Snorkel Tour at Magic Island

Posted By : TommyTong604
They were a no-show.

This was supposed to be the highlight of my cruise to Alaska and my one-and-only tour in Sitka on July 16, 2023.

The pick-up location and time was confirmed with Ellie via email before my arrival. I arrived early at Centennial Hall (approx. 1:40 p.m.) and waited at the Tours and Excursions pickup area as per the instructions from Selkie Snorkel.

At 2:09 p.m., with no sight of the purple van, I spoke to Fiona inside Centennial Hall and she was kind enough to place a call to their main line on my behalf but no one answered.

Fast forward to 3:23 p.m., while waiting outside Centennial Hall (still), I decided to leave.

It wasn't until I got back on the ship that I read the email from Selkie Snorkel claiming that they waited at Centennial Hall until 2:15 p.m.

This is completely FALSE.

After emailing my complaint, Ellie was apologetic and issued a refund to my credit card (which I appreciated). I don't know why they didn't show-up. Mistakes happen.

But to claim that you did show-up when you clearly didn't is NOT ok.

In closing, there were some important lessons from this experience:

1.) For Tour Operators: If no one is going to be on-site to answer the main line, activate the call forwarding so that incoming calls are re-directed to the on-duty cell.

2.) For myself, bring your cell phone with you while ashore and make sure it is capable of placing and receiving calls and texts.
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Posted On : 2023-09-05 20:49:06

Posted By : Eric_W
Awesome day. Our guide Peter was amazing. Magic island was very cool and easy to get to. Saw lots of fun things under the sea.
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Posted On : 2023-08-24 12:40:26

Posted By : Mark_D
Scott was a great guide. The weather was perfect and 60 foot visibility. Hundreds of star fish and anemones at Magic Island. Water was 62F, but the suits did a great job of keeping out the cold. I've snorkeled at numerous Caribbean Islands, but this experience was so different and unique because of the environment. It was so worth it.
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Posted On : 2023-08-24 11:49:34

Posted By : Global106960
Excellent excursion. Selkie picked up our group right at the cruise port. I had surgery about a month earlier and required some special assistance getting into my wet suit. Peter assisted me without hesitation and made me feel completely at ease during the entire experience. The only disappointment was that we couldn't spend more time in the water. Having snorkeled on cruises around the world I definitely recommend this one. Superior value for the money, too.
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Posted On : 2023-08-07 16:10:11

Posted By : obrnstlukes
The entire experience was an adventure. If you’ve never had an experience with a dry suit, don’t stress. The fitting and prep is a little work, but once you get to the water it is worth it. The excursion team is patient and helpful the entire time. We had various size people in the group. All had equipment that fit. It might depend on how your body type is proportioned though. The water was very calm and we were not cold due to dry suit doing its job.
The snorkel around Magic Island was beautiful. They bring a boogie board in case anyone gets tired. The dry suit causes buoyancy so you float if you get too tired. However, with that you can’t dive down which was fine. The guides will dive down to get various creatures. If you enjoy snorkeling, this is highly recommended! Bring cash for tip because they definitely deserved it. They also have truly adorable tshirts for sale.
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Posted On : 2023-08-04 15:01:56

Posted By : MiaB688
Scott and Alyssa were great guides! They were helpful, patient, and enthusiastic. As a new swimmer and a first-time snorkeler, I was put at ease by their responsiveness to my concerns and motivated by their love of being in the ocean. We saw many seastars, anenomes, and little fish as we swam around Magic Island. 100% recommend!
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Posted On : 2023-08-04 00:00:37

Posted By : Y4208NFjamesb
Snorkel trip was great. They made arrangements to pick us and the others up due to the ship arriving late. Super great people. Water was 57 when we snorkeled very tolerable with the wetsuits. Beautiful place.
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Posted On : 2023-07-28 15:33:55

Posted By : M2081DRnancyw
Ellie and Peter were so personable, helpful and engaging in our wet dive snorkeling experience that they made the whole trip so easy and fun. We all left with smiles and good memories of all we saw underwater.
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Posted On : 2023-07-21 19:26:57

Posted By : joshjones7
All good things to say about this tour and this company. And such a fun way to spend a summer day in Alaska! Shout out to the Selkie snorkel crew for making this tour an option for Sitka adventurers. The guides were fun and informative, made sure everyone was comfortable and safe. The gear provided was high quality and excellent condition. And the snorkel location was beautiful - highly recommend putting your face in the water when you come to Sitka... so much amazing sea life to observe and explore. I would do this tour again and again.
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Posted On : 2023-07-09 19:05:44

Posted By : coreya560
What a fun and fantastic time! Everything about this trip was amazing! The warm and welcoming atmosphere, kind and knowledgeable guides, spectacular scenery and so many up close critters. This will be an adventure you’ll remember fondly and vividly for a long time, enjoy!
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Posted On : 2023-06-21 22:39:32