Excursions for Alaska

[v3cruiser]

When NCL posts excursions for Alaska do they usually post them all at once or post more the closer to cruise date? I was surprised many excursions I was interested in were not even posted for our cruise even though they are can be found through a general search on the website.  I have been watching the site almost daily waiting for excursions to come out and they finally have this past week. We are about one year out from sailing. That is certainly a downside to booking a cruise so early is one cannot see if the excursions one is interested in are available. 

[ggTexasGal]

You will find that with a year to go, excursions tend to come and go. Popular excursions tend to sell-out, so, they might have a wait list. Just keep checking back occasionally!

[shof515]

from what i noticed over the years, its usually around 6-9 months from sail date is when all excursions is posted

[bonvoyagie]

Just keep watching and as something comes up that is of interest to you then book it. You can change you mind and get a refund if you cancel within 48 hours of the tour.

[fredflint]

Don't forget with Alaska you can book a tour yourself and not worry about a language or insurance issues.

[quack2]

It seemed that excursions were slow to appear on Alaska cruises last year as many operators were still having trouble hiring staff.  In addition, I had two excursions cancelled after booking due to inadequate staffing.  This year seems a little better, but still not back to pre-pandemic norms.

[CPRayVA]

I think it depends on the cruise you are on.  Check the hours for the times you are in port.  We took a short 7 day cruise last year and the ship got in at 6 am and left at 3.  It didn't leave much time for excursions. 

[v3cruiser]

Thanks for replies! ill keep on checking. 

 

We are doing a 7 day on the jewel mid june 2025. Was hoping to get on a smaller boat that takes us closer to hubbard glacier but nothing is listed. I honestly dont know and should have researched, if there is even a boat to take you up to hubbard glacier or not. 

 

Was also hoping for the helicopter excursion in juneau to walk on glacier and its not on there either. The cruise when originally booked actually had cruising dawes glacier and endicott  arm later in the day on our juneau stop but that has been removed. we are in juneau from 7am to 8pm and most excursions for this cruise end around 1pm. 

 

I did call ncl and they said they are likely to post more excursions in the next month or two and that i should keep checking from time to time. Some excursions already under contract they can post early but others they have to wait till contracts are made. 

 

Our port times are great. 

depart seward 9pm

Hubbard glacier 

Icy Straight point 9-6

Juneau 7-8

Skagway 7-5

Ketchikan 1-8

cruise inside passage

vancouver

 

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by v3cruiser

[quack2]

Personally, I would opt for a small boat visit to Tracy Arm rather than a small boat to Hubbard Glacier.  With your Juneau hours being 7-8, there should be a round trip on Adventure Bound to Tracy Arm.  It won't leave much time to do anything else in Juneau though.

[bonvoyagie]

We are SB on the Jewel in July this year and they recently added the small boat tour of Hubbard Glacier as well as the Dawes Glacier Explorer that leaves Juneau ahead of the ship and gets you up close to the glacier before you reboard the ship deep in the Fjord near the glacier. BTW I believe the port time in Juneau is from 7 AM to 1PM then Glacier cruising before heading to Skagway.