Cruise line excursions vs. independent excursions

[Nicki828]

My husband and I are taking our first Alaskan cruise this summer. We have travelled on several cruise lines, but have never booked an excursion through the ship. The majority of our cruises have been in the Caribbean, and we would just explore on our own. 2 summers ago, we took a European cruise, and decided to book our excursions through private companies, as we were a larger group. I have currently booked the following tours on our Princess cruise:

Juneau - Alaska's Whales & Mendenhall Glacier Trail

Skagway - Yukon Expedition & Whte Pass Scenic Railway

Does anyone have experience with these excursions on Princess? Or am I better off booking independent excursions, and if so, do you have recommendations for similar excursions.

[Funkat]

My husband and I are taking our first Alaskan cruise this summer. We have travelled on several cruise lines, but have never booked an excursion through the ship. The majority of our cruises have been in the Caribbean, and we would just explore on our own. 2 summers ago, we took a European cruise, and decided to book our excursions through private companies, as we were a larger group. I have currently booked the following tours on our Princess cruise:

Juneau - Alaska's Whales & Mendenhall Glacier Trail

Skagway - Yukon Expedition & Whte Pass Scenic Railway

Does anyone have experience with these excursions on Princess? Or am I better off booking independent excursions, and if so, do you have recommendations for similar excursions.

 

While I have no experience with tours booked on Princess, I have always found better (more personalized and less expensive) tours when booking through private companies. Sometimes we have even been on the same tour as those who booked on the ship. Most times, though, we are in smaller groups in contrast to the bus loads of people from the cruise ship tours. Before we started researching through CC and booked through the ship, we sometimes felt like we were being herded like cattle on some tours. As for the scare tactics that the ship will not wait if you are on an independent tour, we've not had a problem there so far. We try not to cut it that close on time, but also the independent tour operators would be out of business if it got around that they made people miss the boat.

[Budget Queen]

First- Princess does not operate any tours. They are a contractual booking agent. The tours booked with them generally will allow larger numbers of people.

 

 

With your choices- Allen Marine is the whale watch vendor, they do do a good job. It will be a multi deck larger boat than any of the independents, which would be as small as a 6 pack. The "problem" with this combo tour, is the time at Mendenhall is usually too short. IF the glacier is after the whale watch, then you can ditch the return and get on a shuttle for $15pp (verify this). This would be necessary if you want to stop in the Visitor Center (included admission) and Nugget Falls trail. It's still worth staying longer anyway, if a nice day.

 

 

With the White Pass RR, I never recommend the ship contracted tours. Simply a poor choice compared to independent. Reasons- they use large tour buses. These take time with loading and unloading and your stops are fixed. Viewing is not good side to side.

 

 

Big advantages to using smaller shuttle buses. Excellent viewing for all and ease of loading/unloading, more flexibility in stops and time of stops.

 

 

I highly recommend Dyea Dave, allows time in Carcross and a superb lunch stop (optional) at the Chilkoot Bakery.

[Sequim88]

We sort of got fed up with the extra high costs booking with cruiseline contractors. The lines all make them carry lots of extra liability coverage to protect the cruiseline which gets passed along and is certainly not a value-add for us. I don't need to pay extra to protect the cruise line. We too make sure to not cut it close time wise so do our excursions first and save the walking around in town and shopping near the port for afterward.

[Casey12]

First- Princess does not operate any tours. They are a contractual booking agent. The tours booked with them generally will allow larger numbers of people.

.

 

 

Princess does run at least one of their tours. The bus ride into the Yukon is a Princess employed employee. Or at least it was when we did that tour.

[Nicki828]

First- Princess does not operate any tours. They are a contractual booking agent. The tours booked with them generally will allow larger numbers of people.

 

 

With your choices- Allen Marine is the whale watch vendor, they do do a good job. It will be a multi deck larger boat than any of the independents, which would be as small as a 6 pack. The "problem" with this combo tour, is the time at Mendenhall is usually too short. IF the glacier is after the whale watch, then you can ditch the return and get on a shuttle for $15pp (verify this). This would be necessary if you want to stop in the Visitor Center (included admission) and Nugget Falls trail. It's still worth staying longer anyway, if a nice day.

 

 

With the White Pass RR, I never recommend the ship contracted tours. Simply a poor choice compared to independent. Reasons- they use large tour buses. These take time with loading and unloading and your stops are fixed. Viewing is not good side to side.

 

 

Big advantages to using smaller shuttle buses. Excellent viewing for all and ease of loading/unloading, more flexibility in stops and time of stops.

 

 

I highly recommend Dyea Dave, allows time in Carcross and a superb lunch stop (optional) at the Chilkoot Bakery.

 

 

Thanks for the great tips. I will definitely look at the other options for the Skagway excursion

I will investigate other options for Juneau. The tour through the cruise has been the only option I've found so far that covered both the whale watching and Mendenhall.

[QShip]

Sequim 88: " The lines all make them carry lots of extra liability coverage to protect the cruiseline"

 

As a semi-off topic question, many of the excursion operators take both ship booked and independent customers. In this case, as an independent, don't I also have the higher coverage limits, without the added cost?

[garf1108]

I will be going at the end of June on HA and will be using independent ones. I have used this forum and Trip Advisor to decide which one.

Hope this helps.

