Feedback sought from Alaska on the Explorer

[notabigcruiser]

Hubby and I are booked on an Alaskan cruise on the Explorer in 2024. We have had trouble finding many reviews on the recent sailings in Alaska and were hoping to get some feedback before we make any additional payments.  From what we've read, we trust that the ship itself, the food and the service from the crew will be great. Our concerns are with the excursions, although the reports we've found were not from Alaska. We've read that some excursions are really terrible, and others are cancelled, and guests are left with no other options.  Having the excursions included was one of the reasons we selected RSSC and the descriptions of the Alaskan ones sound wonderful, but are they really??? I would much appreciate hearing about your excursion experiences this summer on the Explorer and any other thoughts about your cruise.  We are not cruisers and taking the plunge into this luxury line is a big step for us.  Thanks!!

[travlr21]

We were on the Explorer in May, Tokyo to Vancouver. We booked late and we could not get some of what we wanted, selection was meh. We were only interested in the included ones, some of the extra cost ones were quite expensive IMHO. We were not interested in helicopter, small plane or dog sled for $$$.

 

In Ketchikan we did a guided hike, we arranged that directly on the ship last minute, replaced a scenic coach tour we did not want but had no choice when we booked our excursions. In Juneau the excursion was a bus ride to and from Mendenhall Glacier, once there you were on your own. In Seward there was a bus ride to the Sealife Centre and a talk by one of the staff - that was a last minute addition on the ship when whatever we had booked was cancelled. After the talk we were on our own to get back to the ship, there was a shuttle bus but we walked since it was not too far. In Kodiak we did a self guided hike, there was a bus from the ship to the park and back. Initially there were no tours in Dutch Harbor. Last minute they added a 'hop on hop off' (school) bus, but it 'sold out' by the time we asked. We just walked on our own, it is a very small place.

 

Everything on the ship was pretty wonderful.

[notabigcruiser]

@travlr21 Thanks so much for the feedback. This is really helpful. 

[papaflamingo]

I have not done Regent to Alaska, but have sailed 84 nights and done many excursions.  Some have been wonderful, most have been what was expected, and a few have been.... as others have said...."meh."  I read the descriptions of the excursions, take them for face value, and pick what I feel I'll enjoy the most.  Having said that, most (if not all) Regent excursions are the same as any other cruise company.  They use the same tour operators and offer pretty much the same tours.  So actually some can easily be researched online if you put in the tour name.  And if your plan is to book through a cruise line, you'll get the same excursions, you'll just have to pay for them.  

As to availability, if you are working with a TA have them put the cruise on a 7 Day Hold and they will issue a booking number.  Assuming you have an on line account with Regent (if not get one), you can go into your account and add the booking number.  It'll appear just as if you have the cruise booked (you sort of do until the hold expires). If within the excursion selection time, you can check and see what excursions are full and what are still open. That way you can get a feel for what remains for you to book and can decide on the cruise. 

[RetiredandTravel]

Its important to point out that Regent is hierarchical in how they allocate excursions & specialty restaurant reservations.  People who are Silver level (20+ nights) or Concierge Suite or higher get to pick their  preferred excursions and specialty reservations earlier. Considering this there is a chance of being shutout of certain excursions.  I don't think its a super high possibility but we were shutout of a couple excursions on our first cruise.  Full disclosure people say you can waitlist and Regent will try and accommodate you which we didn't do, we just picked another excursion.  We've had very good experiences with the Regent included excursions but they are often on a bus with ~ 50 seats.

 

I think Papa is correct in that the base excursions are basically the same across the cruise lines in Alaska.  CC has a section to just discuss ports & excursions here is the Alaska one.  Have fun.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/33-alaska/

 

 

[notabigcruiser]

Thank you @papaflamingo.  I hadn't thought about researching the tours online - I will definitely try that to get a better feel for them.  We are eligible to book our excursions at the end of August, so we'll see what's available at that point.

 

We always do all of our own travel planning and research and have control over our itinerary. I think I probably need to realize this cruise will be a new and different experience, just go with the flow, and enjoy!  Thanks again. 

[notabigcruiser]

@RetiredandTravel So happy to hear that you have been happy with your Regent excursions, even when you didn't get your first choice.  I am feeling so much better already.  We are not in a preferred category so we will be prepared with second and third choices. 

 

And thanks so much for the link to the Alaska ports and excursions.  We will definitely check it out!

[RetiredandTravel]

You probably have figured this out but we always make sure we make the reservations the day they become available.  

[mj_holiday]

Did Alaska in 2011 and doing it new April and planning on the best for excursions.  Our first cruise out of Covid on Regent was Cape Town to Cape Town.  Cruise itself was great.  But several of the excursions were not that great, but heard that for many of the tour people this was their first job since before Covid.  I am planning on Alaska next year having tours of the expected quality since they would have been through a whole tour season and hopefully gotten the bugs out.

[notabigcruiser]

35 minutes ago, RetiredandTravel said:

You probably have figured this out but we always make sure we make the reservations the day they become available.  

