Alaska Excursions--post your reviews here!

[dunnhorn]

We just booked June 1, 2015 so I am really interested in this thread! Thanks!

 

[sunryzez]

People on our 6/2014 cruise were reporting that Liarsville sold out before they could book it, so I'd have a second choice ready to go.

Since you are a family of 5, I'd consider booking the whale watching tour with Harv and Marv. You'd have your own private boat rather than being with a bunch of other people.

Do you know if these were first time cruisers reporting this sold out or was it silver members or higher? That makes me nervous. My kids want to do that most of all, i'm not going until 2015.....but still curious to know =)

 

[GoofyLovingFamily]

I will post when our excursions become available for us. We are silver and going on the 9/1 Alaska.

 

[ErikdaRed]

I can say that for day one silver registration the Liarsville excursion was available for 7/7/2014 sailing.

 

[shanhop]

Do you know if these were first time cruisers reporting this sold out or was it silver members or higher? That makes me nervous. My kids want to do that most of all, i'm not going until 2015.....but still curious to know =)

They were first timers, so I don't know when exactly it was sold out.

 

[twindaddy]

Do you know if these were first time cruisers reporting this sold out or was it silver members or higher? That makes me nervous. My kids want to do that most of all, i'm not going until 2015.....but still curious to know =)

It is still available for my July 7th cruise, but I am not a first timer, I am at the 90 day window.

I will check at 75 if you would like. I think the early June cruises have the more experienced cruisers, because they are cheaper, so I would be they know to book earlier.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Just another reminder to consider booking your own tours with local operators not DCL,

We did and we saved a lot of money, example in Kectihcan we booked the floatplane to misty fjords your ourselves and for four was far cheaper than DCL with others joining you, we did two port ad enters in each port, our own helicopter ride in Juneau at the time we wanted personal transport to and from the airport with personal guide, tea coffee, and no one else on the glacier where we landed, in Skagway we had a flight yo Glacier bay and a bus up to Fraser on our own, with white pass rail back down.


So get the times you want, get to go on your own and save lots of money!

Details in links below.

 

[SophiaMax]

Thanks for all the great tips! We are cruising in late June and can't wait!!
I have a question about Tracy Arm for those of you who have done an Alaskan cruise before. We are thinking of doing a 10:30 brunch at Palo that morning but don't want to miss out on anything. Does anyone know if the views are good from there? What part of the day do you cruise the glaciers or is it an all day affair?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Thanks for all the great tips! We are cruising in late June and can't wait!!
I have a question about Tracy Arm for those of you who have done an Alaskan cruise before. We are thinking of doing a 10:30 brunch at Palo that morning but don't want to miss out on anything. Does anyone know if the views are good from there? What part of the day do you cruise the glaciers or is it an all day affair?

We had brunch at 10am on Tracy Arm dsy we were coming up to the channel then but didn't enter Tracy Arm until 1pm.

The sights were good, we saw whales from Palo a few times, even the servers watched and stopped for a while.

There are great sights each day.

We were at the top of Tracy Arm about 2.45 3pm and then turned back, so Brunch would have ended by then.

 

[jbthrone]

This thread is wonderful! Thanks to all that have contributed. We will be sailing July 21st and are very excited. I'm trying to figure out the excursion for Ketchikan... I heard the Eagles and Totems excursion is good, but I'm thinking that we probably will have seen Eagles by then and it sounds like most of that excursion is in a boat, The family is interested in totem poles (which I assume is better visited on land). Is is easy enough to tour the totem poles ourselves, or should we book some kind of tour? We will see the lumberjack show in Vancouver, so that isn't necessary in Ketchikan. I'm traveling with my DDs, both 15, and my youngest DD 13, along with DH and sets of grandparents. The one tour that included Eagles and a totem guy looked like there was some walking - fine for us, but a little problematic for my MiL.

