My two cents on planning excursions...

[min2758]

Based on my own three cruises to Alaska and time spent working on the train one summer, I want to point something out that many passengers don't consider. Especially if doing a land tour at the end!

 

When planning and booking your tours, consider what info you'll be hearing and learning about on your tours. It can get a tad repetitive, depending on what you choose. For example, if riding in a bus learning about the area is your thing, keep in mind how many TIMES you are going to ride in a bus and hear similar info. Also if you're taking bus transfers, your bus guide (who may work for hourly plus tips) may also regale you with Alaska facts, tidbits, and stories. I say this because many passengers doing the land tour at the tail end of their trip had heard the state bird (and subsequent mosquito joke) 10 times already and didn't find it funny or entertaining. They could recite the state bird, year Alaska became a state, state flower, who made the Alaska flag, etc. I actually had a few passengers ask me to STOP talking because they were tired of hearing Alaska facts... (but I also had one ask when the scenery was going to start, all week she'd only seen trees and mountains!) :eek: Although I always got a kick out of people asking me "so you really get PAID to live here??" ....always fun to clear up the PFD confusion! If repetition bothers you, it might be best to plan a variety of activities or explore on your own. Same goes for shopping- if you're the type to enjoy shopping in every port, awesome. If you don't want to spend time looking at each port's gift shop but you're worried you'll miss something cool, don't. They all have pretty much the same stuff anyway. I also read in another post that whale watching might be boring for kids... definitely gonna ditto that. Sometimes I wonder what people's expectations are when they booked their trips, but unless you KNOW your child is into scenery and watching the ocean with binoculars, might be best to splurge on something else. I did a downhill bike tour with my mom in one of the ports once and for the life of me I can't remember where (but I'm 90% sure it was Skagway) and it was a blast. It was one of the most memorable things about my cruise with mom and grandma. Couldn't tell you what the food was like on the cruise that trip though. :)

 

So that's my two cents! While planning activities for my upcoming trip (first cruise for my DH and DS, 4th for me) I realized the ONLY guided tour I planned was the Deadliest Catch tour in Ketchikan. My DH used to travel all over the state for work, so he's seen parts of Alaska many people never will but none of it as a tourist. Part of me thinks I should have at least ONE opportunity to cram in a guided, informative type experience for them, but I'm sure they won't mind missing out. After all, we did live there for a few years. My husband already knows the state bird is the mosquito.

Edited May 13, 2015 by min2758

[oaktreerb]

I'm probably not going to remember everything I learn from the tour guides so it's ok to hear it again. I just remind myself that some people are hearing it for the first time and how lucky I am to enjoy this experience with them. The jokes do get old, however.

 

The best storytellers probably get the best tips. You can tell when someone loves their job. One of my favorite guides sang the Alaska state song as we trekked through a less scenic section of the railroad route to Fairbanks.

 

It's always surprising how few people actually remember the five kinds of salmon or the height of Mt McKinley or how long it takes a juvenile bald eagle to reach majestic maturity.

[allmysquirrels]

Min2756, thank you for taking the time to post your advice. Most of which I hadn't read on here before. I will keep it in mind as I finish planning our trip. :)