Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Alaska Coupon books?

Lady Slipper

By Lady Slipper,
in Alaska

Recommended Posts

Northern Aurora

Northern Aurora

Posted
Posted

We have been given free coupon books both a the piers in Vancouver and Seattle when departing on Alaska cruises. However, these coupon books contain "shopping" coupons, and do not have coupons similar to those in the TourSaver and Northern Lights coupon books. Quite frankly, the coupon books from both the Vancouver and Seattle piers were promptly thrown away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DragonOfTheSeas "Live from...." Rare

DragonOfTheSeas

Posted
Posted

OK--I admit I like trinkets and what not. Yes, we got coupon books in Vancouver and they were also available in a couple of the ports.

 

i.e. in Ketchikan there were coupons for the Trading Company [i think that is the name]. They have 3 locations and there was a different coupon for each location for a free item if you made a purchase.

 

Each of the three locations has some different items. I visited 2 of them and made purchases and got a baseball hat in one place and mug in another. Yes, I know these are not made in AK. But, they are no different than the hat my DH bought in Panama that was made in China. It still had the AK logo on it. A traveling companion visited each of the locations and got 3 free items she gave to grandkids.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MightyQuinn

MightyQuinn

Posted
Posted

We got coupon books at both Seattle and Vancouver. While most of the stuff is tourist tacky, you can find some great deals at Tongass Trading in Ketchikan. There are 3 different locations and each has different merchandise. With the coupons, we got merino wool hiking socks for $2.00 (retail $12.99), polartec gloves for $5.00 (retail $9.99) and T-shirts for $3.00 (retail $9.99). With any purchase over a certain value (maybe $10) they threw in a pair of seed pearl earrings and/or a baseball cap. Tongass Trading also has an excellent selection of AK items such as canned smoked salmon, berry jellies and chocolates. Can't wait to visit again, hopefully with coupons!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kamac56

kamac56

Posted
Posted

We left out of Seattle last summer and got a book and looked thru it the next day while at Sea, yes there are some things in there where you go hmmmmm but there was coupon in there for different stores at each stop that gave you an ornament and when I put them on my tree this year made me smile. Probably worth a buck twenty but still a memory. I also noticed they had the coupon books at some of the prots as well so you could get them there as well but not alot of time to look thru them and plan ahead.:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
KAYEF

KAYEF

Posted
Posted

On a Sea Day, when you have time:

 

1~look through the whole book

 

2~issolate the ports you will be visiting

 

3~tear out the coupon pages for your ports and paper clip them together (with those paper clips you brought .........along with all the duct tape, etc that people recommend;))

 

4~when you get to a port, be sure to take those coupons your are most interested in using for that port

 

WARNING ~ There will be some that are out of sequence. We used a coupon for SHIPPING for $9.95. We shopped at all three of the above mentioned stores........same name, very close to each other). You just show your sales slip and they add your merchandise to the original.

We got two big boxes just after we arrived home; THAT was a great deal.

 

It was mid-Sept. and we got some Christmas gifts!!:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lady Slipper

Lady Slipper

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Wow,

 

You guys are amazing! Thank you so much for all the fantastic information. I will definately be taking notes! When I find valuble information on the threads I copy and paste them into a folder and then compile a condensed version.

This is exactly the information I`ve been looking for.

Thank you again! Gotta love Cruise Critic!:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
dustyroad

dustyroad

Posted
Posted

the book has some good coupons for t-shirts and luggage items. i dont bother with any of the coupons for the jewelry and the collectable items for the bracelet. the sales people are very pushy and did not give us the free items untill we looked at alot of their peices. it took alot time away from seeing the port city collecting them. not worth it for me. i did go too the shops that had the ship/cabin # picked for the prize of the day. that was fun too see if you were a winner. other than that, yes you can get some good buys using them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lady Slipper

Lady Slipper

Posted
  • Author
Posted
the book has some good coupons for t-shirts and luggage items. i dont bother with any of the coupons for the jewelry and the collectable items for the bracelet. the sales people are very pushy and did not give us the free items untill we looked at alot of their peices. it took alot time away from seeing the port city collecting them. not worth it for me. i did go too the shops that had the ship/cabin # picked for the prize of the day. that was fun too see if you were a winner. other than that, yes you can get some good buys using them.

 

I agree with you dustyroad I don`t want to get caught up in wasting a lot of time going around collecting things for those bracelets they give you.

I do however want to find a couple of nice sterling silver charms to bring back for our granddaughters charm bracelets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
dustyroad

dustyroad

Posted
Posted
I agree with you dustyroad I don`t want to get caught up in wasting a lot of time going around collecting things for those bracelets they give you.

I do however want to find a couple of nice sterling silver charms to bring back for our granddaughters charm bracelets.

