Can you do Alaska without doing excursions?

[Adreyer]

This is a fantastic thread. Thanks for your input everyone!

 

[MJDisFamCruisers]

We have done 2 Alaskan cruises and are going again in July. Our 1st, at every port we did an excursion because we had never been there before and wanted to experience "Alaska." But, our 2nd, we only did one excursion and just walked around the ports the rest of the time. For our cruise in July, we are going to do 3 excursions (Dog sledding in Skagway, Whale Watching in Juneau, and a cultural tour in Icy Strait Point). You can easily experience Alaska without doing any excursion, but honestly I think doing excursions is what makes the trip more enjoyable, especially if you don't enjoy just walking into gift shops. Skagway and Ketchikan are neat towns to explore on foot, but it all depends on what you want to experience. We did the White Pass Railway (Skagway) both times we went and it was amazing. In Juneau, we went to Mendenhall Glacier and in Ketchikan, went to Totem Pole park (which later on we found out you could walk to). Whatever you choose to do, Alaska will certainly be a memorable cruise experience.