Photos by Armand Vaquer
It is cruise season in Alaska and Japan Today (of all places) has an article on saving money on off-ship activities (referred to as "excursions").
According to Japan Today:
JUNEAU, Alaska —It’s cruise season in Alaska, with more than 1 million cruise passengers expected between April and September in port towns from Ketchikan to Seward.
Cruise passengers who sign up for shore excursions can spend hundreds of dollars, if not more in the case of families, in each port they visit. Taking a helicopter to see Juneau-area ice fields can easily run $1,000 for a family of four for a one-hour trip. A nature tour near the tiny town of Ketchikan can run $89 for adults and $50 for kids.
But there are many low-cost and even free things to do in Alaska port towns, from hiking to exploring glaciers to learning about Alaska and Native culture.They then provide some ideas from some of Alaska's most-visited ports.
Back in 2000, my mom, daughter and I took an Alaskan cruise with Celebrity Cruises. The accompanying photos are from that trip. We found then that the off-ship excursions were pricey. We settled for a (relatively inexpensive) tour and talk about totem poles at a park in Ketchikan.
We saw some beautiful scenery that included glaciers, forested mountains, whales, eagles, rustic towns and, of course, totem poles. We even toured a fish hatchery.
We also visited Juneau (Alaska's capital city), Ketchikan and Skagway. We wandered around and did some shopping.
To view the full article, go here.
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