WHEN TO BOOK SHORE EXCURSIONS ON TRIP ADVISOR OR VIATOR?

Book early early early! They fill up fast and you will miss out!! I was checking constantly for the White Pass train excursion at the end of last year, but it was never posted. Now come January, I checked again and not only is it posted.. but SOLD OUT immediately!!! My Alaska cruise is 8 months away, at the end of August! How can it be sold out already? I am so sad about this. The train ride was one of the main things we were looking forward to for our first ever Alaska cruise

I just got back from AK with Princess. I booked all mine through Princess, though I would not again. Two I did myself upon arrival - helicopter tour in Ketchikan (https://helicopterairalaska.com/tours/) They came to pick me up and it was just me so we went up in the 2 seater. There are booths on the dock where you can buy various tours when you arrive.

Another do it yourself is the gondolas/tram at Icy Strait Point. You can walk there and just buy the tickets at the base. WORTH IT!!

Skagway - I missed my photography tour as I didn't take my passport. So I signed up for a zodiak tour. It was AMAZING! Ocean Raft Alaska. They have a hut just to the left side of the traintracks. Go to them direct. I signed up last mintue and there was 1 more seat left.

I'm sad I didn't do the Hubbard Glacier through Princess. Everyone said it was fantastic.

DO NOT take the trolley City Highlights, Totem and Creek Street tour in Ketchikan, it was awful. The highlight was the gift shop...

Best part of my trip - The whale watching in Juneau. We saw SEVENTEEN humpbacks, 6 of them bubble feeding. Even the tour guide was astounded. Mendenhall Glacier was OK - the weather was overcast and drizzle for this part so it wasn't as impressive as it could have been.

We're cruising AK June 2024 and have alresdy booked our excursions through the cruiseline. When I looked to book the same excursions via the tour provider websites to see if I could save some money, most referred me back to the cruiseline's excursions webpage or said they weren't booking 2024 until next year. If it's a tour you really want to do I'd just book it now through the cruiseline. They don't cost all that much more than they do booking direct, at least through Princess, from what I've seen.

And AK is not a year 'round destination, like Caribbean, for example. So they're likely to not start posting as far out as other areas. They will go quickly once released, though.

Well as you can see you will need to wait for them to come available. Because things can change many companies do not want tentative bookings more than 6 months out. Too much overhead and book keeping. Keep checking but I am pretty sure that you will find 4 to 6 months out to be when a lot of tours are posted.