HAL excursions

[trf1960]

We will be cruising with HAL to Alaska from 3 July and am really looking forward to it but I am having trouble trying to decide which tours/excursions to book especially as HAL do not seem to give any specific time for tours but more importantly the price? Why is this. :confused: We have cruised previously with RCL and Princess and both give exact times and prices of excursions. They wouldn't even give me this information by email and have said to call their Seattle office but as I will be calling from the UK, that could end up being one hell of an expensive call. For anyone that has booked excursions with HAL could you please let me know how their booking procedure works.

 

Many thanks.

Teresa

[foodgirl]

I booked my excursions online through the HAL website. When I clicked on the excursion you could open it up to see more details and the times were listed as well. I read through them several times with my husband to make sure we knew what we were getting. Many on this board can also offer advice through their experiences. That is what helped me narrow down my choices as there are so many. I really enjoyed what we did and you will love Alaska. Have a great cruise.

[lilipad2]

Not sure which ship you're on, but here's the brochure for the Rotterdam. https://book.hollandamerica.com/shorex/viewFrontEndTourBrochureAction.do?task=getPDF

The website doesn't offer the best navigation, but if you like, I can get you the brochure for your cruise most likely. just let me know.

 

You can also go to HAL's website and go to their ShoreEx page http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-planning/BookShoreExcursions.action. Click on "book excursion" and then enter your booking number and last name. You do not have to pay but you can look through and get times and prices. There are also some additional links to research the excursion if you like.

[lilipad2]

Not sure why my link isn't working on this site. Again, if you're interested I think I can find it for you. It's on the HAL website, but not on the Shore Ex page. Go figure. :rolleyes:

[trf1960]

Thanks Foodgirl and Lilipad2 - I have managed to get through now and have booked my excursions (I may have had a blip in my PC at the time). Just as well I did now though as the one trip I had my heart set on (Helicopter ride to Glacier and dog sledding) had already become waitlisted for Juneau but I have managed to get it booked for Skagway. Even then, the first slot at 08:45 had gone by the time I had finished choosing the other tours. :eek:

 

Oh and we are on the Zuiderdam. Am getting really excited now as have been wanting to do Alaska since our first cruise in 2004 - I just hope everything lives up to expectation. :D

 

Teresa

[MercedMike]

You are going to have a GREAT cruise! We loved the Zuiderdam a few years ago, and just came back from her sister Oosterdam. Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/alaskaZ.html and http://www.bully4.us/alaska2010.html

 

I do want to warn you, though, that the excursion you have your heart set on -- the dogsledding on the glacier -- is probably the most cancelled excursion in Alaska. My DW booked it on three different cruises before she finally got to do it. If it goes, it is wonderful. But have a Plan B ready.

 

Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/ct.html for the dog sledding.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[Budget Queen]

 

I do want to warn you, though, that the excursion you have your heart set on -- the dogsledding on the glacier -- is probably the most cancelled excursion in Alaska. My DW booked it on three different cruises before she finally got to do it. If it goes, it is wonderful. But have a Plan B ready.

 

QUOTE]

 

It IS the most canceled of Alaska tours, bottom line.

 

For other's there are independent booking options as well that can give you more availability.

[trf1960]

What are the reasons for the dog sledding tours being cancelled? I will be so sick if it does as Alaska is a long way for us to travel from the UK and there are way too many places in the world I want to see before I go back again.

 

I will heed all your comments though and have a 'plan B' ready just in case. :(

[Budget Queen]

What are the reasons for the dog sledding tours being cancelled? I will be so sick if it does as Alaska is a long way for us to travel from the UK and there are way too many places in the world I want to see before I go back again.

 

I will heed all your comments though and have a 'plan B' ready just in case. :(

 

Sorry, but you are setting yourself up for disappointment with this being a must do. Weather and being a FIXED camp are the cancelation reasons.

 

To hedge your bets, I suggest you book this at your first opportunity and then have phone numbers handy to immediately call for availablity at the next location. Glacier dog sledding is run out of Juneau, Skagway, Girdwood and Seward.

