booking excursions in port or in advance

[toobadtwo]

we are curising to alaska the end of this month (may). just wondering if it is cheaper to book an excursion the day we arive in port or should we book it in advance through the ship. Also if we wait to book it in port , do we risk the tours being sold out. we would like to do a helilcopter tour in Juneu.

[CruiserBruce]

You are already at risk of excursions being sold out with your cruise only a couple of week away. Particularly high demand, low supply excursions like helicopter trips.

[rjeffler]

Get shopping, NOW!!!

[Budget Queen]

If this tour is a priority, you need to book ahead. Yes they do sell out. There are 4 helicopter companies in Juneau. 3 "regular" landings, 1 that does extended trekking tours.

 

Overall, I think it is a big mistake to consider booking most tours at the dock. The biggest mistake, I think, is to be clueless on your ideas ahead of time. Port time is too short to begin with, why waste any trying to arrange tours when you get there.

[Paula_MacFan]

I agree with other posters. We're going the last week of May, and had our port days planned for months. Many of the ship's excursions have been sold old for awhile for online booking. As BQ said, time in port is so short already, why waste time once you get there?!?

[geoherb]

I agree. I always have my shore excursions lined up in advance--whether booked independently or through the cruise line. Or else I have planned what we are going to do that doesn't require booking in advance, such as when we took the public bus to Totem Bight the last time we were in Ketchikan.

[Matty Ice]

We are cruising to Alaska at the end of August and have all of our port excursions booked already. This is a once in a lifetime trip for us and I didn't want to risk an excursion being sold out. If you definitely know what you want to do, I would book it NOW and hope that it's not already sold out.

 

Enjoy your trip!