I plan to cruise Alaska's Inside Passage in September. My question is: Do you save money by arranging your tour trips after you leave the ship? Or is it wise to have the sightseeing arranged while on board? I have been told that if you do your own trip planning and are not back in time, the ship will leave without you.

If you can ,Iwould ask your travelagent to see about booking side tours for you.

Unless you booked your cruise on-line.
It depends how many of you are going.

If it is 4-8, then I would disembark and hire a private tour guide , there are lots of them ,just waiting for the cruise ships to come in.

No reason you should be late, as there is ample time to return on any side tour.
Went I went last year, some tours were about $50.00 to $80.00 depending on where you were going.

I had my travel agent book me 4 tours for $99.00 !!! This was a package deal that was offered,so I took it.
Everything went smoothly.

When you are in Skagway and you have time ( you should have time), then take the Whitepass Railroad Ride Tour.

The Misty Fjords are also very very nice to cruise through !!

Percy

I don't agree- forget having your travel agent book any tours- they probably know nothing about them nor have even been to Alaska. Their choices will be purely commission orientated. I never recommend waiting until in port for deciding what to do. You are wasting valuable port time and likely will have only a few selections. Always have plans and reservations in place before you leave. As for Alaska tours- I never book ship tours myself, and it's extremely easy to book direct with venders- I never use "middle men" either. Look over a shore excursion list and narrow down your interests, then do some of your own research. Get first hand info from www.cruisecritic.com Alaska board. One basic rule with self booking- have all tours ending AT LEAST an hour before boarding- (1 1/2 hours before sailing). Missing ships is solely the fault of passengers for poor planning. It is easily avoided with good scheduling- go with the vender's recommendation. Again- For clairfication- there are NOT loads of tours available AT THE DOCK, that you can just walk up and hire a guide for a private tour- KNOW WHAT you want and arrange ahead.

I disagree with BudgetQueen.

We have travel agents in our City that ONLY do cruises and nothing else.
Like my 62 year lady travel agent said to me:
"I have been everywhere that cruises go and I have been on everything that floats."

When I went to Alaska ,my Travel Agent came with me, the deal was so good that she and her husband went to Alaska again for their 7th time.

So much for Travel Agents that know nothing about cruises.

She also told me ahead of time what to see in everyport..so much for not knowing anything about Ports of Call.

I was going to do four tours on my trip , the total cost would have been about $300.00 .

But my Travel Agent (the one that knows nothing about cruises and Ports of Call), said to me:

"Wait Percy, let me call my Travel Agent friend in Vancouver ( who was also going on this Alaska Cruise for her 15th time.. that is correct her 15th time, along with some of her clients), and I will ask her if she can get you a Package Deal."

Well the Travel Agent in Vancouver ,who knows nothing , accodring to BudgetQueen, got my wife and I this package for $99.00 each for the very SAME tours that would have cost me $300.00 each.!!!!

So much for being Commission hungry ,wouldn't you say.

Like I said if there is a small group of you going( 2-6) , then get your own private tour guide , you will see more.

My tours were all booked , but as soon as I got off the cruise ship , I was asked by three private tour guides to take a trip with them.!!!!
I had to tell them ,"sorry but I am already booked."

I have been on a Carribean cruise , a Mexican Cruise and a Panama cruise and each time , when we disembarked the four of us hired a private Van, right on the spot and away we went.

In Puerto Vallarta ,two private tour guides were almost fighting as to who was going to take the four of us.!!!!

I perhaps would not use a private tour guide if there was just the two of us, because in places like Jamaica, I would not feel safe!!!

Also no matter what Port you disembark at, the Cruise Lines OWN the first 2-3 blocks of stores, so if they do not catch you on the cruise ship with their higher prices , then they get you at the Ports with slightly lower prices!!!

But you are still buying from them even though you think you are not !!

Out tour guide in Juneau Alaska, pointed out to us where the stores beging that are owned by the local people.!!!

he said,"You should start your shopping here and support the locals".

Of course my Travel Agent here in my City told me this and other tricks that Cruise Companies use.

She tells me when a cruise price is too much and NOT to go right now.

Again, so much for Commission Hungry Travel Agents that know nothing !!!!

You would cry if you knew what paid for my Alaska Cruise last year.!!!

But my Travel Agent called me at home and said: "Percy you have to go on this Alaska Cruise, I can get you on the cruise cheap,cheap , cheap."

She told me the price and I said "book it."

Percy

This response was general, you do NOT state who YOUR agent is. AND YOU DO NOT mention WHAT tours you took for $99??? If they are so great- why not? Again- I do not recommend not having reservations and plans in place before you leave. Some ports are having in excess of 10,000 passengers per day. And no I wouldn't "cry" if I knew your cruise price- I haven't paid over $500pp since 1999. For information- I'm on to my 18th Alaska trip this week- so I too know what I am taking about. Happy travels.

