Alaska excursions - Afraid of non-DCL options

[monorailrabbit]

Hello amazing Disboard gang! I need some help with Alaska excursions! It will be our first (and likely only) trip to Alaska. We have researched a TON on the excursions through Disney and have some ideas of what we'd like to do. I have some questions, and also wondering if non-DCL would be better. However, I must admit - I am super afraid of non-DCL options. I'm not sure why... maybe its because I am afraid we will miss the boat? Anyway, looking forward to your advice!

Skagway - We'd like to do the glacier/dog sled adventure here. The ones in Juneau look amazing, but we decided to do it at this port since we really want to focus on orcas (my favorite animal) in Juneau. We are pretty set on the dog sledding and glacier flightseeing for $739. Is there a better option for us? Additionally, we'd really like to also do one of the horseback adventures. Either day or sunset - is it possible to do sled dogs and horseback in the same day?

Juneau - all we know is WE WANT TO SEE ORCAS. A lot of the adventures seem to be pretty much the same - a few guarantee you will see a "whale", which I realize could be humpback instead. Does anyone have a recommendation for the best orca viewing experience?

Can someone "talk me off the ledge" with my fear of non-DCL? Am I crazy for wanting to avoid these? We are going in July, so we still have plenty of time to research. Looking forward to your advice and help!!

 

[EmilyS92003]

Juneau - all we know is WE WANT TO SEE ORCAS. A lot of the adventures seem to be pretty much the same - a few guarantee you will see a "whale", which I realize could be humpback instead. Does anyone have a recommendation for the best orca viewing experience?

There really is no way to guarantee you will see orcas. You will for sure see humpbacks. That is what they guarantee you will see and that is what they focus on. You really can’t make sure you will see orcas but when I went wet got super lucky and found a pod of 100 orcas and we followed them for awhile so really it’s just luck of which you see.

 

[EllieBride]

I don't think there is a guarantee that you will see orcas. Maybe look into a tour before or after the cruise in Vancouver and you might have better odds of seeing them there.

As for non-DCL, don't be scared! Just do your homework and read reviews here on DIS and on places like trip advisor or cruise critic. The most reputable places will make sure that you are back in plenty of time. We did the the Alaskan cruise last summer and did everything on our own (first time doing that) and it was such a good experience.

 

[amyg1]

Excursions in Alaska are expensive. They have a small window when they make their money for the year, and they charge for it. So first, I would check the excursions you want with other providers.. it might not be that big of a savings.
There are some, that I'd recommend going elsewhere. You didn't mention any of these... The train in Skagway - it's the same exact train so if you are late so is everyone else.. and if you book yourself the car is less crowded. Mendenhall Glacier - I'd do that myself, because the time pressure to make the bus is much higher. And the Mount Roberts Tram in Juneau - it's literally walking distance - and you can walk up for the tickets. And you don't want to do it if it's a cloudy day, so waiting until the day of is a good idea. I'm sure there are other examples of excursions that are really not needed to do with DCL.
Most of the operators have a guarantee to get you back in time.
Oh, and if you have kids, DCL's age for being an adult is much lower than the operators sometimes, so you can save on a childs fare.

But, if you are nervous.. it is worth a few extra bucks to sign up with DCL. I bet it isn't as much of a difference as you think.
So my advice is to check out the other operators and see if you are really saving anything substantial. You might with the higher priced excursions, but you might not.

 

[KashasMom]

We have done over 100 excursions - all booked independently, including the dog sledding with Temsco Helicopters in Skagway. There is no possibility that you will miss the ship. They allow plenty of time for you to get back to the ship. Book an early-ish trip if you are really concerned. I'd contact Temsco fairly soon though since they can sell out quickly. BTW, any reputable company (Temsco is definitely that) guarantees the same as Disney excursions. They'll get you back to the ship on time OR get you to the next port! And I am sure they are considerably less than booking with Disney. Have a great cruise!

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

All of our Alaska excursions were non-DCL, and they were all great. Alaska is the ideal place to go independent on excursions, because you're in America, everyone speaks English, it's easy.

 

[tvguy]

I don't think there is a guarantee that you will see orcas. Maybe look into a tour before or after the cruise in Vancouver and you might have better odds of seeing them there.

As for non-DCL, don't be scared! Just do your homework and read reviews here on DIS and on places like trip advisor or cruise critic. The most reputable places will make sure that you are back in plenty of time. We did the the Alaskan cruise last summer and did everything on our own (first time doing that) and it was such a good experience.

The tour we took guaranteed you would see orcas or your money back. It was on HAL not DCL, but it was booked through the cruise line.
I can't talk you off the ledge because we always book through the cruise line.

 

[starvenger]

As for non-DCL, don't be scared! Just do your homework and read reviews here on DIS and on places like trip advisor or cruise critic. The most reputable places will make sure that you are back in plenty of time. We did the the Alaskan cruise last summer and did everything on our own (first time doing that) and it was such a good experience.

