Cruise ship sold tours vs. Ours
There will always be low price tours for the masses sold on board cruise ships. However, we prefer smaller volume and a higher quality of experience. Our tours are far more private and educational, with local or return guides and a slow relaxed pace. With up to 7 ships in town, 7 days a week there’s no need to bring a busload of them on tour with you.
Getting back to your ship on time
The cruise ships like to tell you ‘if you don’t book through us, the ship won’t wait for you if you’re late’. That is not entirely true, but regardless we have never been late in our entire 21 years. We know the ship’s schedules and how things operate. We are never late. Not only will you not be late, you will not be rushed or hurried before or after your excursion. You’ll have a mellow, relaxing time, and we will get you back to your ship a minimum of one hour before your departure, 30 minutes before All Aboard.
Kayaks tipping over
We do not have people tip over. Do what we ask and instruct, and you’ll find the kayaks so easy you’ll wonder why you ever worried about it in the first place. But even if you jumped out of your kayak, the water is plenty safe with temps in the 60’sF most of the summer. There is no ice or glaciers within many miles of Ketchikan. We are the warmest, most moderate place in the state. The Miami of Alaska!
Weather
Alaska is not all rough seas and ice. We are located on the Inside Passage of SE Alaska, which is a lush and dense temperate rainforest. A huge rainforest in Alaska, situated amongst thousands of islands and waterways, all protected from the open ocean.
Temps are in the 50’s and 60’sF in summer months. It rains, yes, the Tongass is the second largest rainforest in the world! There are many days we feel the tours are actually enhanced by having misty rain. Our customers have agreed. You’ll definitely see more wildlife when it is overcast and rainy. We also have many clear days in summer, more than you’ll hear about, but complete blue sky sometimes brings wind and choppier water. Yep it’s a little backwards, but sun is the anomaly.
The call on weather is strictly ours. Remember we have been at this for more than 20 years. The weather downtown where your ship docks does not necessarily reflect the weather where we run our tours.
Our advice on weather
Don’t worry at all about the weather. If we could ask one single thing of our customers it would be not to check the weather online before your trip. It will be inaccurate. We live here and know the nuances of the weather. We’ll take care of you. There are many micro-climates, and if it is raining sideways at your cruise ship, it could very well be really nice where we lead tours. That is why we get you out of town. We have an excellent tour location for almost all weather. We’d love to cut out the overhead of the vans and fuel and the driver, but the weather is just statistically far better at Clover Pass or Orca Cove (Carroll Point).
Relax, you’re coming to one of the greatest spots on the planet. Don’t stress the weather. That’s our job. We provide all the rain gear you might need.
Rough water on kayak tours
Our tour location is about 30 miles in from the open ocean. No surf or ocean swell exists. We paddle right along awesome jagged shoreline with three short crossings, about ten minutes each, between islands. We are never ‘out to sea’ or at any risk of drift or currents. It is why we run tours where we do. Same as the weather, if you won’t have fun due to water conditions, we won’t go. It’s that simple. It is our call, but we don’t push it. We need you to trust us regarding water conditions and weather.
Bugs
Non-issue for all practical purposes along the rainforest coastline. The bug stories are from the Interior, not the SE Alaska Coast.
We have designed tours that are safe, adventuresome, and accommodating. Giving you a quality memorable experience is what we do. Once you’ve booked a trip, please trust us from there. You’re in good hands.
Our tours Max at 12 Guests.
With up to 7 ships in port, 7 days a week, Many of our tours sell out well in advance.