ICELAND excursions warning - Wild Westfjords / Arctic Shorex

[Liz315]

Please be sure to read the fine print before booking with this company. Wild Westfjords / Arctic Shorex ( https://www.wildwestfjords.com info@wildwestfjords.com) I had 2 full day excursions booked with them (family of 5) for Sept. 2023 Myvatn, Godafoss & Dettifoss (SEA-MGD) and Dynjandi & The Westfjords (SEI-DW). Excursions look great and probably are but be sure to read the cancellation policy before booking. We lost close to $400.00 because we had to cancel. We were more than 90 days out. When I cancelled I was informed that they keep 25% of your money when you cancel, no matter the reason or time left before the trip. On their booking page Myvatn, Godafoss & Dettifoss - Akureyri - Arctic Shorex I saw a blurb about full refunds if ship does not dock and assumed that they were just like all the other tour companies that give a full refund if cancelling well before the trip. I was wrong, and their refund policy was not clearly stated on booking page, it is a few clicks away. So it was there and I missed it, my bad. Please be sure you that will not cancel your trip when you book with this company. They did nothing to deserve keeping my $400.00, I don't want to see this happen to anyone else. Happy & Safe travels.

[Senga]

54 minutes ago, Liz315 said:

So it was there and I missed it, my bad.

 

[Liz315]

Not good policy to bury that info a few pages (clicks) away. Just trying to spare the next family the same hassle of losing their money because they assumed/trusted that the company would do the right thing. But hey thanks for pointing out what I already said about me missing it. 🙄

[AinW]

Did you book with Arctic Shorex directly or through Project Expedition? I am in the process of deciding which tours to book for a July cruise so this info is very important - thanks for sharing your experience!

 

On PE's website it says:

Shore Excursion Benefits

This tour offers the following benefits to cruise passengers:
Cruise Friendly Refund Policy
Shore Excursions with this benefit will offer a full refund if any of the following occur:
- Your cruise ship arrives late, and you miss your Shore Excursion as a result.
- Your cruise ship changes its date of arrival and it is not possible to reschedule.
- Your cruise ship skips port.
- Your cruise is canceled by the cruise line.
- You cancel prior to the Cancellation Deadline on your confirmation voucher.
In the event of a refund claim for one of these reasons, Project Expedition will verify the cruise ship’s actual itinerary before processing a refund. To be eligible for a refund, you must submit your claim in writing no later than 14 days after the scheduled date of the Shore Excursion.

Back to Ship Guarantee
Project Expedition guarantees that you will get back to your ship on time, provided that all of the following requirements apply:
- The Shore Excursion you booked offers the Back to Ship Guarantee.
- Your Shore Excursion is scheduled to end no less than 2 hours prior to the scheduled departure time of your cruise ship. It is your responsibility to confirm your ship’s departure time prior to booking, in addition to re-confirming the ship’s itinerary on the day of the Shore Excursion.
- You have not changed or deviated from the original itinerary of the Shore Excursion that you booked on Project Expedition.
- The delay in returning to the ship was due to no fault or action of your own.
In the event that you are not returned back to your cruise ship before it departs, Project Expedition will cover up to USD $500 per person towards transportation and/or accommodation necessary to travel to the next port of call. Receipts are required for reimbursement.

Cancellation Policy

Cancel 4 days in advance for a full refund.

[Liz315]

Hi, I booked through them directly using this link Myvatn, Godafoss & Dettifoss - Akureyri - Arctic Shorex  This is the email I received when I cancelled on April 10th for a Sept. 2023 booking.   

...Cancellations come under section 13 of our T&Cs here:

https://arcticshorex.com/booking-info/ 

Please advise if you would like to cancel and receive a 75% refund now, or if you would prefer to transfer your booking to a flexible date (to be changed and confirmed later) next summer, without financial penalty (though subject to 2024 prices).

   This is what their booking page states:

Why Book with Us

• Pickup and drop-off at the port
• 100% refund if your ship does not dock
• Small group tour with a local guide.  Then you see a small "terms and conditions" button which if clicked through then you can find their section 13 which states:

Terms & Conditions  

Payment:

A 25% upfront deposit payment is required with the remaining payment to be made 30 days in advance. If a booking is made 60 days or less in advance of the tour, a full advance payment is required.

