excursions

[saturn3]

This may not be the correct topic for this forum however we have booked an Alaskan cruise for the beginning of June. I have looked at the excursions and they are very pricey from Princess Cruise line. We are going to Juneau, Skagway Ketchican and I was wondering if there were any third party excursion companies we could book through?? Already checked out harvandmarvs website and chiloot they seem even more expensive. Just wondering if there were any others out there

[CruiserBruce]

As mentioned on your other post, this is exactly the right place to be doing this research. Every one of those ports is discussed extensively down the board, including recommendations for private tour vendors. Have a look!!

[Alaskanb]

The advantage of vendors like Harv and Marv, and Chilkoot, etc is that they offer small group tours.

What type of tour are you looking for?

[Quilting_Cruiser]

There are many, many third-party vendors to choose from. Alaska is not like some itineraries where you'll find it significantly cheaper to book independents --a little less, but not usually a ton. I book independents because I find it more enjoyable to be on a whale watch with a dozen other people instead of 100 other people.

 

This board is full of descriptions, reviews, suggestions, and recommendations for tours and vendors. Pour a glass of wine and enjoy reading about them. :D

[mek]

Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway all have places right by the pier where you can book independent tours without a reservation. Juneau is crawling with kiosks and vendors.

 

The best whale watching tour I've ever been on was booked last year in Juneau on the spur of the moment on the pier and at a significant savings over the ship's price. I've done float planes in Juneau also for about $100 less pp than on the ship, but I did book that in advance. Some excursions are about the same regardless of how they are booked, such as the dog sled ride on the glaciers - I've never seen much price difference in those.

 

Just winging it can really pay off - last year in Talkeetna we were in the right place at the right time and got flight to Mt McKinley with a glacier landing for $296 total for two people. (I think it was around $500 pp on Princess.) They had a plane with two empty seats that was just taking off and we were lucky. Not everyone likes to travel that way, but we have had a lot of success with things like that just because were willing to take a chance.

 

You really need to do your homework for excursions in Alaska even if you are getting off the ship without anything booked - it pays to know what the going rate is for different tours so you can make an informed decision.

Edited April 23, 2016 by mek

[bonvoyagie]

Also try looking at http://www.cruiseportinsider.com for more ideas on what to do in these ports as well as some of the varioius tours offered by the cruise lines.

 

BTW in 12 I compared prices of the Bennett Scenic Tour and Princess was the most expensive - the cheapest was either Chilkoot or through the WP&Y RR (who charter with someone else for the bus portion).

 

Almost all excursions in AK are expensive - the operators need to make their year's living in just a few short months of the tourist/cruise season. The main advantage of using private vendors is the level of service you get. For example Chilkoot and others have their own car on the train and they use 15 pax buses - not old retired greyhound buses. They are also operated by locals who know the country and history - not college students working a summer job.

Your money is going to suppor the local economy not line the cruise lines pockets.

[Alaska0799]

You might browse through http://www.firstalaskacruise.com for ideas on things to do in the various ports. Lots of interesting information on Alaska from history to port activities to wildlife!

 

For an economical excursion in Ketchikan, a couple of years ago we booked Ketchikan Taxi Cab (mini-van) for a few hours and watched black bears feeding at Herring Cove and bald eagles galore! He dropped us off at Creek Street then we strolled through town on the way back to the ship. Great value for the $$!