 

here is my honest experience with the '' free charms that spell out alaska ''. a co-worker went on her first cruise with me too alaska. she did not do anything in the ports but go too every shop that had the free stuff too give to her grandkids. MY GOD, THE SALES PEOPLE WERE LIKE PERONAS. they were relentless in bating her too buy expensive stuff. i finally left her and enjoyed my time in the ports by myself. what a waste of a cruise for her. she didnt see anything in the port cities while collecting that junk. i on the other hand used some of the coupons for the cheap priced clothes, mugs and other items in the other shops. to each his own but beware--they dont give that stuff away without a hard sell job first.

 

just saying :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kamac56

kamac56

Posted
Posted

I do however want to find a couple of nice sterling silver charms to bring back for our granddaughters charm bracelets.

__________________

These are definately not the free ones for sure. There are a number of places you will be able to get nice charms for your granddaughters. I have to agree with the others with wasting time. We saw people going in and out of stores just to get the free items and not really seeing the town itself. I went to Alaska to see it LOL. I found most of my silver jewlery in Ketchikan. Cant really remember the name of the store but it's an old bank building and its next to where they have the Eagle and Hawk display a few blocks from Creek Street. I have worn the jewlery back home now numerous times and am still happy with the quality and the purchase, would not hesitat to buy from them again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
love2learn

love2learn

Posted
Posted
We have been given free coupon books both a the piers in Vancouver and Seattle when departing on Alaska cruises. However, these coupon books contain "shopping" coupons, and do not have coupons similar to those in the TourSaver and Northern Lights coupon books. Quite frankly, the coupon books from both the Vancouver and Seattle piers were promptly thrown away.

 

Where can we get Tour Saver book? Northern Lights?

 

Thanks for any help you can offer us

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lady Slipper

Lady Slipper

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I do however want to find a couple of nice sterling silver charms to bring back for our granddaughters charm bracelets.

__________________

These are definately not the free ones for sure. There are a number of places you will be able to get nice charms for your granddaughters. I have to agree with the others with wasting time. We saw people going in and out of stores just to get the free items and not really seeing the town itself. I went to Alaska to see it LOL. I found most of my silver jewlery in Ketchikan. Cant really remember the name of the store but it's an old bank building and its next to where they have the Eagle and Hawk display a few blocks from Creek Street. I have worn the jewlery back home now numerous times and am still happy with the quality and the purchase, would not hesitat to buy from them again.

Just wanted to clarify, the charms I want for my granddaughters I am planning on buying nice ones for them, not the stuff they give for free. The girls have really nice Sterling charm bracelets at home, so I want to get them something nice. I will check out that store in Ketchikan, thanks for the tip.

dustyroad : Don`t worry I have no intention spending all my time in port looking for that free stuff. Can`t stand pressure sales people! Drives me nuts, they`re not going to take up my presious vacation time. The charms are the only jewlery I will be buying.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
dustyroad

dustyroad

Posted
Posted
Just wanted to clarify, the charms I want for my granddaughters I am planning on buying nice ones for them, not the stuff they give for free. The girls have really nice Sterling charm bracelets at home, so I want to get them something nice. I will check out that store in Ketchikan, thanks for the tip.

dustyroad : Don`t worry I have no intention spending all my time in port looking for that free stuff. Can`t stand pressure sales people! Drives me nuts, they`re not going to take up my presious vacation time. The charms are the only jewlery I will be buying.

 

 

sorry for my rant. i just hate too see or hear of cruisers not seeing any of the port city because they spend all their time looking for the shops that have the free stuff. you will be able too find nice good peices in ketchikan. i dont remember the name of the shop either but i know they have good ones there. i hope you find something they will treasure. have a great time. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lady Slipper

Lady Slipper

Posted
  • Author
Posted
sorry for my rant. i just hate too see or hear of cruisers not seeing any of the port city because they spend all their time looking for the shops that have the free stuff. you will be able too find nice good peices in ketchikan. i dont remember the name of the shop either but i know they have good ones there. i hope you find something they will treasure. have a great time. :)

 

Don`t appologize I just didn`t want you to think I didn`t understand what you were saying.

We are looking forward to our cruise. We live on Vancouver Island and some people say "why Alaska, it`s not that different than what we have here"? I say you can never get too much of a good thing :) Besides I`m getting wined and dined to boot! What more could you ask for?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sammamishcruiser

sammamishcruiser

Posted
Posted

We will be going to Alaska for the third time in Septenber of 2013. We have always gotten the coupon book and yes we do go into the shops to get the tacky charm and whatever other "free" item! Just a fun treasure hunt! As for being hounded by sales people - JUST SAY NO!! Frankly, we don't spend more than a minute or two inside the shops (just long enough to get our free stuff) and then say thank you and bye-bye!!

We were bothered more by the venders in Mexico and Columbia than in Alaska! We are going to the Caribbean in April and I am prepared for the agressive venders.

 

On another note, while on a private tour in Columbia, our guide told us tbat yes you will be bothered by locals trying to sellyou something BUT remember this may be their only source of income. They are only trying to make a living. Until then, I never thought of it that way.

Yes I know the jewerly shops are different. I'm talking about the person on the street in a foreign country.

Melody

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...