Encore Alaska Cruise excursion meeting places?

[justhappy]

Do the NCL  Alaska excursions always meet onboard and then led off the ship in groups?

We plan to do an excursion that starts at 4 pm, ship arrives at 2:30. We want to get off and hit up the big Alaska TShirt store across the street from the Mt Robert’s tram. Hubby likes to stock up on huckleberry products there.

While on the Escape in January we had to meet in the theater and be sitting there waiting for our group to be called. 
If that’s the case then shopping is a no go.

As it’s a bus trip to Mendenhall glacier then a whale watching boat I’d hope we could just meet up outside the ship.

Anybody have current experience?

[The Traveling Man]

On 5/19/2023 at 8:13 AM, justhappy said:

Do the NCL  Alaska excursions always meet onboard and then led off the ship in groups?

We plan to do an excursion that starts at 4 pm, ship arrives at 2:30. We want to get off and hit up the big Alaska TShirt store across the street from the Mt Robert’s tram. Hubby likes to stock up on huckleberry products there.

While on the Escape in January we had to meet in the theater and be sitting there waiting for our group to be called. 
If that’s the case then shopping is a no go.

As it’s a bus trip to Mendenhall glacier then a whale watching boat I’d hope we could just meet up outside the ship.

Anybody have current experience?

Most tours in Alaska do meet in the theater and passengers walk in groups to the buses waiting outside.  There are some exceptions, though.  Some of the tours in Juneau meet in town at the base of the Mount Roberts Tram.  Since NCL built their own cruise terminal for Ketchikan, some tours now meet in the terminal instead of on board.  Many of the tours for Icy Strait Point meet at the gondola terminal on shore.

[InfrequentPNWCruiser]

My 2021 Alaska cruise on the Encore had all excursions leaving "from the end of the pier ashore." This meant walking to the terminal in Ketchikan, to the bus lot in Juneau,  or the main lodge at Icy Strait Point. Also, in Juneau,  some tours dropped off people at the tram lot before going back to the ship, so shopping post tour is pretty easy.

[YVRteacher]

10 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

Most tours in Alaska do meet in the theater and passengers walk in groups to the buses waiting outside.  There are some exceptions, though.  Some of the tours in Juneau meet in town at the base of the Mount Roberts Tram.  Since NCL built their own cruise terminal for Ketchikan, some tours now meet in the terminal instead of on board.  Many of the tours for Icy Strait Point meet at the gondola terminal on shore.

I’ve done so many NCL Alaska cruises.  Most shore excursions meet ashore, not in the theatre.

[justhappy]

Thank you both for your help. I’m not going to stress too much over the stores, we have much longer in Skagway to shop-assuming no more rock slides-

and as we are going on a rv road trip to Colorado next month and I can get huckleberry products there.

Now we just have to plan to squeeze in the Mt Robert’s tram then meet up for the Whale watching excursion.