Help! Want to heli/sled in 2 wks!!!

I tried to preregister for the dogsled/helicopter tour in Juneau through my cruise ship (NCL), and I just received an email saying I didn't get that excursion. Is there any possibility that I will be able to book privately for August 2nd, or are all these tours booked way in advance? What companies should I try calling? I am going to at least give it a shot!

Thanks for any advice!

It is probably sold out. Try http://www.coastalhelicopters.com

I'm an online cruise only TA, ask yours for assistance with Alaska shore excursions.

Any good cruise TA will have access to several sources for the same excursions just as I do for my clients.

I would list some places to start looking on your own, but it's explicitly against the rules here.

Good luck!

I'm an online cruise only TA, ask yours for assistance with Alaska shore excursions.

 

Any good cruise TA will have access to several sources for the same excursions just as I do for my clients.

 

I would list some places to start looking on your own, but it's explicitly against the rules here.

 

Good luck!

HUH??? Extremely few agents know anything about Alaska outside of ship excursions? There are ONLY 2 companies that do the glacier dog sledding out of Juneau, the ship contractor, ERA is sold out, they now have the information for the other. Simple. What sources are you talking about???

Hello,

I'm not talking about the actual guides and tour operators. I'm talking about companies that specialize as vendors of these shore excursions.

There are multiple vendor's for the same tour operators. (And technically yes, you are correct, there IS a possiblity that ALL of these have previously been reserved for the day you will be there... that is why every excursion is always subject to availability... )

And once again, I recommend that you ask your TA where else they may be able to book your Alaskan shore excursions.

Some are accessible by the passenger, and some shore excursion companies can only be booked by your TA.

Good luck!

I used Mighty Great Trips who found me space. Website showing various tours: mightygreattrips.com. Email Rose Foley at Mgttour@aol.com. Or call and talk to Rose at 907-789-5460. Their prices are very good. Much less than the ship sponsored tours.

The "middle men" referred to above are NOT going to find any "space" that isn't there. In Alaska you are FAR better off going directly to the vender and inquiring. It is easy to find the information and I list it continously.

I see NO advantage to #1 contact a TA, wait wait wait, Ta gets back, OK this time 1,2, 3, available, wait wait wait, OK meet at??? TA has no clue on the layout, credit card information relayed twice, sitting on TA's desk. etc. Good Grief- my opinion only, it is FAR faster and direct to just,- contact the vender. Specific accurate first hand info, immediate confirmation on availablity and reservations. Done deal.

I didn't mean that MGT could materialize seats that aren't there! I mean that they contacted me by phone to tell me what seats were available (within the two week limitations of this poster) the day our ship was in port in Juneau. Took my credit card info, sent me a confirmation by email and by regular mail with the receipt for the credit card attached. There was no going back and forth with a wait wait wait. When i get back i will let you know if there was any delay!

Dear Budget Queen,

Evidently you see no value in a TA. That's fine, to each their own.

When their (like mine) expertise and services are available at no additional cost to you, it's beyond me why you wouldn't want a cruise only TA that is very familiar with the Alaskan route working for you.

Amazingly, I see that time and time again you are posting on these boards requesting the advice of others, including TA's like myself.

I read what you posted, and you're not entirely wrong nor correct. FYI: Sure, a tour operator may advise you that a particular excursion is sold out etc. etc. ... All too often the excursion is available, just pre-booked be a vendor that only allows TA's to book the excursions through them for their clients.

It's very clear that you enjoy acting as your own TA for whatever reasons they may be. Perhaps you've had a bad experience in the past. I really don't know. Whatever the reason, it should be stated that not all TA's are equal.

Take a few moments to read what I had posted in regards to my ethics and business practices at the bottom of this other thread.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=4226153#post4226153

You may just find that there are more TA's out there like myself that clients really do enjoy having as their dedicated Cruise Specialists. I'm not suggesting that you may ever choose the services of a TA, I just hope that you can see that many do truly value their knowledgeable services rendered.

At any rate, enjoy your search for these so called "elusive excursions", and I wish you the sincerest luck with finding them.

