Excursion Times

[DISNEY FANTASY]

For maximum protection I scheduled my flights mid morning, not as soon as we got in, and not the afternoon. So if the ship is late in no issues , if there is fog the first flights would know it, mid morning the sun has had a chance to burn off the fog, and not afternoon so I didn't have a worry getting back to the ship.

Bar Juneau we were in port to 6.45 we had dinner at 6 anyway and We were back by 5.

Juneau worked like this.

Mount Roberts on our own 8 am first DCL shuttle to town.
10 am Coastal Copters
2 pm Town
2.30 Mount Roberts
4 pm Ship.

So max use of the time but two buffers if anything didn't run to schedule.

On the day the first Copter flights were canceled re fog, the ones before us for an hour ran. Ours was 90 mins flight and walk on a glacier.

 

[artnerds]

For those people who are tired of anecdote and personal opinion getting in the way of facts, here are the simple facts.

Fact: Things can go wrong on shore excursions, whether a DCL-approved one or a third-party one. Such incidents are rare, but they happen.

Fact: Cruise lines and excursion operators try to foresee things that can go wrong and plan for them, but not everything is foreseeable.

Fact: If something does go wrong and you are on a DCL-approved excursion, the cruise line will know about it and will act on your behalf.

Fact: If you are on a third-party excursion (or if you are sight-seeing on your own) and something goes wrong, the cruise line is not required to take on this responsibility.

Fact: Anyone who says "it hasn't happened to me, therefore it won't happen to anyone" is speaking foolishly.

Lots of people, including me, have used third-party vendors for shore excursions. If it works better for you, do it, but do it while understanding the above facts.

 

[clten]

Okay, so let's say that next year the boat gets into ketchikan at 11:15 (that's the time listed now.). Could we make a 12:15 excursion? My understanding is that it's close (bearing sea boat tour.). This is the kind of thing I have no knowledge of as I have no idea what disembarking procedures are like.

Thanks!!!

Disembarking procedures sort of run like this for every port -- Ship arrives typically before the scheduled "arrival time". The ship has to clear customs. So during this process you may be tied up at the pier but no one is allowed to disembark the ship. Once the ship clears customs, they will start allowing passengers to disembark -- they will make an announcement and let you know where you may disembark from (deck 1 forward/aft; deck 3 midship). As long as things go smoothly, the announcement will happen at or before the "arrival time" DCL lists. (If the ship is late or there are issues with customs, you may not be able to disembark on time -- but these occasions are rare.)

Now specifically in Ketchikan, there are several docks right along the main street/waterfront. The Bering Sea Boat tour is right among them. When we went, we were docked at the furthest pier from this tour boat. It would take a maximum of about 15 minutes to walk even at a strolling pace. If you get off the ship at 11:15, there may be a crowd waiting. But it is a fairly quick process there as they just need to scan people off -- no other checks or delays. So if you are waiting when they first announce disembarkation, you would have plenty of time to stroll down the main drag and get to the Bering Sea tour boat. (But if you are on a DCL tour, they meet onboard the ship and everyone heads to the tour boat together.)

P.S. We had a great time on this tour. They do a very nice job -- even though the boat doesn't go very far from shore.

 

[Disneyteachers]

Thank you.

 

[Disneyteachers]

For those people who are tired of anecdote and personal opinion getting in the way of facts, here are the simple facts.

Fact: Things can go wrong on shore excursions, whether a DCL-approved one or a third-party one. Such incidents are rare, but they happen.

Fact: Cruise lines and excursion operators try to foresee things that can go wrong and plan for them, but not everything is foreseeable.

Fact: If something does go wrong and you are on a DCL-approved excursion, the cruise line will know about it and will act on your behalf.

Fact: If you are on a third-party excursion (or if you are sight-seeing on your own) and something goes wrong, the cruise line is not required to take on this responsibility.

Fact: Anyone who says "it hasn't happened to me, therefore it won't happen to anyone" is speaking foolishly.

Lots of people, including me, have used third-party vendors for shore excursions. If it works better for you, do it, but do it while understanding the above facts.

Thank you. This all seems pretty logical and what I assumed was the case so if I sounded that clueless I apologize.

 

[artnerds]

Thank you. This all seems pretty logical and what I assumed was the case so if I sounded that clueless I apologize.

You didn't sound clueless at all. I just worry about others reading this thread and mistaking one person's opinions for actual facts.

 

[YayDisney]

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!!!

Hi! Who did you book the helicopter and seaplane tours with? We are going in August and I have no idea what I am doing for excursions but I would like to do a lot and think private tours will be the way to make the money last longer.

 

[sharksfinatic17]

Hi! Who did you book the helicopter and seaplane tours with? We are going in August and I have no idea what I am doing for excursions but I would like to do a lot and think private tours will be the way to make the money last longer.

We booked our Ketchikan floatplane excursion with Island Wings.