 

[Made Up Name]

This thread is wonderful! Thanks to all that have contributed. We will be sailing July 21st and are very excited. I'm trying to figure out the excursion for Ketchikan... I heard the Eagles and Totems excursion is good, but I'm thinking that we probably will have seen Eagles by then and it sounds like most of that excursion is in a boat, The family is interested in totem poles (which I assume is better visited on land). Is is easy enough to tour the totem poles ourselves, or should we book some kind of tour? We will see the lumberjack show in Vancouver, so that isn't necessary in Ketchikan. I'm traveling with my DDs, both 15, and my youngest DD 13, along with DH and sets of grandparents. The one tour that included Eagles and a totem guy looked like there was some walking - fine for us, but a little problematic for my MiL.

I understand there are plenty of totem poles you can view in Ketchikan for free.

 

[leshunlenese]

sailing on June 1, 2015 and I am already looking. I know I want to do the railway for my train obsessed son and gold panning. I am traveling alone with my DS who will be 5. Planning on one more excursion but I have time to pick

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

sailing on June 1, 2015 and I am already looking. I know I want to do the railway for my train obsessed son and gold panning. I am traveling alone with my DS who will be 5. Planning on one more excursion but I have time to pick

Do look online for Chilkoot charters they do some great alternatives to DCL tours on the White Pass railway.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I understand there are plenty of totem poles you can view in Ketchikan for free.

Yes and everywhere, including Stanley Park Vancouver.

 

[calypso726]

We are sailing August 4th. Due to the feedback on this thread, we are booked for the Disney Exclusive Helicopter Glacier dog sledding, the Disney Exclusive Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's tour and the Grizzly Falls Zip-line excursion. I will be sure to report back on our experiences after our cruise. Thank you!

 

[tweis]

We are thinking of booking Alaska while onboard the Magic in a few weeks. DCL excursion prices are pretty expensive and I am finding that a lot of the charter companies being suggested here do not show prices. Do you all that have booked on your own mind sharing prices? I will contact the charter companies but I would like to have an idea of prices before hand if possible. Thanks.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

We are thinking of booking Alaska while onboard the Magic in a few weeks. DCL excursion prices are pretty expensive and I am finding that a lot of the charter companies being suggested here do not show prices. Do you all that have booked on your own mind sharing prices? I will contact the charter companies but I would like to have an idea of prices before hand if possible. Thanks.

I cant recall exact prices but things like

Kechikan We went with seawing aviation and for a family of four we were cheaper than DCL tour, we chartered a flight and got 10% off for booking early. Think below $900.

We booked the duck tour direct and saved a few $$ per person and got a time DCL wouldnt offer.

Juneau we went with Coastal Copters on a 90 min flight and was far cheaper than DCL helicopter flights. They will email a price to you.

Skagway we used Chilkoot Charters for Bus up to Fraser and train back and it was the same price as rail up and down as DCL, but you do more.

We also had a flight over Glacier Bay with it booked by MM tours and that for four was under $900.

 

[tweis]

I cant recall exact prices but things like

Kechikan We went with seawing aviation and for a family of four we were cheaper than DCL tour, we chartered a flight and got 10% off for booking early. Think below $900.

We booked the duck tour direct and saved a few $$ per person and got a time DCL wouldnt offer.

Juneau we went with Coastal Copters on a 90 min flight and was far cheaper than DCL helicopter flights. They will email a price to you.

Skagway we used Chilkoot Charters for Bus up to Fraser and train back and it was the same price as rail up and down as DCL, but you do more.

We also had a flight over Glacier Bay with it booked by MM tours and that for four was under $900.

Thank you. That information is very helpful.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Thank you. That information is very helpful.

I would email them all they all were most helpful and offered discounts, I think prices are not quoted so you can barter a bit there are booths in each port, where you may get deals but not the best times.

There are advantages and disadvantages in using these. At least you know the weather when your there rather than hope it will be good, but the best slots can go, I planned two Private trips in each port so my timing was important for all.

Booths are on the pier at Skagway and Ketichan but in Juneau more limited as the dock is out of the town. The big tourist building in Ketichan is good its on the dock opposite the shops in a newish building.

 

[jtkboston]

For us. We saved a bunch because one child (age 11) was considered adult prices through DCL, but child prices when booking direct. E.g. Ketchikan duck boat, and Skagway Mushers camp