Princess refund for cancelling Natural History Tour?

[exbbmom]

Budget Queen - We only have the one night in Denali (I failed to study these boards before we booked this tour - then found it too late to get on a tour with two nights there - live & learn). I spoke with someone at Jeff King's Husky Homestead to book a tour there and was told by the girl that the Celebrity tour typically gets to Denali around 4PM the day we arrive - too late to get on TWT that day. But I was able to book the evening tour there. More info than I can get from Celebrity. I'd like to book the first TWT in the morning, but I'm not sure if it would be back before the bus leaves. I know there are less expensive shuttles, but hubby wants to be on a "guided" tour with someone pointing things out.

Any other suggestions?

And I'm not quite sure what you mean about posting about the cruisetour on these boards? To find out?

Thanks!

[exbbmom]

I just re-read. Try to find out about the same CT that we're on, only going earlier in the season. Great idea! I'll do that. We'll be there early July.

A few weeks ago I had asked my travel agent about the possibility of doing the land tour on our own, and she strongly discouraged it saying that most of the hotels along the way would be booked up and cars would be difficult to rent.

After reading these boards, I almost feel like I know the area already!

[Budget Queen]

I just re-read. Try to find out about the same CT that we're on, only going earlier in the season. Great idea! I'll do that. We'll be there early July.

A few weeks ago I had asked my travel agent about the possibility of doing the land tour on our own, and she strongly discouraged it saying that most of the hotels along the way would be booked up and cars would be difficult to rent.

After reading these boards, I almost feel like I know the area already!

 

Get another travel agent- they steered you into the easiest booking with the biggest commission payout. They probably have never been there and are completely wrong with what they told you. Cars and hotels, can be found with not much effort. Rate for cars may be up there by this point, but they certainly are available. Purchased coupon books can offer significant savings as well, which I'll bet that agent doesn't have a clue about. :)

[Budget Queen]

Budget Queen - We only have the one night in Denali (I failed to study these boards before we booked this tour - then found it too late to get on a tour with two nights there - live & learn). I spoke with someone at Jeff King's Husky Homestead to book a tour there and was told by the girl that the Celebrity tour typically gets to Denali around 4PM the day we arrive - too late to get on TWT that day. But I was able to book the evening tour there. More info than I can get from Celebrity. I'd like to book the first TWT in the morning, but I'm not sure if it would be back before the bus leaves. I know there are less expensive shuttles, but hubby wants to be on a "guided" tour with someone pointing things out.

Any other suggestions?

And I'm not quite sure what you mean about posting about the cruisetour on these boards? To find out?

Thanks!

 

Sorry- but your husband clearly has an inaccurate idea about these buses. This isn't a trip about pointing a bunch of stuff out.

 

I have a solution that could be your best option. IF you are accurate on your arrival time- you can make a 5pm Toklat Shuttle bus. This WILL require you to get your act together and go independent. Bring food with you from your previous stop, or purchase it at the Access center. With your stated time, it appears you are arriving by train? Ask to be dropped off at the Access Center, and get on your bus. Your problem will be your return to the lodge- you may be able to hitch a ride with someone from your bus. Or make arrangements with your lodge. Walking would be over a mile to the closer lodges.

 

BUT- if you post your actual itinerary- maybe other suggestions could be made.

[vbmom87]

I just re-read. Try to find out about the same CT that we're on, only going earlier in the season. Great idea! I'll do that. We'll be there early July.

A few weeks ago I had asked my travel agent about the possibility of doing the land tour on our own, and she strongly discouraged it saying that most of the hotels along the way would be booked up and cars would be difficult to rent.

After reading these boards, I almost feel like I know the area already!

 

If you aren't past final payment, you could ditch the land tour and plan the land portion on your own. Just a thought.

[donaldsc]

If you aren't past final payment, you could ditch the land tour and plan the land portion on your own. Just a thought.

 

Actually, if it is not too late, I would cancel the entire booking so that your travel agent gets the commission that they deserve (LOL). Then book a cruise that goes to the good places (does your current booking include Glacier Bay?) and do the land portion as a DIY.

