excursion recommendations (Ruby Princess)

This will be the first cruise for my husband and me. We have absolutely no idea as to which excursions, if any, we should purchase. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated (ASAP, please!)

Thank You

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

You don't tell us where you will be cruising, so it is difficult to name god tours

Do research on your ports. Get a guidebook..libraries have them...and figure out what interests YOU...then decide if you need a guide, or if you can DIY...most things are easy on your own...but you MUST know something about where you're going!!

Excursions, especially thru the ship, are fine for folks who know nothing about where they're going or what they enjoy...generally, they are booked blindly. Do your due diligence. You'll get more from your time ashore.

I agree with the others...some research on your part would be helpful, as we know nothing about you. What interests you? What fits in your budget? Any limitations that affect you? Plus in many ports you can do private tours, or perhaps on your own by simply walking, taking public transit or a taxi.

Of course, where you are going is sort of important also.

So sorry ... I'm new at this! We are going to Alaska in August, with stops in Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway and Victoria. We've spent many hours this evening researching the various excursions offered and read many reviews. We are very active, and in Juneau are considering taking a tram to Mendenhall Glacier and hiking the area on our own. (we're not big on 'group tours'!) Has anyone out there done this?

In Victoria, since we have a limited amount of time, (what's that about?!), we're considering a horse and carriage ride through the town, and if time permits, walking through on our own afterwards. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We do not want to spend a fortune. We are shocked at the costs of some of these excursions!

My biggest concern is getting seasick!!! I am VERY sensitive to motion. Please tell me that I won't feel the movement of the ship!

Thank you to those who responded.

There is an entire forum dedicated to Alaska

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

and one dedicated to Princess cruises

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=197

In addition you might join your roll call:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=481

alaskan ports have terrific excursions. I went with Princess. Don't remember which in each port but take a jeep 4 x4 Safari. A cal vacate of you drive jeeps through forests, then change to a 20 foot canoe (Holds maybe 10) paddle across lake, a short nature hike in the woods, a fish chowder break and back to ship by bus. Was great. Also take whale photo/watch cruise I think in Juneau. Don't miss excursion into the Yukon ..... One way by excursion bus, the other by the White Pass Railway. Memorable.

I would do several things.

Visit the Alaska Ports of Call Board to read what others have to say about the ports.

Go to sites such as Frommers.Com and read about each port of call to get ideas of what is available.

Also visit your roll call to see what others have planned in the port.

Keith

FYI - The reason for the quick stop in Victoria is that the ship is required to stop at a foreign port. I won't try to explain the law here, but if you want more info, just do a search for "Jones Act."

When I was in Alaska, my favorite tour was whale watching in Juneau. It is a bit expensive, but this is where I would splurge a bit. You don't have to go on the ship's tour - there are plenty of good private tour operators who charge less money for a smaller, more personal tour. We used Juneau Tours (juneautours.com) Most tour operators will offer a tour that combines the glacier and whale watching, so you can see both. While we were watching the whales, my SIL was saying that this was the best thing she's ever done - and she's been on safari in Africa, so that's saying a lot. If you get sea sick, do plan ahead. My dad was looking a little green, so I gave him a ginger capsule and he seemed to feel better. No one else in our group of 21 even had any issues.