Alaskan Cruise Missing Excursion Replacement

[Disfan85]

Hi

We are booked on an Alaska cruise in September (very excited). Booking of excursions opened up today, and the glacier explorer excursion on day 3 was not available. I emailed Disney, and they said it is not running for our cruise (no reason given?). This is a real shame, as it comes so highly recommended! We are considering booking a floatplane trip as a replacement. Does anyone have any experience of this? It would probably need to be from Ketchikan. I understand they can be cancelled quite often.

Any advice is very much appreciated!

 

[auntlynne]

We did take an excursion with Michelle at Island Wings in Ketchikan years ago. The reviews on TripAdvisor indicate the quality has not slipped.

For a reason I can’t remember, whatever the flight plan was got changed. She returned a portion of our fee. But we still flew over the Tongass National forest and landed on a glacier lake. It was so quiet at the lake. And a very nice excursion. We walked from the ship to the float plane office for boarding.

 

[Chipmunkmaniac]

we cancelled out Alaska cruise last year when we found iut the tourist season ended two weeks before the date of that cruise so basically non of our first choices were running. I had done Alaska twice on Disney (in May) and doing now a two week Alaska on Holland America next year instead

 

[BarlowFamily]

Hi

We are booked on an Alaska cruise in September (very excited). Booking of excursions opened up today, and the glacier explorer excursion on day 3 was not available. I emailed Disney, and they said it is not running for our cruise (no reason given?). This is a real shame, as it comes so highly recommended! We are considering booking a floatplane trip as a replacement. Does anyone have any experience of this? It would probably need to be from Ketchikan. I understand they can be cancelled quite often.

Any advice is very much appreciated!

We didn't enjoy our glacier explorer excursion last summer. Thankfully only booked for DH and myself and let DS8 have fun in the club. Our excursion left very late (less time to "explore"), only got a little closer than the wonder to the glacier, could not hear any commentary/info on the boat deck, and the inside portion was filled with kids trying to keep themselves entertained, someone threw up in the walkway door area and so we had to walk through that to get back on the wonder. Lots of folks complained... Disney listened politely and that was the end of it. Everything else was fantastic. I say go for the float plane. Have a backup plan for if it gets canceled. We were able to do our helicopter excursion, but the day before and after it was too cloudy.

Edit to add: I don't want to be overly negative. Before the cruise I had read such great reviews for the glacier explorer, and I was really looking forward to it. Alaska is full of pricey, once-in-a-lifetime excursions. We loved our other excursions. I wish I would have skipped this and not succumbed to the fear of missing out.

 

[NephieRN]

We did take an excursion with Michelle at Island Wings in Ketchikan years ago. The reviews on TripAdvisor indicate the quality has not slipped.

We did a float plane tour with Island Wings as well about 10 years ago and loved every second of it. Highly recommend Michelle and Island Wings Air.

 

[Distinkt]

A few years ago we went on a Disney excursion that took us by floatplane over a glacier to an island where we had a lunch and a short hike before flying back. I honestly cannot remember the name of the place or the port we took it from. It was wonderful but pricey. However, on the way home a front moved in and our floatplanes had to go to a small airport for safety reasons. It was interesting because we had to be bussed back to the ship and they were literally waiting (impatiently) for us to return to so they could leave the port.

 

[Disfan85]

We did take an excursion with Michelle at Island Wings in Ketchikan years ago. The reviews on TripAdvisor indicate the quality has not slipped.

For a reason I can’t remember, whatever the flight plan was got changed. She returned a portion of our fee. But we still flew over the Tongass National forest and landed on a glacier lake. It was so quiet at the lake. And a very nice excursion. We walked from the ship to the float plane office for boarding.

View attachment 867534

Thanks for the recommendation, looks beautiful!

 

[Disfan85]

we cancelled out Alaska cruise last year when we found iut the tourist season ended two weeks before the date of that cruise so basically non of our first choices were running. I had done Alaska twice on Disney (in May) and doing now a two week Alaska on Holland America next year instead

Yeah, we picked September as it was the cheapest option, knowing that some things might be closing down. We are coming from the UK and its really pricey! At least we seem to have got our other excursion options (although not Palo brunch-never been able to nab this!)