[hlsess]

we also are booking our own excursions...

[SuperCrewBear]

At Skagway we took a Yukon tour to Emerald Lake (with a stop for lunch in Carcross, YT) with Dyea Dave Tours. He picked us up at the dock about 7:30-7:45. It was a small shuttle-type bus but there was only four of us on the tour that day (early May). Very personal service - the bus looked like it might hold a dozen; if the bus was full it still would have been a small group. When we got to the Yukon/British Colombia border (where everyone wanted to take pictures) there were two large coaches already there with maybe 30-40 people waiting in line for their picture. We drove on past and stopped on the way back - we were the only ones there. Not being in a monster group has its benefits - I personally don't like being herded. Since we were in a small vehicle we were able to make many quick stops for pictures along the way - something you wouldn't get to do on one of the big bus tours. Dave dropped us off at the Fraser train station for the White Pass train back to Skagway (spectacular scenery) - then he picked us up again in Skagway to return us to the ship or wherever we wanted to go in town. I 100% recommend Mr. Dave. I plan on using him again my next time in Skagway - May 2018.

 

 

[Wickets]

Second the vote for Dyea Dave. Driver spotted and stopped for bears just off the road for us. We had lunch at a small spot in Carcross after having time to walk around town. Best tour I have ever done.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[TheCalicoCat]

In Alaska especially, I am very comfortable booking independently. (I might not be as comfortable if there was a language barrier.)

 

(I've read on CC about independent groups where one or two was very nervous about getting back in time. Always asking about it, etc. upsetting others enough that it was posted on CC. That personality type should stick to excursions booked through the cruise line - IMHO, Ditto if you think the boat might be too small for the number of passengers, etc.)

 

FWIW We liked our Skagway excursion with Beyond Skagway with Becky.

[AF-1]

Hello, wanted to add my comments. We booked three excursions thru Princess for July. All three are actually less money than booking with same vendor independently; and are longer tours. Maybe because Princess started a new service; book with us and if you find a cheaper excursion we will beat that price. I checked on princess website and found vendor then looked them up. So we are happy with our Princess excursions; plus we have plenty of time after the excursions to walk around the downtown areas of Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan EX: we booked a helicopter and glacier tour with dog sledding thru Princess; same company operates this tour; book with them and it's 1 1/2 hr tour. Book with princess and its 2 3/4 hr tour.

[nierman]

We already booked our excursion thru Princess. One benefit was in Victoria since we are only there in the evening, I didn't see any independent excursion at that time. Hope we aren't disappointed. June 10-17, 2017.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[FloridaVic]

We like the Princess excursions. Usually well vetted. Plus the major benefit of Princess responsible for arrangements and costs to get you to the next port if the excursion runs late and ship has sailed without you. Hassle and stress free to use their excursions. We have seen people left behind. To each their own. Personal choice.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[NancyIL]

We already booked our excursion thru Princess. One benefit was in Victoria since we are only there in the evening, I didn't see any independent excursion at that time. Hope we aren't disappointed. June 10-17, 2017.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

CVS Tours offers evening tours to Butchart Gardens: http://www.cvstours.com/butchart-gardens-cruise-ship-tour.html However, due to your limited time in port, that's one time I would probably book the tour through the ship.

 

I generally prefer smaller tours booked directly with the vendor. However, I have 3 ship tours booked for my upcoming Hawaii cruise vs. all independent vendors for my back-to-back Alaska cruises.

[Budget Queen]

Hello, wanted to add my comments. We booked three excursions thru Princess for July. All three are actually less money than booking with same vendor independently; and are longer tours. Maybe because Princess started a new service; book with us and if you find a cheaper excursion we will beat that price. I checked on princess website and found vendor then looked them up. So we are happy with our Princess excursions; plus we have plenty of time after the excursions to walk around the downtown areas of Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan EX: we booked a helicopter and glacier tour with dog sledding thru Princess; same company operates this tour; book with them and it's 1 1/2 hr tour. Book with princess and its 2 3/4 hr tour.

 

 

In Juneau they are the same tour. It's an hour added for the transfer. I'll speculate that the independent vendor is still cheaper than what you are paying.

[goldenrod]

We have booked nothing but private tour, mainly with other Cruise Critic people on our ship they are always much cheaper and not in large buses. Never been late back to the ship, and far better than those cattle ship tours!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[AF-1]

In Juneau they are the same tour. It's an hour added for the transfer. I'll speculate that the independent vendor is still cheaper than what you are paying.

 

 

It is the same compnay who does the independent tour. Princess uses same helicopter tour company. When you say transfer do you mean the transfer from the ship to heliport?

[hlsess]

In Juneau they are the same tour. It's an hour added for the transfer. I'll speculate that the independent vendor is still cheaper than what you are paying.

 

I booked with Temsco for dog sledding tour- thru our ship it is $90 more- same amount of time....

[Budget Queen]

It is the same compnay who does the independent tour. Princess uses same helicopter tour company. When you say transfer do you mean the transfer from the ship to heliport?

 

yes,

[Budget Queen]

I booked with Temsco for dog sledding tour- thru our ship it is $90 more- same amount of time....

 

 

This is pretty much how it always is, with the 2 vendors who do this tour on the inside passage, who ship contract. There is a third who is also lower.

The above person is, simply, missing some details.