Tracy Arm Excursion.....

[rhinomike]

I am going on the Star on June 26th..... I have read here on the boards (many times) that the Tracy Arm Excusrion is a must do..... You take a smaller boat out and get a closer view.....

 

The cost is about $200 per person..... There are 6 of us. I have 4 boys, ages - 9, 13, 14 and 15.

 

I went to book it right now and noticed that it is 5 hours long... WOW. Is that correct? Have others done this and felt that it was too long? I figured 2 hours tops. I am worried that I might get bored after a few hours.... I am also worried about my boys although they can bring their Game Boys and play games if they get bored...

 

I am a little reluctant to book it now.... 5 hours is a long time. I have a hard time sitting still for a 2 hour movie...

 

Thoughts? Thanks everyone.

[Cruise_More_Often]

I loved that excursion, spent all of the time outside looking at the awesome scenery and taking photographs. However, I think your kids (and possibly you), will be bored out of their little minds, unless they are really into scenic viewing.

[Budget Queen]

Are you aware of what this is?? It is nonstop scenery and loaded with wildlife potential. You leave about 1/2 hour prior to the ship leaving Juneau. Your sailing, does have a few "stops" at highlight areas. The kids are bound to see wildlife. You also will get a very close and superior view of either the Sawyers or Endicott glaciers.

 

YOU have to decide, what you want to do, not what is so recommended perhaps??

 

Yes, I am definately one of the boat tour cheerleaders, and would never consider this sailing without it, BUT, some are just not as interested. I did put together a photo sample- showing the differences, in what you can see and how close. From a cruiseship, you are never going to see that eagle on ice, harbor seals are going to like spects and the glacier is going to be a far off look- IF at all. http://community.webshots.com/user/budgetqueen

[ENGINEER]

We were there in 2006. The Tracy Arm excursion was the highlight of the cruise for us. We saw whales, eagles, bears and seals galore. You meet back up with the ship in the Fjord. All the people on the ship are out watching you return. They were all very jealous that they had not book the excursion. I'm not sure if your children will enjoy it, but we sure did. Good luck deciding and enjoy your cruise.

 

engineer

[vbmom87]

Only you know you children. We did a lot of camping. We did car trips to many National Parks. Our children were used to scenery vacations and did enjoy them. We had a rule of no electronic devices when we were in National or State Parks. As soon as they were old enough to write they wrote journals of their trips. When we got home and developed the photos we combined them with their journal writings. Had we taken our children on the Tracy Arm Cruise, I do believe they would have enjoyed it very much. It is so different from anything they would have previously experienced. Sad to say we never visited Alaska with my children. I would love to take them some day if I have the resources. It is such a beautiful place!!!

 

I don't know your children and their interests. If Disneyworld, waterparks, etc, are their idea of an ideal vacation, then they likely would get bored. Perhaps your family could split up and only those with an interest should go?

[flowerchild]

This tour was the highlight of our Alaska cruise. You cannot imagine how very close you are to all the wildlife, waterfalls, breeching whales, seals, mountain goats, porpoises, iceburgs, etc. I would highly recommend it. The cruise ship cannot get as close to the glaciers and you are so much higher up that I cannot imagine how much you can really view...I know it is very expensive, but it is one of those must do kind of experiences. It did not drag on at all!

 

Perhaps the kids can go to kids camp while you and the other adults in your party do the excursion to save money? I don't think my DD would appreciate it at her age (10). Why spend all that $$ for the kids to be bored and be playing thier game boys?

 

If you are worried about being bored out of your skull, don't take the train tour in Skagway; whew, talk about boring and looooong!

[rhinomike]

My kids normally enjoy the scenery.... We have been many places and National Parks (Yellowstone, Yosemite, Carlsbad Caverns, Grand Canyon, Hawaii, Cancun....) and they have always liked the scenery and wildlife. We have the same rule about National Parks... electronics off.

 

It sounds beautiful.... Money is not an issue... I want to do it with the entire family. This is a family vacation and I want us all to spend time together. We are all very close. My kids dont go off on their own to do their own thing...

 

It is just that 5 hours seemed a little bit too long.... Forget the kids for a moment. It seemed long for me. I though after a few hours I would get bored....

 

But it seems that nobody here so far has thought it was too long.... So maybe it is fine.

[Cruise_More_Often]

But it seems that nobody here so far has thought it was too long.... So maybe it is fine.

I wasn't ready to get off the catamaran -- thought it was too SHORT! :D Just gorgeous.