 

[Disfan85]

We didn't enjoy our glacier explorer excursion last summer. Thankfully only booked for DH and myself and let DS8 have fun in the club. Our excursion left very late (less time to "explore"), only got a little closer than the wonder to the glacier, could not hear any commentary/info on the boat deck, and the inside portion was filled with kids trying to keep themselves entertained, someone threw up in the walkway door area and so we had to walk through that to get back on the wonder. Lots of folks complained... Disney listened politely and that was the end of it. Everything else was fantastic. I say go for the float plane. Have a backup plan for if it gets canceled. We were able to do our helicopter excursion, but the day before and after it was too cloudy.

Edit to add: I don't want to be overly negative. Before the cruise I had read such great reviews for the glacier explorer, and I was really looking forward to it. Alaska is full of pricey, once-in-a-lifetime excursions. We loved our other excursions. I wish I would have skipped this and not succumbed to the fear of missing out.

This is good to know. Maybe it's not such a shame. I was definitely getting FMO. I'd only seen one negative review before. We have something else booked for float plane day so it won't be too bad if it does get cancelled. Our priority is scenery and wildlife, and I think we will get that in Alaska, whatever!

 

[Disfan85]

A few years ago we went on a Disney excursion that took us by floatplane over a glacier to an island where we had a lunch and a short hike before flying back. I honestly cannot remember the name of the place or the port we took it from. It was wonderful but pricey. However, on the way home a front moved in and our floatplanes had to go to a small airport for safety reasons. It was interesting because we had to be bussed back to the ship and they were literally waiting (impatiently) for us to return to so they could leave the port.

I did wonder what would happen if something like this occurred. I know the boat waits only if you are on a Disney excursion. We have never actually done Disney excursions before as only every cruised in Europe and we can find our way around fine here.

 

[Disfan85]

We did a float plane tour with Island Wings as well about 10 years ago and loved every second of it. Highly recommend Michelle and Island Wings Air.

I will definitely check them out; thanks!

 

[Dug720]

I did wonder what would happen if something like this occurred. I know the boat waits only if you are on a Disney excursion. We have never actually done Disney excursions before as only every cruised in Europe and we can find our way around fine here.

I can tell you what I know happened with 2 Holland America ships several years ago (first heard it from a shore excursions crew member on a whale watching trip, then heard the same thing on a podcast from a girl who was working at a musher camp during her summer break).

There were 2 Holland America ships in port in Juneau on this particular day. They each had helicopter excursions up to a musher's camp on the glacier. People from the ships also booked the same thing privately. They were all dropped off, but while they were at the camp, weather/fog moved in and the helicopters were unable to get back to the glacier to get any of them. The guests were put up at the mushers camp for the night (those working at the camp had to give up their beds/cots). When the helicopters were able to get back to them the next day, the excursions from the 2 Holland America ships were met by Holland America crew members who either took them to a train or a boat (depended on which ship they were on) to go and meet up with their ship - and the ship covered all the arrangements and reimbursement for the mushers camp. Those on the private excursion were having to deal with their tour companies to repay the mushers camp and to get back to the ship. Yes, those who were on the ship that the train would meet were luckier in that they could ostensibly get on that. But those on the ship where a boat was needed? They had a much more challenging time as the tour company then had to find one since Holland America had understandably only gotten one large enough for their excursion.

After hearing that (especially when it was confirmed by someone who had actually worked at the camp and wasn't (in a conspiracy theory laden world) trying to sell ship excursions), if I'm even thinking of booking a private excursion, I'm checking exactly what the company guarantees, checking reviews, and making sure it's scheduled back a couple of hours before all aboard. And if it involves a helicopter or small plane? Cruiseline only all the way.

