Alaskan Shore Excursion Inflation 2015 to 2018

[BirdTravels]

As we prepare for our upcoming 2018 cruise on the Bliss, we came across a NCL Shore Excursion pricelist from our 2015 cruise on the Jewel (same itinerary). What do you think of the change in NCL Shore Excursionprices in 3 years?

 

Prices below are shown2015_Price / 2018_Price

 

Ketchikan

Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show $35 / $49

Ketchikan Highlights by Trolley $39 / $69

Ketchikan Duck Tour $39 /$49

Totem Bight State Park & Ketchikan Highlights $49 / $79

Saxman Native Village $59/ $84

Totem Bight State Park & Lumberjack $79 / $104

Saxman Native Village & Lumberjack $89 / $114

Rainforest Canoe & Nature Trail $99 / $129

Lighthouse, Totems, Eagles $99 / $139

Eagle Island Sea Kayak $119/ $144

Mountain Point Snorkeling $119 / $159

Rainforest Island Adventure $129 / $164

Rainforest High TechTreasure Hunt $139 / $174

Tatoosh Islands Sea Kayak $159 / $184

Bearing Sea Crab Fisherman $179 / $255

Magnificent Misty FjordsSeaplane $229 / $309

Halibut Fishing $349 /$429

Chauffeur Driven Hummer $599 / $699

 

Juneau

Mt Roberts Tramway $32 /$39

Gold Creek Salmon Bake $49/ $69

Mendenhall Glacier Explorer $49 / $79

Historic Gold Mine $59 /$84

Mendenhall Glacier and Hatchery $59 / $85

Mendenhall Glacier and Mt Roberts $79 / $109

Mendenhall Glacier & Gardens $79 / $104

Mendenhall Glacier & Salmon Bake $89 / $114

Mendenhall Glacier Hike $99 / $124

Mendenhall Glacier River Float $119 / $154

Sled Dog Discovery & Camp $149 / $169

Whale Quest & Orca Point Lodge $189 / $229

5 Glacier Exploration $209/ $299

Taku Lodge & 5 Glacier $299 / $399

Mendenhall Glacier by Helicopter & Walk $299 / $429

Helicopter Glacier Walkabout $379 / $499

Helicopter Glacier Trek$409 / 499

Dogsled Adventure by Helicopter $549 / $649

 

Skagway

Liarsville Salmon Bake $39/ $64

Skagway Street Car $44 /$69

Historical City, Gold,Salmon $79 / 109

Yukon Territory Drive $119/ $159

White Pass Railway $119 /$149

Chilkoot Trail Hike $129 /$179

Grizzly Falls Zipline $169/ $199

Glacier Discovery by Helicopter $329 / $469

[gambit57]

3 years? That's crazy. They've crossed my internal arbitrary line of what's too expensive.

[Dcoy]

Since the Bliss is a much larger ship compared to the Jewel, there will be many more passengers attending these tours. Maybe the tour companies will need to obtain larger busses for transportation and guides to run the tours. Also, as my old economics teachers use to say “Supply & Demand”

 

Just my thoughts.

 

Don

[icicle]

I wonder how much of the increase is vendor driven and how much is added by the cruise lines? We are planning our trip for June. I've read a lot of comments in the past that cruise ship excursions aren't typically marked up that much vs. the vendor prices. That does not to seem to be the case this year in what I've researched.

 

For example, the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari is $329 pp thru NCL. Booked privately it's $219! Unfortunately, the private tours are already sold out for our dates and there is no way I'm paying $500 more for the same excursion thru NCL so we booked with Dyea Dave and added the train. Even the train tickets are hard to book privately and there's a thread in the Alaska board about some days already sold out.

[ColeThornton]

You should see how much my cable TV and phone bills have gone up.

[ggTexasGal]

As we prepare for our upcoming 2018 cruise on the Bliss, we came across a NCL Shore Excursion pricelist from our 2015 cruise on the Jewel (same itinerary). What do you think of the change in NCL Shore Excursionprices in 3 years?

 

Prices below are shown2015_Price / 2018_Price

 

Ketchikan

Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show $35 / $49

Ketchikan Highlights by Trolley $39 / $69

Ketchikan Duck Tour $39 /$49

Totem Bight State Park & Ketchikan Highlights $49 / $79

Saxman Native Village $59/ $84

Totem Bight State Park & Lumberjack $79 / $104

Saxman Native Village & Lumberjack $89 / $114

Rainforest Canoe & Nature Trail $99 / $129

Lighthouse, Totems, Eagles $99 / $139

Eagle Island Sea Kayak $119/ $144

Mountain Point Snorkeling $119 / $159

Rainforest Island Adventure $129 / $164

Rainforest High TechTreasure Hunt $139 / $174

Tatoosh Islands Sea Kayak $159 / $184

Bearing Sea Crab Fisherman $179 / $255

Magnificent Misty FjordsSeaplane $229 / $309

Halibut Fishing $349 /$429

Chauffeur Driven Hummer $599 / $699

 