Cancellation – Confirmed Orders:

If the customer decides to cancel, then proportionate refunds off the full tour amount after full payment has been made are determined as per the following fixed schedule:

– 75% refund if cancelled with at least 30 days notice

– 50% refund if cancelled with at least 7 days notice

– 25% refund if cancelled with at least 48 hours notice

– No refund is given for cancellation within 48 hours

Cancellation – Pending Orders:

If the customer decides to cancel a pending order while awaiting its confirmation, then proportionate refunds off the full tour amount after full payment has been made are determined as per the following fixed schedule:

– 85% refund if cancelled within 7 days of placing order

– Full refund if cancelled after 7 days of placing order

 

I doubt a third party tour operation would refund you if this actual tour company is keeping at least 25% of every cancellation (not bad $ if you can get it!). If you want to be sure about a 100% refund if cancelling then I would get it in writing if the terms are not clear. It looks like you only get a refund if the ship cancels or the tour company cancels. They cover their butts, not yours. There are definitely other tour companies that give 100% refunds on cancellations, this was the only tour company that screwed us out of money, everyone else gladly gave us 100% refunds. We had a lot of tours booked for a 3 week trip. Everyone else was great. Wild Westfjords / Arctic Shorex not so much, greedy! Have a great trip which ever tour you decide on.

[PhillyTravelBug]

I have one or two excursions booked through them and found their cancellation policy to be pretty reasonable.  Of course, I only booked it knowing 100% I will be going on the excursion.

[sherylc]

I also have a couple of excursions booked with them and I found their cancellation policy very clear and transparent. I booked with a credit card that will cover me if I cancel for a covered reason. Their excursions are just for the 4 of us and pretty far off the beaten path so I can understand their need to protect their costs if we end up cancelling. Our trip isn't until August so I can't comment on how good the tours/tour company will end up being. 

[mnocket]

On 4/19/2023 at 5:03 PM, PhillyTravelBug said:

I have one or two excursions booked through them and found their cancellation policy to be pretty reasonable.  Of course, I only booked it knowing 100% I will be going on the excursion.

 

1 hour ago, sherylc said:

I also have a couple of excursions booked with them and I found their cancellation policy very clear and transparent. I booked with a credit card that will cover me if I cancel for a covered reason. Their excursions are just for the 4 of us and pretty far off the beaten path so I can understand their need to protect their costs if we end up cancelling. Our trip isn't until August so I can't comment on how good the tours/tour company will end up being. 

Just wondering... do you dispute the Terms & Conditions OP posted or do find those cancelation penalties to be reasonable?  To be honest, I'm planning my Iceland excursions and this post has turned me off to booking with that company.  Am I wrong to be concerned?

[milolii]

We used Iceland Everywhere for three ports, but used Arctic Shore Excursions for Seydisfjordur as Iceland Everywhere doesn’t operate there. We are aware of the cancellation policy, but I found some others more restrictive.  We are using ASE for only one port and there are 2 of us.  The problem is if you wait, you may miss out.  Iceland is extremely popular now.  Many cruise lines have adapted  the Northern Europe itineraries to include Iceland to compensate for the loss of St. Petersburg. Many tourists  have done the same. 
 

Our tours filled up in January for July dates. 

[fishman620]

Our tour with Arctic Shorex in Isafjordur is also full for our upcoming August cruise on the Prima....you have to book early to get these excursions.....and right on the page where you go to book it says click on terms and conditions.....sorry you didn't read it.  

[bashcruiser]

On 4/19/2023 at 2:07 PM, Liz315 said:

Hi, I booked through them directly using this link Myvatn, Godafoss & Dettifoss - Akureyri - Arctic Shorex  This is the email I received when I cancelled on April 10th for a Sept. 2023 booking.   

...Cancellations come under section 13 of our T&Cs here:

https://arcticshorex.com/booking-info/ 

Please advise if you would like to cancel and receive a 75% refund now, or if you would prefer to transfer your booking to a flexible date (to be changed and confirmed later) next summer, without financial penalty (though subject to 2024 prices).

   This is what their booking page states:

Why Book with Us

• Pickup and drop-off at the port
• 100% refund if your ship does not dock
• Small group tour with a local guide.  Then you see a small "terms and conditions" button which if clicked through then you can find their section 13 which states:

Terms & Conditions  

Payment:

A 25% upfront deposit payment is required with the remaining payment to be made 30 days in advance. If a booking is made 60 days or less in advance of the tour, a full advance payment is required.