BudgetQueen:
These are the tours I took:


1.The Juneau City Tour(The Govenors Mansion is here), and the Mendenhall Glacier Tour.
The we visited Douglas Island which is across the Gastineau Channel.

The we took the Tram Raven to the top of Mount Roberts.
This Tram is right where the Cruise ships dock.

2.The Skagway City and Country side tour all the way to the Alaska Canada Border, when I returned I still had time to do the,

(#3)Whitepass Railway Tour.

#4 In Ketchikan we did the country to see the wild Eagles and also toured the Salmon Hatchery .
Then we did the Tongass Narrows and also visited a Totem Carving site with a full explantion of what these totem poles represent.
Thenwe did the town tour and visted all the points of interest like Creek Street and Dolly' House, you remember Dolly's House don't you??

It is billed as , "The place where men and Salmon came to spawn."

It is a museum and gift shop now,but the original house remains.

I had all these 4 full day tours for $99.00 each.
Other were paying anywhere from $50.00 to $80.00 per tour per person.

Your comments of:
" forget your travel agent booking any tours- they probably know nothing about them nor have they ever been to Alaska"

To paint travel agents with this brush is nothing short of arrogance on your party.

If Hickory_Nuts asks me for the name and number of my Cruise Travel Agent ,I will give it to him.

You must live in Vancouver, which is no big deal to get a low fee.

Peopl living in Miami do a Caribbean Cruise for $300.00.

They told me how they do it.!!

Percy

Percy, I am confused about the pricing you stated. Do you mean you got all 4 tours for $99.00 per person [meaning $25 each] instead of the ususal rate of $50-80 for each tour? We are researching for a cruise in 2005 and would be interested in how to get good excursion rates. IS it worth buying the toursaver book?

Percy, I am interested in your travel agents number, if you could please post it? Thank you, Mary

katybird:

Yes I got all those tours for $99.00, but not because I am smart or shrewd.

My Travel Agent went the extra mile for me and called her friend in Vancouver and asked her to put together a package tour if this was possible..

The Agent in Vancouver did this and I paid $99.00 each ( wife and I ) for all these tours.

I am not sure about the Travel
Saver booklet because I have not see it.

mary54

Okay, My Travel Agent is Patti Caplan
She is going to retire this year and another cruise Travel Agent is taking her place....Patti trained her personally.

Patti Caplan : phone 780- 459 -6661

She is only there once to twice a week now.
If she is not there, then ask to speak to Lisa Cornell( she is the one taking over).
The phone numbr is the same.

Lisa's e-mail address is [email protected]

I just spoke to Lisa a few minutes ago and told her I was posting her name and e-mail on Fodors.

Lisa is there on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 to 5 PM.
And on Saturdays from 8 to 2 PM

She is in Edmonton Alberta, actually St. Albert , which is a large suburb fused with Edmonton.

Last year I did not plan to go to Alaska ,but I had told Patti, that if there was ever a good last minute sort of deal, she was to call me.

Well a flash came across Patti's monitor at work and she called me to let me know...so about 20 people booked right away, me included.

Pattie and her husband also came but we were not in a group, although we saw each other on the cruise ship, nor did any of us dine together.

From the Vancouver airport we had to get a taxi,but Patti said,"there are four other people that need a ride from the airport also, let me see if I can get you a Limo from the airport and you can all share the price."

Well Patti called to Vancouver and sure enough, she booked once of these stretch Limo's ( first time I rode in one), it cost $198.00 return.

So it cost us $33.00 each for the Limo to pick us up at the airport and then upon return it was waiting for us when we disembarked, to take us back to the airport.!!! Cool!!

Now I know how President Bush feels !!!!!

Now wasn't that nice of Patti to do all this.!!
This was service above and beyond the call of duty.
I was prepared to take a taxi from the airport.

I hope your trip was as satisfactory as mine.

You know it is getting a bit late to go to Alaska, maybe it will be coool!!!
Oh well just bring an extra sweater for when you are on deck.

I went June 29th and I was able to wear shorts 65% of the time.

You will love Alaska and the history it has.

Hope all this helps
If you have any further question then please let me know.

Percy

I am overwhelmed with the helpful responses--almost in tears with appreciation. Thanks to everyone who contributed. The Hickory Nuts are three ladies from Hickory, North Carolina. In the past I have always arranged my own trips--even to Hawaii--so this will be a new experience for me. Thanks again. You have been most helpful.

Percy
Thank you for the name of the travel agents, I appreciate it. Also for the tour information.

Budgetqueen
Thank you also for your information.
Mary

Hickory_Nuts

You people in America have a beautiful State to visit and I would not pass up the opportunity to see Alaska.