Juneau

Mt Roberts Tramway $32 /$39

Gold Creek Salmon Bake $49/ $69

Mendenhall Glacier Explorer $49 / $79

Historic Gold Mine $59 /$84

Mendenhall Glacier and Hatchery $59 / $85

Mendenhall Glacier and Mt Roberts $79 / $109

Mendenhall Glacier & Gardens $79 / $104

Mendenhall Glacier & Salmon Bake $89 / $114

Mendenhall Glacier Hike $99 / $124

Mendenhall Glacier River Float $119 / $154

Sled Dog Discovery & Camp $149 / $169

Whale Quest & Orca Point Lodge $189 / $229

5 Glacier Exploration $209/ $299

Taku Lodge & 5 Glacier $299 / $399

Mendenhall Glacier by Helicopter & Walk $299 / $429

Helicopter Glacier Walkabout $379 / $499

Helicopter Glacier Trek$409 / 499

Dogsled Adventure by Helicopter $549 / $649

 

Skagway

Liarsville Salmon Bake $39/ $64

Skagway Street Car $44 /$69

Historical City, Gold,Salmon $79 / 109

Yukon Territory Drive $119/ $159

White Pass Railway $119 /$149

Chilkoot Trail Hike $129 /$179

Grizzly Falls Zipline $169/ $199

Glacier Discovery by Helicopter $329 / $469

 

BirdTravels, first, I want to thank you for so many of your informative posts!

 

Like your post, we found a similar type of jump between our 2012 Alaska cruise on the Pearl, versus 2015 on the Jewel.

 

Having said that, I would hazard a guess that with Latitudes Discounts and Shore Excursion Credits now in play, NCL has "needed" to increase excursion costs. Add to that, there is the growing demand for higher wages. And, I agree that with more and larger ships, "supply and demand" can drive rising costs... along with the higher fuel costs.

[mking8288]

It could be, IMO, to offset those shorex promo credits too ... just think for a moment. Nothing is free, really with the giveaway. Just be happy for those with other discounts & promo OBC.

 

It's like those blue clamshells on GSC ... it is revenue generating with huge ROI. Rent for $39 or $40 a day now, was $30 in 2015 ... their costs, well.

 

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[zdcatc12]

For example, the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari is $329 pp thru NCL. Booked privately it's $219! Unfortunately, the private tours are already sold out for our dates and there is no way I'm paying $500 more for the same excursion thru NCL so we booked with Dyea Dave and added the train. Even the train tickets are hard to book privately and there's a thread in the Alaska board about some days already sold out.

 

We did that in June. Using Dave on the way up and the train back. Loved it. Just be sure to sit on the north facing side of the train for your one-way unless you just like looking at canyon walls. Also, they picked us up at the train station when we got back and took us back to the ship. Would do it that way again in a heartbeat.

[zqvol]

So the prices have gone up. What is the purpose of this post other than to stir the pot?

 

Why did they go up? Is it NCL? Is it the vendors? is it to cover the discounts that any latitudes member gets? Is it to cover the shore excursion perk?

 

The original post is pretty much meaningless without the why being answered.

[Tapi]

Another reminder why it’s a great idea to do some research in advance and skip the cruise line sponsored shore excursions. [emoji3]

 

When we sailed to Alaska, we were on a very tight budget, so we did a lot of research. We had a fantastic cruise without spending a dime on organized shore excursions, through the ship or private.

 

Granted, there are times and places where a ship sponsored excursion is advisable, but I can count more instances when it’s not.

 

 

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[BirdTravels]

So the prices have gone up. What is the purpose of this post other than to stir the pot?

 

Why did they go up? Is it NCL? Is it the vendors? is it to cover the discounts that any latitudes member gets? Is it to cover the shore excursion perk?

 

The original post is pretty much meaningless without the why being answered.

What do you think about the price increases?

[AstoriaPreppy]

For example, the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari is $329 pp thru NCL. Booked privately it's $219!

 

The pricing on these excursions via NCL is kooky. Guessing this is a combination of NCL looking for more money off the top, plus making up the discounts Lattitudes members get along with the shore-excursion credit promos.

 

$329 pp for Glacier Point is basically price gouging. We sailed on the Star Princess in Alaska last year, and paid $239 pp for Glacier Point. Because we booked the excursion with Princess in advance and then found the same excursion available for less on the supplier's website, we got 110% of the price difference back as on board credit, which I don't think NCL does?

 

Also, as fun as Glacier Point was, at $329 you're almost getting to helicopter flight or seaplane territory... definitely not worth that much for the boat ride and canoeing.

