Has anyone NOT done paid excursions?

[surgie]

Our family of 11 will be on a northbound cruise in July 2024 Vancouver to Seward. My husband and I have previously been the same route and did a paid excursion (booked independently) at each port (Harv and Marv whale watching, Deadliest Catch boat, Dogsled demonstration etc.)

 

This time our kids will decide what they want to do as a family at each port. The cost of excursions have gone way up since 2015 so I'm collecting a list of free or inexpensive things to do at each port and they can decide I they want to go that direction or do a group excursion. We plan to rent vans in Skagway to do our own sightseeing.

 

I don't want to feel like we are "missing out". Kids are 5-11. Has anyone not done paid excursions and felt great about it LOL? 

[CruiserBruce]

Are you asking about ship's excursions versus private excursions, or simply just walking around, (in your case, renting a van) not on ANY organized tour of any type?

 

People (including us) do all 3 options quite regularly.

[quack2]

Skagway is a great place to rent a car/van.   Lots of options on where to head on the Klondike Highway.  It's my favorite area for spotting black bears on the side of the road (and dumb tourists chasing them on foot).

[Northern Aurora]

Apparently our OP will be in Skagway, but what other ports are on their specific itinerary?

 

Since the OP's first visit in 2015 the National Park Service as acquired more buildings in Skagway.  Check the website for the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park for detailed information on the free museums and programs (such as their junior ranger program).

[Coral]

Honestly - I would strongly recommend paid excursions. Nothing like going to Disneyworld and not going on any rides...... That would be the same. You are paying for air and cruise - go for some excursions or else the trip will not be that great. We did a ton of "free excursions growing up" and I resent those trips looking back. I missed so much when we went to places. I honestly wish we hadn't gone at all if we couldn't do the cool things.

 

Alaska is expensive. Plan for it.

[CNDKangaroo]

The first time I went with my children, 2 years old to teens, we only did the train in Skagway.  We visited Ketchikan, Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Sitka and Skagway.  Ketchikan we walked around, saw totem poles. In Juneau we visited some museums - kids really enjoyed it and took the public transit bus to Mendenhall Glacier, Icy Strait Point we played on the beach, Sitka we visited the library (my kids love libraries and asked to go!) and went on a nature walk and checked out some of the historical buildings.  We loved the trip.

 

When my partner and I went without the kids we each did one excursion - I chose the hike and rafting trip and my partner chose ziplining, both in Skagway.  Both were great excursions.

 

Both trips were amazing.

 

This year, I'm going with a friend and I don't have excursions planned, I'll head to Mendenhall Glacier and check out the museums. 

 

All that said, we live on the west coast and I have a bald eagle nest in my backyard, we have loads of bears and we are right next to the ocean and see whales so I guess I don't have the same need to spend a lot of money seeing wildlife in Alaska.  I might feel differently if I lived somewhere else. 

[Northern Aurora]

Anyone looking for low cost options in Ketchikan should consider the SE Alaska Discovery Center.  It is operated by the US Forest Service.  While it has a modest entrance fee they also accept a number of park passes.  Check their website for the list of passes they accept which provide free admission.

[wolfie11]

1 hour ago, Northern Aurora said:

Anyone looking for low cost options in Ketchikan should consider the SE Alaska Discovery Center.  It is operated by the US Forest Service.  While it has a modest entrance fee they also accept a number of park passes.  Check their website for the list of passes they accept which provide free admission.

And the history museum has a paleontology exhibit this summer called “Cruising the fossil coastline”

[Buckeye10640]

2 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

Anyone looking for low cost options in Ketchikan should consider the SE Alaska Discovery Center.  It is operated by the US Forest Service.  While it has a modest entrance fee they also accept a number of park passes.  Check their website for the list of passes they accept which provide free admission.

I was just going to suggest this. My husband and I stopped in last year. I dont recall the cost but it was not alot. We saw a short movie and walked thru the center...it was interesting. 

[surgie]

13 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Are you asking about ship's excursions versus private excursions, or simply just walking around, (in your case, renting a van) not on ANY organized tour of any type?

I'm asking about any type of paid excursions, private or the ship's. I know we can get a bus or taxi to Mendenhall Glacier vs. the ship's excursion or a private excursion and that's fine. I think it will take a lot more research to determine if there is an excursion we want to do or if we can be happy renting a car in Skagway and walking around in Icy Strait Point etc. None of us want to do flight seeing so we are eliminating that as an option.

[surgie]

7 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

Apparently our OP will be in Skagway, but what other ports are on their specific itinerary?

 

 

Sorry should have stated this: Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Sitka, Skagway, Seward

[surgie]

6 hours ago, Coral said:

Honestly - I would strongly recommend paid excursions.

I totally get this. I just want to present an array of options to my adult kids so they can make decisions for their families. We agree we want to try to find an excursion that all of 11 of us will do together but we want to balance the more expensive options with the less expansion ones. 

[Coral]

7 hours ago, surgie said:

I totally get this. I just want to present an array of options to my adult kids so they can make decisions for their families. We agree we want to try to find an excursion that all of 11 of us will do together but we want to balance the more expensive options with the less expansion ones. 

I know some people who went to Alaska and just walked around the towns. They then came back and said it was like the Caribbean where there were Diamonds International stores (and others) and have no reason to return. They missed that sometimes the best thing to do is get out of town and see the beauty Alaska has. I think all they saw was "shopping".

[dd57]

In Juneau we took the gondola up Mt Roberts and took some of the hiking trails there.  Although we didn't do this, I have heard in the past that if you hike up Mt Roberts you can ride down for free.  The view from the gondola is really awesome.

 

In Sitka I would look into public transportation over to the history museum.  The totem poles and nature walk is right there.  

