Excursions: local or ship?

[smattapup]

Local. Go local.

 

We just got back from our first Alaska cruise, and it was an eye-opening experience in many ways. First, Alaska really DOES look like all the pictures, even when the skies are cloudy and the weather is wet. Second, if you really want to support the local communities while getting the most bang for your buck, book your excursions with the local providers.

 

We took the time and effort (with much help from the CC Boards) to do almost all of our tours with locals, and we're really glad we did. The Alaska you see through a cruise is two separate worlds: the part the cruise companies own and the "real" Alaska, starting a few blocks back from the dock. One look at towns like Ketchican or Skagway and you'll realize what a great job the cruise lines are doing of NOT sharing the wealth.

 

As far as excursions go, the cruises aim for maximum efficiency. That means bigger crowds, shorter itineraries, fewer unplanned stops, and a staff that gets bussed in (mostly from Oregon and Utah) for the season. You might actually make it through a cruise without meeting an Alaskan!

 

When you book locally, you're dealing with a one- to two-person operation, or a family business, run by people who actually live in the community (check that the operators are year-round residents). Anyone who lives in Alaska year round is there 'cuz they love the place, they feel a part of it, and it shows in the kind of tours you get. You get a more personal history, you got to off-the-beaten-trail spots, you stop for the occasional moose, you run a bit over time if the situation dictates....you might even meet the family.

 

Here's an example: a cruisemate booked a local whale watch in Hoonah. Just her, her husband, and the captain on a small crab boat. After an unsuccessful hour, they happened to pass the man's uncle coming in from deeper waters. He'd spotted a pod of orca about an hour out. Off they went, and had a private frolic that lasted almost half an hour. We were glad we'd suggested she find a local provider....though we were also a bit jealous!

 

Cruise excursions just don't do that kind of thing. They've got schedules to meet. The local excursions treat you much more like a guest.

 

Look, setting up local tours takes some work. The local providers, by and large, aren't as sophisticated or as savvy as the cruise operators. Their Web sites aren't very slick (I just tweaked the site for one of our tour guides). They sometimes don't respond promptly to e-mails, form submissions or even phone calls. They don't always make very good small talk over the phone (though they'll talk your ears off face to face). But understand: a lot of them hold down two, three or four jobs, and are trying to both run and manage tours at the same time. Make the extra effort. Make the second phone call.

 

The whole "miss the boat" issue feels like a red herring to me; we never came close to having a problem. Maybe other people will weigh in on this one, and on the issue of refunds for cancelled tours. I'm suspicious this is all something cooked up by the Marketing departments of the cruise lines. OMHO.

 

Once you've been to Alaska, you'll see what I'm talkgin about. Skagway and Hoonah have 800 year-round residents. These are small towns, where the tour guide is also the high school wrestling coach and probably works for the town government as well. They appreciate the income that tours bring. Aligning themsleves with the cruises comes at a considerable cost.

 

I'm sure there are horror stories (or maybe just "kinda pissed off" stories) about local excursions, and I'm sure there a providers who don't have their act together. So do your research and use the Boards. Ask lots of questions before you put down a deposit. I think, in the end, you'll be glad you did.

[David6028]

Very well said. Like yourself, I like knowing the money I spend goes to someone who can use it. In planning our trip I have spoken to several locals and your right, I may have had to wait a bit for a response or a return call but there was always a smile on the other end of the phone. I know the scenery will be awesome, but sometimes the best scenery is the smile of another human being.

[SakeDad]

Thanks, Smattapup, I couldn't agree more. The locals have a huge interest in making sure their trips are good as word spreads quickly and they don't have the guarantee of the cruise passengers. I was very happy with the excursions I booked directly.:D

[cjnky]

A very well-written salute! I'm afraid without CC, I would have been one of those poor souls on the ship tours, and visiting the ship-owned shops! :eek:

[Booked]

Hi:

We've already booked with a local excursion in Ketchikan - not sure about what to do in Juneau or Hoonah?

Do you have recos????

thanks

CA

[cjnky]

Booked - just put those ports in the "search function" and I'm sure you'll come up with more ideas than you have time to do! :D

[gg3]

Hi:

We've already booked with a local excursion in Ketchikan - not sure about what to do in Juneau or Hoonah?

