Help!! Am I overbooked on excursions?

[postalgrrl]

In Skagway we have booked a helicoter tour that starts @ 9:15am and lasts for 2 hours and then we booked a trip on the White Pass RR that leaves @ 12:40pm.This only leaves us about and hour and a half between excursions. Should we try to make both excursions?? Or should cancel the RR and rent a car to drive to Emerald Lake or Carcross after the helicopter trip?? And if we drive how long does it take to get to Emerald Lake and/or Carcross? I know we won't be able to pick a car until about noon, but our ship doesn't leave Skagway until 8:30pm. Please help.

[yukoner]

You have the best idea? Rent the car and drive. It is much cheaper and more fun. Go to http://www.explorenorth.com and look at the mile post. You will have all your questions answered there.

Good luck and watch out for the wildlife? Look up as you drive along the Venus Mine Site?

[sarahjane]

An hour and a half is plenty of time between excursions. Feel safe in sticking with what you have already arranged, unless you were having second thoughts about it for some other reason. If it is what you thought you wanted to do, then don't change it because of the timing. It is really plenty of time!

 

sarahjane

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

Since your ship doesn't leave until 8:30 PM you have plenty of time to do both tours.

 

And don't forget to stop at the Red Onion Saloon after all your touring to eat, drink, and rest up.

 

:)

[Boo's Mom]

postalgrrl..... You have plenty of time to take both of your scheduled excursions. The train ride is just very awesome!

 

BTW, I was in Skagway a few weeks ago...and our ship was scheduled to depart @ 8:00pm. We did the dogsled excursion that afternoon..and were dropped off in town late that afternoon....maybe 6ish? ..... almost every store was closed in town! It looked a bit like a ghost town.

[sboh]

There is also a 4:30 pm WP & Y train you could take if you'd like a little more time between excursions (to explore town or shop). It would get you back to your ship at 8 pm. We're sailing on the Diamond Princess and like you are doing our helicopter tour in the am then taking this later train. We leave Skagway at 8:45 pm.

[taxatty]

Here's another vote for renting a car in Skagway. The drive is easy, the scenery is beautiful, you can go (and stop) at your own pace, go much farther into Canada, and it's much cheaper than the train to boot.

[Host Caroline]

There is also a 4:30 pm WP & Y train you could take if you'd like a little more time between excursions (to explore town or shop). It would get you back to your ship at 8 pm. We're sailing on the Diamond Princess and like you are doing our helicopter tour in the am then taking this later train. We leave Skagway at 8:45 pm.

IMHO the 4:30 train tour is cutting it way to close with your 8:30 departure.. ships only wait for people on their sponsored tours.. It isn't likely but if there was a problem and you didn't make it back... also, you would need to allow time to get back to the ship from the train station.. unless they had stop nearer ship first.. remember, if you sail at 8:30 they generally want everyone back onboard 1/2 hour prior!

Just my opinion...

[postalgrrl]

Thankyou to all for the help!

 

Caroline, I agree with you, the late train would be cutting it to close to the depature time of the ship. I think we have decided to rent a car and cancel the train. I'm going to sleep on it tonight and finalize things tommorow.

 

Can anyone tell about how long it takes to drive to Emerald Lake? I figure we will pick up the car about 1:00pm and then head out to Emerald Lake.

[sboh]

Actually, we did pre-book this excursion thru Princess for the reasons Caroline mentioned. Don't know what ship postalgrrl is on, perhaps they don't offer this time.

[Luanne]

NCL also does the 4:30 train and that's why we felt safe booking it. We knew the ship wouldn't go without us. In fact our shore excursion rep on the ship said that that one isn't usually as busy and doesn't fill up as fast. We did shopping in the am, then a van tour in the late morning and then the train at 4:30.

 

Luanne

[postalgrrl]

I am on the Serenade of the Seas and RCCL does not offer the 4:30 train.....so it's decided, we are renting a car and driving to Emerald Lake.

[Budget Queen]

Emerald Lake is 75 miles from Skagway- but the main reason for a rental car on the Klondike Highway is for stopping. :) So allow at least 4 hours.