Alaska shore excursions

[Vickismom]

We're going to Alaska on the Norwegian Jewel on July 16 out of Seattle. It's my husband, myself and our 4 1/2 year old son. I'm looking into the excursions and I'm wondering if there are options to book tours once you get off the ship and are in town. We've done a Mediterranean cruise for our honeymoon 10 years ago and booked all our excursions through the cruise line. In most of the towns, it seemed like the only option, without prior arrangements, since the cities were quite a ways from the ports.

 

But when we've gone to Mexico, we were able to find guides offering different tours once we got off the ship. It seems to be a little cheaper when we did that. Are there tour guides in the Alaskan towns once we get off the ship or is our best bet just booking through the cruise line?

[Kamloops50]

We're going to Alaska on the Norwegian Jewel on July 16 out of Seattle. It's my husband, myself and our 4 1/2 year old son. I'm looking into the excursions and I'm wondering if there are options to book tours once you get off the ship and are in town. We've done a Mediterranean cruise for our honeymoon 10 years ago and booked all our excursions through the cruise line. In most of the towns, it seemed like the only option, without prior arrangements, since the cities were quite a ways from the ports.

 

But when we've gone to Mexico, we were able to find guides offering different tours once we got off the ship. It seems to be a little cheaper when we did that. Are there tour guides in the Alaskan towns once we get off the ship or is our best bet just booking through the cruise line?

 

Yes . Many of the tours from ship can be bought pier side . The only issue could be the available times for the tours .Cost on board versus pier side a very similar in price. Cruise lines usually get the prime times.

In Skagway , If your doing the train. Do it thru the cruise line . The train will pick you up and drop you off near the ship. Otherwise you have to walk into town to the train station to get tickets and board the train. Then walk back to the ship after the train.

[Vickismom]

Yes . Many of the tours from ship can be bought pier side . The only issue could be the available times for the tours .Cost on board versus pier side a very similar in price. Cruise lines usually get the prime times.

In Skagway , If your doing the train. Do it thru the cruise line . The train will pick you up and drop you off near the ship. Otherwise you have to walk into town to the train station to get tickets and board the train. Then walk back to the ship after the train.

 

Thank you for the info. I was mainly wondering if there was a difference in price, and if there was an advantage to waiting until we got off the ship.

[Kamloops50]

You might only save 10 to 15% by buying at the pier side.

in Juneau , if you want to see the Mendenhall Glacier . Just take the Blue/White shuttle for about $30 per person (don't know child's price) . Then your going at your schedule not the tour company.

Edited June 9, 2016 by Kamloops50

[Vickismom]

You might only save 10 to 15% by buying at the pier side.

in Juneau , if you want to see the Mendenhall Glacier . Just take the Blue/White shuttle for about $30 per person (don't know child's price) . Then your going at your schedule not the tour company.

 

Thank you! I'm just starting to look, and it's not a significant savings, I'd just book through the ship. I was hoping that I would get exact info like this from posting on here. :) Looking into this shuttle now.

[RSF Cruiser]

or you can rent a car - the price of a rental might be less than buying the bus tickets, plus you will have more flexibility. Avis, Budget, and Juneau Car Rentals are all fairly convenient to the port.

[Vickismom]

or you can rent a car - the price of a rental might be less than buying the bus tickets, plus you will have more flexibility. Avis, Budget, and Juneau Car Rentals are all fairly convenient to the port.

 

Thank you! That's definitely not something I would have even considered. I'll have to do some more research.

[BCHappyGal]

The only city where I would rent a car would be Skagway as you can drive to Carncross and the highway parallels the Whitehorse Yukon rail line but on the opposite side of the canyon...

 

Icy Straight Point - Juneau - Ketchikan no roads out of the cities and they are small cities and everything is walking distance to the dock pretty much except for the Mendenhall Glacier and just use a shuttle to go there....

In Juneau I would recommend the Glacier Gardens over the Mt Roberts Tram up the Mt Roberts. At Glacier Gardens they drive you up to a view point that is nearly as high as where the Mt Roberts Tram takes you and you ride in a golf cart! Also do not buy Mt Roberts Tram tickets on the ship do that ashore as the base tram station is right on the dock and you only want to go up if you can see the top.... other wise it is socked in and you will see nothing.... It took me till my 4th cruise to Alaska to get a day where Mt Roberts was not socked in!

[Vickismom]

The only city where I would rent a car would be Skagway as you can drive to Carncross and the highway parallels the Whitehorse Yukon rail line but on the opposite side of the canyon...

 

Icy Straight Point - Juneau - Ketchikan no roads out of the cities and they are small cities and everything is walking distance to the dock pretty much except for the Mendenhall Glacier and just use a shuttle to go there....

In Juneau I would recommend the Glacier Gardens over the Mt Roberts Tram up the Mt Roberts. At Glacier Gardens they drive you up to a view point that is nearly as high as where the Mt Roberts Tram takes you and you ride in a golf cart! Also do not buy Mt Roberts Tram tickets on the ship do that ashore as the base tram station is right on the dock and you only want to go up if you can see the top.... other wise it is socked in and you will see nothing.... It took me till my 4th cruise to Alaska to get a day where Mt Roberts was not socked in!

 

Thanks for the tip about the Mt Roberts Tram. I had planned to buy tickets when I booked a tour. I guess I can wait on that.

 

For a first time visitor, do you think it's better to take a tour and have a guide narrating and pointing things out versus renting a car? I was strongly considering the Yukon Discovery and Sled Dog tour with Skagway Shore Tours, but now that I looked into a car rental in Skagway, I'm considering that as a possibility, assuming my husband is willing to take the time to figure out where and how to get to places instead of just sitting and letting someone else do it.

 

Thanks for your input!