Do you have recos????

thanks

CA

 

In Juneau we are booked to whale watch with Harv and Marv after so many recommendations from this board. www.harvandmarvs.com They have a superb site and respond very quickly to inquiries. We have also whale watched with Captain Larry of Orca enterprise. Both groups are excellent, with the first operating smaller boats. We have done the ship whale watching too, with a LOT of other folks and were very disappointed with it and saw only 1 whale.

In Skagway, we are renting a car from Avis and driving to Emerald Lake. Lots of info. on this board re: that. Lots of history in Skagway. We have ridden the train there - excellent - and have taken a ferry to Haines where we got on a bus that took us to the Chilkot river to go rafting in a huge eagle sanctuary. Read thru the first 3 pages of this Alaska site and you will get tons of info. gg

[coolrider]

Hi:

We've already booked with a local excursion in Ketchikan - not sure about what to do in Juneau or Hoonah?

Do you have recos????

thanks

CA

 

In Hoonah you could try to contact Floyd with FISHES www.visithoonah.com/fishes or Keith with TECKK www.teckkoutfitters.com or Shawn with Glacier Winds www.g-winds.comBoth Shawn and Floyd do whale watching and fishing and Keith does land tours, whale watching and fishing

[arrow3]

This makes it sound like anyone who books with the cruise is a sucker or an idot.

 

I understand your point, but for the most part the tours are the same either way. You can save money by booking tours with locals but the planning that has to go into it by you before you book makes up for the difference. Most people don't have the time to research for hours on end.

[Budget Queen]

This makes it sound like anyone who books with the cruise is a sucker or an idot.

 

I understand your point, but for the most part the tours are the same either way. You can save money by booking tours with locals but the planning that has to go into it by you before you book makes up for the difference. Most people don't have the time to research for hours on end.

 

 

 

Sorry, no, definately not all the "same". There can be vast differences. It's more likely you do get the seasonal workers working from a script on some ship tours. Very large groups, very fixed schedules.

 

It pays to do some homework, if you have time to look over a ship shore excursion list, then a couple hours extra can perhaps find independent vendors, after you select. Compare what you are looking at, if of interest.

[Budget Queen]

Local. Go local.

 

We just got back from our first Alaska cruise, and it was an eye-opening experience in many ways. First, Alaska really DOES look like all the pictures, even when the skies are cloudy and the weather is wet. Second, if you really want to support the local communities while getting the most bang for your buck, book your excursions with the local providers.

 

We took the time and effort (with much help from the CC Boards) to do almost all of our tours with locals, and we're really glad we did. The Alaska you see through a cruise is two separate worlds: the part the cruise companies own and the "real" Alaska, starting a few blocks back from the dock. One look at towns like Ketchican or Skagway and you'll realize what a great job the cruise lines are doing of NOT sharing the wealth.

 

As far as excursions go, the cruises aim for maximum efficiency. That means bigger crowds, shorter itineraries, fewer unplanned stops, and a staff that gets bussed in (mostly from Oregon and Utah) for the season. You might actually make it through a cruise without meeting an Alaskan!

 

When you book locally, you're dealing with a one- to two-person operation, or a family business, run by people who actually live in the community (check that the operators are year-round residents). Anyone who lives in Alaska year round is there 'cuz they love the place, they feel a part of it, and it shows in the kind of tours you get. You get a more personal history, you got to off-the-beaten-trail spots, you stop for the occasional moose, you run a bit over time if the situation dictates....you might even meet the family.

 

Here's an example: a cruisemate booked a local whale watch in Hoonah. Just her, her husband, and the captain on a small crab boat. After an unsuccessful hour, they happened to pass the man's uncle coming in from deeper waters. He'd spotted a pod of orca about an hour out. Off they went, and had a private frolic that lasted almost half an hour. We were glad we'd suggested she find a local provider....though we were also a bit jealous!

 

Cruise excursions just don't do that kind of thing. They've got schedules to meet. The local excursions treat you much more like a guest.

 

Look, setting up local tours takes some work. The local providers, by and large, aren't as sophisticated or as savvy as the cruise operators. Their Web sites aren't very slick (I just tweaked the site for one of our tour guides). They sometimes don't respond promptly to e-mails, form submissions or even phone calls. They don't always make very good small talk over the phone (though they'll talk your ears off face to face). But understand: a lot of them hold down two, three or four jobs, and are trying to both run and manage tours at the same time. Make the extra effort. Make the second phone call.