 

DON

[Budget Queen]

Actually, if it is not too late, I would cancel the entire booking so that your travel agent gets the commission that they deserve (LOL). Then book a cruise that goes to the good places (does your current booking include Glacier Bay?) and do the land portion as a DIY.

 

DON

 

You have completely valid points. You and I would be certain to have the tour we want and make all the changes needed. I am not about to waste any of my time or money touring, with half a trip and being in the wrong places.

 

BUT very few people feel this way. Some posters need a lot of hand holding, don't have much travel experience, can't travel independent, are so limited on time etc etc etc. It makes them feel much better just excusing the plan rather than starting over or fixing it. Fixing usually will involve fees- again, not well accepted by a lot of people. It isn't really addressed that considerable money is already being spent- for an itinerary that may be nothing like they thought they were purchasing. The "crime" of it is the vague implied descriptions put out by the cruisetours and uninformed agents.

 

I hope that some people put forth the effort following the detailed accurate "fixes" here, so they can get the best.

[donaldsc]

You have completely valid points. You and I would be certain to have the tour we want and make all the changes needed. I am not about to waste any of my time or money touring, with half a trip and being in the wrong places.

 

BUT very few people feel this way. Some posters need a lot of hand holding, don't have much travel experience, can't travel independent, are so limited on time etc etc etc. It makes them feel much better just excusing the plan rather than starting over or fixing it. Fixing usually will involve fees- again, not well accepted by a lot of people. It isn't really addressed that considerable money is already being spent- for an itinerary that may be nothing like they thought they were purchasing. The "crime" of it is the vague implied descriptions put out by the cruisetours and uninformed agents.

 

I hope that some people put forth the effort following the detailed accurate "fixes" here, so they can get the best.

 

I guess that you and I think the same way. Although I do not enjoy wasting money, I would prefer to have a few bucks loss if I had to cancel something I booked by not checking rather than spend a lot of money on a bad choice.

 

It always intrigues me that people worry about a possible loss of a few dollars on making travel changes when they are spending thousands on the trip. The small loss is just roundoff error.

 

DON

[exbbmom]

I am going to take your advice and see if I can put the land portion together myself and cancel the cruisetour part. We already have our flights booked, so canceling the entire trip is not doable at this point, and we are looking forward to the cruise itself. Thanks for all of your input. Like I said, "live & learn". I've pickied up a lot of important information for both this trip and future trips.

[Budget Queen]

I am going to take your advice and see if I can put the land portion together myself and cancel the cruisetour part. We already have our flights booked, so canceling the entire trip is not doable at this point, and we are looking forward to the cruise itself. Thanks for all of your input. Like I said, "live & learn". I've pickied up a lot of important information for both this trip and future trips.

 

If you are working with only a 3 day add on tour- you might want to just consider spending time in Seward/Mat Su/Anchorage. It would still be a marathon trip doing Denali in this timeframe, especially if day three is embarkment day. A 4 day would work significantly better.

 

Change fees for flights are usually in the $150pp range- this may be a very worthwhile option to consider, especially if it allows you to add a lot more touring. Going independent is way superior for time management and making better use of time.

[exbbmom]

As it turns out, our cruise leaves July 12th out of Seward and we booked our air to come into Anchorage on July 5th, just so we'd have a few days there to be rested up for scheduled tour start on July 8th, so we have more than three days to play with - actually almost a week. My only concern is finding hotels in the various areas. That's todays project!

Thanks for all of your input.

[Budget Queen]

As it turns out, our cruise leaves July 12th out of Seward and we booked our air to come into Anchorage on July 5th, just so we'd have a few days there to be rested up for scheduled tour start on July 8th, so we have more than three days to play with - actually almost a week. My only concern is finding hotels in the various areas. That's todays project!

Thanks for all of your input.

 

What luck!!!!! Absolutely DUMP that cruisetour, with all that time, your own plans will be GROSSLY superior, compared to the disjointed split up time you currently have.

