NCL SUN Northbound 12 day Alyeskan tour-excursions

Does anyone know what excursions will be available? Can we book before?

You need to post your itinerary, details are important with mode of transit and what is already included.

Budget Queen-

https://www.ncl.com/cruises/12-Day-Denali-Alyeska-Explorer---Northbound-Cruisetour?itineraryCode=NBDENALIALYESK2SUN7VANKTNJNUSGYSWD

Budget Queen-

 

https://www.ncl.com/cruises/12-Day-Denali-Alyeska-Explorer---Northbound-Cruisetour?itineraryCode=NBDENALIALYESK2SUN7VANKTNJNUSGYSWD

When are you going?

When I clicked through your link, to find something we wanted to recommend if it's offered, it said there were no excursions available.

Anyway, we did the Northbound Sun last May/June, and it was SPECTACULAR. Despite weather forecasts of rain the entire week, we had terrific sunshine almost non-stop.

Northbound, after Glacier Bay, the starboard side of the ship has terrific views of the coastal mountains.

We found Hubbard Glacier (no excursions, all "on the ship") to be a high point. LOTS of glacier calving, very impressive. And we got "right up close and personal" - it almost seemed "too close". :D

One of our best excursions ever (not just this cruise) was from Juneau, with the little hovercraft to a remote glacier face.

It's expensive, but definitely was worth it.

The "ride" alone was special, and then wandering around in front of the glacier... that was quite an experience, too.

The next best was privately arranged the day after we arrived in Seward (we did not take the rest of your planned trip).

It was the Kenai Fjords LONG tour (9 hours), which took us to lots of marine life, birds, and then into a wonderful fjord where we went way in...

We want to take that cruise again, and we'll then spend more time further north.

We took the "observation" train (not through the cruise line) to Anchorage, and had spectacular scenery again.

We were fortunate to see the "bore tide" coming in Turnagain Arm.

(Look it up; fascinating. We had never heard of it, until we started researching this trip. We were just totally lucky to be transiting along side Turnagain Arm as that bore tide came in; it's only a few days a month.)

You have multiple options to book tours in your ports from the cruise, in advance. I'd suggest you do so. Start with looking over your shore excursion list and narrowing down your interests.

With you on a cruise tour, unfortunately you won't have any time for Kenai Fjords (which is a highlight), unless your bus leaves 3pm or later to Girdwood. If it does, then your only option is for you to split from the group get yourself on the Kenai Fjords tour, 8am tour. But doubtful this is possible. Other option I would strongly suggest IF you want to include this is to just meet the tour at Alyeska and book yourself on the Alaska RR. SIMPLE to do, if YOU want to consider it. Otherwise, not much going on at Alyeska without a car.

It is about an hour to Anchorage then another 6 by bus to Denali. So time in the evening for rafting, Visitor Center etc. ease will be determined where you are staying? Tundra Wilderness tour is 8 hours. Train to Anchorage is 8 hours. leaving around noon. So morning open- can include the Sled Dog demo?

When are you leaving? IF an overnight night flight home, plenty to do in Anchorage, http://www.anchorage.net or rent a car and see more.

We just did the Northbound out of Vancouver on the Sun June 5th and it was an incredible trip. We decided to just do our own land tour afterward and had a great time, saw and did so much. The Sun is a great little ship, though older but we liked that. There were 2000 passengers but you would never have known, cabins are good size and the crew was excellent! Our forecast was to be rainy in port but we never had a drop of rain.....was beautiful all week. The highlights for our trip was the Taku Lodge and 5 Glacier flightseeing trip on the cruise....and post cruise, hands down was Kenai Fjord Tour with dinner at Fox Island. We saw humpback whales right in the bay, barely out of the marina that were bubble-net feeding and even captured a picture of a full breach....whole whale out of the water! Incredible! We did a raft trip down the Kenai and Russian river (Drifters Lodge in Coopers Landing) as the sockeye salmon were starting their run.....thousands of fish in the river and hundreds of folks along the river trying to catch them! Walked to Exit Glacier. Listened to the Seavey Iditarod dogs howl at night from our cabin (erie but cool sound...stayed in the Seaveys cabins in Seward). Horeseback riding along the Knik river with the Knik Glacier in the distance, Fun trip to Talkeetna but our flight around Denali was scrubbed due to low cloud ceiling....but was a fun day in town waiting to see if we were going to fly! Great place to eat is the West Rib Pub and Grill! There is a great museum there talking about the town, a salmon hatchery. Rangers office where all the Denali climbers have to register and check in. The day we were there, there were 331 climbers on the mountain and of the 1000 or so that had attempted, only 30% had reached the summit. I did not realize it took 3 weeks to climb due to acclimation to the altitude. It goes from 160 feet sea level to 20,000 feet in a very short space and you have to gradually climb or could potentially die. Watch the film in the Rangers headquarters...very interesting and was great talking with the rangers. Hiked around Independence Mine State Park in Hatchers Pass, saw Rocky the 3 week old orphaned moose calf that is owned by state of Alaska but being cared for at the Reindeer Farm in Palmer. Fed some reindeer (domesticated caribou) and learned lots. Rode the Tram at Alyeska in Girdwood......

We just had an incredible trip so enjoy yours!