3rd party excursions in Alaska

Hello, all! My wife and I will be sailing on the Emerald Princess on 9/10/17. We've been considering using an independent party for excursions at the ports we will be visiting. We've never done it before due to concerns about missing the ship at departure time, dishonest vendors, etc. However, I've been checking on one in particular called "Alaska Shore Excursions". It certainly looks legit (don't they all?) so I was wondering if anyone here has used them or others offering excursions. I've reserved an excursions at all three stops through Princess but I've found some through Alaska Shore Excursions that are almost the same but for half the cost. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Two things to help you out. Post your question in the port of call thread for Alaska. There are many there who are experts and can give you guidance. Second. I just returned from Emerald last week. I booked thru the ship; however at every port there were lots of venders on the dock selling excursions to every where.

Hello, all! My wife and I will be sailing on the Emerald Princess on 9/10/17. We've been considering using an independent party for excursions at the ports we will be visiting. We've never done it before due to concerns about missing the ship at departure time, dishonest vendors, etc. However, I've been checking on one in particular called "Alaska Shore Excursions". It certainly looks legit (don't they all?) so I was wondering if anyone here has used them or others offering excursions. I've reserved an excursions at all three stops through Princess but I've found some through Alaska Shore Excursions that are almost the same but for half the cost. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Try asking your question here.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=55

My first cruise 20 years ago was to Alaska and as a rookie I went everywhere with Princess. By about cruise 3 I realized we were paying more for less and left the mother ship for the joy of DIY. You have flexibility, smaller groups and lower costs. All things in the plus column. You will find many of us here who book independent tours throughout the world with little or no risk. In Alaska where you speak the language, share the currency and can even call with your own cell I would have no issue . Last visit we rode city , buses, trams etc. I do not know this specific entity but you should be able to find reviews on travel sites and should be able to easily communicate with them.

You will have the protections of the US behind you, so I wouldn't worry about it as much as places such as Mexico or Jamaica. I have done several excursions on my own in Alaska and felt very comfortable with each and every one of them and saved a lot of money to boot. Be aware, though, that some of the independents don't have the same permissions for entry in some places ... but for the most part, they can work out very well. And, on your roll call, many people seem to be very adept at finding great deals and getting a group together so you might be more comfortable with booking your excursions like this.

Be aware that the ship will only wait for you or your group (or get you to the next port of call) if you are on one of their sponsored excursions. And, if you are injured, get sick or injured during an excursion, there are provisions if you are on a ship's tour. I only know that because I tore my ACL in Hawaii on a privately booked excursion. At the time, if I had been on a ship's excursion, the visit to the medical center would have been covered without submitting it to my travel insurance company and the price of mine and my DH's tour would have been refunded back. Not sure that is the way they still handle it but it was a few years ago. But, even though I was past the date when my next day's excursion could be canceled without forfeiture of my payment, since I did go to the medical center, they happily refunded that excursion for both of us.

We did Alaska with all independent excursions, and it was one of the easiest places to organize because many excursions were within walking distance of the port. We did the Bering Sea crab tour (which was fabulous and could be reached by walking) and the helicopter to dogsled, which we booked directly through TEMSCO, which is the operator Princess themselves utilizes for this excursion. My review of this cruise and details on independent excursions is in my signature line; but since it was 7 years ago you should try the Alaska board to ensure everything is up to date.

If you are sailing Sept 2017 you better get your tours booked fast as you've waited until the last minute.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Hello, all! My wife and I will be sailing on the Emerald Princess on 9/10/17. We've been considering using an independent party for excursions at the ports we will be visiting. We've never done it before due to concerns about missing the ship at departure time, dishonest vendors, etc.

A tour with any reputable vendor will have you back at the ship in plenty of time and missing the ship has never been a worry to me.

Very, very few people miss the ship due to an excursion with an independent tour vendor. Most people that miss the ship are do-it-yourselfers who did not take traffic congestion into account, people shopping who lost track of time and people in a bar who lost track of time.

Just follow the suggestion by an above poster to check the Alaska board for tour vendor suggestions. I trust the posts by Cruise Critic members about their experiences with various vendors.

I much prefer arranging independent excursions in advance vs. selecting a vendor when you reach the port. In advance you have the advantage of Cruise Critic member recommendations. At the port you are just selecting a vendor at random. It could turn out to be the best shore excursion you ever had or it could be the worst.

Alaska is the one itinerary where we book independent tours, which we've found researching the Alaska boards and trip advisor. The vendors are aware of ship requirements and it's their reputation on the line if they fail to keep to schedule. As a contingency though, we gauge the ship departure time and make sure the tour gives us PLENTY of extra time to avoid stress and the oops factor.

Look at Princess guarantee 110% difference refunded in obc if you find exact same tour.If you book tour through Princess and find same tour for less you send in form and they will refund you 110% the difference in obc.

I did it for a tour in San Francisco.You have to make sure the tour is the same and it works.

Also simplifying things in Alaska is that US cell carriers offer service there, unlike in other ports where your cell phone comes with a hefty roaming charge.

Between US credit cards, US laws (and consumer protections), US cell phones working I'd say Alaska is your best place to test the waters with a 3rd party excursion.

Also, third-party trip advisement sites and review sites are a good place to do your homework on a tour vendor. We used the cruise critic boards to find names and get a data point (or two) on the tour operator, and then I look for more info via google and various review and Advisor sites to get up my confidence level.

I believe the vendor you are looking at is a consolidator, I don't think they run the tours themselves but are still a middleman. It's best to book directly with the tour operator if possible. Use the Alaska port section for tips on many different vendors.

As other have stated you are even now late booking for Sept, compounded by the fact that by Sept 10 some vendors may already be shutting down for the season.

Good luck and have a great time

Juneau and Skagway are great places to rent a car and design your own excursion. We have done that several times in both ports. Check the Alaska board for more information and advice.

Thanks to all for the advice!

Hello, all! My wife and I will be sailing on the Emerald Princess on 9/10/17. We've been considering using an independent party for excursions at the ports we will be visiting. We've never done it before due to concerns about missing the ship at departure time, dishonest vendors, etc. However, I've been checking on one in particular called "Alaska Shore Excursions". It certainly looks legit (don't they all?) so I was wondering if anyone here has used them or others offering excursions. I've reserved an excursions at all three stops through Princess but I've found some through Alaska Shore Excursions that are almost the same but for half the cost. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Sent from my Lenovo TB-X103F using Tapatalk