Excursion Times

[Disneyteachers]

We are planning out first cruise (Alaska) and I'm waffling between using Disney for some of the excursions or booking on my own. As I've been researching, I notice that every other outfit gives the specific times (which is important to me) but the Disney descriptions do not. Is there a way to find this info out or could we end up with a tour time that doesn't fit our needs?

 

[artnerds]

We are planning out first cruise (Alaska) and I'm waffling between using Disney for some of the excursions or booking on my own. As I've been researching, I notice that every other outfit gives the specific times (which is important to me) but the Disney descriptions do not. Is there a way to find this info out or could we end up with a tour time that doesn't fit our needs?

The available excursion times will be shown when you go to book them during your online booking period. If you need to know the times in advance for some reason, there is no harm in calling Disney to ask them. The worst that can happen is that they will tell you you have to wait until online booking.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

If you have a concierge member of your cruise meets you can ask them they might be able to find out.

Now in Alaska for this very reason, I booked six private tours in the three ports at the times I choose. It worked like clockwork.

We did do much, saved a lot on DCL prices and really enjoyed it.

 

[Disneyteachers]

Thank you. I've been looking at viator as well. Want to do a whale watch/mendenhall glacier tour in juneau and the Bering Sea tour in ketchikan. Nothing appeals to us in Skagway. DH won't do anything with helis/planes (huge fear of flying and commercial jets are only okay for him in the past few yrs) and a DS7 and DD11 (she's at sailing) which limits is a little (for example, lots of recs for Harv and Marv for whale watching, but they don't allow kids!)

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Thank you. I've been looking at viator as well. Want to do a whale watch/mendenhall glacier tour in juneau and the Bering Sea tour in ketchikan. Nothing appeals to us in Skagway. DH won't do anything with helis/planes (huge fear of flying and commercial jets are only okay for him in the past few yrs) and a DS7 and DD11 (she's at sailing) which limits is a little (for example, lots of recs for Harv and Marv for whale watching, but they don't allow kids!)

For Skagway look at.

Chilkoot Charters for more options, inc a Bus/train combo at a price match to the DCL Rail tour only.

 

[Disneyteachers]

Thank you for the great advice!

 

[KristiMc]

We are doing the Takshanuk Mountain Trail by 4x4 in Skagway. It gets great reviews on Tripadvisor. I am within my booking window (June 8th cruise). If there is a specific excursion you are looking at, I can look up the times that it is available.

 

[artnerds]

We are doing the Takshanuk Mountain Trail by 4x4 in Skagway. It gets great reviews on Tripadvisor. I am within my booking window (June 8th cruise). If there is a specific excursion you are looking at, I can look up the times that it is available.

We did this excursion last year. It's super fun.

 

[lbgraves]

...a DS7 and DD11 (she's at sailing) ...

We booked everything on our own in Alaska because the kids were 10 & 12. DCL charges kids 10+ adult prices, while the vendors still charge children's pricing. DCL's adult pricing was twice that of adults, so we saved quite a bit. We did the White Pass Summit excursion in Skagway. It was breathtaking!!! Also, we were on the very same train as the DCL excursion. They were picked up at the pier and we had to walk a short distance to the train station, but once we were onboard the engine backed up to pickup the DCL cars. The cars that were booked by the ship excursions were packed with people. You had to follow the switch sides rule on those cars because the view is mainly on one side of the car. However our car with people who had booked privately only had 14 or so people. We were free to walk around, stay seated at the windows with the view, and most importantly had two outside platforms to use freely to take pictures. The cars on either side of us had people packed on the platforms holding their cameras out trying to get an unobstructed shot. Oh, and when we got back to the station, the entire train went right to the pier so we got off right at the ship.


http://wpyr.com/product/ticket/summit-excursion/

 

[Disneyteachers]

Yes, I've noticed the pricing advantage. In juneau I was looking on viator at the whale watch and mendenhall glacier and several reviews talk about communication challenges with transportation between the two so I was contemplating booking via DCL for that assuming that the communication might not be as much of an issue. Thoughts? Still not sold on skagway (not interested in the train because fear-of-flying DH doesn't like edges so the train sort of freaks him out and for that price point he doesn't (understandably) want to pay up be freaked. Might just check out the port and then book some spa appts while DH watches a movie with the kids or something on the ship. Being first timers, I feel like there's lots on the ship to enjoy as well.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

You might want to look at Weather Permitting for whale watching in Juneau. As teachers you may appreciate the education side of the excursion. They were excellent and can add a stop at Mendenhall Glacier.

In Skagway, I highly recommend trying to get to the Yukon. If you don't want the train, you can take a private coach tour both ways. We used Frontier Excursions and Adventures. Skagway is a very small town that you can easily walk around in as well. They have the Klondike National Park museum with various sites around town to visit.

You can look at my Alaska trip report link below to see how we enjoyed these two companies.

 

[jtba]

Harv & Marv's do allow kids if you book their private tour for 5-6 people. you can either share it with a couple (ask on your cruise meet thread), or book the whole boat for the four of you.

 

[MouseMomx2]

In Skagway you can rent a car from Avis or Green Jeep Tours and drive the Klondike Highway on your own. It will end up costing you the per person price for the Chilkoot Tours excursion but for your entire group. If you think you might want to do it, take a look at Murray's Guide. Murray has lived in Alaska for years and used to do tours for cruise passengers. He wrote a mile by mile guide to the Klondike Highway showing you were all of the interesting sites are and where you might have the best luck with animal viewing. It is well worth it for $5.