Yep.  Planning to get online at midnight. 🙂 

Thanks!!

[notabigcruiser]

34 minutes ago, mj_holiday said:

 I am planning on Alaska next year having tours of the expected quality since they would have been through a whole tour season and hopefully gotten the bugs out.

That's what we're hoping as well. Our cruise is in June 2024. Thanks.

[hamasgirl]

In general Alaskan tours are very expensive compared to other cruising areas.  Their season is short (mainly May through October) and the distances that various sites are from the ports can be long.  So tours as a result are pricey.  That being said, how often are you going to experience some of these activities?  Glaciers, dog-sledding etc.

 

As recommended, sign up as soon as you are eligible to do so for the ship-offered tours.  The scenery and nature that abounds in the area will be wonderful to experience on almost any tour you take.  We have taken 3 Alaska cruises and would definitely do another one if we didn't have so many other parts of the world to see first.

 

Also consider staying for a couple of days at either your embarkation or disembarkation port if you have the time.  Vancouver and Seattle (where many cruises either start or end) are magnificent cities to explore.

 

[2012_Alaska_bound]

21 minutes ago, notabigcruiser said:

Planning to get online at midnight. 🙂 

It is 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time now! So you don't have to stay up late.

I've cruised Alaska with Regent pre-Covid twice (2012, 2017) and have a third booked in May.

My favorite excursion both times is the George Inlet crab feast in Ketchikan. Lovely cruise with crab fishing info, and then a yummy all you can eat crab meal. Noticed that this is now a Regent Choice excursion, so they are charging $119 per person.

 

Don't miss the White Pass railway.

[notabigcruiser]

18 minutes ago, hamasgirl said:

 

Also consider staying for a couple of days at either your embarkation or disembarkation port if you have the time.  Vancouver and Seattle (where many cruises either start or end) are magnificent cities to explore.

 

Thank you. We do plan to spend a couple of days in Vancouver to explore and probably one night in Anchorage due to necessity.  The cruise ends in Seward and we want to take the Coastal Classic train to Anchorage, but since it only runs once a day, it will probably be cutting it too close to fly out that evening, especially factoring in possible delays.  Does anyone have experience with this train route and flying out of Anchorage that same evening?

[notabigcruiser]

18 minutes ago, 2012_Alaska_bound said:

It is 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time now! So you don't have to stay up late.

I've cruised Alaska with Regent pre-Covid twice (2012, 2017) and have a third booked in May.

My favorite excursion both times is the George Inlet crab feast in Ketchikan. Lovely cruise with crab fishing info, and then a yummy all you can eat crab meal. Noticed that this is now a Regent Choice excursion, so they are charging $119 per person.

 

Don't miss the White Pass railway.

The White Pass railway is our first choice in Skagway.  I hope we get it.

We're trying to stick to the excursions included in the cost since we're already stretching our budget so much with this cruise. 🙂 

Thank you.

[2012_Alaska_bound]

11 minutes ago, notabigcruiser said:

We're trying to stick to the excursions included in the cost since we're already stretching our budget so much with this cruise.

 

Agree! That's why I was sad to see the complete George Inlet excursion now has an upcharge! Boo hoo. (Also on my May cruise it is at 7:00 a.m. Even I wouldn't eat crab at that hour!)

 

You will have no problem getting the White Pass tickets.

[notabigcruiser]

2 minutes ago, 2012_Alaska_bound said:

You will have no problem getting the White Pass tickets.

Ok yay! I'm excited.  Thanks.

[Big Vin]

20 hours ago, notabigcruiser said:

We've read that some excursions are really terrible, and others are cancelled, and guests are left with no other options.

 

I didn't experience any terrible excursions last week on the August 2 thru August 9 cruise. We did two included tours in that period, and two Regent Choice tours. One thing I appreciated was that the descriptions given by Destination Services was accurate, although sometimes odd.

 

In Sitka, we did an included tour, Tongass Rainforest Nature Hike. The odd part was the description was three hours, 2 to 4 miles. It turned out that four miles was correct - based on the trail, I don't see how they would have adjusted to two miles if needed. Anyway, as in most tours of this sort, it largely depends on the tour guide.

 

The downside from Sitka is that Explorer was relegated to a new docking facility (I call it Storage B) outside of of town. So if you want to just explore(r) the town, you need to take a shuttle there. After such an exciting day in the rainforest (that was sarcasm) we never went into town. (But we've been there before.)

 

Storage B:

 

In Skagway, we took the White Pass train, which was also an included tour. We were wait-list for the VIP version of this tour, but that didn't happen. I'm glad we didn't do the VIP tour, though, because the regular train was fine, and we could easily go without alcohol for three hours. Plus, we rode in the last car (not a caboose) of the train, and that meant I could take photos off the platform back there. Passengers are allowed on the platforms between cars for unobstructed photos, but they are not allowed to move between cars. Unfortunately, there are still few unobstructed views (as there would also be on the VIP car) because Alaska reeks of trees! But no problem here, which is at the apex of the climb.

