Alaska excursions questions

[Luckymommatoo]

The time to book excursions for our July cruise is quickly approaching. We are a family group of 14, booked into four rooms. I've been combing through the DCL website, but can't find answers to questions like:

-- if we want to do the Tracy Arm Explorer boats, are there different boats/departure times? We'd really like to be on the same one.
-- In a place like Skagway, where we are there for 12 hours, is there a place to see when a particular excursion departs? It seems like, depending on what you picked, you could do more than one thing, but it's tough to tell when you don't know when anything starts.

thanks!
-e

 

[GoofyLovingFamily]

We rented a van in Skagway and bought a driving guide. We explored on our own and loved it.

 

[Geomom]

1. Tracy Arm: I believe that last year there were departures around Noon and 3PM. When you're registering, you'd pick which time you're doing.

2. You won't know exact times until you go to book. There is a thread from 2014 that lists excursion times for that year...might give you an idea of possible times: https://www.disboards.com/threads/2014-alaska-excursion-times.3250247/ For Skagway, last August, we booked the 7.5 hr Yukon bus/train/dogcart ride tour with Chilkoot Charters--had a great time! It was 8:30-4PM, then a short amount of time to explore the town, get back on the ship, cleaned up, and off to dinner!

 

[saxmangeoff]

1. Tracy Arm: I believe that last year there were departures around Noon and 3PM. When you're registering, you'd pick which time you're doing.

The early one boards before going into Tracy Arm, takes the trip into the fjord, and meets up with the ship at the glacier. The later one boards at the glacier, takes the trip out, and meets up with the ship back out of the fjord.

I have yet to do it (August is coming), but I think I read some differences between the two regarding time at the glacier. Is there anyone who can comment on that?