Alaska Shore Excursions - ms Rotterdam

[iloverags2]

Hi All! I am helping my mom plan her dream cruise to Alaska this July (yes, she booked just over a month out!). She chose the ms Rotterdam, and has a list of shore excursions she is interested in. Of course, she doesn't want to make reservations until she decides just which excursions she actually would like to go on. I want to be sure she doesn't miss out on anything!

 

Soooo...could someone help me out with which shore excursions are the most popular? I can then persuade her to at least book those before they are waitlisted! Thanks in advance!!!

 

If this helps, these are the ones she has narrowed it down to...

Juneau

Mt. Roberts Tramway

Whale Watching & Wildlife Quest

Grand Tour of Juneau

 

Ketchikan

Best of Ketchikan by Land & Sea

City Highlights, Totems and Creek St. by Trolley

Ketchikan Horse Drawn Trolley

Ketchikan Duck Tour

Saxman Native Village - Exclusive Look

Totem Bite Park & City Tour

 

Sitka

Colonial Russia America & Cultural Tour

Historical Russian America & Raptor Center

Sea Life Discovery by Semi Sub

Sea Otter & Wildlife Quest

Sea Otter & Alaska Raptor Center

Silver Bay Nature Cruise & Salmon Hatchery

 

Victoria British Columbia

Butchart Garden (Evening Call)

Orca Whale Watching (Evening Call)

Victoria Highlights

Victoria by Horse Drawn Trolley

[BlessedX7]

It's so sweet of you to help your mom plan her trip. She's going to love Alaska!

We just returned home last weekend, and we'd love to go back!

We did the Whale Watching Wildlife Quest in Juneau and enjoyed it (booked through HAL). I was surprised at the number of whales we saw, and the crew was great.

Our favorite part of the entire cruise was the Deadliest Catch tour in Ketchikan (also booked through HAL). I can't say enough to express how impressed we were with this excursion. It was my husband's choice, and I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it, but I loved it! It is totally awesome! The crew is wonderful - they are so friendly and truly touch your heart with their entertaining stories. You just sit back and enjoy the beauty.

Hope she has a wonderful trip.

[Willsot]

Don't know your mom's interests or if she has any special circumstances such as mobility issues, but here are the excursions we chose:

 

Juneau - whale watching

 

Ketchikan - Bering Sea Crab Fishermens tour (the Deadliest Catch one, I just added after reading very positive reviews). Best we've ever taken out of Ketchikan to date is the Misty Fjord Flightseeing tour.

 

Sitka - Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest (did this once before and enjoyed it)

 

Victoria - Butchart Gardens

[RuthC]

If this helps, these are the ones she has narrowed it down to...

Juneau

Mt. Roberts Tramway

Whale Watching & Wildlife Quest

Grand Tour of Juneau

The Mt. Roberts Tram can be booked as a walk-up. Wait until she sees what the weather is like that day to decide if it's worth going up.

Whale Watching is very good. She will see whales.

I don't know what's included in the Grand Tour.

Ketchikan

Best of Ketchikan by Land & Sea

City Highlights, Totems and Creek St. by Trolley

Ketchikan Horse Drawn Trolley

Ketchikan Duck Tour

Saxman Native Village - Exclusive Look

Totem Bite Park & City Tour

The Horse Drawn Trolley and the Duck Tour cover the same land portion, with essentially the same commentary. I like the Duck Tour better as it adds the water. Both are fairly short tours.

I haven't been to either Saxman Village or Totem Bight, but plan to rectify that mistake in August. It's Saxman for me. I just read a report which said that those with mobility problems were given rides while in the Village. The rest of the report made the tour attractive.

Sitka

Colonial Russia America & Cultural Tour

Historical Russian America & Raptor Center

Sea Life Discovery by Semi Sub

Sea Otter & Wildlife Quest

Sea Otter & Alaska Raptor Center

Silver Bay Nature Cruise & Salmon Hatchery

The Sea Otter & Wildlife Quest is excellent! Your Mom will see lots of wildlife, and the catamaran is comfortable.

The Russian tours which include the New Archangel Dancers is worth it. I haven't seen them in a while, and want to go back this year.

Victoria British Columbia

Butchart Garden (Evening Call)

Orca Whale Watching (Evening Call)

Victoria Highlights

Victoria by Horse Drawn Trolley

Butchart Gardens was beautiful. I haven't been to the others, so can't comment.

[iloverags2]

Thank you so far for your responses! Would you suggest she book the whale watching in advance? Or is there a good chance she will get a spot on the excursion if she waits to book until boarding? Decisions, decisions!

[RuthC]

Would you suggest she book the whale watching in advance? Or is there a good chance she will get a spot on the excursion if she waits to book until boarding? Decisions, decisions!

Check the tours to see if they are listed as "limited". If so, then book those asap.

But even if they are not, why wait? It's nice to have the tours booked, and all that out of the way. And, it's nice to have them paid in advance, and reduce the final bill by doing so.

If you Mom has any concerns after she has booked in advance, she should stop by the Shore Excursion Office after she boards. She can discuss her concerns, and if there's a problem, she can cancel or switch to a different tour (assuming availability).

She can't see everything this time. She'll just have to go back!

[canadianbear]

My son and his girlfriend will be arriving back home late tonight from their week in Alaska aboard the Rotterdam. They are taking the train back home from Seattle to Vancouver.

 

From what I heard from them the weather was great in all ports. He is a CC member and will probably do a report either tomorrow or Monday. I know they booked the whale watching in Juneau, the Esther Sea Taxi tour in Sitka and the Bering Sea tour in Ketchikan.

 

I agree with Ruth C the tram in Juneau is something your mom can do just as a walk up depending on weather. I would also suggest seeing the Mendenhall glacier if possible in Juneau.

 

When we were in Alaska last year we found the duck tour in Ketchikan was fun and it provided you with a little city tour and then into the water of course. We didn't book it but instead just walked right up and picked the time we wanted to go on it. It isn't very long so you can certainly fit in something else as well.

 

The hardest decision will be which ones she wants to do for sure. Just means she will have to go back another year to see what she missed!

[iloverags2]

So much great information! Thanks!

[magpie5998]

Hi...we just got back from the June 5th sailing...I agree with all the responses...as far as in Victoria I would definitely not reccomend the whale watching...we spent over $300 and didnt see one whale and it was completely non-refundable...we were very disappointed with this excursion!! Other than that we had a blast...we loved the trip!!