 

Here's a link to my photos of the trip: http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2067043790057127324lRyQqh

[terrymtex01]

We will join the bandwagon on this one. Without a doubt the most amazing excursion we have ever taken. We saw things that we have never seen anywhere else, even in Alaska. You can not imagine how exciting it is to be so close to the glacier and listen and watch as the huge chunks of ice break off and fall into the fjord. Personally I can not imagine me, as a kid, being bored on this excursion and if I am understanding you, you don't think yours will either, just worried about the length of the excursion. I usually get either too tired or bored with long excursions, but never once was that the case for Tracy Arm (although we went to Endicott Arm due to the ice in Tracy Arm.). Believe me, as soon as it was available for our upcoming cruise, we booked it.

[rsohn65820]

I so wish this excursion was offered on our cruise. We sail August 28th and the last cruise of the year that this excursion is offered on is the August 21st sailing. If I could move our cruise up one week just so I could take this excursion I would.

[Allipotter]

I so wish this excursion was offered on our cruise. We sail August 28th and the last cruise of the year that this excursion is offered on is the August 21st sailing. If I could move our cruise up one week just so I could take this excursion I would.

 

This is truly amazing, as I know it did not show up on my NCL as an excursion, on our sailing Sept 4th, 2010. So I called NCL and they told me they didn't know why it was not showing. They told me it is still running and NCL booked me on Sept. 7, 2010, on this excusion. And NCL also sent me an e-mail with the reseveration... I will call them again and make sure. As this is supposed to be the Best of the Best...I don't want to miss it.....

[Allipotter]

This is truly amazing, as I know it did not show up on my NCL as an excursion, on our sailing Sept 4th, 2010. So I called NCL and they told me they didn't know why it was not showing. They told me it is still running and NCL booked me on Sept. 7, 2010, on this excusion. And NCL also sent me an e-mail with the reseveration... I will call them again and make sure. As this is supposed to be the Best of the Best...I don't want to miss it.....

 

I just checked this again on My NCL and now it shows. Which it didn't when I first booked it. However, I do see where it says not available in Late August and September, due to Ice and diminishing light. So. I'll TRY to get this stright and I'll post what NCL has to say...

I really don't want to miss this.. Good Luck and enjoy your cruise...

[Budget Queen]

I just checked this again on My NCL and now it shows. Which it didn't when I first booked it. However, I do see where it says not available in Late August and September, due to Ice and diminishing light. So. I'll TRY to get this stright and I'll post what NCL has to say...

I really don't want to miss this.. Good Luck and enjoy your cruise...

 

You are NOT going to get any answers from NCL. You are talking to booking agents who have never been to Alaska, nor know anything about this tour, except the basic script. They are order takers.

 

What you do not realize is the timeframe is VERY tight in Tracy Arm, a significant reason why the full transit is not made most of the time, by the cruiseships. Loading passengers and tie ups, eats up time they do not have, after August. Last season, the last Tracy Arm add on tour was end of August. And YES they still took reservations for later trips, SAME with the bear watches, glacier dog sleddings. ALL these will have tours booked OUTSIDE of the actual end dates, it hedges against the fluke chance they can run them, (mainly to avoid lost revenue) but the odds are very much against it. As an example, one year, with bookings for glacier dog sleds into mid Sept, ALL the tours ended mid August- the trails got too beat up. So they just cancel.

 

Happens EVERY season, along with posts like yours "claiming" the tours are "on", which most of the time they cancel.

 

Even if you get the answer you want from the NCL tour desk, sorry, no guarantee you are going in Sept.

[Allipotter]

You are NOT going to get any answers from NCL. You are talking to booking agents who have never been to Alaska, nor know anything about this tour, except the basic script. They are order takers.

 

What you do not realize is the timeframe is VERY tight in Tracy Arm, a significant reason why the full transit is not made most of the time, by the cruiseships. Loading passengers and tie ups, eats up time they do not have, after August. Last season, the last Tracy Arm add on tour was end of August. And YES they still took reservations for later trips, SAME with the bear watches, glacier dog sleddings. ALL these will have tours booked OUTSIDE of the actual end dates, it hedges against the fluke chance they can run them, (mainly to avoid lost revenue) but the odds are very much against it. As an example, one year, with bookings for glacier dog sleds into mid Sept, ALL the tours ended mid August- the trails got too beat up. So they just cancel.

 

Happens EVERY season, along with posts like yours "claiming" the tours are "on", which most of the time they cancel.

 

Even if you get the answer you want from the NCL tour desk, sorry, no guarantee you are going in Sept.

 

Thanks for the Heads Up on this... I do understand what you are saying. And I do understand why they do what they have to do... It's a business...