I agree with this. Do your homework, read what everyone else is saying about various tour operators. Decide if it is right for you.

If none of this increases your confidence about going third party, then don't go third party. If you need to have that "peace of mind", then the premium you pay for booking with the cruise line is worth it.

 

[Disneyfamforsure]

We are also cruising to Alaska this year and just booked our excursions, including the Skagway dog sledding. We booked all through DCL just to avoid the worry and hassle. We are already spending a ton on this vacation, there is no "cheap" option, so I just did not want to have to stress about the logistics and possible scrambling around to book an alternative if something got canceled, which happens a lot for the dogsledding. If it gets canceled I know Disney will do the legwork to get us booked on something else that will suit our family. We both work full time so our vacation time is precious and I want to check all the worries and stress at the dock, or really at the airport, as we head out. Every family has different considerations so whatever option feels right is the best one. Either way it will be great trip. Have an amazing time!!

 

[SamFaniam]

Juneau - all we know is WE WANT TO SEE ORCAS. A lot of the adventures seem to be pretty much the same - a few guarantee you will see a "whale", which I realize could be humpback instead. Does anyone have a recommendation for the best orca viewing experience?

There are no resident pods of orcas in the Juneau area, they are all transient and migratory. So if your primary goal is to see orcas, I would look at extending your trip in Vancouver either before or after the cruise. There are resident pods around the San Juan islands, and you are more likely to see orcas on a day trip out of Vancouver.

that being said, I agree with the other posters that booking on your own will be fine, and will save you money.

The tour we took guaranteed you would see orcas or your money back

Do you remember which company HAL used that guaranteed you would see orcas out of Juneau? I know many of them offer guarantees for whale sightings, but I would be surprised if a Juneau outfitter guaranteed orcas.

 

[monorailrabbit]

We are also cruising to Alaska this year and just booked our excursions, including the Skagway dog sledding. We booked all through DCL just to avoid the worry and hassle. We are already spending a ton on this vacation, there is no "cheap" option, so I just did not want to have to stress about the logistics and possible scrambling around to book an alternative if something got canceled, which happens a lot for the dogsledding. If it gets canceled I know Disney will do the legwork to get us booked on something else that will suit our family. We both work full time so our vacation time is precious and I want to check all the worries and stress at the dock, or really at the airport, as we head out. Every family has different considerations so whatever option feels right is the best one. Either way it will be great trip. Have an amazing time!!

Oh no the dogs get canceled alot??? I would be heart broken!!

 

[tvguy]

There are no resident pods of orcas in the Juneau area, they are all transient and migratory. So if your primary goal is to see orcas, I would look at extending your trip in Vancouver either before or after the cruise. There are resident pods around the San Juan islands, and you are more likely to see orcas on a day trip out of Vancouver.

that being said, I agree with the other posters that booking on your own will be fine, and will save you money.



Do you remember which company HAL used that guaranteed you would see orcas out of Juneau? I know many of them offer guarantees for whale sightings, but I would be surprised if a Juneau outfitter guaranteed orcas.

I'll have to rummage though my paperwork. But they didn't have to pay up on our excursion.

 

[Disneyfamforsure]

Oh no the dogs get canceled alot??? I would be heart broken!!

Yes, unfortunately this is the most cancelled excursion due to weather. But if you book the Skagway and it gets cancelled, then you can always try to book out of Juneau the next day. We really want to do this one so we chose Skagway for this reason. This is also why we are booking it through DCL, because they will try to get us rebooked out of Juneau if it ends up being cancelled in Skagway. If it ends up cancelling out of Juneau as well, then I guess it was not meant to be. We have a whale watching excursion planned out of Juneau for now, but the Bering Sea Crab Tour out of Ketchikan as a whale back up in case we end up having to switch plans for our Juneau day. No matter what, it will be incredible! Now that it is all booked, I am just counting down the days and ready for the adventure! You will have an amazing time!

 

[jtntx34]

I planned our vacation to Alaska in 2017 for about 3 years. It was my mom’s bucket list trip, so I did a TON of research. I definitely recommend doing independent tours. It’s Alaska, so it’s in the US, and the tour operators speak English, have websites, email, phones, etc., so they are easy to research and contact.

The tour operators know their businesses, and they need good reviews, so they are very open and honest. Some times of years are better for some activities. (In this case, one month to the next—I know it’s all “summer” to us, but it’s just not like that in Alaska.) You may be going at a time of year when historically they cancel more helicopter flights, for example. Or, if you want to see bears or go fishing, there are better times for these things. You can ask them about the percentage of times they see orcas at the time of year you are going, or you might want to ask what to expect for whale watching if you are taking kids, for example.

I don’t know if we can recommend other boards, but the other cruise message board has a port of call board for Alaska that is full of good info.

Basically, do not be afraid to book independently. My best excursions were the independent ones. (If you were going further north, I’d suggest Seward for whale watching. It is a sea life Mecca. I will just throw that out there in case anyone is doing a non-DCL Cruise and will have a chance to be there.)

