I have scheduled the Icefield Excursion with Coastal Helicopters at 9am our day in Juneau. I'm wondering if we can also book the Capt Larry whale-watching tour at 12:30 that day. According to Princess website, we depart @4:00 (I think that's really the time we're supposed to board) and the WW tour ends at 3:30. I'd love to do both - but I'm wondering if I'm overloading my wagon. Our next & final stop will be Ketchikan where my husband plans on fishing and I plan to CHILL OUT at the end of a great cruise.

In my experience, when the cruise information says you'll be in port until a certain time, you have to be back on board 30 minutes before that. I wouldn't be comfortable going on a tour that is supposed to end at exactly the time I have to be on board.

Are both tours organized by the ship? If something happens where a tour returns late, then the ship will wait for you, but ONLY if it's a tour that's organized through the ship. I know this from experience. I was on a ship tour that got caught in traffic and we were delayed about 2 hours. The ship did wait for us, but left as soon as the last group from the organized tours boarded. You can do both.

No these are not ship tours. I would definately cobook them and see if Orca Enterprises is adjusting their time that day for an earlier tour?? Contact them directly and inquire. And yes, with a 4 pm departure, you would need to be on board by 3:30pm

Thanks - will co-book and verify with Coastal & Orca. Feel better after I looked at the Excursions offered me by Princess; there are 2-3 that also end at 3:30pm. Coastal's 48 hour cancellation policy leaves options open.

When Princess says that their excursions end at 3:30, that means the passengers are at the ship at 3:30--and, the ship will wait for a ship's shore excrusion that gets back late.

Where does this private shore excursion end? How long will it take you to get back to the ship? And what ahppens if your return is delayed?

I am a long time customer of both Orca Enterprises and Coastal Helicopters and never have I ever heard of them causing a passenger to miss a ship. AND believe me, it would be all over these boards.

Budget Queen - I'm so excited. We're scheduled for the 9am Coastal Icefield Excursion and Orca did adjust their schedule that day. We'll be with Capt Larry at 11:30 and are assured to be back to the dock at 3 - plenty of time for our 4:00 departure. Won't see a lick of Juneau, but life's about choices, isn't it? In Skagway have rented a car with Avis to drive to Emerald Lake using Murray's guide. Thanks for all your advice.