Leaving on the Sun in July

[skysilver2000]

Hello there fellow cruisers,

I have found some terrific advice on these boards and was wondering if you could help us once again.

We are Latitudes members on NCL-with our last cruise being on the SUN in April to Central America.

We are going to Alaska for the first time on the Sun in a balcony cabin in July.

We would welcome any advice about shore excursions or tips on Alaska cruising in general.

We have read that you can get a large discount on many excursions by waiting until the ship docks?

Is this true for all 3 ports--Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan?

Which of the excursions actually lets you walk on Mendenhall Glacier or provides the best whale watching?

We will watch anxiously for your posts! Is there any more discounts out there to be had?

Thank you for your time!

Skysilver:p

[garycarla]

Advice for cruising?

 

Make sure you visit the ALASKA Ports of Call message boards.

Make sure you visit your roll call.

You can take a local bus and get near Mendenhal Glacier or take a helo trip there. Also available in another port.

 

Latitudes does not get you much, other than invite to a small party one day.

 

See my notes below.

[DMH15]

Hello skysilver2000...

 

On my Alaska cruise I scheduled the helicopter ride up to Mendenhall glacier through NCL. It stands out as one of my favorite Alaska memories. The reason I chose to book through NCL is that I felt the security of a NCL excursion was worth it with air travel and walking on ice. If something had gone wrong, I'd much rather be on NCL's tour than an independant.

 

In Skagway we walked into town, to the train station and bought a ticket on the white pass vintage train. Loved it. If you do this, take your passport! My mom only took a copy and they really gave her a hard time.

 

In ketchican we went to the lumberjack show. It was hokey in my opinion and I would not recommend it.

 

The glacier viewing from the ship is wonderful. Bring binocs or a good camera with a telephoto lens.

 

Enjoy the Sun. I know you will!

[Toyz711]

waiting until you dock usually means you will be missing out on a lot of great stuff. there are some tours, available at the docks...and there are many things to do on your own...but some planning is usually needed.

whale watching is discussed a great deal on the alaska boards. no large discounts, alaska excursions are expensive.

the small boat whale watching (boats that only take 6 at a time) are mostly sold out before the season even begins. ocra enterprises, a long time whale watching company, has larger boats. sometimes it's possible to walk to their offices and see if something is available on the next boat. if whale watching is important, best to have reservations.

[woodley]

One of the trip we really enjoyed was the wilderness fishing. There were only four to a boat and they supplied all the equipment we needed. They took us to a remote spot to fish and we all caught large fish. I did this for my husband but it turned out to be the best excursion I have ever taken.

 

We saw quite a few whales very close to the boat approx 30 ft away. Then they took us to an island and we sat around a camp fire while they prepared the fish we had just caught for dinner. We had really good 3 course meal.

 

The island was really rustic especially the bathroom. The company was great and we felt miles away from civilization. We saw a lot of wildlife in their own environment. They took us to see some crab traps too.

 

This shore excursion is well worth the money.

 

Just one recomendation, wear the clothes they give you, you will need them, it was freezing out in the wilds.

[skysilver2000]

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for your feedback--I am sure it will make a once in a lifetime trip for our family even more enjoyable!

skysilver

[Budget Queen]

Hello there fellow cruisers,

I have found some terrific advice on these boards and was wondering if you could help us once again.

We are Latitudes members on NCL-with our last cruise being on the SUN in April to Central America.

We are going to Alaska for the first time on the Sun in a balcony cabin in July.

We would welcome any advice about shore excursions or tips on Alaska cruising in general.

We have read that you can get a large discount on many excursions by waiting until the ship docks?

Is this true for all 3 ports--Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan?

Which of the excursions actually lets you walk on Mendenhall Glacier or provides the best whale watching?

We will watch anxiously for your posts! Is there any more discounts out there to be had?

Thank you for your time!

Skysilver:p

 

Do your homework, there are hundreds of worth while tours to consider. Narrow down your interests and repost.

 

Sorry, you have the wrong "advice" with "waiting. I only recommend having all plans and reservations in place, before you leave. Unless you are only interested in "bus" type tours, availablity at the dock is slim pickings along with timeframes not always the best for touring.

 

Head to the Alaska board and spend some time reading posts. All the information is there.