 

The whole "miss the boat" issue feels like a red herring to me; we never came close to having a problem. Maybe other people will weigh in on this one, and on the issue of refunds for cancelled tours. I'm suspicious this is all something cooked up by the Marketing departments of the cruise lines. OMHO.

 

Once you've been to Alaska, you'll see what I'm talkgin about. Skagway and Hoonah have 800 year-round residents. These are small towns, where the tour guide is also the high school wrestling coach and probably works for the town government as well. They appreciate the income that tours bring. Aligning themsleves with the cruises comes at a considerable cost.

 

I'm sure there are horror stories (or maybe just "kinda pissed off" stories) about local excursions, and I'm sure there a providers who don't have their act together. So do your research and use the Boards. Ask lots of questions before you put down a deposit. I think, in the end, you'll be glad you did.

 

 

I guess, I've been saying something similar for years. :)

[kruisecat]

Sorry, no, definately not all the "same". There can be vast differences. It's more likely you do get the seasonal workers working from a script on some ship tours. Very large groups, very fixed schedules.

 

It pays to do some homework, if you have time to look over a ship shore excursion list, then a couple hours extra can perhaps find independent vendors, after you select. Compare what you are looking at, if of interest.

 

 

I want to slightly disagree with you BQ (but only a little ;) ) After a year of researching and listening to tons of advice we started to book our excursions. In the end we booked independently for 2 and ships tours for 2. The reasons we booked the ships tours are as follows: 1) we wanted an earlier am helicopter/glacier excursion in Skagway and Temsco had all their am times reserved for the cruise ships. Since they are the only game in town it really did not matter whether I booked with them directly or with the ship and in the end it only cost me $15 more pp to book with the ship and 2) Since we're planning on taking the train in Skagway why would I not make it so I can hop right on after getting of the ship?

 

The two tours that we've booked independently are Capt. Larry in Juneau and Island Wings Misty Fjords tour in Ketchikan.

 

I think the advice should be, do your research and try to book as much as you can directly with the locals, but make a smart decision and if booking through the ship offers you the best option don't be ashamed to take it.

 

Just my 2 cents

[smattapup]

Can't argue that. You shouldn't feel ashamed of what you do on a vacation!

 

And no, you're not a "sucker or idiot" for taking a cruise-sponsored tour. Thousands of people every year take them and have great times. Thousands of people take cruises and never leave the ship! You do what works for you.

 

And yes, BQ, you HAVE been saying this for years, and thank you for doing it. You convinced us.

 

Let me just put it this way....

 

The only cruise-sponsored tour we DID take was White Pass Railroad. We booked through the cruise because of the time of the trip. Now, there's really no way a White Pass Railrod trip CAN'T be a spectacular experience. But we were disappointed when, on the trip back, the guides pointed out a bear on the left side of the train, which we didn't see.

 

Later, on a local tour, guide asked us "so, did they show you the bear right before you got back?" It''s a fake bear. His cousin goes up there every year to touch up the paint.

 

That pretty much sums up the difference, I think.

[copmom]

Thanks for sharing everyone. We are going to Alaska for the first time in a few weeks and this board has been very helpful. I have so far booked one local tour in Juneau (Coastal) and two thru the cruise line, the White Rail Train and the Zip Line Canopy in Ketchikan. The reason is there is really no independant there for ziplining...they seem to take only cruise passengers. I was afraid that the train was so popular it may fill up, so I booked it in advance thru the ship. I think you have to pick and choose. That being said, I do have a question. We do not have anything planned for ISP/Hoonah. I get seasick and therefore am not too gung ho on whale watching. Any other suggestions? There are 5 of us so price is a bit of a factor...thanks. Like I said, this board is great!

[MercedMike]

Thanks for sharing everyone. We are going to Alaska for the first time in a few weeks and this board has been very helpful. I have so far booked one local tour in Juneau (Coastal) and two thru the cruise line, the White Rail Train and the Zip Line Canopy in Ketchikan. The reason is there is really no independant there for ziplining...they seem to take only cruise passengers. I was afraid that the train was so popular it may fill up, so I booked it in advance thru the ship. I think you have to pick and choose. That being said, I do have a question. We do not have anything planned for ISP/Hoonah. I get seasick and therefore am not too gung ho on whale watching. Any other suggestions? There are 5 of us so price is a bit of a factor...thanks. Like I said, this board is great!

