We have decided for our family,
DCL is the only way to cruise to Alaska with our wide age of kiddos (toddlers to teens).
I need serious help with all the tricks to save money. We plan to book while we are on a DCL cruise and are looking at fall 2023. We have plenty of time to start saving via Disney rewards dollars, but what other tips do you use to help the budget? Ty !!
Don't book excursions through DCL. There are (or were- I can't vouch for Covid changes) plenty of affordable options in Alaska if you book independently. We had a perfect Alaska cruise and here's what we did:
Skagway: Jewell Gardens & glassblowing, booked directly with Jewell Gardens (saving 1/2 off of booking via DCL and including a nice lunch). It was very easy to get there & back using the little town tourist bus that stops at the port. We chose to walk back to the port as the town is so small, & stopped at the Gold Rush graveyard & Lower Reid Falls.
Juneau: We took a tour bus (no advance reservation needed) to Mendenhall Glacier National Park, which was very nice. Toured independently at our leisure (much more enjoyable than being herded along on an excursion), then waited at the tourist bus stop at the park for the bus to take us back (buses constantly looped through, so that was easy). Once back by the port, we had lunch at Tracy's Crab Shack, which was awesome (and I normally won't even eat shellfish), then took the tramway (which is right there) to the top of Mount Roberts and hiked on the mountain trails, taking in the beautiful views.
Ketchikan: We independently booked a flight with Island Wings, to tour Misty Fjords. That was great, the meeting place was within easy walking distance of the Wonder, and the pilot was very experienced & excellent (she owns the company), although the prop plane was loud but what else can you expect? This cost some money but not nearly as much as it would cost to book something like this via DCL for an inferior experience.
The one DCL excursion we did was one we booked while onboard. It was a post-cruise tour of Vancouver, that took us through Chinatown, to Stanley Park and the Capilano Extension Bridge. It was affordable and very nice.
Independently in Vancouver, we went to Fly Over Canada (right next to the port & a lot like Soarin'), and to VanDusen Botanical Gardens, which is a wonderful, huge set of gardens and even includes a good hedge maze. Both of these were affordable, as well.
No need to spend thousands of dollars on flashy excursions to fully experience Alaska. If you can possibly afford a Navigator's verandah, I recommend that, or at least an oceanview. We had a Nav verandah and loved it. Great view, good shelter from the wind, and less expensive than a full verandah. And beautiful views early morning before we wanted to get dressed & leave the room. The view from our room was a highlight of the trip, so I do recommend getting a room with a view if at all possible (it's cold on deck). That is more important than booking the most expensive excursions available, imo.