Should we be booking now for excursions in '17?

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.

Our cruise on the Grand Princess starts in San Francisco. We can drive up from LA with two and fly two down from Seattle. Overnight at the hotel, pick the girls up the day before, swimming, bed time then the next morning off to the cruise.

First port is Ketchikan. We are diong the Traitors Cove bear watching then Misty Fjords flightseeing.

Next port is Juneau and there we will do Harv & Marvs whale watching and Coastal Helicopters to land on the glacier, dog sledding with an extra glacier landing.

Skagway is still undecided. I wanted to do the train but after watching some videos I'm not sure how fun it would be for a 6, 8, 9 and 12 YO.

Tracy Arm Fjord I am hoping the ship will offer the small boat experience for up close and personal ice berg experiences.

Next we are on our way to Victoria. There they have an awesome Miniature World museum on the side of the Empress Hotel. Maybe we will also do a horse tour or the little boat that goes around the port.

Then we are back to San Francisco. Take the two little ones to the airport and drive on back to LA with the other two. After we unpack the car we will go to bed and sleep for another few days.

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 !

My DH and I talked about renting an RV, but in the end, we went with the traditional hotel + car. I don't know if I'd be brave enough to drive one. :p Plus, I do like the break of not having to cook every night while on vacation. We usually pack lunches while on vacation--we'll stop and get bread and PB and J or cold cuts and other snacks, so that will save one meal each day. Several of the accommodations I've booked also serve some sort of breakfast, so that will help a bit with the cost of meals.

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.

I think I misunderstood you. I thought you were doing a cruise and then a 1 week land vacation. For just a week, I think the prices are probably comparable. And yes, I've loved the cruises we've done for that reason.

Yes on the costs, too. I've got three kids roughly the ages of your four grandkids.

Your excursions sound terrific!

I have encountered sold out tours for mid June already. I sure wish I'd tried earlier than September

I have encountered sold out tours for mid June already. I sure wish I'd tried earlier than September

Saw this post and while reading it decided to book my whale watching tour with Harv and Marv and it is showing unavailable for my date (June 2017)...I am so bummed! I sent them an email just to make sure... I actually had looked at booking several times over the last few months but they didn't show the 2017 dates so was just waiting...now I may have waited too long..

So does anyone have another good recommendation for whale watching in Juneau? I have read some people wait until they dock and go with someone at the pier??

That is what I did! I thought Harv & Marv were fully booked but I reached out via email and did get a spot.

I am so happy to get on such a highly recommended tour.

That is what I did! I thought Harv & Marv were fully booked but I reached out via email and did get a spot.

 

I am so happy to get on such a highly recommended tour.

I got a response from them as well that they are available! However, I went and did some more research for a backup plan before I got their response and found a different tour we may go with....the times for it may work better for us, so now I have to decide! LOL :eek:

As long as they can be cancelled w/o penalty, why wouldn't you book early. What is the downside?

DON

What coupon book?

Also, how did you know Harv & Marv were full? Do they have a website?

And while I'm here, suggestions for tours that can accommodate 2 very fluffy wheelchair users but also be interesting to 2 older but not disabled men and 2 20-somethings would be appreciated. We will hit Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Vancouver.

What coupon book?

 

Also, how did you know Harv & Marv were full? Do they have a website?

 

And while I'm here, suggestions for tours that can accommodate 2 very fluffy wheelchair users but also be interesting to 2 older but not disabled men and 2 20-somethings would be appreciated. We will hit Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Vancouver.[/QUOTe)

 

Yes, marv and harv have a web site, as do most vendors.

 

Look down the page for a thread called ' helpful resources for planning a visit to Alaska'.

In that thread you'll find info on the coupon books, plus links to many town town web sites. The town web sites promote tourism, with lots of info info on local sights and activities.

 

I would also encourage you to read thru past trip reports which are listed in STICKYs near the top of this page. Many of the reports are detailed photojournals with lots of useful information on excursions, diy activities, and recommended vendors.

I'm doing a northbound cruise in early June and spending about six days traveling afterwards -- I've been planning this for over a year and have nearly everything booked:

Airfare - booked

Pre-cruise stay in Vancouver - hotel booked, food tour of Granville Island booked.

Cruise - Misty Fjords flightseeing tour booked with Island Wings (Ketchikan), Mendenhall Glacier Photography Hiking Tour booked with Adventure Flow (Juneau), and Yukon Rail and Bus Expedition booked with Chilkoot Charters (Skagway).

Post-cruise...

Seward - booked hotel, and Kenai Fjords tour with Alaska Saltwater Lodge (small boat)

Train from Seward to Anchorage booked

Anchorage, take 1 - one night stay, rental car from Avis

Wasilla - one night stay (Knik Glacier Tour pending/reservations not yet available)

Talkeetna - one night stay, flightseeing with glacier landing booked with Talkeetna Air Taxi

Anchorage, take 2 - one night stay

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

Discount books? Would you mind sharing info? Thanks.

Make sure you click through the various pages on the websites. We are going in July and I have been able to find 10% - 25% discounts on almost all of our excursions for booking (and sometimes) paying early. Like the bus from Seward to Anchorage - there is a 25% discount if you book by end of November. With a party of 8 traveling I have saved thousands by doing homework and booking early. And like some posters said several of the time slots I wanted with smaller vendors are already filled. Good Luck.. And also if they dont have anything on their website about a code. call and see if they have a discount for booking early, or in our case taking whole plane or boat..

It never hurts to ask.