 

I think this post says it very well. I would NEVER go so far as to say ALWAYS book the ship's tours, and I would never say ALWAYS book independent. We usually (not just in Alaska, but all cruises) book a mix of ship's tours and independent tours. The ship's tours do what they do very well, and normally include the most visited attractions in the most interesting way. Usually we review the ship's excursions and if they do what we want we book them. That is very convenient and secure. If not, we will go looking for an independent operator.

 

For example on our cruise in August, we are booked on the ship's excursions in Sitka. We want to do the Otter Search in the morning, have a quick lunch aboard, and then do the Archangel dancers in the afternoon. Booking through the ship makes it quick and easy and helps ensure the connections will work on time. OTOH, in Icy Strait Point, we are booked with Teckk tours for the bear search by van. (You might check that out, Copmom.) They have already processed our cc, so we are dependent on their stability and reputation and good recommendations on this board.

 

Usually this mix of tours works well for us. Out of thirty cruises, twice we have come very close to missing the ship on independent tours. Twice, the ship has waited for our tours when we were on ship's excursions. We balance off a whole lot of factors in deciding whether to go independent or ship's tours.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[ute_fan]

On our two trips to Alaska, we've done a variety of excursions. We booked independently using Harv & Marv's for whale watching, and Sourdough Tours in Ketchikan for Totem Pole visits. Both of them were excellent, with life-long Alaskan residents as our guides. We've rented a car and driven to Emerald Lake, using Murray's tour guide.

 

Then we've done some excursions booked through the ship. In Tracy Arm, we used NCL's catamaran excursion which meets back up with the ship at the top of Tracy Arm -- excellent, and no other way to book that one. This year, in Ketchikan, we did the Misty Fjords cruise, booked through the cruiseline. A larger boat, operated by Allen Marine, but again an excellent excursion. Our naturalist onboard was a lifelong resident of Ketchikan, with excellent knowledge of the area. I hadn't seen any particular recommendations for doing that independently, and it worked out just fine.

 

We booked the long Carcross train ride directly through the ship, not realizing that Chilkoot did the same tour, but also had a wonderful experience on that one. We did see bears (and they were moving, so they weren't the "painted variety") right outside the bus window. As a sidenote, yes, our bus driver was from Utah -- which we enjoyed, being from our home state. However, she'd REALLY done her homework. This is her 4th year driving that route in a bus, and she's put a lot of time and effort into researching the geography and history of the area. I'd actually match her tour information against anything the locals have provided on the independent tours. She had taken the time to do lots of reading, as well as talking with the local residents, and tried to balance out her spiel with a mixture of informative facts with a smattering of local flavor.

 

Basically, I prefer the independent tours also, but whatever you do, I hope your experiences are as good as ours have been!

[AKPeaches2]

Thanks for sharing everyone. We are going to Alaska for the first time in a few weeks and this board has been very helpful. I have so far booked one local tour in Juneau (Coastal) and two thru the cruise line, the White Rail Train and the Zip Line Canopy in Ketchikan. The reason is there is really no independant there for ziplining...they seem to take only cruise passengers. I was afraid that the train was so popular it may fill up, so I booked it in advance thru the ship. I think you have to pick and choose. That being said, I do have a question. We do not have anything planned for ISP/Hoonah. I get seasick and therefore am not too gung ho on whale watching. Any other suggestions? There are 5 of us so price is a bit of a factor...thanks. Like I said, this board is great!

 

Hi Copmom,

I get a seasick also.Plus I have the inter-ear/vertigo problem. Dramamine or Bonnie work for me.

In Hoonah there are 3 independent Wilderness Road tour guides, that are licensed with the forest service and fully insured guides.

Forget-Me- Not Outfitters.com

Teckk Outfitters.com

Chicagof Island Tours (the Galley)

 

Some offer a package , whale watching, fishing etc.

Hope this will be of assistance to you.

 

have a wonderful trip:)

[halbfl2]

Sometimes, the ship excursions are your only choice. My husband wants to go fishing in Ketchikan, and no one else in our group of 12 wants to do it. He tried contacting the fishing charter operators there, and the response he got was that they want a group, so they told him right out to book from the ship as long as he was alone. Now if others in the group wanted to do it, and he had 4-6 people to go with him, he would have booked directly.

