Excursion companies outside NCL
Jun 28th, 2016, 06:48 PM
#1
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Excursion companies outside NCL
Hello,
My friend and I are taking an Alaskan cruise on NCL Aug 14-21.
We have been looking at booking excursions but I am hoping to find some who may have used
http://alaska-shoreexcursions.com ?
We liked the sound of this company because they not only offer they type of excursions we are looking for but for the best prices we have seen as well as they guarentee returning us to our ship on time. I haven't seen any other outside companies offer this guarentee.
I never usually use a travel agent but since this is our first crusie and I have no experience with it I thought an agent would be helpful. When we met in person she said she could look into the companies that I was looking at to see if they were "good" companies. However, after asking about this company twice she did not tell me if it was a "good" company or not. She simply said that she had heard of them but that her agency did not work with them and that they had an account with Shoretrips.com.
This makes me feel that perhaps I am just being directed to their vendors and not looking to help me get what I am looking for.
Anyone with any experience or advice on the company above or their experience with booking outside of the cruise line would be appreciated.
My friend and I are taking an Alaskan cruise on NCL Aug 14-21.
We have been looking at booking excursions but I am hoping to find some who may have used
http://alaska-shoreexcursions.com ?
We liked the sound of this company because they not only offer they type of excursions we are looking for but for the best prices we have seen as well as they guarentee returning us to our ship on time. I haven't seen any other outside companies offer this guarentee.
I never usually use a travel agent but since this is our first crusie and I have no experience with it I thought an agent would be helpful. When we met in person she said she could look into the companies that I was looking at to see if they were "good" companies. However, after asking about this company twice she did not tell me if it was a "good" company or not. She simply said that she had heard of them but that her agency did not work with them and that they had an account with Shoretrips.com.
This makes me feel that perhaps I am just being directed to their vendors and not looking to help me get what I am looking for.
Anyone with any experience or advice on the company above or their experience with booking outside of the cruise line would be appreciated.
Jun 28th, 2016, 09:52 PM
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Littlemizrabbit,
You are smart to research the excursion companies, and rather than use a travel agent, Book directly with the tour operators.
Two good ways to find what you need.
1. Near the upper right of this Fodor's page, there is a small search box. Type in Alaska and you will get many posts about Alaska, including cruise excursions. Note one by Eschew on how to do cheap excursions in Alaska. They are many others. Read through them and you will find recommendations for excursions on your own and who is good or not.
2. Have you joined cruisecritic.com? If not, join it right now. It is one of your best friends for a cruise. It also has a search Box. However, it also has roll calls for cruises. Look for the roll call lists. Find your exact cruise, ship, date, etc. and join the roll call. Sometimes lots of people join. Sometimes not. I think now-a-days many people do not know about it since it is not sponsored by the cruise company. Anyway, you can meet fellow passengers who will also be on your cruise. They often put together their own excursions. Usually the person putting it together does the research, then asks if others want to join. You can also ask questions.
Also, on the same website, cruisecritic.com, look up your ship for reviews of past cruises. Former passengers often write reviews and include information on their shore excursions.
I think opinions in these websites are much more reliable than a travel agent who may not even have been there. This will also give you many opinions from people's personal experience.
You are smart to research the excursion companies, and rather than use a travel agent, Book directly with the tour operators.
Two good ways to find what you need.
1. Near the upper right of this Fodor's page, there is a small search box. Type in Alaska and you will get many posts about Alaska, including cruise excursions. Note one by Eschew on how to do cheap excursions in Alaska. They are many others. Read through them and you will find recommendations for excursions on your own and who is good or not.
2. Have you joined cruisecritic.com? If not, join it right now. It is one of your best friends for a cruise. It also has a search Box. However, it also has roll calls for cruises. Look for the roll call lists. Find your exact cruise, ship, date, etc. and join the roll call. Sometimes lots of people join. Sometimes not. I think now-a-days many people do not know about it since it is not sponsored by the cruise company. Anyway, you can meet fellow passengers who will also be on your cruise. They often put together their own excursions. Usually the person putting it together does the research, then asks if others want to join. You can also ask questions.
Also, on the same website, cruisecritic.com, look up your ship for reviews of past cruises. Former passengers often write reviews and include information on their shore excursions.
I think opinions in these websites are much more reliable than a travel agent who may not even have been there. This will also give you many opinions from people's personal experience.
Jun 29th, 2016, 12:50 AM
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Sassafrass has given you some solid advice.
Do join cruise critic immediately & sign up for roll call for your cruise. You can also post questions on the NCL site
there.
I personally would not depend on your travel agent but query
your fellow cruisers on the c c site.
Do join cruise critic immediately & sign up for roll call for your cruise. You can also post questions on the NCL site
there.
I personally would not depend on your travel agent but query
your fellow cruisers on the c c site.
Jul 6th, 2016, 06:04 AM
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Sassafrass! An endorsement! I owe you one for sure now ....
littlemizrabbit, Alaska is probably the easiest to do excursions on your own as most company are regulated by the state's tourism organizations.
No one will offer you that guarantee to return you to the ship on time, in all my years, we only come close to missing it twice. Once is our fault (not the tour company) and the second was an accident and the highway was closed. Lucky for us, it was on a ship's excursion so with busloads of passengers from the ship, they hold up departure.
My excursion rules are simple, if you have to go a long distance, go with the ship's excursion as it is more convenient but you pay more (like an insurance policy). If we are just in town, or near by area, we just book private or simply walk off as it is more efficient and better value.
If this is your first cruise, I would suggest bite the bullet and book the ship's excursion. You will have 24/7 access to the ship's staff for question, and the excursion staff for any issues etc. While you are on the boat, you have no access to your travel agent so booking through your TA is pointless.
The ship typically will charge anywhere from 10% to 25% more than what you can do on your own, so think about the premium price as "insurance".
At cruise critic, join the roll call for your cruise and you will come across people who booked small group tours and wanted extra bodies to join and share/lower the cost. It is not a bad idea except for the buyer beware.
Good luck!
littlemizrabbit, Alaska is probably the easiest to do excursions on your own as most company are regulated by the state's tourism organizations.
No one will offer you that guarantee to return you to the ship on time, in all my years, we only come close to missing it twice. Once is our fault (not the tour company) and the second was an accident and the highway was closed. Lucky for us, it was on a ship's excursion so with busloads of passengers from the ship, they hold up departure.
My excursion rules are simple, if you have to go a long distance, go with the ship's excursion as it is more convenient but you pay more (like an insurance policy). If we are just in town, or near by area, we just book private or simply walk off as it is more efficient and better value.
If this is your first cruise, I would suggest bite the bullet and book the ship's excursion. You will have 24/7 access to the ship's staff for question, and the excursion staff for any issues etc. While you are on the boat, you have no access to your travel agent so booking through your TA is pointless.
The ship typically will charge anywhere from 10% to 25% more than what you can do on your own, so think about the premium price as "insurance".
At cruise critic, join the roll call for your cruise and you will come across people who booked small group tours and wanted extra bodies to join and share/lower the cost. It is not a bad idea except for the buyer beware.
Good luck!