 

[Budzooka]

I can tell you what I know happened with 2 Holland America ships several years ago (first heard it from a shore excursions crew member on a whale watching trip, then heard the same thing on a podcast from a girl who was working at a musher camp during her summer break).

There were 2 Holland America ships in port in Juneau on this particular day. They each had helicopter excursions up to a musher's camp on the glacier. People from the ships also booked the same thing privately. They were all dropped off, but while they were at the camp, weather/fog moved in and the helicopters were unable to get back to the glacier to get any of them. The guests were put up at the mushers camp for the night (those working at the camp had to give up their beds/cots). When the helicopters were able to get back to them the next day, the excursions from the 2 Holland America ships were met by Holland America crew members who either took them to a train or a boat (depended on which ship they were on) to go and meet up with their ship - and the ship covered all the arrangements and reimbursement for the mushers camp. Those on the private excursion were having to deal with their tour companies to repay the mushers camp and to get back to the ship. Yes, those who were on the ship that the train would meet were luckier in that they could ostensibly get on that. But those on the ship where a boat was needed? They had a much more challenging time as the tour company then had to find one since Holland America had understandably only gotten one large enough for their excursion.

After hearing that (especially when it was confirmed by someone who had actually worked at the camp and wasn't (in a conspiracy theory laden world) trying to sell ship excursions), if I'm even thinking of booking a private excursion, I'm checking exactly what the company guarantees, checking reviews, and making sure it's scheduled back a couple of hours before all aboard. And if it involves a helicopter or small plane? Cruiseline only all the way.

Exactly why I only book Disney excursions. May be cheaper booking on your own but could be disastrous.

 

[Disfan85]

I can tell you what I know happened with 2 Holland America ships several years ago (first heard it from a shore excursions crew member on a whale watching trip, then heard the same thing on a podcast from a girl who was working at a musher camp during her summer break).

There were 2 Holland America ships in port in Juneau on this particular day. They each had helicopter excursions up to a musher's camp on the glacier. People from the ships also booked the same thing privately. They were all dropped off, but while they were at the camp, weather/fog moved in and the helicopters were unable to get back to the glacier to get any of them. The guests were put up at the mushers camp for the night (those working at the camp had to give up their beds/cots). When the helicopters were able to get back to them the next day, the excursions from the 2 Holland America ships were met by Holland America crew members who either took them to a train or a boat (depended on which ship they were on) to go and meet up with their ship - and the ship covered all the arrangements and reimbursement for the mushers camp. Those on the private excursion were having to deal with their tour companies to repay the mushers camp and to get back to the ship. Yes, those who were on the ship that the train would meet were luckier in that they could ostensibly get on that. But those on the ship where a boat was needed? They had a much more challenging time as the tour company then had to find one since Holland America had understandably only gotten one large enough for their excursion.

After hearing that (especially when it was confirmed by someone who had actually worked at the camp and wasn't (in a conspiracy theory laden world) trying to sell ship excursions), if I'm even thinking of booking a private excursion, I'm checking exactly what the company guarantees, checking reviews, and making sure it's scheduled back a couple of hours before all aboard. And if it involves a helicopter or small plane? Cruiseline only all the way.

That's good to know! We have only booked Disney excursions so far for Alaska. It appears the float plane offered by Disney is about $70 more, but I might spend the whole time up in the air just worrying about not being on time with another company, especially as there is a time crunch with fitting in potentially two excursions.

 

[o&smom]

Yeah, we picked September as it was the cheapest option, knowing that some things might be closing down. We are coming from the UK and its really pricey! At least we seem to have got our other excursion options (although not Palo brunch-never been able to nab this!)

Do you try to book Palo once onboard? They have reservations available on embarkation day. You can also get on a wait list in case I’d cancellations.

 

[Disfan85]

Than

Do you try to book Palo once onboard? They have reservations available on embarkation day. You can also get on a wait list in case I’d cancellations

Thanks. I think we will try to do this! We have also never got a Palo dinner reservation, but for this we wanted to see what our rotation was so we were not missing any Wonder-specific offerings.