 

I suggest you look at independent, so to have a bigger pool of availability.

[Tafky]

You are going to have a GREAT cruise! We loved the Zuiderdam a few years ago, and just came back from her sister Oosterdam. Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/alaskaZ.html and http://www.bully4.us/alaska2010.html

 

I do want to warn you, though, that the excursion you have your heart set on -- the dogsledding on the glacier -- is probably the most cancelled excursion in Alaska. My DW booked it on three different cruises before she finally got to do it. If it goes, it is wonderful. But have a Plan B ready.

 

Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/ct.html for the dog sledding.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

Fantastic review! Thanks for sharing. We are going on our first ever cruisetour for our 40th anniversary. Don't have a single shore excursion booked. My DH seems to think we'll be fine waiting until we are on board. Is this a mistake in your opinion? You seem to be well travelled and know the ropes. Any advice is more than welcome. Thanks again for sharing.

[MercedMike]

Fantastic review! Thanks for sharing. We are going on our first ever cruisetour for our 40th anniversary. Don't have a single shore excursion booked. My DH seems to think we'll be fine waiting until we are on board. Is this a mistake in your opinion? You seem to be well travelled and know the ropes. Any advice is more than welcome. Thanks again for sharing.

 

Well, I am a hyper planner. I research the ports and the excursions months in advance, and when we leave for the cruise I have a sheaf of papers bound into a folder to carry with me for each port! We usually do a mix of ship's excursions and independent excursions, and I keep them sorted out.

 

Many excursions, both ship's and independent, book up far in advance. Many times on boarding the ship we have noticed that all the helicopter excursions, for example, are marked SOLD OUT. If there is something you particularly want to do, go ahead and book it to be sure it is locked in. If there is a particular recommended independent guide such as Cap'n Davey, Harv and Marv, Orca, or Keith of Teckk Tours, book far in advance as they are much in demand.

 

OTOH many popular tours have a number of sections and availability is good even when you are on board. There will be a shore excursion lecturer, as well as usually a shore excursion video playing on the cabin TV, so if you are undecided you will have things to help you figure out which you want to do. The lines at the shore excursion desk show how many people wait until they are on board to book!

 

Some people even wait until they walk off the ship to book. There are always booths at the dock. This works fine for the shuttle to Mendenhall, for example. But most of the time I would feel as if I were getting the leftovers ...

 

On the cruisetour section, the tour director will usually handle booking the optional excursions right on the bus, and availability is usually good.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[MercedMike]

Sorry, but you are setting yourself up for disappointment with this being a must do. Weather and being a FIXED camp are the cancelation reasons.

 

To hedge your bets, I suggest you book this at your first opportunity and then have phone numbers handy to immediately call for availablity at the next location. Glacier dog sledding is run out of Juneau, Skagway, Girdwood and Seward.

 

I suggest you look at independent, so to have a bigger pool of availability.

 

We were told that the dog sledding is done at a lower altitude, and a fixed spot, so there is no flexibility. Bad weather at that particular spot means no flights.

 

On one occasion when my DWs dog sled trip was cancelled, they offered her the choice of transferring to a regular glacier overflight and landing. Since they can pick the landing spot, this is more flexible and not as likely to be canceled. (and I suppose they had the copter available since it wasn't going to the dog camp.) This can be an excellent Plan B. This was on the ship's excursion through TEMSCO, I think, but probably an independent would have the same choices.

[Tafky]

For our cruisetour optional food plan available. I'd like to hear some opinions and experiences/ Thank you:)

[Budget Queen]

. Don't have a single shore excursion booked. My DH seems to think we'll be fine waiting until we are on board. Is this a mistake in your opinion? .

 

In my opinion, yes a big mistake. Time is short to begin with, then you are going to waste plenty, roaming around trying to figure out and book something. Pickings are slim for some tours.

[MercedMike]

For our cruisetour optional food plan available. I'd like to hear some opinions and experiences/ Thank you:)

 

The optional food plan generally means meals supplied by the hotel. It is fairly expensive.

