Alaska Port excursions "on the cheap"

[LissaSue2]

My husband and I will be traveling to Alaska on the Pearl, Sept 6 2015 and so far we are feeling paralyzed regarding excursion choices. We've made one choice so far and that is the Chilkoot Yukon Rail and Bus tour out of Skagway. It is booked and paid for. Due to our port arrival time of 2pm in Juneau we are torn on whether we want to pay for a whale watching tour with a brief 15 min curtesy stop at the Mendenhal Glacier with Harv and Marv which would take from 2:30-7:00pm leaving very little daylight time for any other sight seeing, or just forgo the whale watching and take a bus to the glacier and spend as much time there as we'd like (We enjoy trail hiking, etc.,) then back to Juneau for dinner, etc. But are we going to be kicking our selfs if we don't see whale tails, or the bubble feeding that everyone finds so exciting? I think it would be cool to see, but is it honestly $370 cool? I mean I've been to Sea World so I've seen a whale up close and personal. Haha! Is better than the the $8 bus fair to the glacier? Soon torn.

 

The same with Ketchikan. We arrive at 6am and leave at 1:30pm. Most tours are 3-5 hrs and cost a lot, and what we looked into start around 8:30 and end at 12:30. Again, leaving very little time to explore. But are we going to be kicking ourselves if we don't do the Bering Sea Fishermans tour, the Kodiak boating or the kayaking?? All sound fun, all are pricy, all take up a lot of time. :(

 

I guess what I'm wanting from you all is a little perspective, a little advice. We may never get to Alaska again, so I feel it's important to SEE Alaska and can't help but wonder if it's wise to spend all our time (and money) at each port doing just one big thing. Does that make sense? Probably not. Haha! Help?? :confused:

Edited July 11, 2015 by LissaSue2

[bonvoyagie]

Take a look at www.cruiseportinsider.com you will find many DIY suggestions as well as more info on the cruise excursions.

 

Too bad you have already booked the train - I think you would find the tours offered by Chilkoot much better for the same or less $$.

 

Sounds like you are on the Pearl - we did the Tracy Arm Explorer - but alas that tour stops running in Aug - due to diminishing daylight. Which is going to be a problem for you in both Juneau and Victoria.

 

I guess we have never been lucky with whale watching tours - all we have ever seen is spouts and tails - no breaching, bubble feeding, or any other behaviors described by others.

 

You are going to see glaciers in Glacier Bay - Mendenhall is nice because you can walk to it and get tours that land on it - you can even take a sled dog ride.

 

Bottom line - you have only so much time both time wise and daylight. Do what is going to interest you the most - and save the others for your next AK cruise:D

[cb at sea]

Doesn't sound like whales are that important TO YOU....so don't do it! Maybe, on another vacation (possibly to Hawaii!), you see plenty of whales!

 

Do what YOU enjoy!!!

[LissaSue2]

Doesn't sound like whales are that important TO YOU....so don't do it! Maybe, on another vacation (possibly to Hawaii!), you see plenty of whales!

 

Do what YOU enjoy!!!

 

Lol! It's not that they are not important, I like whales, but I'm not sure if they are worth the cost (and time involved) of the excursion. We haven't ruled anything out yet because we honestly don't know what we want to do. Can you say, "paralyzed?" ;)

[LissaSue2]

Take a look at www.cruiseportinsider.com you will find many DIY suggestions as well as more info on the cruise excursions.

 

Too bad you have already booked the train - I think you would find the tours offered by Chilkoot much better for the same or less $$.

 

 

We actually did book through Chilkoot, not through the cruise line. :)

[gatorliz99]

We did the whale watching with Alaska Galore Tours in Juneau, and really enjoyed it. Yes, expensive, but the views and the overview of the area and the whales made it worth it. I say go for it.

 

In Ketchikan we did the zodiac boats. It was fun, but frankly I could have skipped it. My husband loved it tho. It's a lovely port and there is a lot to explore!

 

Good luck!