Cancellation – Confirmed Orders:

If the customer decides to cancel, then proportionate refunds off the full tour amount after full payment has been made are determined as per the following fixed schedule:

– 75% refund if cancelled with at least 30 days notice

– 50% refund if cancelled with at least 7 days notice

– 25% refund if cancelled with at least 48 hours notice

– No refund is given for cancellation within 48 hours

Cancellation – Pending Orders:

If the customer decides to cancel a pending order while awaiting its confirmation, then proportionate refunds off the full tour amount after full payment has been made are determined as per the following fixed schedule:

– 85% refund if cancelled within 7 days of placing order

– Full refund if cancelled after 7 days of placing order

 

I doubt a third party tour operation would refund you if this actual tour company is keeping at least 25% of every cancellation (not bad $ if you can get it!). If you want to be sure about a 100% refund if cancelling then I would get it in writing if the terms are not clear. It looks like you only get a refund if the ship cancels or the tour company cancels. They cover their butts, not yours. There are definitely other tour companies that give 100% refunds on cancellations, this was the only tour company that screwed us out of money, everyone else gladly gave us 100% refunds. We had a lot of tours booked for a 3 week trip. Everyone else was great. Wild Westfjords / Arctic Shorex not so much, greedy! Have a great trip which ever tour you decide on.

The highlighted area is the key.  As long as you read and understand that language, everything should be fine.  That language is pretty clear.  Sorry you lost money here!

Edited May 11, 2023 by bashcruiser

[Britican_Babs]

On a slightly different note for this same excursion (Myvatn, Godafoss & Dettifoss by Arctic Shorex), I've noticed that the ship does not dock until 09:00 and the pick-up time for the tour is 09:10. I've sent them an email and received an automatic reply stating:

 

"Many of our tours are scheduled to depart half-an-hour after ships arrive in port. This is normal and we will wait for all booked passengers as long as people are still coming ashore from the ship - even if this means the tour departs a few minutes late."

 

It looks like a perfect tour, especially as we booked our cruise only recently and it is challenging to find a good tour. But "many of our tours" does not appear to be this one that states 09:10.. I would be grateful if anyone has an opinion they would like to share. Thanks in advance...

[bashcruiser]

On 5/13/2023 at 7:07 AM, Britican_Babs said:

On a slightly different note for this same excursion (Myvatn, Godafoss & Dettifoss by Arctic Shorex), I've noticed that the ship does not dock until 09:00 and the pick-up time for the tour is 09:10. I've sent them an email and received an automatic reply stating:

 

"Many of our tours are scheduled to depart half-an-hour after ships arrive in port. This is normal and we will wait for all booked passengers as long as people are still coming ashore from the ship - even if this means the tour departs a few minutes late."

 

It looks like a perfect tour, especially as we booked our cruise only recently and it is challenging to find a good tour. But "many of our tours" does not appear to be this one that states 09:10.. I would be grateful if anyone has an opinion they would like to share. Thanks in advance...

I also asked Arctic Shorex about this.  Here's the personal response (not automatic) I got from their General Manager.

 

"This will not be a problem! The buses are very close by at the port so you should be quite fast to find them!  We usually always schedule departure 30 min after the docking time of the ship and it runs smoothly!  The guide will be waiting at the port with an Arctic Shorex sign! "

 

So I'm going to trust them and not worry about it!  We'll just be diligent about getting off the ship as soon as possible after docking.  The tour sounds amazing, and we're looking forward to it.

[Britican_Babs]

3 hours ago, bashcruiser said:

So I'm going to trust them and not worry about it! 

@bashcruiser HUGE thanks for passing on this information. Thanks to you, and only thanks to you (since I've still not heard back from them), we have booked the tour and couldn't be any happier or more excited. Look for us -- we'll be the ones wearing masks and running behind you to the bus. 😄 Thank you again...

[bearette]

Not making into port is different than cancelling months in advance... Read the fine print always and don't assume. 

[dkf11]

DO NOT  use Arctic Shorex!!!  We booked a shore excursion with this company telling them our ship and they calculated the pickup time, but the ship's arrival time changed after the booking. We realized this change the day before docking, but our emails to them bounced back and no one answered our phone calls to try to cancel or change our tour.  When we disembarked and finally reached a representative, they just replied that we were late so it was our fault!  Arctic Shorex refused to give any refund, and we were left without a tour that day.

[kitkat343]

On 4/23/2023 at 3:17 PM, mnocket said:

 

Just wondering... do you dispute the Terms & Conditions OP posted or do find those cancelation penalties to be reasonable?  To be honest, I'm planning my Iceland excursions and this post has turned me off to booking with that company.  Am I wrong to be concerned?