 

You are NOT going to have any problems finding hotels, but also look at B&B's which are superb in Alaska. Get your car rental lined up now- If you do a round trip downtown Anchorage there could be savings. I suggest considering the Alaska RR to Seward with at least 1 night there.

 

consider using a purchased coupon book, can offer significant savings. If of interest- plan a Prince William Sound boat tour.

[mapleleaves]

As it turns out, our cruise leaves July 12th out of Seward and we booked our air to come into Anchorage on July 5th, just so we'd have a few days there to be rested up for scheduled tour start on July 8th, so we have more than three days to play with - actually almost a week. My only concern is finding hotels in the various areas. That's todays project!

 

What luck indeed! I like BQ's idea of the train to Seward. Rent a car for the first few days to explore and get to denali, then the train to Seward. If you have the time, maybe the day after you arrive, drive along the Turnagain Arm just south of Anchorage for about 40 miles ... very scenic with interesting stops.

http://alaska.org/driving/portage-valley-whittier-spur-drive.htm

The drive to Denali and some other interesting side trips (Matanuska or Independence Mine) are detailed in this link:

http://alaska.org/driving/magnificent-drives.htm

 

Denali hotels:

http://www.alaskaone.com/_dcc/accommodations/

[donaldsc]

but also look at B&B's which are superb in Alaska. .

 

Budget Queen is correct as usual (we must sound like a mutual admiration society) - forget hotels and use B&Bs. Cheaper and much better. I used Trip Advisor for B&Bs although the best ones may already be booked. We stayed in the Alaskan Frontier Gardens Bed and Breakfast on 2 different trips. You need a car but the place is great and the breakfasts are even better. Rita is into different types of syrups. She must have 20 or 30 on the table.

 

DON

Edited March 17, 2013 by donaldsc

[exbbmom]

So, I spent all of yesterday looking for lodging, cars, tours, etc. and it certainly is feasible to do in July. I emailed my travel agent before booking anything and am waiting back to see what the cancelation policy would be on the cruisetour. Someone on another board mentioned that if you cancel the land part of the tour, then quite possibly the entire cruisetour gets canceled and you have to rebook the room on the ship at the going room rate on the ship. If that' the case, could be very costly to do. I don't know if that is the case - am hoping not. I'll keep you posted. Thanks to all for your suggestions. Kicking myself right now. Could have avoided a lot of aggravation if I had checked these boards before booking anything.

[vbmom87]

So, I spent all of yesterday looking for lodging, cars, tours, etc. and it certainly is feasible to do in July. I emailed my travel agent before booking anything and am waiting back to see what the cancelation policy would be on the cruisetour. Someone on another board mentioned that if you cancel the land part of the tour, then quite possibly the entire cruisetour gets canceled and you have to rebook the room on the ship at the going room rate on the ship. If that' the case, could be very costly to do. I don't know if that is the case - am hoping not. I'll keep you posted. Thanks to all for your suggestions. Kicking myself right now. Could have avoided a lot of aggravation if I had checked these boards before booking anything.

 

Don't be too hard on yourself. Life is a learning journey and there is no one that has made all the right choices along this journey.

 

Hopefully you will not incur any fees for cancelling. I will be curious as to what you learn. It will be good info for others. As already mentioned though by several posters, a superior vacation can be worth some losses. Like someone else mentioned, I would be tempted to cancel this complete booking and give the commission to someone else. I understand, however, that you have to do what you are comfortable with.

 

Please keep us posted.

[exbbmom]

So you can't just drop the land portion of a cruise/land tour. What they do is cancel the entire trip, and then rebook you at the going rate of the cabin that you have - which at this point in time is almost double what we initially paid for it. It would be a huge financial hit, so, alas, we're sticking with what we have and will enjoy the trip as it is. Lesson learned! Even inside cabins are way more than what we paid for our balcony cabin.

