can do the Kenai Fjords cruise and if they don't see anything, they can then try to get a whale watch in Juneau. If they do see what whales in Seward, then maybe they can do something else in Juneau (like Mendenhall).

Spend some time in Trip Advisor and read all of the reviews this summer and they mention lots of whale sightings. Nothing is guaranteed, but it seems to be a good summer. If OP is starting cruise in Seward, then they can do the Kenai Fjords cruise and if they don't see anything, they can then try to get a whale watch in Juneau. If they do see what whales in Seward, then maybe they can do something else in Juneau (like Mendenhall).

 

I do want to add one thing. Our boat was a major yak fest. So many people do not prepare themselves for the motion and it got pretty gross at the tables. We were wearing sea band and had no problem. Some believe sea bands don't really work, but it's a good idea to wear them anyway.

was this in Juneau?

was this in Juneau?

Seward...Juneau is almost always dead calm

The motion sickness was in Seward on Kenai Fjords. We had none and wore the seabands. We got ours on Amazon for $6.29 for four. On the boat, they charge over $10 for one. People who had them all seemed okay on the boat.