[AKPeaches2]

Sometimes, the ship excursions are your only choice. My husband wants to go fishing in Ketchikan, and no one else in our group of 12 wants to do it. He tried contacting the fishing charter operators there, and the response he got was that they want a group, so they told him right out to book from the ship as long as he was alone. Now if others in the group wanted to do it, and he had 4-6 people to go with him, he would have booked directly.

 

If you are going to be in Hoonah/ISP. You might contact one of the independents there. They may have a spot vacant on the day you will be in port.

 

Teckkoutfitters.com

dreamfish alaska.com

royal-charters.com

[eela]

I have a question for you guys. Would I be able to book local tours at last minute on the cruise?? or even when we actually arrive at the port?? We are thinking of booking local tours at Skagway but only if we cannot share a ride with anyone renting a car driving to emerald lake. Me and my bf are Canadians so we can't do the rental car option. Must tag along with someone. But we would like option B if we can't tag along with anyone.

 

thanks,

 

eela

[MercedMike]

I have a question for you guys. Would I be able to book local tours at last minute on the cruise?? or even when we actually arrive at the port?? We are thinking of booking local tours at Skagway but only if we cannot share a ride with anyone renting a car driving to emerald lake. Me and my bf are Canadians so we can't do the rental car option. Must tag along with someone. But we would like option B if we can't tag along with anyone.

 

thanks,

 

eela

 

Skagway, and most other ports in Alaska, has a whole lot of tour operators right at the pier. You can easily walk off the ship and book a tour. Sometimes it might not be the most convenient or the very best tour available, but there will certainly be a Plan B available!

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[Rock712]

ok , maybe I'm in the great minority here , and maybe we just got incredibly lucky and had an unusual experience , but we just returned from our first trip to Alaska and we took the 5 day Princess land tour first and then the cruise. All of our excursions except one was thru Princess or the ship and despite everyone's warnings to the contrary, we had a great time. Some of the people that led our tours were Ak natives , and some were the college kids from Utah. They both did a great job.

I know and understand that doing everything independently can lead to a great trip. But there are some people,and on this trip I was one of them , that want things to be as simple as possible. I paid this time for the luxury of letting someone else do it for me,and they came thru with flying colors.

[thawan]

Rock thanks for posting that. The positives posts are few. :D

 

When we do a land tour it will be with a tour. DH has such a long commute everyday, that the last thing he wants to do is drive.

 

But that's the beauty of CC it gives everyone options.

[Budget Queen]

I want to slightly disagree with you BQ (but only a little ;) ) After a year of researching and listening to tons of advice we started to book our excursions. In the end we booked independently for 2 and ships tours for 2. The reasons we booked the ships tours are as follows: 1) we wanted an earlier am helicopter/glacier excursion in Skagway and Temsco had all their am times reserved for the cruise ships. Since they are the only game in town it really did not matter whether I booked with them directly or with the ship and in the end it only cost me $15 more pp to book with the ship and 2) Since we're planning on taking the train in Skagway why would I not make it so I can hop right on after getting of the ship?

 

The two tours that we've booked independently are Capt. Larry in Juneau and Island Wings Misty Fjords tour in Ketchikan.

 

I think the advice should be, do your research and try to book as much as you can directly with the locals, but make a smart decision and if booking through the ship offers you the best option don't be ashamed to take it.

 

Just my 2 cents

 

Actually, you missed another vendor, there are 4 helicopter companies out of Juneau. For others, cobooking whale watches and glacier helicopter tours, saves at least an hour in transfer time. A great idea if you are short on time in Juneau. The independent is cheaper than $15pp compared to the ship contracted.

[kruisecat]

Actually, you missed another vendor, there are 4 helicopter companies out of Juneau. For others, cobooking whale watches and glacier helicopter tours, saves at least an hour in transfer time. A great idea if you are short on time in Juneau. The independent is cheaper than $15pp compared to the ship contracted.

 

 

We're doing the helicopter/glacier in Skagway not Juneau otherwise I would have gone with an independent for sure. My general point was that a) the excursion we're taking is with the same vendor whether we book independently or not and b) for the sake of an additional $30 (total for 2) we can have the exact time we want. And at this point with the amount of $$$ I've spent another $30 was not an issue :p