 

 

Finally, there is a danger of landslides between where the boat docks and where you board the train, and although it's only about one football field in length, you have to take a bus.

 

In Juneau, we paid for Sled Dog Discovery and Musher Camp. I'm sure it would be better to do a sled ride in the snow, but you have to fly to an elevated location for that. But the thing to keep in mind is that the dogs are not the movie star huskies you see in the movies or on postcards. They are mixed breeds, and surprising not very large. On the Iditarod, the maximum number of dogs pulling a sled is sixteen, and I think that was the same as we experienced, only the loaded sled was on wheels and weighed about 2,000 pounds. It's remarkable how hard those dog pulled all that weight. (Fortunately, it was before lunch.)

 

This guy pulled our sled:

 

 

We also got to spend some time with two week old puppies:

 

 

In Ketchikan, Explorer was again relegated to Storage B. This time we had to take the twenty minute ride into town to board a tour boat (ferry-like) to the Misty Fjords. This was our only bad-weather day, and so the tour dragged on, about 2 hours to the fjords, and about another 2 hours back, which left us with only about an hour of scenic viewing. There were a ton of waterfalls, though, because of the rain.

 

 

I think we had much better tours on Regent (then Radisson) Mariner in 2005 when we did the same itinerary in reverse. Oddly, we were younger then - I'm not sure what happened in between - and we did more exotic tours like taking a helicopter to Mendenhall Glacier.

 

 

I definitely recommend splurging for at least one helicopter ride! You get to enjoy the memory and the  image for many years later.

 

[cwn]

We have cruised to Alaska 6 times over the past 25 years with various cruise lines and driven our RV to Alaska once for 2 1/2 months. There will be lots of kids and the ports will be crowded, but there is no place like its beautiful scenery and colorful history. The port towns are tiny and easy to walk around. Becsure to explore some on your own. Alaska is expensive and the tours tend to be also, so sone of the best ones may have an extra charge. If you have on board credit you can use it to pay for those tours.

Go to the glacier in Juneau there is usually a tour that gives you time own your on and there is a lot to see in the NP center and some nice hiking trails. Also get a drink at the Red Dog saloon just to say you have! Do a whale watching cruise at some port just to get out on the water at eye level, you should be luck also and see something. The salmon bakes are fun for a first timer if there is a free one. We had dinner with two cubs one time. The Whitehorse railway is a must and explore Skagway own your on also. The ports have some similar tours so if one port’s tour costs try for a free one at the next port.

Regent offers a great cruising experience, we have been to Alaska on both luxury and mass market lines. Have cruised with Regent over 200 days with 100s of days on other lines, your cruise will be what you make it.

Edited August 12, 2023 by cwn

[notabigcruiser]

@Big Vin thanks so much for the detailed description of your excursions - and the pictures! We are learning so much from this online  community and appreciate it so much. 

[notabigcruiser]

@cwn thank you also for your detailed recommendations. After reading your comments and so many others, our concerns have been eliminated. We are very excited about the cruise and ready to go!!

[labonnevie]

One of the most memorable excursions in 25 years of cruising has to be the helicopter ride onto Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, just beautiful. But the hike once on the glacier was even better. We had crampons and and poles and could go up and down very steep terrain. 
It was on Regent, but I am sure it was extra cost, I have no idea how much. Whatever it was, it was worth twice that. 

[cwn]

1 hour ago, labonnevie said:

One of the most memorable excursions in 25 years of cruising has to be the helicopter ride onto Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, just beautiful. But the hike once on the glacier was even better. We had crampons and and poles and could go up and down very steep terrain. 
It was on Regent, but I am sure it was extra cost, I have no idea how much. Whatever it was, it was worth twice that. 

That is a wonderful tour! You reminded me of doing it on our first cruise to Alaska on a Princess ship in an inside cabin 😂 no less. Time flies because that was 1991, longer ago than I realized. We spent very  extra penny we had on that one tour. Well worth it though.

Notabigcruiee…enjoy your cruise!

Edited August 13, 2023 by cwn

[jeb_bud]

On 8/12/2023 at 6:37 AM, notabigcruiser said:

Yep.  Planning to get online at midnight. 🙂 

Thanks!!

We’re on the June 12 Vancouver to Seward cruise. The last time I checked there were still a lot of available suites, which should translate to good excursion availability. The cruises before and after also looked pretty open. 

[jeb_bud]

On 8/12/2023 at 7:37 AM, notabigcruiser said:

Thank you. We do plan to spend a couple of days in Vancouver to explore and probably one night in Anchorage due to necessity.  The cruise ends in Seward and we want to take the Coastal Classic train to Anchorage, but since it only runs once a day, it will probably be cutting it too close to fly out that evening, especially factoring in possible delays.  Does anyone have experience with this train route and flying out of Anchorage that same evening?

There are several midnight or later flights out of Anchorage that could be decent connections from the train. 
 

The best boat excursion we had on our Alaska cruise was the Kenai Fjords cruise we booked ourselves in Seward. They guarantee that they will get you to the train on time.