Dolly Varden opinions please

[Ktoo]

I have done the search and realize they are just a booking agent. Mixed opinions posted, so I want to gather some more.

 

I'm looking at them because I want to do the Mendenhall Dog Sledding in Juneau and the price they have posted on the website is more reasonable than the operators direct.

 

So I do question if they are a booking agent how they can quote a price lower than the tour operators they are presumably booking, and if that should be a red flag?

 

Thanks for any input.

[davis0056]

Back in March I had several e-mail and phone conversations with Dolly Varden r/t the Anan Creek bear watch. Since I was going by myself I told them I was very flexible about the time of the tour; they assured me that they would let me know of the time since they would put me with another party. Then I didn't hear anything. So I wrote in July-no reposne. Then in Aug, 3 days before we left for Alaska, I wrote again-no repsonse. I left two phone messages. Finally got an e-mail telling me that weren't anble to arrange a tour for me-because I was only one person--after I told them I was flexible and willing to go on whatever flight available. I don't know if there were ever going to notify me if I hadn't been e-amiling and calling! It was too late to arrange any other bear watch at that point in Ketchikan. I assured Varden that I'd share this with the readers at CC.

 

I ended up joing the other 7 memebers of our family doing a ship (Summit) sponsored tour :eek: Wilderness Exploration and Crab Feast. It turned out to be a great tour and highly recommend it!!!

[Yukon]

So I do question if they are a booking agent how they can quote a price lower than the tour operators they are presumably booking, and if that should be a red flag?

 

A booking agent can do that by reducing the commission that the operator gives them. Not a red flag, but I just don't deal with booking agents - I want to talk to the people I'm touring with if necessary, and in any case want all of my money to go to the operator, not someone who has no expenses except an extra phone line in their house.

 

Murray

[sharp_cruiser]

Davis0056:

sorry this is off topic, so please don't consider it hijacking!!! I was looking through your photos and saw a group of photos from Wales, England, Ireland. We are hoping to make that another vacation and I was wondering if you used a tour to go to those places or just went on your own? Thanks for any info; don't spend too much time on this.

[djkjam]

We booked two tours through Dolly Varden because they had availability for tours we wanted and which the cruise line was showing as sold out (Glacier dogledding in Skayway and misy fjord boat/floatplane in Ketchikan)

 

I found the agent to be extremely responsive and helpful.

 

Prices were about the same as we would have paid through the ship, and with more research I may have been able to book direct with the operator at a lower price, but I have no complaints with the service

[davis0056]

Sharp cruiser,

 

All of our tours were independent. For more info, drop us an e-mail at:

davis0056 at aol dot com

[catl331]

we used this tour company via Internet as they were much cheaper than ship. The ad boasted about seeing totem carving, natives and clan house as well as a tour of this village. Our tour guide was an independent contracted by this tour company. He first took us out to a waterfall where everyone had to walk on a road with traffic to take a pic and then to an inlet where his friends were fishing telling everyone there might be a bear there. Again we stopped on a busy road with no walking area. He mostly talked about his growing up in Ketchikan, girls he knew, and fish he caught. He was not an Indian native. Finally after almost 1 1/2 hrs of the 2 hr tour we appeared at Saxman only to find out the clan house had closed, the carvers had left and gift shop was closing. He briefly gave us his version of some of the totems and we went back to the ship. Found others who took the ship's tour who went directly to the village and saw everything like promised. So sometimes one shouldn't base a tour on the cost!

[kamilli]

We used Dolly Varden to book our whale watching tour. They were very professional, responded very quickly to my email inquiries, and we had a great tour that was much smaller than the cruiseship tours. Their prices are about the same as you'll get booking directly. It does add a middleman...but sometimes the middlemen are easier to find when you're looking online!

[Budget Queen]

. It does add a middleman...but sometimes the middlemen are easier to find when you're looking online!

 

 

Not on this board, the actual vender is easy to find, if you want the information. Many long time established companies with many reviews to also look over.

[Budget Queen]

I

 

I'm looking at them because I want to do the Mendenhall Dog Sledding in Juneau and the price they have posted on the website is more reasonable than the operators direct.

 

QUOTE]

 

There is ONLY ONE company that does this, TEMSCO, so your booking agent will be booking with them. Is the price current and next years??? Did you compare it direct with TEMSCO?? Frankly with this high cost tour, I would be booking direct, get the information first hand, confirmations direct etc.

 

I am also one never to use middle men in Alaska, so take it with a grain of salt.

[dixonge]

We only booked one tour through Dolly Varden and it's a good thing as the tour guide was a no-show. I'm thinking he was sleeping off a good drunk, or maybe was just too tired to meet us. Another couple called his number and he proceeded to try to reschedule over the phone, as in "So we'll just do this at 1:30" This presumes that we have no other tours scheduled for the day. Not to mention that the wildlife viewing is best in the mornings. We declined the tour and called the Dolly Varden number and were told we would be given a refund.

 

That was about six weeks ago and Dolly Varden is now claiming they don't owe us a refund.

 

Buyer beware.

[Meerjungfrau]

You only really find out how good or bad a company is if a problem occurs and they have to solve it.

We booked and paid for a number of excursions with Dolly Varden in January 07 for our August vacation. However, we then found we had to cancel one of them 2 months before departure, which their booking conditions allowed. We were supposed to have a full refund, yet 5 months on we still not received it.

 

We had also booked a bear watching trip to Redoubt Bay which was supposed to be the highlight of our trip, but for some reason that was never explained to us they failed to arrange for us to be picked up and we missed out on the tour as a result. We then contacted the operator directly who arranged a different trip for us. When we returned from our vacation we expected at least an apology and a refund of the difference, but no such luck. We had to contact Dolly Varden ourselves, who only responded several weeks later. They failed to apologise and to this day have not refunded the difference although eventually they agreed to do so. We returned in mid-August and are still waiting to receive our refunds.

[dhmom99]

You only really find out how good or bad a company is if a problem occurs and they have to solve it.

We booked and paid for a number of excursions with Dolly Varden in January 07 for our August vacation. However, we then found we had to cancel one of them 2 months before departure, which their booking conditions allowed. We were supposed to have a full refund, yet 5 months on we still not received it.

 

 

Have you contacted your credit card company to dispute the charge?