Rare maxandmolly Posted July 9 #1 Share Posted July 9 I’m currently booked in the NCL Bliss for April ‘25 but will be switching to the Spirit. I’ve started looking at the excursions and they are so expensive! Very few under $100 and none of the cheap ones look appealing. We could easily spend more than the cruise fare in excursions. Why are they so expensive, and which ones are worth it? Is it better to try to go private? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kctwinmommy Posted July 9 #2 Share Posted July 9 Yep! They're expensive because of where you're going. Nothing is easy or cheap in Alaska. Keep in mind, a lot of the places are more remote, supplies must be brought in, etc... We went into our cruise knowing we would spend more than ever before on excursions for that cruise. But we also knew that there were activities we wanted to do that we'd never do again, sort of once in a lifetime moments. As far as using 3rd party companies, I'm sure people will chime in on that. We did not. Any time we use an outside company, we take various things into consideration. For example, if you miss the ship (because the ship won't wait for you if you're not on a Carnival excursion), how easy is it to get to the next port? On our last cruise in the Mediterranean, the next port was like a 2 hour train ride in many places. But in Alaska, it's a challenge. All of our excursions were quite involved, using various modes of transportation, including a helicopter ride at Mendenhall Glacier, and I'd do that again in a heartbeat! We took small boats, canoes, ferry boats, etc... And all of that costs more than most other places. 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kctwinmommy Posted July 9 #3 Share Posted July 9 I will say, we also did the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari and loved it!! It was a lot of fun, some great crew working there. https://www.carnival.com/shore-excursions/skagway/glacier-point-wilderness-safari-172075 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine5715 Posted July 9 #4 Share Posted July 9 44 minutes ago, maxandmolly said: I’m currently booked in the NCL Bliss for April ‘25 but will be switching to the Spirit. I’ve started looking at the excursions and they are so expensive! Very few under $100 and none of the cheap ones look appealing. We could easily spend more than the cruise fare in excursions. Why are they so expensive, and which ones are worth it? Is it better to try to go private? Because employees are paid US wages and many come in for the season, not locals. Companies are required to carry layers of insurances. Vehicles must be licensed and insured. 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudechuck Posted July 9 #5 Share Posted July 9 When we went last year, I looked at booking excursions directly, rather than through Carnival. The savings, if any, was minimal with the exception of the Lumberjack show in Ketchikan (which we didn't go to). So I ended up booking our three excursions through Carnival. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kctwinmommy Posted July 9 #6 Share Posted July 9 28 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said: Because employees are paid US wages and many come in for the season, not locals. Companies are required to carry layers of insurances. Vehicles must be licensed and insured. Exactly! As my husband said, there are times when you can be cheap, but excursions in the colder, wetter, remote areas of Alaska isn't one of those times. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiseAdict218 Posted July 9 #7 Share Posted July 9 It’s why we just stuck with an inside cabin to save any money we could. Think we have an excursion booked in every port but Victoria, second time going but it’s totally worth it. We also did the helicopter ride to Mendenhall Glacier the first time and rebooked it again, it’s one of those once in a life time experiences that should not be missed. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pe4all Posted July 9 #8 Share Posted July 9 We knew the excursions in Alaska would be very expensive - especially the ones we did. We booked exclusively through Carnival. However, this was on our bucket list, and we went for it! The small boat to Tracy Arms was fantastic, and we did the helicopter to Mendenhall Glacier/dog sled camp - it was an unforgettable experience! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABQrobin Posted July 9 #9 Share Posted July 9 Yeah, excursions are expensive but soooooo worth it! We are doing our 3rd Alaska cruise in August on the Spirit this time, last two were the Conquest and Legend. LOVED every second of it. Tracy Arm small boat excursion is a MUST Whale watching in Juneau... cheaper with independent ops but they fill up fast Helicopter up to walk on glacier... amazing! Don't just hang out in port.... take an excursion out to SEE Alaska. It is our favorite, that's why were going back again. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 1025cruise Posted July 9 #10 Share Posted July 9 Alaska is expensive. No way around it. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LHARTWICK Posted July 9 #11 Share Posted July 9 1 hour ago, ABQrobin said: Don't just hang out in port.... take an excursion out to SEE Alaska. Bingo! This is what I always tell first-timers to AK. Get out of the port and actually experience Alaska. You can shop in port when your excursion returns. Yes - AK is expensive for all of the reasons already mentioned, but so worth it. It's not just on CCL - all of the lines' excursions are pricey, especially now. We've cruised AK five times. We've used ship excursions and independent excursions. If you want to go independent, just do your research (these boards are amazing for just that!) and use the reputable independent companies. I recommend a flight-seeing excursion (we used an AMAZING independent vendor in Ketchikan!), the small boat to Tracy Arm Fjord, the train in Skagway, and whale watching. Those are just a few. If you think this may be your only visit to AK, it's worth every cent to get out there and see what she has to offer. Life is too short - go for it! 45 cruises and AK is by far our favorite! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare maxandmolly Posted July 9 Author #12 Share Posted July 9 So basically, suck it up and pay! Thanks for all your input. Trying to teach my husband that some things are worth the money. He’s fighting the reality. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudechuck Posted July 9 #13 Share Posted July 9 In Juneau, you can get to the Mendenhall glacier by shuttle, Uber/Lyft or taxi for cheaper than the sponsored cruise excursions. You can even take the bus (with a looooong walk from the bus stop) for super cheap. Lot's of viewing spots, trails, and waterfall (Nugget Falls). Well worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staceyglow Posted July 9 #14 Share Posted July 9 2 hours ago, maxandmolly said: So basically, suck it up and pay! Thanks for all your input. Trying to teach my husband that some things are worth the money. He’s fighting the reality. Yep. I feel your pain. DH and I tend to be bargain hunters when it comes to travel, we would never spend thousands on a cruise and flights and then pass up a once-in-a-lifetime experience because it was a few dollars more than we wanted to pay. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare maxandmolly Posted July 9 Author #15 Share Posted July 9 9 minutes ago, staceyglow said: Yep. I feel your pain. DH and I tend to be bargain hunters when it comes to travel, we would never spend thousands on a cruise and flights and then pass up a once-in-a-lifetime experience because it was a few dollars more than we wanted to pay. I think he’s accepted the reality now. We need to remember this is a bucket list trip. We’re not pinching pennies on a bucket list trip. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kctwinmommy Posted July 9 #16 Share Posted July 9 55 minutes ago, maxandmolly said: I think he’s accepted the reality now. We need to remember this is a bucket list trip. We’re not pinching pennies on a bucket list trip. We just did a Viking cruise, there was no penny pinching on that one! It was a once in a lifetime trip. We were gone for 28 days, 22 on the ship. And within a few days, he was completely sold on us spending that amount of money. LOL! When it comes to Alaska, we always tell people who are considering it, don't try to do that one on the cheap. You can do plenty of cruises, cheaply. Our last Carnival Caribbean one for the 2 of us was a 5 night, balcony room, and it was $900 total! But Alaska isn't one of those places to skimp. So, if you need to save to make it worth it, then do so. Someone we knew was trying to do it, but really didn't have the money. That's what we told them, then save a year or two and try to do it right. I know some who have gone more then once, but we knew it would only be a one time thing for us. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 1025cruise Posted July 9 #17 Share Posted July 9 Also, remember Alaska has a limited season, whereas the Caribbean is all year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audcc77 Posted July 9 #18 Share Posted July 9 The lumberjack show is literally steps from the ship. No need to purchase that from carnival. We did the dog sled and it was fun. We did it on our own and saved a little $$. What people may not know is that some Alaska excursions have insurance for getting you back to the ship if you miss it. In the Caribbean and Mexico, this is unheard of. We don’t buy ship excursions usually. Never had a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare maxandmolly Posted July 9 Author #19 Share Posted July 9 I think we will skip the lumberjack show. Not sure about the dog sled. We’re thinking whale watching in Juneau, one of the train excursions in Skagway, the small boat in Tracy Arm, and not sure in Ketchikan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kctwinmommy Posted July 9 #20 Share Posted July 9 @maxandmolly Ketchikan is the only one we didn't do an excursion there. We just walked around the town. It's really pretty. We went up in the funicular, walked by the damn where the salmon were swimming upstream, and just kicked around the town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare maxandmolly Posted July 9 Author #21 Share Posted July 9 25 minutes ago, kctwinmommy said: @maxandmolly Ketchikan is the only one we didn't do an excursion there. We just walked around the town. It's really pretty. We went up in the funicular, walked by the damn where the salmon were swimming upstream, and just kicked around the town. The salmon won’t be running in April. But we may just do a wander there. Not sure yet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BallFour4 Posted July 10 #22 Share Posted July 10 Short answer is they are expensive because they can be. Remember, they have tourist season for a short time a year. We went on the Quantum (after a long time comparing Carnival and our diamond benefits) and use Alaska Shore Excursions for Juneau and Ketchikan with a significant savings. My wife had grandiose plans for Juneau to take the helicopter glacier and sled dog experience. A low cloud ceiling cancelled us at the airport right after the safety briefing. Point is, have a backup plan! . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MistyRo76 Posted July 10 #23 Share Posted July 10 Don't be afraid to look at 3rd party vendors. We are doing our first Alaskan cruise on Carnival next year and in my research of tour operators, I've found more than a few who offer guarantees to get back to the ship on time. In the rare event they cannot return you to the ship on time, many of these vendors will provide you transportation to the next port of call, accommodations locally if needed, credits back on your excursion and some even provide meal vouchers. We also like to customize our tours and like to try to do private tours with just our group (usually larger groups of 10+ people). So, using 3rd party vendors gives us that flexibility we enjoy and get more bang for our buck. But I also get being leery of using other vendors. Just do your research and ask the questions about what happens in the event you miss the boat. Then do what you're comfortable with from both a financial and safety/enjoyment aspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgttami Posted July 10 #24 Share Posted July 10 Alaska was a Planes, Trains and Automobiles cruise as far as excursions but was all worth it! It was a long time ago (2005 on RCL) but still remains my favorite cruise of all. The excursions for 2 for the week did cost more than the cruise but it's probably a place I'll never see again so I never regretted it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwcruiselover Posted July 10 #25 Share Posted July 10 I agree with all the above posters who say don’t skimp on Alaska. I have been to Alaska 9 times already, so I now opt for simpler outings at the ports, but for those who are doing a once in a lifetime cruise, just save a little longer if need be, to do it right. If it means sailing in an interior cabin to free up funds for excursions, do it. You can always get outside on the open decks for your sightseeing while on the ship. Enjoy Alaska—it’s amazing! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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