HAL Alaska Cruises-Tendering?

[MaryEllen1952]

Anyone have experience with tendering at Alaska ports and delays? Do you have priority if you book with a HAL score excursion?

[RuthC]

HAL shore excursion participants (usually) board the tender as a group. There are times you meet ashore, so you have to get a tender ticket.

What are your tender ports? Sitka is always tender, but most of the other ports are (usually, again) dock.

[Bill S]

MaryEllen: Sitka is a mandatory tender port. It is possible to have to tender in Ketchikan or Juneau, depending how many other ships are in port.

It has been our experience that, yes, HAL-arranged excursions have priority in tender ports. The ships usually lower 4 tenders and if the water and winds are calm, things move pretty swiftly. Having said that, I still would not expect to be off the ship within the first hour after tendering begins if you are "excursioning" or sightseeing on your own.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Answered on your other post.

And do agree with BillS - you may also have to tender in Ketchikan - although when we did back-to-backs there a couple of years ago, all ships were able to dock both weeks.