Reservations for sight seeing tours??

puttd wrote:
I am planning on going to Alaska in late May via the ferry system. A couple questions.
1) is there any problem with moving things up so as to arrive in Skagway mid May.
2) Ive read somewhere that the tours in Ketchikan, etc. sell out in advance because of the cruise ships. Can anyone give me a reality check on that? Hate to have everything totally booked, but dont want to miss out on some key side trips.
3). Current iterary is Prince Rupert to Ketchikan to Jumeau and then Skagway. Are wrangel, sitka and petersburg worth the additional $1500 in ferry fees that they would cost, given that I am travelling with a motorhome and toad.

In my limited experience (been to all of Southeast, but never tried to compete with cruise ship traffic):

- Can't imagine a real problem with moving your trip as long as the sailings fit.
- for the side trips: Like anything, when the potential market is increased by several thousand, supply can get overcome. Typically, for any given type of side excursion (fishing, sightseeing, etc) the vendors affiliated with the cruise ships will book up the fastest for "in port" times. Non-affiliated vendors a bit slower. Air-based sightseeing is probably the most constrained market (between limited aircraft, limited weather, and lots of potential customers). FWIW, you'll see some spectacular scenery on side trips that you won't see off the ferry, although that scenery isn't bad.
- Wrangell, Sitka, Petersburg, etc.: Off the wall suggestion, but consider leaving the MH and toad in your jumping off spot (Prince Rupert or possibly Bellingham) and renting a Class C in Alaska. Might pencil out the same or better on a $$ basis vs. cost of ferry plus cost of driving. All of Souteast is beautiful: on one hand, I wouldn't miss 1/2 of it (i.e. Wrangell, Sitka, Petersburg) for $1500. On the other hand, you don't need to go there to "check the box" of SE Alaska.
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