Booking Excursions

[ZSO]

Hi

A group of us are doing the inside passage in mid August on HAL.

Looking at the HAL pricing versus indepentent operators... the pricing is the same.

For instance the White pass RR is 89 P/P and HAL is the same. In Juneau the cheapest Halicopter tour is 199 P/P by TEMSCO. Hal offer the same.

 

Now, I have been reading here that booking onshore thru indepentents is cheaper. This apparently is not the case with HAL. Did HAL and locals finally add 2+2 together? How are the other cruiseline tours cost this year?

 

ZSO

[Coral]

I haven't always found booking the tours independently was always cheaper. In Juneau - I could have booked whale watching with Princess and I would have been on a whale watching boat with 150 people. Instead, I paid the same amount and was on a boat with only 15 people.

 

Don't just compare the price - compare the excursion also. You may find that there is no difference or it could be a difference like my whale watching example listed above.

 

White Pass train - I would book this through the cruise line. There is definitely no difference between booking this independently or through the cruise line and if the price is the same...

[Budget Queen]

In Juneau Coastal is $180, but you get much more than cash savings on independent tours. First off they are usually year round residents offering far more of a personal experience than seasonal workers with you packed on a bus. I also at times- want to get away from a total "cruise passenger" group. I find it interesting to talk with people who traveled on the ferry, staying a week etc.

[Aggie95]

There are definitely advantages to both. One nice thing about cruise-booked tours is that if the tour is late getting back, the ship won't leave you; and if the ship is late getting into port (which they seem to be a lot on Alaska cruises), the tour won't leave you and will usually reschedule for a little bit later in the day.