 

We were on the long cruisetour, through Whitehorse, Dawson, Eagle, Tok, Fairbanks and on to Denali. We did not buy the food plan. Food is expensive but not outrageous. Figure about one and half times what you are used to.

 

What worked for us was to take fruit bars, juice packets, raisins, cheese and so on and have a light pickup breakfast in our room most days. Since you have to have your bags out at oh dawn thirty, time gets compressed for a full dining room breakfast. We enjoyed this way of doing it. On days, such as Dawson, when we did not have to be up at the crack of dawn we wandered around town and found a miner's breakfast.

 

Many lunches are included anyhow on the long tour. At Denali we ate in the coffee shop at the hotel and had a nice lunch at a (relatively) reasonable price. There are other places such as Subway and pizza in Denali for a reasonable lunch too.

 

Several optional activities and shows included dinners and one included breakfast, so that covered some of them. In Whitehorse we were lucky to have a chance to dine with the famous Murray (Yukon on this board) at a very nice restaurant, which was not inexpensive but not outrageous.

 

By and large we figured we ate well on the trip for about 2/3 what the meal plan cost, and had some options available that were good to have.

 

check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/ct.html

[Tafky]

The optional food plan generally means meals supplied by the hotel. It is fairly expensive.

 

We were on the long cruisetour, through Whitehorse, Dawson, Eagle, Tok, Fairbanks and on to Denali. We did not buy the food plan. Food is expensive but not outrageous. Figure about one and half times what you are used to.

 

What worked for us was to take fruit bars, juice packets, raisins, cheese and so on and have a light pickup breakfast in our room most days. Since you have to have your bags out at oh dawn thirty, time gets compressed for a full dining room breakfast. We enjoyed this way of doing it. On days, such as Dawson, when we did not have to be up at the crack of dawn we wandered around town and found a miner's breakfast.

 

Many lunches are included anyhow on the long tour. At Denali we ate in the coffee shop at the hotel and had a nice lunch at a (relatively) reasonable price. There are other places such as Subway and pizza in Denali for a reasonable lunch too.

 

Several optional activities and shows included dinners and one included breakfast, so that covered some of them. In Whitehorse we were lucky to have a chance to dine with the famous Murray (Yukon on this board) at a very nice restaurant, which was not inexpensive but not outrageous.

 

By and large we figured we ate well on the trip for about 2/3 what the meal plan cost, and had some options available that were good to have.

 

check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/ct.html

That is what we were thinking. Thank you for the response. So excited!!:):)

[Tafky]

This excursion was not included in The Shore Excusion packet my TA sent me. Only found it on HAL website for booking SEs. Wonder if we don't take this one how much do we miss? Says you leave your ship and board this catamaran and do the cruise into the fjord and then you don't go back to your ship until juneau? Is this correct?Has anyone done one of these ?:)

[Budget Queen]

This excursion was not included in The Shore Excusion packet my TA sent me. Only found it on HAL website for booking SEs. Wonder if we don't take this one how much do we miss? Says you leave your ship and board this catamaran and do the cruise into the fjord and then you don't go back to your ship until juneau? Is this correct?Has anyone done one of these ?:)

 

Yes, I have done this tour several times. It is GROSSLY superior to anything seen from your ship. I put together this photo sample- on this particular cruise, this was the first time the cruiseship had gotten within view of the South Sawyer that year- third week of July. AND that was the closest it got to the glacier, taken with a normal lens. http://community.webshots.com/user/budgetqueen

[Tafky]

Yes, I have done this tour several times. It is GROSSLY superior to anything seen from your ship. I put together this photo sample- on this particular cruise, this was the first time the cruiseship had gotten within view of the South Sawyer that year- third week of July. AND that was the closest it got to the glacier, taken with a normal lens. http://community.webshots.com/user/budgetqueen

Thanks Budget Queen, We may just go ahead and see if this is available,still. :) Less than a month to go!!