Are there tour operators right at the pier?

[terigo]

We tried to sign up for a ship's excursion out of Ketchikan, that we did not see anywhere else online (Coastal Wildlife by boat) and the tour was sold out.

When we get to the pier in Ketchikan will there be vendors offering different tours there?

Thanks in advance!

[Eaglecw]

Yes, they'll be lots of them. Haggle with on the price they might come down.

[huskyguy]

It depends on which port and even which dock. The first consideration may be that the tours being offered are the few that nobody else wanted. Generally there are tour brokers - individuals or companies - rather than actual operators, so the biggest discount you'll get, if any, is a bit of their commission. At Ketchikan, the visitor center at the main dock has a half-dozen operators, at Skagway, M&M Tours, who has the city's tour-broker contract, is who you'll see first at the Broadway and Railroad docks. In Juneau there are brokers' kiosks everywhere.

[Eaglecw]

They kind of remind me of Seagulls at the city dump

[Munkee]

There is a "Visitors Center" which have counters for the excursion purveyors. There are also some folks outside trying to sell their excursions too.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Keith1010]

In some cases there are operators and in other cases very few if any.

 

My advice is to line up your tours months before the cruise.

 

Keith

[mapleleaves]

This excursion sounds similar:

http://ketchikanoutdoors.com/expeditions/

 

If not, have you looked thru the Ketchkan web site ?

http://www.visit-ketchikan.com

[terigo]

Thanks for all the info. Still have not found one exactly like the one offered on Celebrity.

Dang!

[FlyingFlip]

We tried to sign up for a ship's excursion out of Ketchikan, that we did not see anywhere else online (Coastal Wildlife by boat) and the tour was sold out.

In Ketchikan I booked the Lighthouse, Totems & Eagles Excursion (which was not offered through the cruise line). While they have contracts with some of the cruise lines, they didn't have a contract with either of the ships when we were in port.

 

Therefore, we practically got a private tour. There was one other couple on board. We saw dozens of bald eagles and a couple dozen harbor seals. It's also possible to see other wildlife, but it's not as certain.

 

It may be possible to book with them on the pier (if they're waiting for someone on the dock), but it wouldn't be easy. That's not the way they normally do business.