SeaMatesNYC

This sounds like the Hubbard glacier catamaran (when the cruise ship discharges the tour participants onto the catamaran as a tender type operation). We have done the Tracy Arm (on a Southbound from Juneau) and you get off the ship at the dock (or tender to the dock as the case may be) and walk a short ways to get on the excursion boat from a nearby dock. This is not akin to tendering. This happens on and off shore side docks. Perhaps northbound does it different? On Tracy Arm tour, there was ample inside seating for all. But being outside was the true pleasure. It was the best tour for us of the cruise portion of our cruise tour. Worth.Every.Penny.

Another thing to remember is that in these few ports, it is often easy to garner extra onboard credit by using the “best price guarantee.” A simple Google search for shore excursions in Alaska will give you tour operators, some of which are the same ones that HAL uses, down to simply copying the tour description into the HAL system. If you take the time to do a little sleuthing and fill out the form, you can get 110% of the price difference (for 2025 season, you may have to wait to get the next year pricing, but if it’s lower this year will likely be similar next). On an upcoming voyage, we are netting about $140 in OBC from excursions in 2 ports (taking the HAL offer but using best price guarantee versus a major shorex operation). Good luck to you! Oh and I agree, if you like it, book it right away, especially if it is via your HIA credit. Even if it’s credit card charge, you are likely to experience fast credits in cancels. We have gotten them same day onto our cards on recent cancellations when we swapped “placeholder” tours for clearing-waitlist, preferred tours.

Any departure in 2024 should work. If you put in 2025 cruises, you will be asked to return and request in November.

Ok, so may I suggest you try again and contact shore excursions? 1-888-425-9376

This part is true. Did you talk specifically with shore excursions or merely the regular reservations team?

Perhaps try this: in website booking, look to upper left hand corner and click on Itinerary and should show booked and waitlisted excursions for each day as you scroll down.

We had them in our most recent Vistas on Rotterdam (10/23) and Koningsdam (04/24).

Do they not still include small Perrier bottles?? I know the large San Pelligrino is out but as of Mar/April the small Perrier was included. Has this changed??

Meaning you got Mariner points for the land portion? Yes, that’s correct. 🤙

From the Alaska-Tour-Tips 2024 pdf (revision 04/20/24) with respect to seating on the McKinley Explorer, on page 7 it states: "All rail cars have assigned seats according to tour itinerary and number of traveling companions." https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/articles-and-videos Do some tour itineraries have open seating? Not saying it doesn't happen, as some reported above, but the written guidance from HAL (and my 1 experience) was assigned car and seat for each passenger on the tour.

And an invitation to join.

Or, as with my most recent past voyages, they may add them before departure, and then supplement, delete, and move them either before and or after departure. All depends on the ship staffs’ personal work flow/style.

I keep looking at my tabs in Safari and it says “Unable the access Cruise Critic.” Oh wait, that’s this thread. Never mind. 😆 All working now Safari/iPhone here. Not working yesterday PM thru 6:00am PDT but now fully operational.

Ditto

Yes I see. While it is regrettable that they fail to meet the expectations they set, each situation is unique and each individual has a different threshold for tolerating this. I did not mean to attack you, rather to point out, if you really expect an answer, don’t stop asking. For a matter like you raised, it may be satisfying enough to know your views were made known to HAL, even if they did not take the time to acknowledge your input.