[jimsig]

I just looked up booking the Bearing Sea Crab Boat and you can book it on your own for $179. So unless NCL is throwing something extra in on it, NCL is making at least $76 per adult, more as I am sure they get something from the tour operator.

[gambit57]

So the prices have gone up. What is the purpose of this post other than to stir the pot?

 

Why did they go up? Is it NCL? Is it the vendors? is it to cover the discounts that any latitudes member gets? Is it to cover the shore excursion perk?

 

The original post is pretty much meaningless without the why being answered.

 

This reply is meaningless.

 

What's the point of a message board? To talk about stuff. Sometimes it's a question, sometime's it's a complaint, sometimes it's just news or random thought.

 

OP posted that he noticed some significant price increases in excursions. Far beyond inflation rates.

 

If you don't care, why the hell did you bother responding?

[BirdTravels]

Similar observation https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2626838

[GenXGirl]

Well I can say some of those excursions are beyond what the vendor charges. I’ll bet NCL gets a volume discount too, thus paying less per person than someone booking direct through the vendor. The mark up is even worse than it seems.

 

We’re going to Alaska on the Jewel this summer. At one point we simultaneously had reservations on HA and Princess too. NCL prices for the same tours were higher for adults compared to HA and Princess, although for kids prices were similar. But, Princess and HA guarantee their prices as the lowest advertised rate.

 

 

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[Moby0215]

Doesn’t look that bad to me. Everyone knows excursions booked through the cruise line are expensive. It’s simple economics. The price is reflective of the market.

 

 

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[kitkat343]

The ports in alaska are very small. We found it quite easy to book independently and walk to our excursions, and saved a lot of money even though I was pregnant at the time. I'd only consider a ship tour if what I wanted to do was sold out independently and the ship still had tickets.

[Peachypooh]

We went to the lumber jack show around that time. If I take the current price minus the $50 credit and latitude credit it is way less than when we had to pay full price. Old $35x2=$70 New $49x2=$98-$$9=$89-$50=$49 Just a point of reference.

[xitappers2bx]

I think this is one of those things where supply and demand come into play; more people than ever are going to Alaska, as demand increases so does price. I don't think that's anything more than basic economics in play...

 

As we prepare for our upcoming 2018 cruise on the Bliss, we came across a NCL Shore Excursion pricelist from our 2015 cruise on the Jewel (same itinerary). What do you think of the change in NCL Shore Excursionprices in 3 years?

 

Prices below are shown2015_Price / 2018_Price

 

Ketchikan

Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show $35 / $49

Ketchikan Highlights by Trolley $39 / $69

Ketchikan Duck Tour $39 /$49

Totem Bight State Park & Ketchikan Highlights $49 / $79

Saxman Native Village $59/ $84

Totem Bight State Park & Lumberjack $79 / $104

Saxman Native Village & Lumberjack $89 / $114

Rainforest Canoe & Nature Trail $99 / $129

Lighthouse, Totems, Eagles $99 / $139

Eagle Island Sea Kayak $119/ $144

Mountain Point Snorkeling $119 / $159

Rainforest Island Adventure $129 / $164

Rainforest High TechTreasure Hunt $139 / $174

Tatoosh Islands Sea Kayak $159 / $184

Bearing Sea Crab Fisherman $179 / $255

Magnificent Misty FjordsSeaplane $229 / $309

Halibut Fishing $349 /$429

Chauffeur Driven Hummer $599 / $699

 

Juneau

Mt Roberts Tramway $32 /$39

Gold Creek Salmon Bake $49/ $69

Mendenhall Glacier Explorer $49 / $79

Historic Gold Mine $59 /$84

Mendenhall Glacier and Hatchery $59 / $85

Mendenhall Glacier and Mt Roberts $79 / $109

Mendenhall Glacier & Gardens $79 / $104

Mendenhall Glacier & Salmon Bake $89 / $114

Mendenhall Glacier Hike $99 / $124

Mendenhall Glacier River Float $119 / $154

Sled Dog Discovery & Camp $149 / $169

Whale Quest & Orca Point Lodge $189 / $229

5 Glacier Exploration $209/ $299

Taku Lodge & 5 Glacier $299 / $399

Mendenhall Glacier by Helicopter & Walk $299 / $429

Helicopter Glacier Walkabout $379 / $499

Helicopter Glacier Trek$409 / 499

Dogsled Adventure by Helicopter $549 / $649

 

Skagway

Liarsville Salmon Bake $39/ $64

Skagway Street Car $44 /$69

Historical City, Gold,Salmon $79 / 109

Yukon Territory Drive $119/ $159

White Pass Railway $119 /$149

Chilkoot Trail Hike $129 /$179

Grizzly Falls Zipline $169/ $199

Glacier Discovery by Helicopter $329 / $469