 

[jrask]

I've cruised to Alaska multiple times, although not on DCL. I've cruised elsewhere with DCL. Regardless of the cruise line, I make calculated decisions about which excursions to book through the cruise line and which to book independently. Independent can often provide a better experience at the same or less cost. But I evaluate the risk excursion-by-excursion. So it really is about research.

For instance, in Ketchikan Alaska, I love a particular kayak company that I book independently. It offers what amounts to a private kayak trip for my family in a more interesting/remote location than what was offered through the cruise line excursion. I wasn't worried about missing the ship because the kayak company is reputable and gets me back multiple hours before all-aboard. Risk is so low, that it is an easy choice for me. I've done several other independent excursions in Alaska for similar reasons.

Its the same story in the Caribbean. I'm willing to book an independent stingray tour that offers far more than the cruise line excursion as long as the return time is early enough that I have a big buffer in case things ran overtime (they did, but it was fine because of my buffer). On the other hand, I did a ship excursion that ferried us off of Cozumel island (where the ship was docked) to the mainland because I felt it too risky to be at that distance on an independent tour.

Research. Research. Research.

 

[jrask]

As to dog sled cancellations, they are indeed the most cancelled excursion in Alaska. Weather changes fast up there and the dog sled camps have a fixed location so if weather is a problem in one spot on the glacier, they can't shift locations.

Also, I've heard that Skagway dogsledding routinely cancels earlier in the season than Juneau dogsledding due to snowmelt. (Heard this directly from one of the big tour operators last year because I kept calling to check on the snow. By the time we went, Skagway was already shut down and on our particular day, a storm prevented us from doing the tour in Juneau.)

So, have a Plan B in case you need to shift plans.

 

[Dug720]

Juneau - all we know is WE WANT TO SEE ORCAS. A lot of the adventures seem to be pretty much the same - a few guarantee you will see a "whale", which I realize could be humpback instead. Does anyone have a recommendation for the best orca viewing experience?

Careful what you wish for. I was on an excursion through HAL (but I know Disney does it also because our guide quipped he did not have to modify some of the commentary on the drive through Juneau with us) and we knew that the primary is Humpback but there was anpossibikity for Orca.

Well, we got to a buoy with some sea lions on it and there was one frantic in the water trying to get up. He almost made it, but as he was jumping up, an Orca jumped up and snatched him. Yes, the ways of nature but NOT what you are expecting to see live.

So... Just know that a possibility like that exists when seeking Orca.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Best place to see orcas is a tour out of Vancouver. And the ship on your way to Alaska! Keep your eyes open! We did a mix of tours when we went that was slanted towards booking outside the ship. Do your homework. For me, personally, if I was going on an excursion that involved a helicopter or seaplane to another location, due to weather etc, I personally would stick to a Disney excursion. The price difference is worth it for me. Alaska is beautiful! Enjoy your trip!

 

[MomOTwins]

Best place to see orcas is a tour out of Vancouver. And the ship on your way to Alaska! Keep your eyes open! We did a mix of tours when we went that was slanted towards booking outside the ship. Do your homework. For me, personally, if I was going on an excursion that involved a helicopter or seaplane to another location, due to weather etc, I personally would stick to a Disney excursion. The price difference is worth it for me. Alaska is beautiful! Enjoy your trip!

This—and plane or elevator excursion I would do via disney. Ground transit is more reliable, but weather is such an issue in alaska and I did hear on these boards of an incident where a helicopter couldn’t get back safely to the port due to sudden weather, and then the guest had to scramble to find transport to get them to the next port to meet the ship the next day, which was not easy due to lack of roads in Alaska

 

[EllieBride]

Well, I have to disagree on the assumption of booking plane/helicopter tours through the cruise lines based on the tragic events from last year. The poor passengers on the Princess ship booked their seaplane excursion through the cruise ship. Like DCL, they were arranging their tours through Taquan Air, who seems to be one of the larger operators in Ketchikan. It sounds like they are/were bringing in less-experienced pilots who haven't logged nearly as many flight hours in that environment as some of the more seasoned pilots who have been there for 20+ years. I was ready to cancel our seaplane tour after two back-to-back fatal accidents happening right before our cruise (before involving Taquan), but I ended up keeping it. I had booked it on my own with Island Wings after reading all of the positive reviews here on Dis and trip advisor, etc.

Obviously, a tragic accident can happen anytime and anyplace, but I think this is an example of where I felt that I was making an informed decision going in and had done my research ahead of time. I knew exactly who our pilot was going to be in advance (Michelle, the owner of the company) and I knew how many years (and flight hours) she had logged in the air, specifically flying in that terrain and weather. Although I was scared in light of the recent circumstances, I didn't feel like we were going in blind. It was a valuable lesson learned that I will keep in mind for future vacation planning. I want to know who is going to be in the pilot's seat, especially if my kids are going to be with me. DCL is not going to be able to tell you that information. Just food for thought...