
1. "Missing your boat" is never a problem.
Most cruise lines will say, “We can’t guarantee that you’ll be back on time unless you book through us.” But the people who book independently are on the same tour as those who book through the ship, so the timing remains the same. Everyone, from the dock reps to the bus drivers to the guides, has been trained and coached to keep their timing as consistent as possible no matter the day, week or month.
2. Ships take up to a 50% cut of the cost of the excursion.
Whether your Alaska excursion costs $50 or $500, a much smaller portion actually gets passed on to the tour operator. Because cruise lines bring in the majority of potential customers (especially in ports like Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan), they can command a very high commission from the Alaska excursion companies they work with. While actual commissions vary from contract to contract, the cruise line’s cut may be as high as 50% for a same-day Alaska excursion. When you book with a smaller agency, like Shore Tours, you’re not only saving money but much more of your ticket price gets back to the actual tour operator. This is what helps them expand and offer even more awesome activities. Booking Alaska shore excursions on your own can substantially help with cutting costs. Additionally, Shore Tours has a pledge to donate at least 5% of profits to important Alaskan conservation efforts. By booking with Shore Tours, you’re helping to ensure a bright future for Alaskan tourism.3.You do not need to be back onboard two-hours before departure.
Your all-aboard time is 30-minutes before the ship’s departure time, so why do cruise lines tell you that you have to be back onboard two-hours early? This is especially disappointing when you have such a short time in port, like the 5.5 hours in Juneau for Norwegian Joy passengers or the 5-hours in Ketchikan that many ships are scheduled for. Cruise lines do not want to have to wait for guests because it ends up costing them money if they run behind schedule. So, they have a tendency to tell guests they need to be back much earlier than they actually do. Especially for the bigger cruise ships, there is often a long line of guests waiting to board 30-minutes before departure. They won’t close the door on you while you’re in line waiting to board. Do you have a short time in port? Check out these 1-3 hour tour options!4. Their shore excursion cancellation policies are rigid.
Many cruise lines have strict rules about when you can and cannot book your shore excursions. On top of that, your cancellation window is typically 3 to 30 days before embarkation day. That doesn’t leave much room for flexibility or anything that may come up and force you to change your plans. Additionally, their refunds are usually in the form of onboard credit instead of going back onto your credit card. Even though Alaska shore excursions often sell out quickly and it’s tough on the tour operator if they can’t fill seats at the last minute, we understand that things happen. At Shore Tours, we allow cancellations up to 14 days before the tour with a full refund of the tour price.5. Their “activity levels” are not always very helpful.
Every activity is assigned a level by the cruise line. Unfortunately, these levels are not very descriptive, and for some activities, may be woefully insufficient.
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