Budget Queen?

[kobi23]

We are sailing on the norweigian spirit on 9/10/05 thru 9/17/05. we have never been on a cruise before. i would appreciate your help on shore excursions. i am 52 wife is 47 so many things to do that im lost . were not rich but not poor either. what would you suggest for each port and how would you book them . wait till we get on shore ,or direct in advance, or with ship. thanks anybody else can also give their oppinions also the cost of each excursion would be helpful.

[geoherb]

I'll chime in since no one else has. The best thing to do is to start looking at the shore excursions offered through your cruise line. That will give you some ideas of what appeals to you. From there, start reading this board to see if there are independents who book similar excursions and to get recommendations.

 

Next, definitely have a plan in place for each port. Some things you don't really need to book ahead--like if you decide to take a bus to Mendenhall Glacier and hike there. Others, such as helicopter trips and whale watching excursions, you really need to book ahead.

 

There are so many different factors in deciding whether to go with an independent or through the cruise line: your comfort level at making your own reservations, price, recommendations, availability, etc.

 

We booked one excursion with our cruise line (snorkeling in Ketchikan--$89 pp) because our time there was very short and I did not see a way to do it independently because of the limited time. We did Juneau on our own--taking the bus to the Mendenhall Glacier, touring the capitol, and going to the Alaska State Museum. It has some great exhibits, and I know we learned a lot more about the history of Alaska than a lot of tourists do. (Total: $15 pp.) In Skagway, we caught the ferry to Haines to go kayaking with an independent tour operator. We had one guide for the two of us. There were cruise line excursions kayaking at the same place (Chilkoot Lake). We got to paddle our own kayaks instead of having to share a tandem one. The cruise line excursions packed the passengers into tandem and triple kayaks. They had one guide for every seven or eight kayaks. We went farther and had more time on the lake and a much more personalized experience with our guide than they did--and ended up spending about the same after a hefty tip. (Total: $150 pp.)

[SailAways]

We are sailing on the norweigian spirit on 9/10/05 thru 9/17/05. we have never been on a cruise before. i would appreciate your help on shore excursions. i am 52 wife is 47 so many things to do that im lost . were not rich but not poor either. what would you suggest for each port and how would you book them . wait till we get on shore ,or direct in advance, or with ship. thanks anybody else can also give their oppinions also the cost of each excursion would be helpful.

 

"Hello" Please join the ROLL CALL for this cruise which is already posted. There are a few of us here sharing ideas. This will be the 3rd Alaska trip for one in this group, so I am sure she will be able to give you some good ideas. (Our first cruise, so no answers from me; sorry.) In case you aren't familiar with how to find "ROLL CALLS", scroll to the very top of this page. Directly under " Cruise Critic" logo, click on "Boards". When the page opens, scroll down, and you will find the section showing "ROLL CALLS". NORWEGIAN along with all of the other cruise lines is listed there. Click on NORWEGIAN, and you will find us!! I have been entering a "bump" each day, so just watch for the date in the Title bar. It says something like: " SPIRIT to ALASKA 9-10-05" Watch closely for the date, and join us please. Welcome!! :) :)

[JohnQ]

Kobi

List your ports and then BQ and other BQ graduates can help answer your questions. Also what you like or don't like in terms of doing things, how active. Read a few books on Alaska touring like Frommers.

[SailAways]

Hello Again: http://www.ncl.com has a list of shore excursions with pricing available. This should be some help as far as knowing what NCL charges for particular excursions. You can compare pricing by looking up "shore excursions" through your computer search. Hope this helps.

[Budget Queen]

Best is to review a shore excursion list and narrow down your interests. There are plenty of excellent tours to consider. I strongly recommend always having plans and reservations in place before you leave. Time is short in port- make the most of it. For added information, request visitor guides. http://www.traveljuneau.com http://www.visit-ketchikan.com http://www.skagway.com

[sammiedawg]

Your time is most efficient if you book the excursions through the cruise line. Especially if you go on the morning trips. You wont waste a minute looking for something to do. You should be able to see the excursions on the cruise line web site or they may mail you a brochure.