[ndabunka]

My husband and I will be traveling to Alaska on the Pearl, Sept 6 2015 and so far we are feeling paralyzed regarding excursion choices. We've made one choice so far and that is the Chilkoot Yukon Rail and Bus tour out of Skagway. It is booked and paid for. Due to our port arrival time of 2pm in Juneau we are torn on whether we want to pay for a whale watching tour with a brief 15 min curtesy stop at the Mendenhal Glacier with Harv and Marv which would take from 2:30-7:00pm leaving very little daylight time for any other sight seeing, or just forgo the whale watching and take a bus to the glacier and spend as much time there as we'd like (We enjoy trail hiking, etc.,) then back to Juneau for dinner, etc. But are we going to be kicking our selfs if we don't see whale tails, or the bubble feeding that everyone finds so exciting? I think it would be cool to see, but is it honestly $370 cool? I mean I've been to Sea World so I've seen a whale up close and personal. Haha! Is better than the the $8 bus fair to the glacier? Soon torn.

 

The same with Ketchikan. We arrive at 6am and leave at 1:30pm. Most tours are 3-5 hrs and cost a lot, and what we looked into start around 8:30 and end at 12:30. Again, leaving very little time to explore. But are we going to be kicking ourselves if we don't do the Bering Sea Fishermans tour, the Kodiak boating or the kayaking?? All sound fun, all are pricy, all take up a lot of time. :(

 

I guess what I'm wanting from you all is a little perspective, a little advice. We may never get to Alaska again, so I feel it's important to SEE Alaska and can't help but wonder if it's wise to spend all our time (and money) at each port doing just one big thing. Does that make sense? Probably not. Haha! Help?? :confused:

 

Our #1 FAVORITE from our '12 Alaskan Pearl cruise was the Sled dog training camp. We wanted to see the dogs (and their cute puppies) but we didn't want to pay $400/person to do it on a glacier so we booked the $79/person tour where they take you up to the mountain training camp. Best thing is it is Cheap. We gave it the nick name "dirt dogs" but would do it again if we make a second trip up there in the future. THE best value of the entire trip for us.

Edited July 12, 2015 by ndabunka

[MagnoliaBlossom]

Yin Skagway I would recommend the White Pass Rail excursion. You can walk to the station in about 10-15 minutes and much cheaper than the ship tour. Google it and check out how to reserve tickets ahead of time.

 

Juneau I agree with going to Mendenall for the day. there are shuttle busses for the pier that are very affordable and seems as though they run every 30 minutes or so.

 

In Ketchican it is a lovely area to stroll or book a private tour.

 

I highly recommend doing a sea plane tour where you can see the glaciers or. It's fjords from the sky. It is impossible to appreciate the grandeur of Alaska without seeing it from the air. We have done several but Michelle with Island Wings in Ketchikan was our very favorite. We toured forest land, glaciers, and she put us down on an alpine lake so we could stretch out legs, then took off and we spotted a pod of orcas. She circled until everyone had their photos and fill of the sight. It ain't cheap but it was truly worth every dime.

[NMLady]

My husband and I will be traveling to Alaska on the Pearl, Sept 6 2015 and so far we are feeling paralyzed regarding excursion choices. We've made one choice so far and that is the Chilkoot Yukon Rail and Bus tour out of Skagway. It is booked and paid for. Due to our port arrival time of 2pm in Juneau we are torn on whether we want to pay for a whale watching tour with a brief 15 min curtesy stop at the Mendenhal Glacier with Harv and Marv which would take from 2:30-7:00pm leaving very little daylight time for any other sight seeing, or just forgo the whale watching and take a bus to the glacier and spend as much time there as we'd like (We enjoy trail hiking, etc.,) then back to Juneau for dinner, etc. But are we going to be kicking our selfs if we don't see whale tails, or the bubble feeding that everyone finds so exciting? I think it would be cool to see, but is it honestly $370 cool? I mean I've been to Sea World so I've seen a whale up close and personal. Haha! Is better than the the $8 bus fair to the glacier? Soon torn.

 

The same with Ketchikan. We arrive at 6am and leave at 1:30pm. Most tours are 3-5 hrs and cost a lot, and what we looked into start around 8:30 and end at 12:30. Again, leaving very little time to explore. But are we going to be kicking ourselves if we don't do the Bering Sea Fishermans tour, the Kodiak boating or the kayaking?? All sound fun, all are pricy, all take up a lot of time. :(

 

I guess what I'm wanting from you all is a little perspective, a little advice. We may never get to Alaska again, so I feel it's important to SEE Alaska and can't help but wonder if it's wise to spend all our time (and money) at each port doing just one big thing. Does that make sense? Probably not. Haha! Help?? :confused:

 

Except for the train out of Skagway we did not do any of the tours you are talking about and I still feel we saw Alaskan culture.

 

I recommend that you read some of the posts in the Alaska forum to get an idea of how to DIY some of the ports rather than do touristy tours.

