Quick question about excursions

[miklinga]

We are booked on Alaska Inside Passage 8/30/22 start date from Juneau.  The cruise itinerary has changed since we booked and therefore excursions have also been modified.  Two ports are no longer on the itinerary and one port added, so we have more cruising time.  We were at the 60 days pre-cruise in the past few days and have tried to "book" excursions.  Almost everything is already booked and therefore not available.  But not all ports are even on the list available from American's link.  Additionally, they have 2 excursions for the added port (Hoonah), but both excursions are NOT during the cruise dates.  Both excursions are the week/day before the cruise starts.  I assume they will get this corrected prior to cruise date.  We will keep looking.  

 

Long lead-in, but is it typical for American Cruise Line to add and adjust excursions prior to the cruise.  This will be our first cruise with this line.  

 

Thanks in advance for any insight!

 

Mike and Linda 

[twototravel]

@miklingaThey must have encountered an issue to change the ports like you state. Excursions do fill up quickly, especially the premium ones. Don't count on being able to sign up for those once aboard, although they usually have a session going over all the excursions soon after boarding. If possible, I know they can increase the size of the excursions to allow more people to participate. A lot of times people who have signed up early, change their minds once onboard, so check with the ship staff for openings. Have a great trip!

[DaveinCharlotte]

@miklinga, we are on the same 8/30/22 cruise from Juneau.  Signed up for excursions first of July; noticed there were no excursions listed for Skagway.  (Originally there were 4 train excursions, but three of these crossed the Canadian border and the train company dropped 3 of them.)  Yesterday re-checked the web site, saw the changes you mentioned...no Skagway at all, replaced by Hoonah, with 4 excursions cited.  So went back into the ACL excursion booking interface, and nothing there made any sense.  Most ports missing, only one of the 4 Hoonah excursions shown, some dates for excursions before the cruise even started.  I've found ACL's excursion booking interface to often be off-kilter, but this time it really seems to be messed up!

[miklinga]

@DaveinCharlotte, 

 

We started checking for excursions daily around the 29th of June and nothing came up with the link.  When it finally did come up, pretty much everything was already sold out - both complimentary and paid that we were interested in.  We had already noted the itinerary changes and we will do whatever we can at the ports.  Sorry we are going to miss Skagway and Wrangell.  But it is what it is!  

 

Looking forward to meeting you on the cruise. 

 

Mike and Linda

[DaveinCharlotte]

2 hours ago, miklinga said:

We started checking for excursions daily around the 29th of June and nothing came up with the link...

Just checked again today and it appears that a Ketchikan Duck Boat tour has been added.  So it seems we have to check almost daily to stay on top of this.

 

There has been nothing shown for Friday Harbor or Anacortes.  I'm wondering if maybe this is because they are near the end of the cruise, and it's still to early to book them.  More reason to keep checking.

[BaumD]

There was a rockslide in Skagway a few weeks ago. It damaged the rail lines and one of the docks. Keep that in mind when looking at the excursions for Skagway

[miklinga]

BaumD,  Thanks, but it won't have impact on our cruise.  They already eliminated Skagway and Wrangell.  I hope everyone is OK and they can make repairs during the season.  I know that they rely on tourists for much of their annual income. 

[DaveinCharlotte]

Looks like Wrangell is back in the lineup (for now, anyway), with two excursions listed.

[miklinga]

https://traveldocuments.americancruiselines.com

 

Dave,

We have tried again this morning through the website to open the "select add-ons" after opening "your trip" - it still states we need to wait until 60 days pre-cruise and gives no information.  However, our travel agent sent the above link that does open to put in our booking number and name.  It shows a modified itinerary that does not include Wrangell in our travel documents.  Although I am a bit confused, we will keep checking the link since it at least gives information on what is available and/or sold out.  They have corrected the two excursions in Hoonah to the right date (from 8/24 and 8/31 to 9/1).  BTW, the new itinerary shows leaving Juneau on the 30th.  So, we're not sure about the Mendenhall excursion on the website.  Still time to make arrangements if that is not part of the ACL itinerary.

 

Best regards, 

Linda and Mike

   

[DaveinCharlotte]

On 7/11/2022 at 11:20 AM, DaveinCharlotte said:

Just checked again today and it appears that a Ketchikan Duck Boat tour has been added.  So it seems we have to check almost daily to stay on top of this.

 

There has been nothing shown for Friday Harbor or Anacortes.  I'm wondering if maybe this is because they are near the end of the cruise, and it's still to early to book them.  More reason to keep checking.

Checked again this morning, and indeed both Friday Harbor and Anacortes excursions have just been added.

[DaveinCharlotte]

58 minutes ago, miklinga said:

We have tried again this morning through the website to open the "select add-ons" after opening "your trip" - it still states we need to wait until 60 days pre-cruise and gives no information.  However, our travel agent sent the above link that does open to put in our booking number and name.  BTW, the new itinerary shows leaving Juneau on the 30th.

   

When I attempt to log into my ACL account and access excursions, etc, from there, I always get either the "can't do this until 60 days" message or the "can't do this unless from the booking email."  But when I access the e-mail they sent me, it usually works.  It worked this morning, when I discovered the Friday Harbor and Anacortes excursion additions.

 

My itinerary docs have always said "embark Aug 30" for the past year.  But on the website, the story for the first couple of days (and the last couple of days) has always been confusing to me.

[DaveinCharlotte]

15 hours ago, DaveinCharlotte said:

Looks like Wrangell is back in the lineup (for now, anyway), with two excursions listed.

No, I concede Wrangell is probably not back in the lineup -- the itinerary document showing ship arrival and departure times, which now omits Wrangell, is no doubt more accurate than the website page.  Also, no excursions for Wrangell on the sign-up interface.  Shouldn't have posted the screen shot.