Shore exc sold at the Pier in Alaskan ports?

[jspqld]

Sorry if this has been asked recently and I've missed it..

We have cruised across many parts of the globe inc the Med, Asia, Caribbean, etc, and the majority of ports we have pulled into have had Info centres, taxi's, local tour companies, etc, all selling tours for the day directly on the pier or as you leave the Cruise terminal. 

I have read that many Alaskan excursions can sell out a year in advance, and some cruise ship exc are extremely expensive. We often like to sail into a port with a bit of pre-knowledge of what we might like to see and then just book with a local on the day. I realise this does not work for the super organised, but has worked very well countless times for us.

I'm wondering if this setup exists in Alaskan ports ??

[CruiserBruce]

Yes. It has been discussed here frequently.

[jspqld]

thanks

[1025cruise]

Yes, there are excursions sold at the pier. But there really isn't much of a cost savings over the cruise line. If you know what you want to do, you would be best to book ahead of time.

[woodz]

We did a float plane in Ketchikan and it was quite a bit cheaper than the ships price. 

Edited February 7, 2019 by woodz

[Coral]

29 minutes ago, woodz said:

We did a float plane in Ketchikan and it was quite a bit cheaper than the ships price. 

Though it is often the same price if you had booked it before the cruise direct with the vendor.

[Hoyaheel]

Also note availability can be dependent on timing. Our last cruise was in September, and in Juneau, there are MANY tour company kiosks on the dock. But maybe only 2 or 3 were actually in use when we docked, so if we had wanted to book an excursion upon arrival, we would have been SOL.

 

Even trying to book in advance but privately, we never were able to book a small boat whale watching excursion in ISP....So that's TWO Alaska cruises where my whale watching plans have fallen through....Beginning to think I'm cursed 😉

[SightCRR]

They are available but very difficult to read reviews and safety records when looking at them. Our view is best to pre-plan and pre-book as many of the better ones will sell out. Check closely the cancelation details and if tour includes flying where weather may be issue have at least one back up plan. Wide variety from Tom's free walking tour printed guide to rental cars to what we thought were once in lifetime expensive helo trips that we now go on every chance we get.  

[jspqld]

thanks for all the feedback

[Bubbs33]

We booked a whale watching and bear tour privately for ISP. Booking 10 months ahead our first and second choice were sold out. Booked third choice. Can't imagine waiting to book somethings at the pier.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I am a pre-planner and do book things very far in advance in order to get my preferred provider.  I can't imagine trying to get a tour such as a whale watch at the last minute.  I also want to be sure that I have researched any company where I will be getting into a boat or plane with in advance for safety reasons!  That said, several years ago I went to Alaska with my DD. We had not planned anything in Ketchikan deliberately.  It was to be my shopping day.  However, I did want to see the Totem Park.  When we disembarked there was a trolley tour at the dock that went to the Totem Park for a very reasonable price, I think $25 pp or around there. It also advertised seeing bears, but it was mid July and I did not see any.  But, I did see the Totem Park and it was very enjoyable.   However, I would not risk a major excursion to be by chance in Alaska.

[BruceMuzz]

Cruise Lines are rather conservative and averse to liability lawsuits and negative publicity.

As a result, they normally take out $1or $2 million liability insurance for each pax going on a ship-sponsored tour.

Who pays for that expensive insurance? The people booking the tours, of course.

Before the cruise line signs a contract with a tour operator, the cruise line's insurance company does a thorough investigation of the tours, requiring proper safety equipment and safe operational procedures.

 

If you are a gambler and / or feel lucky you can choose an independent tour operator on the pier, and sometimes save a lot of money. Do they have insurance for you ? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

 

Do they have proper safety equipment and safe operating procedures?

Sometimes yes, and sometimes no.

When do you find out if they are unsafe? When it's too late.

You pay your money and you take your chances.............................

[Heidi13]

12 hours ago, BruceMuzz said:

Cruise Lines are rather conservative and averse to liability lawsuits and negative publicity.

As a result, they normally take out $1or $2 million liability insurance for each pax going on a ship-sponsored tour.

Who pays for that expensive insurance? The people booking the tours, of course.

Before the cruise line signs a contract with a tour operator, the cruise line's insurance company does a thorough investigation of the tours, requiring proper safety equipment and safe operational procedures.

 

If you are a gambler and / or feel lucky you can choose an independent tour operator on the pier, and sometimes save a lot of money. Do they have insurance for you ? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

 

Do they have proper safety equipment and safe operating procedures?

