Celebrity Excursion Question

Seeking advice for the cruise we are planning on the Celebrity Solstice in August. On the last cruise we took to Europe we planned all but one of our excursions through independent providers which all had 8 person vans and had great experiences. On the one excursion we booked through Celebrity we were on a bus with about 50 other passengers and it was much less organized and with a group that large, you can only go as fast as the slowest person, so not quite as enjoyable. I'm wondering if it's different in Alaska since a lot of the excursions offered by Celebrity say that they're run by verified outside tour companies and look to be the same descriptions as those offered by independent operators. Is there any difference if we book through Celebrity or on our own with an independent operator? Or are they the same tour? Advice and experience are appreciated. Thank-you.

Oops...ignore this post. Didn't think that the last one went through so rewrote it. Sorry

Some are the same operator. I would narrow down what excursions you wish to take and see if they can be booked independent. If you book through your cruise and you show up late, they will wait for you. For instance, I am taking an airplane tour in Ketchikan and can do it on my own with a operator that gets excellent reviews here and on Trip Advisor. So I feel comfortable booking with them. Hope this helps.

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