[pizzalady1]

Our #1 FAVORITE from our '12 Alaskan Pearl cruise was the Sled dog training camp. We wanted to see the dogs (and their cute puppies) but we didn't want to pay $400/person to do it on a glacier so we booked the $79/person tour where they take you up to the mountain training camp. Best thing is it is Cheap. We gave it the nick name "dirt dogs" but would do it again if we make a second trip up there in the future. THE best value of the entire trip for us.

 

Can you point me to that tour? Thanks.

[Keith1010]

You can get a lot of valuable information by visiting the Alaska Ports Of Call Board.

 

Keith

[LissaSue2]

You can get a lot of valuable information by visiting the Alaska Ports Of Call Board.

 

Keith

 

Yes, and you can also read your face off in that and the other boards for two days and get nowhere. Haha! Ask me how I know this. 😁☺️

 

I spent a lot of time weeding through posts and coming away with one little useful tidbit of info. My brain was fried, which I why I decided to just post my own thread. 😉

 

Thank you to those who have responded so far. I appreciate your perspectives.

[ndabunka]

Can you point me to that tour? Thanks.

 

Just back from our PoA cruise and saw that you asked for more details on our "Dirt Dog" tour. Here is what I found in the vacation folder from back in '12...

 

Port: Skagway

Date: 6/13/2012

NCL SGYP4712 Musher's Camp & Sled Dog ex...(ticket is torn there)

Meeting time: 10:50am

[watchdiva]

You have already cancelled your flight seeing excursion that you had booked and now are searching for other excursions. Maybe you should sit down and make a list of things you would like to do, then do a cost benefit analysis. Spending $$$ on an excursion doesn't mean that someone is drowning in money, it just means that their priority is to spend their $$ on an experience, rather than in the casino or on trinkets. For us I know that it is highly doubtful we will return to Alaska so we will maximize our time with "once in our lifetime" experiences. Seeing whales at SeaWorld is nothing like seeing one in their natural habitat. It at the end of your cruise you need to be content with your choices and happy with your experiences.

[fshagan]

In Juneau, I would opt to go to the Mendenhall Glacier again. You can catch the bus from the port and spend a day there, especially if you like hiking. You can hike over to a waterfall nearer the glacier.

 

We also did the Harv and Marv tour once, and it was very nice. The small boat with only 4 other passengers gave it a really intimate feeling, and we had some sea lions come right up to us (all the boats have to avoid sailing next to them, and keep a certain distance away, but if they come up to the boat it is allowed). But, H&M has gotten expensive so we only did it that one time.

[ndabunka]

Here's what I could find that looks current...in skagway.

http://reviews.ncl.com/4066-en_us/SGY_47/musher-s-camp-sled-dog-discovery-reviews/reviews.htm

 

The reviewer in this link stated....

"Many reviews didn't seem all that thrilled with this experience and I can't understand why. Personally, I'm not a huge dog lover (because I have allergies), but this was a tour my daughter really wanted to do so I was on board. Much to my surprise it was a highlight of the trip. The people that work here LOVE their job which is quite evident throughout the experience. We learned lots about dog mushing, got to experience what it's like to ride in a sled, and got to hold puppies. Is it smelly? Maybe a little bit, but within a few minutes you don't notice it anymore. Is it loud? Again, maybe a little bit but that only adds to the excitement when you see dogs so anxious to get going. I'd definitely recommended this trip to people of all ages."

Edited August 6, 2015 by ndabunka

[ndabunka]

You have already cancelled your flight seeing excursion that you had booked and now are searching for other excursions. Maybe you should sit down and make a list of things you would like to do, then do a cost benefit analysis. Spending $$$ on an excursion doesn't mean that someone is drowning in money, it just means that their priority is to spend their $$ on an experience, rather than in the casino or on trinkets. For us I know that it is highly doubtful we will return to Alaska so we will maximize our time with "once in our lifetime" experiences. Seeing whales at SeaWorld is nothing like seeing one in their natural habitat. It at the end of your cruise you need to be content with your choices and happy with your experiences.

 

Not certain why you are giving the OP a hard time here. THIS SITE is for "discovery" of what seems right for you. I can fully understand rushing in to book a expensive tour if she thought it would not be available later. Luckily, many of these tours you can cancel well in advance and get full refunds. It actually kind of surprises me that more people don't just book a whole buch of them up front and then sort through them to determine which ones they REALLY want to spend their money on. In our case, we learned about the Musher camp before we booked one of the more pricier sled dog tours on a glacier but many simply aren't aware of them. It feels good to let someone here know that they can get a VERY GOOD sled dog tour for 25% of what it costs to do one on the ice.

