So… I think I May Be Over-Scheduling…

[Teacher_91]

I would love to hear from those ‘in the know’. We have booked the Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer with Princess from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on July 4, 2012. We’ve also got a whale watching tour scheduled with Harv & Marv for that same day. Pickup would be at 2:30 with whale watching from 3:00 to 6:00. Is there a possibility that we might miss our pickup with Harv & Marv? Callie the scheduler offered an alternative pickup at 5:30. She said they could return us to the cruise dock by 9:20 p.m. Since the STAR departs @ 10:00 p.m. this makes me VERY nervous.

We really want to do BOTH tours, but it is not worth it to miss our ship!

At this point neither excursion is paid for, so I can still make some adjustments although I'd hate to give up either opportunity! :(

Any advice, words of reassurance, or wisdom would be GREATLY appreciated!

[dolittle]

You wont miss the ship, tour guides will see to it. But I.M.H.O two tours is one to many in any port. It is just nice to have some free time to poke around on your own .Pick the one that is best for you and save the other for next time.

[Teacher_91]

You wont miss the ship, tour guides will see to it. But I.M.H.O two tours is one to many in any port. It is just nice to have some free time to poke around on your own .Pick the one that is best for you and save the other for next time.

 

At this point, I think you may be right. Even thinking about it, it sounds like a VERY full day with little chance to regroup or check out Juneau.

I'm leaning towards the Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer but know we'd love the whale watch too.... Decisions decisions! :confused:

[diane.in.ny]

If you keep looking out the window, you could see whales at any time in your cruise. (Don't forget to bring binoculars.) I admit it is not like getting up close and personal (I LOVE whale watching) but perhaps you can book a whale watching tour at another port.

[vbmom87]

I do not think two excursions in one port is too much at all. However, I am one who is generally not interested in ports. I want to get away from the port and see the natural beauty of Alaska. If this may be your only time to see Alaska and you have the budget, fit in all you can. JMHO.

 

If you are nervous about getting back to the ship by 2:00 p.m. I would contact Allen Marine, as I believe they are the vendor Princess will be using for the Tracy Arm tour. If you are not comfortable with what they tell you, how about looking for another vendor for the whale watch who might have one around 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. There are many vendors in Juneau that offer whale watches. Harv and Marv and Orca have both benefited from unsolicited advertising on CC. However, there are others who could probably provide you with a tour at a time that would not stress you out. You might even find you have time to do a combo to Mendenhall. I know...that is adding a third "tour" but hey, will you be back to Alaska?

[TheCalicoCat]

Sounds like too much to me & I have the Tracy Arm excursion, plus a private trip to Mendenhall glacier planned myself...

[frugaltravel]

I would love to hear from those ‘in the know’. We have booked the Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer with Princess from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on July 4, 2012. We’ve also got a whale watching tour scheduled with Harv & Marv for that same day. Pickup would be at 2:30 with whale watching from 3:00 to 6:00. Is there a possibility that we might miss our pickup with Harv & Marv? Callie the scheduler offered an alternative pickup at 5:30. She said they could return us to the cruise dock by 9:20 p.m. Since the STAR departs @ 10:00 p.m. this makes me VERY nervous.

 

We really want to do BOTH tours, but it is not worth it to miss our ship!

 

Any advice, words of reassurance, or wisdom would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

At this point neither excursion is paid for, so I can still make some adjustments although I'd hate to give up either opportunity!

 

I see nothing wrong with scheduling two tours. If you didn't do a tour in Juneau after Tracy Arm, would you just sit on the ship? That would be a huge mistake IMHO.

 

If it were me, though, I would probably take the later whale watch tour since, as was said, they will get you back to your ship before it departs. This allows for some flexibility in case your Tracy Arm tour gets delayed.

[Teacher_91]

A BIG thank you to everyone who replied. You've all raised valid points to consider. The Mr. & I have a lot to discuss before we can make our final decision!

Sometimes the problem with planning so far in advance is having too much time to second guess and 'over think' things! HA! :rolleyes: