Should we be booking now for excursions in '17?

[cruiseguy1016]

We have a southbound Alaska cruise booked for June 9 - 16, 2017. We will be spending the week before on a DIY land tour. Our land portion has us spending time in Fairbanks, Healy/Denali, Talkeetna, Anchorage and Seward. Our cruise portion has us stopping in Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan. Should we be booking excursions now? We have ideas for some of the things we want to do in the various towns but we don't have everything planned yet. Should we be worried about certain things selling out? We will be there in early June. Will we have problems booking some things in March or April? Are the tour operators "closed" during the winter months or do they respond to booking requests?

[xlxo]

flight and marine activities will be the first to sell out. Other activities can be booked the night before on the cruise ship.

[lolavix]

I don't know if you are asking about the cruise excursions or the land portion of your trip. My family is doing a 2 week DIY in July and while I haven't booked any excursions yet, I do have my flights, hotels and car rental reserved. I can change almost all of the lodging reservations without penalty (or very low--like $25 for maybe two of them), so I figured I'd book now to lock in the price. Our two weeks cover some of the same areas that your land portion does.

 

I am waiting to book certain things (boat excursion in Seward and Valdez) because I want to see if the coupon books for next year include discounts for the vendors I'm looking at. Many of the things we're going to do don't require seats/tickets, so I'm OK for most, and the things we might do in each place might change a bit between now and July.

[CruiserBruce]

flight and marine activities will be the first to sell out. Other activities can be booked the night before on the cruise ship.

 

Agree. Limited capacity excursions like flight activities will sell out early.

[mapleleaves]

What is the advantage to waiting?

 

The advantages of booking early include .... great prices on car rental (right now), getting the excursion or lodging vendor you prefer, securing a space on limited seating excursions like flightseeing or bear watching, getting 2016 rates.

 

It really depends on your plans, so its to your advantage to firm up an itinerary sooner than later. Especially true if you have any priorities or preferences that would leave you heart broken if they were missed. ie on my first trip to Denali I didnt have a reservation ....so i had to wait 2 days for a seat on the shuttle bus and had to camp elsewhere.Since we were camping, we had a loose itinerary and it was ok to wait. But if i was on a tight itinerary with hotel reservations in place, i would have been devestated to miss Denali.

 

Yes, some vendors close up and move away for the winter. Most check emails and phone messages, but not daily.

 

Since your dates are fixed, i'd reserve a car asap, then start reaearching so you can firm up that itinerary by spring.

 

If you have anything specific in mind, ask about it now to get suggestions on when you should book

[TheCalicoCat]

Yes, you should be booking for 2017 now. Especially if you have a specific vendor in mind or a small capacity excursion in mind.

 

You can get a whale watch tour the day off on the dock in Juneau. If you want to go with Harv & Marv as one specific example, then they may be booked already.

[cruiseguy1016]

We have our flights, car rental and accommodations booked. I'm wondering about excursions primarily for the land portion. The highest priority excursion for us is a flightseeing tour/glacier landing of Mt. Denali. We'll probably be doing that in Talkeetna. We also want to do an ATV tour either in Fairbanks or Denali. We'll be taking the bus to the Eielson Visitor Center in Denali. Do we need to reserve that ahead of time or can we just pay for it the day of?

[mapleleaves]

We have our flights, car rental and accommodations booked. I'm wondering about excursions primarily for the land portion. The highest priority excursion for us is a flightseeing tour/glacier landing of Mt. Denali. We'll probably be doing that in Talkeetna. We also want to do an ATV tour either in Fairbanks or Denali. We'll be taking the bus to the Eielson Visitor Center in Denali. Do we need to reserve that ahead of time or can we just pay for it the day of?

 

Thx, it helps to know your priorities.

Are you using the Toursaver or Northern Lights discount books for flightseeing ? Big ticket items definitely need a reservation with a coupon, since they only accept a few each day.

 

We tried to flightsee but were weathered out that afternoon, evening and again the next day. There are several vendors but Talkeetna is a big cruisetour stop and flightseeing is the big attraction. If the weather had been good, I wonder if I would have been able to fly without a reservation ..... maybe everyone else who was waiting out the storm would have rushed to the office to be first in line.

 

For the shuttle buses at Denali, not all tickets are sold on line. They hold a number of tickets to be sold to walk up passengers .... check the web site, I think it's 2 days out. For 2 people, you will probably be able to buy tickets the day off, but maybe not your 1st choice of destination and departure time. I wouldn't necessarily buy the tickets in January, but I wouldn't wait until June 1 either.

 

Don't know anything about ATVs.

Edited September 20, 2016 by mapleleaves

[Melozone]

I always book early no matter where I'm going. It gets me on the books and I have one less thing to worry about.

 

If they don't have a calendar up for the date I need, I drop an email and ask when they will open them up. I set a reminder and go from there. That's what works for me.

[cruiseguy1016]

Thx, it helps to know your priorities.

Are you using the Toursaver or Northern Lights discount books for flightseeing ? Big ticket items definitely need a reservation with a coupon, since they only accept a few each day.

 

We tried to flightsee but were weathered out that afternoon, evening and again the next day. There are several vendors but Talkeetna is a big cruisetour stop and flightseeing is the big attraction. If the weather had been good, I wonder if I would have been able to fly without a reservation ..... maybe everyone else who was waiting out the storm would have rushed to the office to be first in line.

 

I plan on buying one of the discount books but the 2017 versions aren't out yet. The discounts for flightseeing are huge.

[mapleleaves]

The discounts have really decreased over the last 5-6 yrs.

For that particular trip, my flightseeing coupon was 1/2 off for the 2nd person. Now i think the discount is only good for a party of 4.

But yes, the savings can be significant if you can utilize the coupons.

Good luck!

[NancyIL]

My 9-night cruise on Radiance of the Seas next May goes to 6 ports, and one person on our roll call has already organized private tours for 5 of those ports! If you are pretty sure about what you want to do, I'd book sooner rather than later - especially if your deposit or full payment is refundable.

[Tricia724]

.....We'll be taking the bus to the Eielson Visitor Center in Denali. Do we need to reserve that ahead of time or can we just pay for it the day of?

 

We arrived at Denali on September 3 this year and had shuttle tickets for September 4 and 5. Because we wanted to be on the first shuttle to Eielson (7:00 am) both days, I booked those tickets the first week sales were open. It's probably not necessary to book that early but we definitely wanted the earliest shuttle.

 

We went to the Visitors Access Center to pick up our tickets when we arrived on the 3rd, and the place was a madhouse. There must have been 50 people standing in line to buy tickets. Almost everything to Eielson and Wonder Lake was sold out for the 4th, with only a couple of options available. September 5 was Labor Day, and the number of buses into the Park had been cut. The woman at the desk said they were trying to get drivers to add additional shuttles to meet the demand, but apparently it didn't work out that way because we noticed far fewer shuttles and buses on the 5th. She said this was the busiest year they have ever had at the Park and it was just crazy all year.

 

I would definitely book shuttle tickets before you go. You don't have to book early like me, but I don't think I'd want to chance just walking in and picking up tickets. If Alaska bookings are as strong in 2017 as they were this year, you might be disappointed in your options when you arrive.

[lolavix]

Because we wanted to be on the first shuttle to Eielson (7:00 am) both days, I booked those tickets the first week sales were open.

 

Do you remember when that was? It looks like the new prices will be available in December this year, so I'm guessing that is when the tickets go on sale.

[Tricia724]

Do you remember when that was? It looks like the new prices will be available in December this year, so I'm guessing that is when the tickets go on sale.

 

I just looked at the confirmation I received and it was dated January 13, so I exaggerated a bit saying I booked the first week tickets went on sale because I think sales also began sometime in December last year too. I remember someone came on this board and said he had made reservations for Denali, so I went to check on the shuttle schedule and made mine too.

 

We had our itinerary locked in place in November, and I made a lot of reservations early. I wouldn't suggest anyone book this early if they are still thinking some options and might change their plans. We followed our original itinerary exactly.....well, except for the changes we had to make when American Airlines canceled our flight out of Vancouver.:(

[lolavix]

I just looked at the confirmation I received and it was dated January 13, so I exaggerated a bit saying I booked the first week tickets went on sale because I think sales also began sometime in December last year too. I remember someone came on this board and said he had made reservations for Denali, so I went to check on the shuttle schedule and made mine too.

 

We had our itinerary locked in place in November, and I made a lot of reservations early. I wouldn't suggest anyone book this early if they are still thinking some options and might change their plans. We followed our original itinerary exactly.....well, except for the changes we had to make when American Airlines canceled our flight out of Vancouver.

 

My itinerary is starting to get locked in place, too, and I've made a bunch of reservations for lodging. In a few cases, I've been told that they are honoring this season's rates until the website is updated, so I'm pleased with that. I am going to wait for the Northern Lights/Tour Savers deals to be published for a few things, because some of them do have deals this year so I wouldn't want to book early and miss out. For other things, though, they don't have deals this year and I'm good with the price I am paying to ensure that we get the tour when we want it. (Sort of like booking a cruise room.)

 

I will keep an eye on the Denali site, knowing that the reservations probably won't open until December at the earliest.

 

I am not sure I want to know what happened with your flight. Was it your inbound flight to Alaska or going home? I'd deal better with the homebound flight, because it would disrupt things like work, not the fun. ;)

[Tricia724]

I am not sure I want to know what happened with your flight. Was it your inbound flight to Alaska or going home? I'd deal better with the homebound flight, because it would disrupt things like work, not the fun. ;)

 

It was our flight home. We originally had a flight out of Vancouver leaving at 2:15pm with a connection in Phoenix. American canceled the afternoon flight and booked us instead on an 8:30am flight. Since our ship was scheduled to dock at 8:00am, I thought there was a good chance we wouldn't be able to make it! After spending a couple of hours reviewing all of American's flights, I realized there were no reasonable alternatives available, and we had to cancel. Since American made the change, they refunded our money.

 

The good news was that they canceled the flight the middle of June which gave me three months to book with another carrier. The bad news is the new flights cost us an additional $150/pp. No matter how carefully you plan, there are some things that just don't go your way.

[lag9122]

We are doing the northbound cruise from Vancouver to Seward june 9 2017 . And I have booked Harv & Marv whale watching tour because it is so popular and sells out quick . We also booked the train in Skagway. It makes it easier for me and less to do in the future Enjoy your cruise.

Lisa

[JanetAlice]

We are going next July. I have Harv and Marv, Island Wings and our trip to Katmai booked. I also have several reservations at B and Bs booked. The big hotels in Denali and Talkeetna aren't available for reservations until next month.

[notentirelynormal]

Me too. I want to lock down the ones most recommended and best set for us as a family, before the end of the season. I have a few more issues to work out but so far it is coming along great. If only I could win the lottery to pay for it all. It is much easier when you are only paying for two. Paying for six is a LOT of money.

 

Shhhh, let's not let DH know just yet. Truth be told, he is the cheapest man ever. Ever! Except.... except when it comes to me. Except... when it comes to his children. Except.... when it comes to his grandchildren. He will argue with me over $1 extra on a purchase BUT I can spend $500 to do something with his grand kids... no problem. Afterward, he will say something quietly like, "don't you think we spent too much?" It is one of the things that I love so much about him. Sure, of course I could have. LOL.

 

In all our years together the biggest decisions we have made came in under 30 seconds. Example: my niece being put in the foster care system or living permanently with us. Conversation: I need to. Yup. Discussion over. Paying an extra dollar to get a handle on the aluminum turkey cooking thing. NO - he will NOT pay $1 just for that. And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is why I love the old guy!

 

Ketchikan and Juneau are done deals. I really hope the weather hold or there will be 4 very unhappy young children. I'm still working on Skagway and the Tracy Arm Fjord. Victoria will be cheap. The miniature museum.

Edited September 29, 2016 by notentirelynormal

[lolavix]

The good news was that they canceled the flight the middle of June which gave me three months to book with another carrier. The bad news is the new flights cost us an additional $150/pp. No matter how carefully you plan, there are some things that just don't go your way.

 

Very true. When things like that happen to us, I figure it could always be worse. :o

 

 

Shhhh, let's not let DH know just yet. Truth be told, he is the cheapest man ever. Ever! Except.... except when it comes to me. Except... when it comes to his children. Except.... when it comes to his grandchildren. He will argue with me over $1 extra on a purchase BUT I can spend $500 to do something with his grand kids... no problem. Afterward, he will say something quietly like, "don't you think we spent too much?" It is one of the things that I love so much about him. Sure, of course I could have. LOL.