We are flying into Anchorage three days before the scheduled start of the tour, so any suggestions you might have for things to do would be appreciated. I was thinking of taking a trip to Seward for a day. And maybe see a bit of Anchorage. I (we) have no interest in flight planes or helicopter tours (terrified of that stuff). Any other thoughts?

[JustThinking23]

We are flying into Anchorage three days before the scheduled start of the tour, so any suggestions you might have for things to do would be appreciated. I was thinking of taking a trip to Seward for a day. And maybe see a bit of Anchorage. I (we) have no interest in flight planes or helicopter tours (terrified of that stuff). Any other thoughts?

 

This is a real reach, but does anyone know if they would let you join a cruise tour in progress? So, go up to Denali early on your own, take the shuttle into the park and then meet up with the tour group? Long Shot...

[Budget Queen]

So you can't just drop the land portion of a cruise/land tour. What they do is cancel the entire trip, and then rebook you at the going rate of the cabin that you have - which at this point in time is almost double what we initially paid for it. It would be a huge financial hit, so, alas, we're sticking with what we have and will enjoy the trip as it is. Lesson learned! Even inside cabins are way more than what we paid for our balcony cabin.

We are flying into Anchorage three days before the scheduled start of the tour, so any suggestions you might have for things to do would be appreciated. I was thinking of taking a trip to Seward for a day. And maybe see a bit of Anchorage. I (we) have no interest in flight planes or helicopter tours (terrified of that stuff). Any other thoughts?

 

I never recommend Seward as a day trip. I suggest an overnight, with the other 2 on each side of it in Anchorage. About all you have time for. Your arrival day, do what's of interest in Anchorage, your return Anchorage day, have a car- then prioritize an area of interest- Mat Su could be a good day option. In the pm return to Anchorage, and continue on the Seward Highway for an evening look along the Arm.

 

 

Finally- keep an eye on pricing. Princess always dumps their cruises at big discounts. I've frequently seen $499 for insides- over many years, last year, they went for $399 (reason I added another week :) ) Maybe, you can catch one of these.

[mapleleaves]

Any other thoughts?

Since you asked, sure! First of all, Celebrity isn't the only cruiseline. Check the others for a similar itinerary. If you find a good price you might be able to scrap the Celebrity cruise and tour.

 

It would be REALLY helpful if you posted your current itinerary. What time do you land in Anc ? when and where does the CT start? then each day's destination for the tour ?

But without that info, I agree with the previous suggestion ... join the cruisetour on the 9th at Denali, where you will already be enjoying a shuttle to Eielson Visitor Center. :)

Ditching the CT will cost you a few $$. You'll stay somewhere else on 7/8 so you won't use the Anc hotel that is paid for, and you won't use the train/bus trip to Denali on the 9th so you'll have to buy another bus ticket. But you get a far superior trip!

 

July 5 arrive in Anc. o/n

July 6 6:45am train to Seward. o/n

July 7 6pm train to Anchorage. o/n

July 8 Park Connection Bus to Denali 7am - noon. Free dog sled demo at 2pm or 4pm

(o/n at same hotel as the cruisetour to avoid changing hotels, or, check out and leave luggage with desk, then move later)

July 9 shuttle to Eielson. o/n with cruisetour

 

Or rent a car for the 2-day Seward trip to give you more flexibility for sightseeing along the way. The car might be cheaper than the train. Or just do a day trip to Seward and spend a day in Anc ... depends on your interests.

A few thoughts to ponder. .....

[Budget Queen]

Since you asked, sure! First of all, Celebrity isn't the only cruiseline. Check the others for a similar itinerary. If you find a good price you might be able to scrap the Celebrity cruise and tour.

 

It would be REALLY helpful if you posted your current itinerary. What time do you land in Anc ? when and where does the CT start? then each day's destination for the tour ?

But without that info, I agree with the previous suggestion ... join the cruisetour on the 9th at Denali, where you will already be enjoying a shuttle to Eielson Visitor Center. :)

Ditching the CT will cost you a few $$. You'll stay somewhere else on 7/8 so you won't use the Anc hotel that is paid for, and you won't use the train/bus trip to Denali on the 9th so you'll have to buy another bus ticket. But you get a far superior trip!

