Rare BirdTravels Posted February 15, 2018 #1 Share Posted February 15, 2018 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambit57 Posted February 15, 2018 #2 Share Posted February 15, 2018 3 years? That's crazy. They've crossed my internal arbitrary line of what's too expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcoy Posted February 15, 2018 #3 Share Posted February 15, 2018 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icicle Posted February 15, 2018 #4 Share Posted February 15, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ColeThornton Posted February 15, 2018 #5 Share Posted February 15, 2018 You should see how much my cable TV and phone bills have gone up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggTexasGal Posted February 15, 2018 #6 Share Posted February 15, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mking8288 Posted February 15, 2018 #7 Share Posted February 15, 2018 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. Sent from my dual sim KIW-L24 Honor 5X using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdcatc12 Posted February 15, 2018 #8 Share Posted February 15, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zqvol Posted February 15, 2018 #9 Share Posted February 15, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Tapi Posted February 15, 2018 #10 Share Posted February 15, 2018 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. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted February 15, 2018 Author #11 Share Posted February 15, 2018 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare AstoriaPreppy Posted February 15, 2018 #12 Share Posted February 15, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimsig Posted February 15, 2018 #13 Share Posted February 15, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambit57 Posted February 15, 2018 #14 Share Posted February 15, 2018 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted April 22, 2018 Author #15 Share Posted April 22, 2018 Similar observation https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2626838 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenXGirl Posted April 22, 2018 #16 Share Posted April 22, 2018 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. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moby0215 Posted April 22, 2018 #17 Share Posted April 22, 2018 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. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitkat343 Posted April 22, 2018 #18 Share Posted April 22, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Peachypooh Posted April 22, 2018 #19 Share Posted April 22, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xitappers2bx Posted April 22, 2018 #20 Share Posted April 22, 2018 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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