Sometimes yes, and sometimes no.

When do you find out if they are unsafe? When it's too late.

You pay your money and you take your chances.............................

In addition to the original scrutiny prior to signing a contract, cruise lines also conduct regular and very detailed audits on shore excursions. The audit includes a multi-page form, checking all certifications, licences, safety equipment, maintenance, cleanliness, comfort, etc.

[dyeadave]

To the OP on this thread, yes you can usually book a tour "at the dock" , here in Alaska. Of course, they may just be booking agents, like they are, here in Skagway, so they will be   getting their commission before they hand you off to someone that they are contracting with to actually do the tour.

The best way for you to deal direct with a tour provider might be to look up the visitor bureau in each port where you will be stopping and they give a somewhat unbiased list of  tour providers in that particular port.

Otherwise you might find them thru reviews on Trip Advisor or even from comments here on Cruise Critic.

If you contact them, ask them directly if they are the actual tour provider or just an agent? 

 

NOw, a special note to the poster just above.

In my home town of Skagway, anything with wheels on it, that is picking up passengers from the cruise ships, has to have a mandatory minimum of 1.5 million of liability insurance, before they can even be inspected for DOT compliance!

So, some  of those truly local people, running their 14 pax and under vans, are staying under ten thousand dollars for their six months operating costs, just for the liability insurance!

Before illness forced me to turn over my business to trusted family members, I was paying somewhere north of 15k for said insurance for six months operating, because when you go over 15 pax, or you go into Canadian territory, it is required that you have 5 million coverage on each vehicle!

So please,  Mr. Bruce Muzz, before you start the generalized scare tactics re.gambling, etc., check for some local facts first and meanwhile you will find lots of opportunities to gamble/get lucky on that floating casino on which you may arrive at one of our SE Alaska ports.

If I am ever bound to return to the Orient, I will check in with you,  so that I won't risk being shanghied while in that area of the world..........

Meanwhile, while I am in my mandatory retirement, we may meet on the pier where they are going to allow me to still meet and greet the prebooks arriveing for their adventures in our town.

[jspqld]

3 hours ago, dyeadave said:

To the OP on this thread, yes you can usually book a tour "at the dock" , here in Alaska. Of course, they may just be booking agents, like they are, here in Skagway, so they will be   getting their commission before they hand you off to someone that they are contracting with to actually do the tour.

The best way for you to deal direct with a tour provider might be to look up the visitor bureau in each port where you will be stopping and they give a somewhat unbiased list of  tour providers in that particular port.

Otherwise you might find them thru reviews on Trip Advisor or even from comments here on Cruise Critic.

If you contact them, ask them directly if they are the actual tour provider or just an agent? 

 

NOw, a special note to the poster just above.

In my home town of Skagway, anything with wheels on it, that is picking up passengers from the cruise ships, has to have a mandatory minimum of 1.5 million of liability insurance, before they can even be inspected for DOT compliance!

So, some  of those truly local people, running their 14 pax and under vans, are staying under ten thousand dollars for their six months operating costs, just for the liability insurance!

Before illness forced me to turn over my business to trusted family members, I was paying somewhere north of 15k for said insurance for six months operating, because when you go over 15 pax, or you go into Canadian territory, it is required that you have 5 million coverage on each vehicle!

So please,  Mr. Bruce Muzz, before you start the generalized scare tactics re.gambling, etc., check for some local facts first and meanwhile you will find lots of opportunities to gamble/get lucky on that floating casino on which you may arrive at one of our SE Alaska ports.

If I am ever bound to return to the Orient, I will check in with you,  so that I won't risk being shanghied while in that area of the world..........

Meanwhile, while I am in my mandatory retirement, we may meet on the pier where they are going to allow me to still meet and greet the prebooks arriveing for their adventures in our town.

Thanks Dyeadave for above info. Kind of what I was expecting and hoping for.

 

To add some clarity to my original question. As I already explained we are experienced cruisers, having sailed into many, many ports around the world. I always do a lot of pre-research as to what is on offer. In the past we have booked many ship excursions and private ones at the dock on the day. Overall I'd say the better ones have been the private ones booked on the day taking into consideration what we have seen, time spent at attractions, comfort/safety of vehicle, costs, etc. This is our experience in almost 30 cruises. I can't talk for others. If there is an info centre at the port and we don't have a ship exc booked we always hit the info centre first.