 

Then these Alaska activities should be fine with him. ;) I hear what you are saying, though. The expense is why we scrapped the cruise + land idea and are just focusing on the land for 2 weeks. I figure, DH and I can return in the future and just do the cruise ourselves, when the kids have grown.

[notentirelynormal]

Very true. When things like that happen to us, I figure it could always be worse. :o

 

Then these Alaska activities should be fine with him. ;) I hear what you are saying, though. The expense is why we scrapped the cruise + land idea and are just focusing on the land for 2 weeks. I figure, DH and I can return in the future and just do the cruise ourselves, when the kids have grown.

 

Not an option for me. I am trying to get my four grand kids together every year starting this year. Two weeks in August. We spent a lot of money taking them to Disneyland, Universal, the Zoo, the Ventura County Fair, horse back riding, getting their ears pierced and pictures. Next year a cruise to Alaska. By the time we are said and done, it won't be that much different money and we will survive.

[lolavix]

Not an option for me. I am trying to get my four grand kids together every year starting this year. Two weeks in August. We spent a lot of money taking them to Disneyland, Universal, the Zoo, the Ventura County Fair, horse back riding, getting their ears pierced and pictures. Next year a cruise to Alaska. By the time we are said and done, it won't be that much different money and we will survive.

 

How old are your grandkids? You are terrific grandparents for taking them on such fabulous vacations. :) Which cruise are you going on? What types of things are you looking to do with them?

 

When I first started looking, there did seem to be a big difference on prices for the cruise plus the excursions plus an extra week in Alaska versus just doing two weeks in Alaska. I think part of that was also due to what we wanted to do, which is why I figured we'd just do the land portion this time around and save the typical cruise ports for another trip.

[mapleleaves]

When I first started looking, there did seem to be a big difference on prices for the cruise plus the excursions plus an extra week in Alaska versus just doing two weeks in Alaska. I think part of that was also due to what we wanted to do, which is why I figured we'd just do the land portion this time around and save the typical cruise ports for another trip.

 

if you're doing a land trip (with or without the cruise), you might want to look into an RV rental. It gives you a lot more flexibility with your travels, saves you from 3 restaurant meals a day, and camping adds to the sense of adventure when you're visiting Alaska. If you have 3 or more in your party it can be a cheaper option than car rental, plus lodging, plus dining. And with kids it's nice to have a bathroom and kitchen with you at all times! Actually I appreciate that too. If we came to a scenic area we could just pull over and make lunch.

I've rented from Great Alaska Holidays twice and highly recommend them. I've made my reservation in December to get the pre-season prices. We had a general itinerary but didn't know where we would be each night. The only reservation was at Denali because I knew I wanted to stay INSIDE the park. If we liked a place we could stay an extra night and if we didn't, or had bad weather, we could move on, since we weren't tied to a hotel reservation. And if the campground was full, the RV is self contained so we could overnight almost anywhere.

If you're travelling with children it's more work than a hotel ... you're preparing the meals, putting away bedding, picking up, etc, but like I said, it's a fun adventure. Finding bear scat in your campsite at Williawaw (nr Girdwood) when you're looking for a level spot to park is pretty exciting for kids and adults !

Edited September 29, 2016 by mapleleaves

[notentirelynormal]

Not an option for me. I am trying to get my four grand kids together every year starting this year. Two weeks in August. We spent a lot of money taking them to Disneyland, Universal, the Zoo, the Ventura County Fair, horse back riding, getting their ears pierced and pictures. Next year a cruise to Alaska. By the time we are said and done, it won't be that much different money and we will survive.

 

Wow. That came across wrong. What I meant was all the money we spent entertaining 4 children for two weeks adds up. Just buy lunch at McDonalds. You can't get out the door for under $20. Just going to the county fair was a couple of hundred and that was using coupons. Feed 6 people at the fair. Add in gas, parking and all the other stuff.

 

With the way schools work now it is hard to figure out a time when they can all get together and I wanted to take them on a dream vacation before it becomes impossible. Plus, DH isn't a spring chicken and walking gets harder and harder for him as well as myself.

 

With a cruise its a one stop shopping thing. I don't have to pack them up or feed them or wash dishes or anything. That's done. Heck, just loading the car with 4 kids, their crap, one wheelchair, one scooter, one electric chair, drinks, snacks, movies etc. Took us a minimum of 30 minutes each way.