Alaska Cruisetour activities?

[cookiersmom]

We have just booked on the Millie for the 8B Southbound Cruisetour. We are trying to fill in the activities during the land portion and have tried to get info from Celebrity. They tell us that they use a contractor and can't tell us what the activities will be, nor will they tell us who the contractor is so that we could contact them ourselves.

 

We read that in addition to the "included" activities, there are several half days or full days where you can add activities, and we want to do our planning like we do for ports. We are looking at other available tours, but until we know what the included parts are, and what time of day, we are stuck. We have also read that often, if you wait until you get to the locations like Denali or Talkeetna, many of the optional are already gone.

 

Can anyone help in how we can get this info?

 

thanks

[Jane2357]

Call the Alaska Desk - they will be able to help you. 888-307-8401

 

We are on Millie northbound and doing 7A. :D

[ROYALBOY]

We will be on Millie 8B in Fairbanks May 27/17[emoji572]️

[cookiersmom]

Call the Alaska Desk - they will be able to help you. 888-307-8401

 

We are on Millie northbound and doing 7A. :D

 

My DH called them and they were they ones who could not tell us the "agenda" for the cruisetour activities.

[az_tchr]

Interesting. Really quite easy to do on your own. Depending on how long you have start in Fairbanks. Museum of the North, Musk Ox Farm, drive to Fox and out Steese Hwy and check out town and other museums. Then south and stay two nights in Healy. Prebook a tour all day to the park. Next a night at Denali View (or two) outside Talkeetna. Owner can take you either fishing or rafting. Last a night or better two in Anchorage. State Museum, city park, downtown. The drop off the car and take a shuttle to Seward stopping at the Wildlife refuge.

 

If you do not want to do on your own then look on the internet and there are literally dozens of companies who will organize everything for you at far less cost than thru the cruise company. FYI - I organize antique auto tours including to Alaska. The tour operators there are wonderful. PS - be sure to leave a FULL day before or after your cruise right in Seward and do the full day Kenai Fjords boat tour - MAGNIFICENT.

[cookiersmom]

Interesting. Really quite easy to do on your own. Depending on how long you have start in Fairbanks. Museum of the North, Musk Ox Farm, drive to Fox and out Steese Hwy and check out town and other museums. Then south and stay two nights in Healy. Prebook a tour all day to the park. Next a night at Denali View (or two) outside Talkeetna. Owner can take you either fishing or rafting. Last a night or better two in Anchorage. State Museum, city park, downtown. The drop off the car and take a shuttle to Seward stopping at the Wildlife refuge.

 

If you do not want to do on your own then look on the internet and there are literally dozens of companies who will organize everything for you at far less cost than thru the cruise company. FYI - I organize antique auto tours including to Alaska. The tour operators there are wonderful. PS - be sure to leave a FULL day before or after your cruise right in Seward and do the full day Kenai Fjords boat tour - MAGNIFICENT.

 

Thanks, but We already booked the X 8B. We just want the details so that we can fill in the empty times.

Edited January 14, 2016 by cookiersmom
added info

[tsklag]

I don't know if this will help, but we took 8b in August 2014. The cruisetour optional activities were presented the first night in Fairbanks by the tour leader. We had several days to decide and arrange for payment. We did a Homestead Huskies tour in Denali to Jeff King's dogsled training facility and a jet boat ride in Talkeetna. Both were excellent and the highlights of our entire trip.

[cookiersmom]

I don't know if this will help, but we took 8b in August 2014. The cruisetour optional activities were presented the first night in Fairbanks by the tour leader. We had several days to decide and arrange for payment. We did a Homestead Huskies tour in Denali to Jeff King's dogsled training facility and a jet boat ride in Talkeetna. Both were excellent and the highlights of our entire trip.

 

Hi. Thanks for this input. It is very helpful. So, there was no issue with "sold out" options?

 

I guess this might be their way of keeping us from, in advance, booking alternatives. Doesn't make me happy.

 

Do you happen to know what the name of the tour company was? It might be different in 2016, but at least it would be a start.

Thanks

Edited January 14, 2016 by cookiersmom
more info

[tsklag]

Some choices did eventually sell out. You should probably make your choices within a day or so to be sure of getting them.

[tsklag]

They never mentioned the company that they worked for. The bus driver and tour leader were both teachers moonlighting during the tourist season. We were very pleased with the whole land tour. Everything was very well planned and efficiently executed.

[4cats,1dog]

We did the Royal Caribbean cruise tour in 2014. Royal and Celebrity use Premier tour company. Your tour guide gives you an itinerary when you arrive.

There are a lot of optional tours for an extra cost. You pick and choose what you want to do and they arrange everything. Transportation included. Never sold out. Refundable if cancelled by bad weather. Go to the Alaska boards and search cruise tours. There is a lot of info and pictures. There is no pre planning needed. You have some off time, but you don't have transportation to anywhere. You won't know what your time schedule will be until you get there.

Don't worry, they have all the things you will want to do in the places you go.

Have fun. Alaska cruise tour was the best vacation we ever had!

[Jane2357]

I have a schedule from the Alaska Desk - that gives an over view of each days itineraries but it doesn't list actual times. These materials are printed years in advance and I'm sure they want to leave themselves the option of having leeway.

 

For instance my schedule says that for the morning we wake up in Anchorage and then traveling to Talkeena "In the morning, you'll set off on an exciting ride aboard the Wilderness Express, a luxurious glass-domed train car, to Talkeetna. You'll have the rest of the afternoon to explore Talkeetna as you desire. Unleash you inner adventurer with a zip lining excursion, float trip, or flight seeing tour of Mt. McKinley."

 

So yes there is no time listed but you've paid to join a private tour group -- of course they are not going to make it easy or encourage you to go off on your own with a different excursion. If you are looking for a detailed itinerary - I don't think you'll be getting one in advance.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

If your Alaska cruise tour involves transfers via Alaska rail you can check their schedule since it is set, not dependent on your particular tour. Here's a link that will provide their schedule. We've done 2 Celebrity Alaska Cruise tours and most of the schedules are dependent on the train schedule which runs on a set schedule.

 

http://www.alaskatravel.com/alaska-railroad/

 

The time you have on your own is limited and the tour guide has a good list of optional activities that you can book. the prices are in line with what you would pay on your own without worrying about transportation.

Edited January 15, 2016 by CHEZMARYLOU

[lknlady]

if you or anyone else who is interested will email me, I will be glad to share a list of optionals that I received after several phone calls to Celebrity. The agent received it from another agent who had saved it. He cautioned that the list could change as could prices. It at least gives us a good idea. Like you I like to have things planned and not be rushed in making decisions about excursions.

alicepbeasley@gmail.com

Edited June 2, 2016 by lknlady