I  just wanted to note that especially in Europe you need to carefully check the terms of cancellation for  private excursions because there are some that do not issue refunds under any circumstances - if your ship doesn't dock you are out the entire fee.  Travelers who have previously only sailed to the Caribbean are sometimes taken by surprise by this, since in the Caribbean most private operators offer full refunds.  If you have trip insurance, that might cover you if the ship doesn't dock.

 

4 hours ago, dkf11 said:

DO NOT  use Arctic Shorex!!!  We booked a shore excursion with this company telling them our ship and they calculated the pickup time, but the ship's arrival time changed after the booking. We realized this change the day before docking, but our emails to them bounced back and no one answered our phone calls to try to cancel or change our tour.  When we disembarked and finally reached a representative, they just replied that we were late so it was our fault!  Arctic Shorex refused to give any refund, and we were left without a tour that day.

I'm so sorry that happened - the good private tour companies check these things ahead of time.  I got confused on. a Panama Canal tour and gave them the wrong date we were in port, because on the Panama Canal cruise Panama is listed twice (once when you go through the canal and again when you disembark the ship in Colon) in the place where the dates for the itinerary are listed on the cruise line  website.  I realized my error weeks later and wrote to the company, and they told me they had caught the error immediately (they asked me to list the ship I was sailing on when I made the booking and they had double checked that I had given them the correct booking date which I didn't).  I was very impressed they did that, and am sorry this company didn't double check your schedule.

Edited August 20, 2023 by kitkat343

[HarR]

We booked 2 excursions with them. Paid the full amount for both. One tour got confirmed right away, the other was kept pending. 
About two weeks out I checked with them on the status of the pending tour, and got a reply next day, they still needed 4 more participants. I waited another week and let them know by email we did not want to wait any longer and risk being without a tour. They accepted our cancellation and immediately made the refund to my credit card. 
 

Then 3 days before arrival in Reykjavik things got confusing. 
Got an email our tour would be changed. However the tour and date mentioned were not what I had booked. So mailed them about it. They recognised the email was a mistake, but at the same time told me our tour was also not going to take place. 
remember; this was a “Confirmed “ excursion. 
They did offer a very similar and longer tour  as alternative at no extra cost. For me this would come too close to back on board time, so refused and cancelled. Luckily the cruise line still had space on their Golden circle tour so we took that in stead. 
Again the refund was processed swiftly. 
 

So I would say from my experience they are definitely trustworthy, but reliability could be better. 

[MkeCruzn]

We have two excursions booked with them for the Sep. 9 sailing of the Star from Reyjkavik to Southampton. The first is in Isafjordur and the second is in Akureyri. Initially, they said that the Star would not be docking in Isafjordur, as it was not listed on the port's calendar and they kept our booking on their tour in pending status as a result. In early August, they emailed me back to say that they had confirmation that the Star would visit Isafjordur and that they would reinstate the tours. We had to book and pay within a week so they could open any extra slots for other people.

 

I found their communications to be prompt, clear and decent. I did see the policies if we canceled, but figured that we would only cancel if the ship did not visit the port. For both ports, they offered 100% refund if the ship does not dock for whatever reason. Some other ports were not 100% refund, which seems strange, but I assume that is because they have costs to cover in those ports (perhaps up-front fees, getting a vehicle to the port, etc.).

 

You always have the choice of taking a ship tour at double the price or booking through Viator if it's available, but even they have a 48-hour cancellation policy. Many other companies also do not provide a full refund if the customer cancels at the last minute. After all, that is a seat that they cannot sell to someone else, and they have to eat too!

 

I have booked tours through sites like Viator. Their policies are better sometimes, but the prices they charge are usually higher than booking directly. Plus, many tour companies can be more flexible if you book direct vs. through a third party.

 

I will try to come back to this forum to post my experience with taking their tours. I am willing to put up with some restrictive policies if the tour is great.

[MkeCruzn]

Back after the cruise. Both excursions through Arctic Shorex were excellent. Great tour guides, smaller 19-pax Mercedes Sprinters, and one tour had only 11 people. The guides were knowledgeable and liked to talk, so we got a lot of good details. They took us to the spots you'd like to see. We had plenty of time and made it back to the ship with plenty of time to spare.

If the cancellation policies are understood and acceptable, I would not hesitate to book a tour with them.