 

[Disneyteachers]

Harv & Marv's do allow kids if you book their private tour for 5-6 people. you can either share it with a couple (ask on your cruise meet thread), or book the whole boat for the four of you.

I saw that! We are traveling with 9 others, but everyone else may do the dog sledding on the glacier trip. Should I be wary of the DCL tours? I'm getting lots of advice on more $ options that aren't DCL which has me nervous. I'm trying to avoid DCL to save $, unless it seems like it could be useful to have DCL do the coordination! Sorry, first cruise for us...pretty clueless! . And, $ is an object as this will be our most $ trip ever and we are adding on two days at DL since we are on the west coast. At a certain point DH will call the whole thing off. Lol!

 

[artnerds]

I saw that! We are traveling with 9 others, but everyone else may do the dog sledding on the glacier trip. Should I be wary if the DCL tours? I'm getting lots of advice on more $ options that aren't DCL which has me nervous. I'm trying to avoid DCL to save $, unless it seems like it could be useful to have DCL do the coordination! Sorry, first cruise did us...pretty clueless! . And, $ is an object as this will be our most $ trip ever and we are adding on two days at DL since we are on the west coast. At a certain point DH will call the whole thing off. Lol!

With third-party excursion vendors, you may have more options and some of them may be less expensive than the ones offered by Disney.

With Disney-selected vendors, you are assured that the vendors are properly licensed and insured. Also, you never have to worry about missing the ship if an excursion runs late due to traffic or other issues. (If a third-party vendor gets you back late and you miss the ship, you are on your own getting to the next port to re-join the ship.)

 

[artnerds]

We are doing the Takshanuk Mountain Trail by 4x4 in Skagway. It gets great reviews on Tripadvisor. I am within my booking window (June 8th cruise). If there is a specific excursion you are looking at, I can look up the times that it is available.

Here are a couple pics from the Takshanuk excursion. The Kawasaki 4x4 Mules are super fun (and easy) to drive, and the views from the top of the mountain were breathtaking.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

With third-party excursion vendors, you may have more options and some of them may be less expensive than the ones offered by Disney.

With Disney-selected vendors, you are assured that the vendors are properly licensed and insured. Also, you never have to worry about missing the ship if an excursion runs late due to traffic or other issues. (If a third-party vendor gets you back late and you miss the ship, you are on your own getting to the next port to re-join the ship.)

Many vendors have a promise, never missed a single cruise ship and never will, whilst true the ship leaves on time if you book with a reputable company you have no worries. Cruise ships always have this 'sales' line that your safe on their tours, your safe as the cruise line gets 10% >12.5% on commission on port adventure sales. So its a 'sales' technique only.

• Alaska six private tours back in time on all.
• Med 12 night cruise 7 private tours back on time for all.
• Baltic 7 private tours booked for this summer.

Money saved $$$$$$$$$, port adventures I want, when I want at the times I want, no tourist shops with commission sales no perfume (Etc) demonstrations where you get the hard sell, no mass canteen style food offered.

I saved $$$ for example on a charter of a helicopter to Juneau icefield and a seaplane to Misty fjords, just us, a lot cheaper than DCL with others, all my family got a window seat, ( not guaranteed DCL) just us on a glacier walking!!!

 

[artnerds]

Many vendors have a promise, never missed a single cruise ship and never will, whilst true the ship leaves on time if you book with a reputable company you have no worries. Cruise ships always have this 'sales' line that your safe on their tours, your safe as the cruise line gets 10% >12.5% on commission on port adventure sales. So its a 'sales' technique only.

• Alaska six private tours back in time on all.
• Med 12 night cruise 7 private tours back on time for all.
• Baltic 7 private tours booked for this summer.

Money saved $$$$$$$$$, port adventures I want, when i want at the times I want, no tourist shops with commission sales no perfume (ETtc) demonstrations where you get the hard sell, no mass canteen style food offered.

I am not in any way against using third-party vendors and have done it myself, but the OP, being a first-time cruiser, needs to know that there is a risk.

I'm glad you have never missed the ship. That doesn't mean it cannot happen.

 

[KristiMc]

Here are a couple pics from the Takshanuk excursion. The Kawasaki 4x4 Mules are super fun (and easy) to drive, and the views from the top of the mountain were breathtaking.

View attachment 90851View attachment 90852

Thanks for sharing!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I am not in any way against using third-party vendors and have done it myself, but the OP, being a first-time cruiser, needs to know that there is a risk.

I'm glad you have never missed the ship. That doesn't mean it cannot happen.

If Private tour agents have a 100% record on getting people back then there isn't a risk, I have witnessed a DCL coach in Acapulco go AWOL, the tour guide didn't know we have an early departure.

Now booking private gets you a personal service its your family not 55 people on a coach or train and avoids the booking lottery of times and availability on the DCL site.

Readers need to be 'aware' of the risk that DCL may not have availability, and need to be aware that the line, with OUR port adventures you are safe and guaranteed back on ship and we will wait for you, is a SALE line to worry you into booking their trips with high commission.

Its a heavy sales technique.