There are of course many variations for Ports of Call depending on how many days your are going for.

For a 7 day cruise ,you usually have the same ports of call.

Sometimes they will miss Skagway and give you Sitka,which was once dubbed "The Paris of the Pacific."

Now it is dubbed as The "Carmel " of Alaska, or "Sitka by the Sea."

I hardly need to give you American Ladies a history lesson, so let me just add that:

It was on Sitka's Castle Hill in 1867 that Alaska became American territory.

It was Admiral William Seward that convince the US Congress to pay Russia $7.2 million for Alaska....what a deal!!!!!!!!!!

But at the time many called it "Seward's Icebox" and were against the purchase.

Sitka was the capital of Alaska until it was moved to Juneau in 1906... why !!? because Juneau had lots of Gold.!!!

Okay , enough highschool history.

Good Night to all and to you too BudgetQueen.
I may disagree with you but I respect your right to voice your opinions.

Hope you three ladies are far away from Hurrican Charley.
Okay ,Okay, I am finished
Good Night

Percy

As an option for Percy's tours- in Juneau- MGT runs the city tour with Mendenhall and Douglas Island for $20, the tram is walk up- about $22. Skagway- buses to the summit- without Liarsville stops- about $25- again pick up at the dock tour booths. Ketchikan- walkable to the Hatchery and Totem Heritage Museum combo ticket about $10, Dolly's house admission $4. Pick up a walking tour map at the dock visitor center. Or there are plenty of tours available at the dock in the $25- 30 range. White Pass RR about $90. A cab from Vancouver airport to Canada Place about $30ca++ with tip.

????? FOR PERCY: Just stumbled across your Alaska posts; wow, what a wealth of information. Do Patti/Lisa C. book cruises to Med. or does she specialize in Alaska cruises only? As she lives in St. Albert, does she work with clients in the lower 48?

Travelinsisters

They do only cruises.
Patti has been training Lisa for many months now.

On My Alaska Cruise, a couple from Kelowna ,British Columbia and two couple from Rhode Island USA,wanted Patti's phone number, after hearing the nice treatment that I received ( as we were all sitting around and chatting)

I told them that I would do better than give them Patti's number, I said she is on the ship right now.
let me find her and introduce you to her.
I did ,and I am sure they exchanged whatever information was required.

Idid not want to stickaround while they sort of discussed business,so I excused myself.

I cannot think of a reason why they could not or would not book tours for people from the USA.

When I stated that I got all 4 tours for $99.00 each,whatI meant was ,$99.00 for myself and $99.00 for my wife ,but YES,it was all the 4 tours that I outlined for one price of $99.00 per person....what a deal... lucky me.


Percy

Thanks Percy: Have sent Lisa an e-mail. If I do not hear from her will give her a call.

Travelinsisters

I just got back from seeing Lisa.
And Yes she will book trips for USA people for an Alaska Cruise.

Lisa said it is getting a bit late in the season and the last cruise sails from Vancouver about mid September.

It can get a little cool and misty and rainy at this time, also she mentioned that at times it might not be that warm to be out on deck all the time.

When you are veiwing a Glacier that is 2 miles wide and 15 miles deep,you feel the coolest from the Glacier when you are on deck.

However,people are still going and I am sure they will wear warm sweaters and jackets.

Late June July is about the best time.

But that does not mean that just because it is cool , that one should not go.

This is not a Caribbean Cruise.

I do not want to leave the impression that unless you go in June or July, then you should not go because that would not be a true statement on my part.


Alaska is not the frozen North that ,many seem to think that it is.

A tour guide told me in Juneau that the coldest temperature they had that year was minus 23( that was the coldest ) ...not bad at all when you consider that North and South Dakota and some other northern states were into the minus 30 and worse !!!!

We had colder temperatures in Edmonton then they had in Juneau...

I do not know when you are planning to go but if it is for next year, I would ask Lisa to give you a call when a "good deal "comes through.

I just got an e-mail from my other Travel Agent( and friend) in Calgary.

She said a 5 star resort all - inclusive for a week in Punta Cana, Dominical Republic is $899.00 taxes included.

From Edmonton that is pretty good when you consider that airfare alone is about $700.00 plus.
So for $200.00 more you get a room and food and drinks for a week.!!!

But I am working on another trip so I had to turn her down !!

Then in January when I would love to go to Punta Cana ,it will cost about $1000.00 per person more.!!!!

And such is the Travelling Life and Bargain hunting!!!

Take Care

Percy

Percy: Thanks again for your willinginess to help. I still have not heard from Lisa, so maybe she did not get me e-mail. Will try to call her tomorrow. We probably won't try Alaska again this year so will tell her to give me a thumbs up on any "specials" for 2005. You have been sooooo helpful & I sincerely appreciate it.