Photo Tour in Juneau

[cruisie newbie]

We're booked on the Westerdam (HAL) in August. We're first time cruisers, and are very unsure of the port tours vs. cruise tours. One tour we are definite about taking is a photo tour in Juneau (or any other port photo tours for that matter!).

The HAL tour is $149 p.p., and is limited to 14 people. I'm tempted to book it, as I've heard we don't have to pay for it until we board/de-bark in Juneau, (is that true) and I don't want to be closed out; however, I imagine there are many other private photo tours available as well.

Question(s):
Has anyone taken the HAL photo tour? Were you pleased? What, if anything were you not happy about?
Has anyone taken private photo tours in Juneau? Same questions.
Recommendations?
I don't know if the moderators will allow it, but if you cannot use private tour names, would it be possible to e-mail me privately? Is that against the rules?

Thanks!

Linda

[bruceh4]

The HAL tour is $149 p.p., and is limited to 14 people. I'm tempted to book it, as I've heard we don't have to pay for it until we board/de-bark in Juneau, (is that true) and I don't want to be closed out; however, I imagine there are many other private photo tours available as well.



Thanks!

LindaIf you book it online you have to pay for it at the time of booking. You will be asked for your credit card at the time you book. If it was not that way every shore excursion would be put on "hold" and it would be a big mess:eek: I have not taken any HAL photo tours, but I would recommend that you go whale watching in Juneau. We did and had a fantastic experience:)

[Tinknock50]

If you book it online you have to pay for it at the time of booking. You will be asked for your credit card at the time you book. If it was not that way every shore excursion would be put on "hold" and it would be a big mess:eek: I have not taken any HAL photo tours, but I would recommend that you go whale watching in Juneau. We did and had a fantastic experience:)

Hi Bruce,
When I booked an excursion for the first time with Princess, I was expecting to immediately put it on my credit card. I found out that Princess doesn't require it then. It was on my shipboard account.
Doesn't seem to cause Princess a problem. Might actually be easier for the line because it doesn't have to go to the trouble of crediting your card if you should cancel.

[cruisie newbie]

Hi, Bruce! Thanks for the reply. Is August a good whale watching time?

[bruceh4]

Hi, Bruce! Thanks for the reply. Is August a good whale watching time?Yes August is a very good time for whale watching. As the tour guide will tell you Alaska is the whale's dinning room and Hawiaii is there bedroom!!:D All the time they are in Alsaka they are feeding as they dont do much feeding in Hawiaii. So you can see some pretty spectacular sights. On our whale watch we had a pod of whales surface less than 50 feet from our boat it was breathtaking. You can sometimes see whales from the ship as you are cruising the inside passage but not up close and personal as on a whale watch.

[bruceh4]

Hi Bruce,
When I booked an excursion for the first time with Princess, I was expecting to immediately put it on my credit card. I found out that Princess doesn't require it then. It was on my shipboard account.
Doesn't seem to cause Princess a problem. Might actually be easier for the line because it doesn't have to go to the trouble of crediting your card if you should cancel.Let me assure you that HAL charges your credit card immediatley when you book online. I booked $2000 worth of shore excursion's last month for my July cruise. They hit the credit card quicker than I could get to the credit card website to view them. The only charges which appear on your shipboard account are the ones you make on the ship. In the past year or so more and more people have been booking shore excursion's online so by the time you reach the ship many of the popular ones are sold out:eek: On my 62 day cruise last fall I booked shore excursion's 6 months ahead and was even wait listed at that time on a few of them.

[Tinknock50]

Yes, I know they do. Thats why I was surprised when Princess didn't charge immediately.......I was used to HAL charging as soon as you reserved an excursion.