 

July 5 arrive in Anc. o/n

July 6 6:45am train to Seward. o/n

July 7 6pm train to Anchorage. o/n

July 8 Park Connection Bus to Denali 7am - noon. Free dog sled demo at 2pm or 4pm

(o/n at same hotel as the cruisetour to avoid changing hotels, or, check out and leave luggage with desk, then move later)

July 9 shuttle to Eielson. o/n with cruisetour

 

Or rent a car for the 2-day Seward trip to give you more flexibility for sightseeing along the way. The car might be cheaper than the train. Or just do a day trip to Seward and spend a day in Anc ... depends on your interests.

A few thoughts to ponder. .....

 

This is a great suggestion. It would be simple to leave a message for the cruisetour, informing them of your intention to join them later at Denali. Do not miss getting into Denali - frankly at all costs. :) It is the whole deal of all that money and hours to get there. Don't settle. :)

[vbmom87]

So you can't just drop the land portion of a cruise/land tour. What they do is cancel the entire trip, and then rebook you at the going rate of the cabin that you have - which at this point in time is almost double what we initially paid for it. It would be a huge financial hit, so, alas, we're sticking with what we have and will enjoy the trip as it is. Lesson learned! Even inside cabins are way more than what we paid for our balcony cabin.

We are flying into Anchorage three days before the scheduled start of the tour, so any suggestions you might have for things to do would be appreciated. I was thinking of taking a trip to Seward for a day. And maybe see a bit of Anchorage. I (we) have no interest in flight planes or helicopter tours (terrified of that stuff). Any other thoughts?

 

So sorry to hear this. Have you looked at any other cruises in the same timeframe that you are currently booked? Perhaps another cruise line is offering a cheaper cruise. If you are before final payment, you should be able to cancel your current cruise tour and go with another line. I have no idea if you can find a deal on another line, but something you might want to look into. Just a thought.

Edited March 20, 2013 by vbmom87

[exbbmom]

Thinking maybe of just renting a car now and driving to Denali early on the 6th, checking out the park, staying over, We could easily be there well before noon. And then hooking up with the cruise tour on the 8th. A million thoughts going through my head!! :)

[Budget Queen]

Thinking maybe of just renting a car now and driving to Denali early on the 6th, checking out the park, staying over, We could easily be there well before noon. And then hooking up with the cruise tour on the 8th. A million thoughts going through my head!! :)

 

What do you plan on doing with the car??? Your only option is taking a bus or train. It makes no sense for you to round trip Anchorage twice. You need to allow 6 hours for a Anchorage / Denali drive, with stops. A "necessary" stop, really is a grocery by Wasilla, IF you plan on staying a couple days at Denali.

[fireflymd]

So, I spent all of yesterday looking for lodging, cars, tours, etc. and it certainly is feasible to do in July. I emailed my travel agent before booking anything and am waiting back to see what the cancelation policy would be on the cruisetour. Someone on another board mentioned that if you cancel the land part of the tour, then quite possibly the entire cruisetour gets canceled and you have to rebook the room on the ship at the going room rate on the ship. If that' the case, could be very costly to do. I don't know if that is the case - am hoping not. I'll keep you posted. Thanks to all for your suggestions. Kicking myself right now. Could have avoided a lot of aggravation if I had checked these boards before booking anything.

 

exbbmom, I feel your pain! I didn't shop around for travel agents (chose the large well known one we had used before) and our TA tried to book us on a Celebrity cruisetour (Celebrity must offer a great commission) and although I stuck with my first choice of Princess he managed to screw up our booking in other ways.

 

I thought I had researched enough before booking but not enough. He gave us so much misinformation I should never have completed the booking with him. It truly is a live and learn experience!

 

I hope everything works out well for you. I think you will still enjoy your trip to Alaska and hope what you are going through now does not mar your experience in any way.

 

Best of luck!