Secondly the main reason for my original question is because in the past 5 years I have been to hell and back fighting Cancer. I am much better these days, but 4 years ago due to cancer and extensive treatment I lost just about full mobility. 3 years ago I was still using a scooter to get around. 2 years ago I still relied on a walking stick and today I still need it sporadically. I've been lucky to cruise since Cancer. Some days I feel great, other days I feel exhausted. Cancer has left me with many side affects I deal with everyday. I'm just grateful to have the chance to be on a ship and cruise Alaska. Anything I see extra on land is a bonus! I don't know how I'm going to wake up feeling on any given day and as such is why there is no point committing to expensive tours I may have to cancel at the last minute and risk refunds and all the drama that goes with it. I know I'm not going to be strong enough to trek across a Glacier or paddle up a river. My lungs probably won't deal well with anything at super high altitude. It would be cool to see whales in alaska, but I often see them just off our beach a few mins from home anyway.

 

This is why the preferred and better option for us these days is to just decide on something on the day if I/we feel up to it. If not it usually means a nice quite 'sea day'on board while everyone is off exploring.

 

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Very good reason to book the day of the cruise. Not the normal situation for most of us, but the beauty of the situation is that there are options for all circumstances. God bless you. 

 

BTW, I am also a cancer survivor, but I have been blessed to not have had such a hard comeback. 

Edited February 13, 2019 by Sunny AZ Girl

[jspqld]

32 minutes ago, Sunny AZ Girl said:

Very good reason to book the day of the cruise. Not the normal situation for most of us, but the beauty of the situation is that there are options for all circumstances. God bless you. 

Thanks

[BruceMuzz]

12 hours ago, dyeadave said:

To the OP on this thread, yes you can usually book a tour "at the dock" , here in Alaska. Of course, they may just be booking agents, like they are, here in Skagway, so they will be   getting their commission before they hand you off to someone that they are contracting with to actually do the tour.

The best way for you to deal direct with a tour provider might be to look up the visitor bureau in each port where you will be stopping and they give a somewhat unbiased list of  tour providers in that particular port.

Otherwise you might find them thru reviews on Trip Advisor or even from comments here on Cruise Critic.

If you contact them, ask them directly if they are the actual tour provider or just an agent? 

 

NOw, a special note to the poster just above.

In my home town of Skagway, anything with wheels on it, that is picking up passengers from the cruise ships, has to have a mandatory minimum of 1.5 million of liability insurance, before they can even be inspected for DOT compliance!

So, some  of those truly local people, running their 14 pax and under vans, are staying under ten thousand dollars for their six months operating costs, just for the liability insurance!

Before illness forced me to turn over my business to trusted family members, I was paying somewhere north of 15k for said insurance for six months operating, because when you go over 15 pax, or you go into Canadian territory, it is required that you have 5 million coverage on each vehicle!

So please,  Mr. Bruce Muzz, before you start the generalized scare tactics re.gambling, etc., check for some local facts first and meanwhile you will find lots of opportunities to gamble/get lucky on that floating casino on which you may arrive at one of our SE Alaska ports.

If I am ever bound to return to the Orient, I will check in with you,  so that I won't risk being shanghied while in that area of the world..........

Meanwhile, while I am in my mandatory retirement, we may meet on the pier where they are going to allow me to still meet and greet the prebooks arriveing for their adventures in our town.

Well put - except that my ship does not have a casino.

It is true that there are many very reliable and responsible tour operators waiting on the pier in Alaska and other places.

Over 90% of my guests who purchase local tours from independent operators save money and have a safe and enjoyable time.

It is the 10% or so who have problems with unscrupulous tour operators who get my attention.

They encounter any number of problems - some minor, some major - and then come back to the ship and expect me to sort it out for them. Sadly, I cannot.

9 in 10 odds are pretty good for a successful, safe shore tour.

If I were a gambler, I might just take the chance.

[CMM]

OP there were many vendors inJuneau. We booked a whale watching with MendelsonGlacier combo and had a memorable day.

We too left some things unbooked.   On the top of our list was flight seeing over the glaciers which often gets grounded due to weather.  Had we not been able to compete the flightseeing we prebooked during our land tour we wanted to try for it in Juneau, so did not prebook anything in that port.

fortunatly for us we did get to do flightseeing in Talketee, so also got a chance to see the magnificant whales by booking a last minute pier tour once we got to Jueau.

Best luck to you on your travels.