There is no such thing as a vendor (tour operator) that will ONLY do business with a TA. Don't need macro economics to know that. Now, there may be tour operators that will only book thru the cruise line on the days that they are in port because they are paid more because the cruise line charges more. But it's absurd to think a vendor would have loyalty to a TA group to where they wouldn't accept bookings by the general public. This is just another case of TA's spreading bs trying to convince the readers here that they are all-powerfull and all-knowing and us mere mortals need them to have a cruise vacation. We aren't that stupid.

Peter

 

Amazingly, I see that time and time again you are posting on these boards requesting the advice of others, including TA's like myself.

 

I read what you posted, and you're not entirely wrong nor correct. FYI: Sure, a tour operator may advise you that a particular excursion is sold out etc. etc. ... All too often the excursion is available, just pre-booked be a vendor that only allows TA's to book the excursions through them for their clients.

 

 

 

 

 

You do??? Where?????????????????????

 

The venders I recommend RARELY are ship contractors and do most of their business direct with customers. This is COMMON in Alaska touring. I also have NO interest other than offering first hand accurate information. Frankly, your constant reference to being a TA has undertones of commission and superior knowledge. I have to doubt that for the most part in Alaska.

 

It doesn't sound like you have been on these independent tours??? I have, many times. I am not going to get into a battle with you but on these boards you have independent travelers requesting first hand tour information. Regular "Joe" posters here offer excellent accurate information time and time again. An excellent feature of this board.

Now, now Budget Queen. I know you have more than 5,000 posts, but I learned on another thread that Mr_Cruise scored in the 95th percentile when he took macro/micro economics courses and he absolutely knows everything about cruising anywhere! After all, he is Mr_Cruise - right? Check out his posts (all 21 of them); he's very eloquent.

Peter

Budget Queen,

I post that I'm a cruise TA so that anyone reading is fully aware and can judge the content of my posts for themselves with respect to what they may feel is biased.

I am familiar with Alaskan cruises, excursions, cruisetours etc. I do not claim to be anywhere near as knowdgeable at this time with respect to any other cruise route in the world.

It's great that you enjoy Alaska so much that you return time and time again. Enjoy your travels, that's what's most important. Not how or what you've booked.

As for Peter...

Now, now Budget Queen. I know you have more than 5,000 posts, but I learned on another thread that Mr_Cruise scored in the 95th percentile when he took macro/micro economics courses and he absolutely knows everything about cruising anywhere! After all, he is Mr_Cruise - right? Check out his posts (all 21 of them); he's very eloquent.

 

Peter

I'm not even going to bother to post any negative comments in retaliation because there's no point. I have no time nor desire for negative people in my life. I hope everyone reading this forms their own opinion of you.

OK, OK, so he's not that eloquent. Knock, knock Mr. Cruise; anybody home? She's telling you that you obviously aren't very knowledgeable about Alaska and excursions. She's pointing out that people on this board are after advice from people who have been there, done that like she has - not from a TA who says things like some vendors are only accessible by TA's. Name one.

Peter

Hi Peter,

Even though I'd love to prove you wrong, I value my employment and agencies reputation more than proving a point to you.

Unfortunately the discloure of such vendors is strictly prohibited. Here's a quote form the guidelines set by Cruise Critic " Posts recommending travel agents, travel agencies, cruise-only agencies, travel/cruise brokers, or any other source where consumer can purchase travel will be removed from the boards. "

And by the way, I have been there myself. Personally my favourite excursion was the flight seeing tour around Mt. McKinley in Denali.

What was yours Peter?

Hi Mr. Cruise,

You say, "Unfortunately the discloure of such vendors is strictly prohibited. Here's a quote form the guidelines set by Cruise Critic " Posts recommending travel agents, travel agencies, cruise-only agencies, travel/cruise brokers, or any other source where consumer can purchase travel will be removed from the boards." I say, disclosing the name of an excursion vendor isn't violating this boards rules as they aren't a source for purchsing travel.

You say, "And by the way, I have been there myself. Personally my favourite excursion was the flight seeing tour around Mt. McKinley in Denali. What was yours Peter?" I say, it wasn't me that challenged you on that, it was Budget Queen. She says, "It doesn't sound like you have been on these independent tours??? I have, many times. I am not going to get into a battle with you but on these boards you have independent travelers requesting first hand tour information. Regular "Joe" posters here offer excellent accurate information time and time again." It would be foolish for you to want to be a regular Joe when you're already Mr. Cruise.

Peter