[Sauer-kraut]

I thought the whales were down in Mexico for the winter..... So, I'm thinking the whale watching might be a bust in September anyways.

[ndabunka]

In Juneau, I would opt to go to the Mendenhall Glacier again. You can catch the bus from the port and spend a day there, especially if you like hiking. You can hike over to a waterfall nearer the glacier.

That is what we did and we loved it. Lots of pictures and a (relatively short) hike out to the glacier

 

We also did the Harv and Marv tour once, and it was very nice. The small boat with only 4 other passengers gave it a really intimate feeling, and we had some sea lions come right up to us (all the boats have to avoid sailing next to them, and keep a certain distance away, but if they come up to the boat it is allowed). But, H&M has gotten expensive so we only did it that one time.

 

Having done the NCL whale watching tour (in June) on one of the bigger tour boats with MANY more people (like 60) I can attest that however much the Harv & Marv costs... it is WORTH IT because you are basically pissing your $'s away on the larger boats especially if you have ANY type of mobility issues. I am fully mobile but I still had to battle others for railing spots or take pictures of the (distant) whales by holding my camera above the heads of the crowds of people between me and the railing (think 60 people all trying to view from one corner of a boat that is only about 15 feet wide... not good). My 70 year old mother-in-law might have seen 1 whale through the window of the cabin on the NCL-arranged tour. We all agreed that the NCL whale watching tour was the WORST experience of the trip... unfortunately.

Edited August 6, 2015 by ndabunka

[Budget Queen]

I thought the whales were down in Mexico for the winter..... So, I'm thinking the whale watching might be a bust in September anyways.

 

Absolutely not- the bulk of migration is in November. Sitka has their annual whale fest every year first week end of Nov.

 

Sept, has full numbers of humpbacks to possibly view.

[kimberja14]

I know it can be overwhelming...but trust me...even if you didn't book any ship excursions you will have a wonderful time. Personally, in Juneau I would prefer the glacier and the tram is fun too. We did an Alaskan cruise 15 years ago and 3 years later we moved here:-) the scenery in the inland passage is like nothing I had ever seen before...your in for a real treat!

[gluecksbaer]

My husband and his mother also did the NCL Mendenhall & Whale Watching excursion and both were very disappointed with the whale "sightings." They said they saw more whales from the ship and had better views. So if that's something you aren't sure is worth the time, I would definitely skip it (or possibly look into the smaller boats recommended above).

[Budget Queen]

Whale watches can be an excellent excursion for SOME people. I'm always going out, with some times, staying out for more than one tour. One time, actually stayed out for 3 tours. It is what I like to do in Juneau. (also occasionally fit in flying)

 

This OP has several times, mentioned "money", which seems to be at least some priority. The BULK of whale watch tours, are "basic" - that I've seen a LOT of people unprepared for and disappointed. It is NOT usual to see breaching, bubble net feeding, close up views. What is normal and ALL you can expect with humpbacks are blows, backs and tails. Nothing more. A lot of a whale watch, is usually "waiting". So for someone with a money concern, probably would not think a "usual" trip is worth it, perhaps. I enjoy all my trips, and have probably taken- and paid for :) close to 200 trips, of no concern for me and what I want to do. Everyone is different.

 

For clarification- the Mendenhall shuttle bus is $20pp round trip, with reports of the additional $1 for taxes.

[Bubba54]

I think the Mendenhall glacier is beautiful to hike around. Whale watching is good in Juneau, but bubble feeding is never a guaranteed thing.

 

The bearing sea fishermans tour on the Alutian Ballad is outstanding. Granted everything is subjective to ones personal choice. With that said I have been on the excursion five times and always have a great time. Enjoy Alaska.

[casofilia]

I was going to make a suggestion about seeing Alaska "on the cheap" but see that you are doing a "round trip".

 

We did a 7 day "one way" cruise Whittier-Vancouver a few years ago. Before the cruise we had flown to Anchorage from Vancouver and spent time in Alaska. We took the train to Fairbanks and spent time there before flying back to Anchorage.

 

There were plenty of day trips on offer and we enjoyed the ones we did. Even the coach from Anchorage to Whittier was very enjoyable.

 

Mike

Pom by Birth; Kiwi by Choice