 

Skagway is the only town where I would just walk around because of all of the history exhibits.  An earlier thread talked about nature hikes in Skagway.

[Kathscof]

I wouldn't want a trip without any tours or adventures out of the town in Alaska, as some others have shared, its like going to Disney and not riding any rides or just like shopping in the Caribbean and doing nothing else.  I would suggest researching things that you REALLY wanna do in a few places that might be expensive, and then do more economical things in other places.  Renting a van is what I still categorize as an "excursion" in this case, but maybe something to save some money might be picking a port with some great DIY hikes, or a walking tour, or something still neat, but not ALL THE MONIES.  The Skagway van idea seems like a good one, many good things to visit on your own.  

[prague70]

In Skagway we did a 45 minute free city walk with a park ranger. Then we rented a car and drove to the Yukon. Often we were parallel to the railroad. In Canada we knocked on a lady’s door and ate fresh made cinnamon rolls in her kitchen( donations). I don’t remember how we learned about her but Canadians I have spoken to knew about her. All in all we had a great day. We even had time to walk around Skagway before we returned to the ship. 

[vswan]

Have done both tours and walking around on our own.

 

In Sitka, there is a walk along the marina that goes past an aquarium and if you keep walking you will get to the park - either a state or national, not sure which - in the park there are totem poles and a number of trails to a beach, etc. There is also a very old church in town, closes early, so if you want to go through it, go early. There are also some old canons/fort up on a hill which is kind of neat.

 

 

 

[jean87510]

I feel your "pain" for lack of a better room as I find it more difficult to organize activities for adults than kids.  I would encourage them to research the ports as well to see if there's anything that stands out to them as a bucket list item.  I would definitely do a car rental if you all want to go together.  My husband and I love kayaking, hiking, biking and snorkeling but know everyone isn't like us.  When we were in Bermuda Labor Day with 3 of our adult kids plus a SO on an overnight cruise in Bermuda, we did the buses, ferries to Tobago bay then the young ones went out on their own in the dockyard and had fun.  They actually found Tobago bay for us by researching.  There were 6 of us but I've done the extended family cruises and it's a lot of planning and compromising.

[hikergirl]

Have you heard of Geocaching? Both kids and adults love it. We did a lot of excursions 14 years ago so on this trip we wanted to see more of the ports.  We did Geocaching in Ketchikan and Skagway and the hidden caches took us to places we wouldn’t have otherwise seen.  Check out www.geocaching.com for info.

[eyedoc1959]

We did the cruise with my kids when they were 14 and 8.  Highlights were cheering for the salmon as they go upstream at the Salmon Ladder in Ketchikan and they going to the Salmon Hatchery.  Rented a car in Skagway and drove thru Yukon, stopping at a place where they could play with the dogs and go on a dog sledding adventure (dry land). Loved a whale watching excursion and visited Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau.  We didn't do any of the ship's excursions.just planned on our own.  As you are cruising thru the glaciers, sit on the decks together and lister for the calving.  Great memorable trip for us all.  

[CRUSINGFAMILY]

On 5/8/2023 at 7:26 PM, prague70 said:

In Skagway we did a 45 minute free city walk with a park ranger. Then we rented a car and drove to the Yukon. Often we were parallel to the railroad. In Canada we knocked on a lady’s door and ate fresh made cinnamon rolls in her kitchen( donations). I don’t remember how we learned about her but Canadians I have spoken to knew about her. All in all we had a great day. We even had time to walk around Skagway before we returned to the ship. 

Hi there......do you remember where the cinnamon bun lady was located?  The only one I can locate is beyond Whitehorse and far too far to go with all you did that day in Skagway.

[sanders]

We went to the DIscovery Center already mentioned here in Ketchikan. in Sitka, we went to the Raptor Center, in Haines we went to the Bald Eagle Foundation and the Natural Museum attached right next to it and to the Sheldon museum as well there. We managed to go all 4 places for 50 pp or under for kids … the cost of the Mt Roberts tram pp….my niece loved all 4 places. That being said , she is a museum buff and an animal lover. We did the tram as well in Juneau but I think the other 4 places were worth our time more. 

[wolfie11]

2 hours ago, CRUSINGFAMILY said:

Hi there......do you remember where the cinnamon bun lady was located?  The only one I can locate is beyond Whitehorse and far too far to go with all you did that day in Skagway.

Carcross.  I'm not sure she's still there post Covid.

[pink845]

Car rental in Skagway this year is extremely overpriced. Even with a corporate rate, a mid size car from the only national car rental place in town (Hertz, Avis, not sure which one it was) booked 6 months in advance was going to be a crazy $300USD.   Pre pandemic we paid just under $100USD.   So we did not waste our money.  In previous years, when as I said, the rate was much cheaper, we drove all the way to Yukon, Carcass, Emerald Lake, meandering all the way.  Again, beat all the tour buses and the scenery was spectacular.    Juneau, again this year we rented a car from the airport and had a fabulous day.  

[Luv2cruz1000]

On 5/31/2023 at 10:35 PM, pink845 said:

Car rental in Skagway this year is extremely overpriced. Even with a corporate rate, a mid size car from the only national car rental place in town (Hertz, Avis, not sure which one it was) booked 6 months in advance was going to be a crazy $300USD.   Pre pandemic we paid just under $100USD.   So we did not waste our money.  In previous years, when as I said, the rate was much cheaper, we drove all the way to Yukon, Carcass, Emerald Lake, meandering all the way.  Again, beat all the tour buses and the scenery was spectacular.    Juneau, again this year we rented a car from the airport and had a fabulous day.  

We are beginning to plan skagway and have rented from "Green jeep" however this trip we too have been shocked by car rental prices. Anyone have suggestions in Skagway without a car. Looking at the river float trip. Don't want to spend the day shopping and feel we missed out on seeing the area.