Many cruise ship passengers say cruise excursions were their favorite part of their Alaska cruise, like whale watching tours, dog sledding, and much more. However, they also sometimes say they weren’t familiar with everything Alaska had to offer before their voyages began or how much they’d cost through their cruise company.
Part of the reason for this is that they only saw the list of shore excursions offered through the cruise provider. Although many of these offer a true once in a lifetime experience, these passengers have said that they wished they had known about some of the other offerings and not paid a premium for these Alaska cruise excursions.
A tour we think you'll love
Let’s take a look at some of the best shore excursions in Alaska, then we’ll explore why independent outings are often superior to cruise excursions.
Enjoy An Amazing Experience Independent Of Cruise Bookings In Hoonah
A great example of a shore excursion that you won’t find offered by the cruise industry is the many offerings of Hoonah Travel Adventures, a locally owned shore excursion provider based in Southeast Alaska, including our famous whale watching shore excursion. Here are the exciting tours we offer:
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Our Guaranteed Whale Watching Tour through beautiful Icy Strait Point allows you to see not only humpback whales but also seals, sea lions, orcas, sea otters, puffin, and many more examples of Alaska’s abundant wildlife. On the extremely rare occasion that no whales are out during your tour, you’ll be credited with $100!
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The Wilderness Tour and Brown Bear Search is led by a local, knowledgeable guide who knows the best places to see local wildlife. Depending on the season, you might be lucky enough to see bears eating, salmon swimming, or bald eagles nesting.
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No matter how much fishing experience you have, you’ll love our Icy Strait Fishing Adventure. Captain Billy, our experienced captain who has sailed these waters his entire life, will take you to the spots locals love for some of the best fishing that Southeast Alaska has to offer.
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Our three-hour Icy Strait Kayak Adventure with Cody, a local guide who has kayaked through the calm waters of Port Frederick for over ten years. This truly amazing experience includes gorgeous views, amazing wildlife, and scenic landscapes that will make you want to come back to Alaska year after year.
Another advantage of choosing us directly is that we offer discounts for teachers, members of the military, and law enforcement officers on our whale watching and wilderness tours. Book your independent adventure today and experience the beauty of Alaska like never before!
Reasons To Look Outside Of Cruise Ship Offerings
One of the biggest reasons that most cruise ship passengers don’t book independent excursions and prefer to stick with tours added to their cruise itinerary by the company is the cruise industry itself.
“We can’t guarantee that you’ll return to the ship on time and we can’t wait for you if you choose an excursion from a company other than one of our partners,” or some variation of that idea is a common refrain from cruise ship companies.
Their statement is true in that they absolutely won’t wait for you if your excursion provider returns you late to the dock. They also won’t wait for you if you get delayed by an excursion booked on your itinerary. However, the more important phrase is “one of our partners.”
When cruise passengers book tours or other excursions as part of their itinerary, the tour provider gives part of the tour fee to the cruise company for helping them “make the sale.” That’s the real reason the cruise providers don’t want passengers going outside of their network for excursions: they want that money.
That also means it’s generally cheaper to book Alaska shore excursions independently. If you pay the company that operates the tour directly, you skip paying the cruise line’s “finder’s fee”. This also means that more of your money benefits and helps strengthen the local economy.
Consider The Tour Operator Point-Of-View
Imagine that you operate an excursion company that offers whale-watching tours. Your top three priorities would be making sure everyone (crew and guests) remains safe, giving visitors the best possible experience, and getting everyone back to the dock on time.
Cruise ship schedules are known months in advance, long before the season even starts. Daily tour times are specifically chosen based on which ships will be in town on which days and for how long.
These operators have also conducted hundreds of tours and know exactly how long it’ll take to conduct a whale watching tour in Glacier Bay, for example. They’re familiar with boat traffic activities, local events, and everything else in the area, so they can perfectly schedule their time and prevent you from arriving late.
Any decent tour operator will be able to get every passenger back to the dock hours before the ship is set to depart. If they don’t, their business isn’t going to last very long because the negative word of mouth and bad online reviews they would receive would put them out of business.
In short, we know you don’t want to miss your ship and we don’t want you to, either!
Consider Amazing Excursions In Alaska At A Fraction Of The Price
For most cruise passengers, the Alaska shore excursions are their favorite part of their journeys. Although every city, town, and village is unique, there are some excursions you can take almost anywhere. They also offer experiences that you won’t be able to have anywhere else, even within the state.
Here are a few popular Alaskan shore excursions to consider:
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The Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau is one of the most popular destinations in the state, bringing millions of visitors every year. However, many people don’t know that instead of paying over $100 per person with the cruise line package, the city bus costs $2 per person each way. You will have to walk a little over a mile each way but the savings are worth it.
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Misty Fjords National Monument near Ketchikan is the perfect place for a helicopter tour, with unforgettable sights and untouched nature. For the exact same flightseeing tour, Misty Fjords Air charges $389 if you book directly with them, compared to the cruise line excursions, which charges more than $500 per person.
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Excursions in Resurrection Bay, part of Kenai Fjords National Park offer excellent whale watching tours (especially humpback whales!), great sights, and much more. These tours can be purchased from Alaska Collection for $122 per adult. Alternatively, you can buy the same tour from cruise lines for over $200 per adult.
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Totem Bight State Park in Ketchikan has one of the largest collections of totem poles in the United States. You can skip the expensive tours and take the city bus (Silver Line) from either the docks downtown or at Ward Cove.
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The gorgeous White Pass Railroad Summit train ride takes you through many historical sites from the Alaska Gold Rush between Skagway and the Yukon Territory. You can book directly with the company for $150, or opt to pay around $200 through cruise lines.
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The Juneau Glacier Dog Sledding & Helicopter Tour gives you a chance to experience both dog mushing and the ability to walk on the Mendenhall Glacier. This amazing experience is $688 per person when booked directly with the provider. If you choose to book through cruise lines, the price will exceed $700.
Pro Tip: Always check that you’re booking directly with the actual company that provides the tours and not with a “partner”, as this will always get you the lowest possible prices for the exact same excursion as the other passengers on your ship.
Enjoy Alaskan Shore Excursions Independently
Whether you’re coming to Alaska on a cruise or as an independent traveler for whale watching, to see brown bears (from a safe distance!) or bald eagles, dog sledding, fly fishing, taking a boat ride through Glacier Bay, or any other reason, you’ll have an amazing time on your Alaska shore excursion.
Just remember to book your Alaska cruise excursions directly with the tour provider and not through the cruise agency, as you can save hundreds of dollars over the course of your Alaskan cruise, as well as enjoying experiences outside of those offered by cruise partners.
Hoonah Travel Adventures offers breathtaking views of local wildlife, scenic nature, and some of the best excursions in Alaska. Whether you choose fishing with Captain Billy, kayaking with Cody, or one of our other wonderful tours, you’ll enjoy an experience that creates memories you will cherish for many years.
These tours do fill up fast, though, so we recommend that you reserve your spot before they’re all gone. Book your exciting Icy Strait Point excursion with Hoonah Travel Adventures today!
