Quick answer: MTK Guides is a request desk, not a live checkout cart. You pick a tour listing, send dates and party details, we confirm with the operator side, then we email an invoice. Nothing is charged when you click “Send tour request.”
Why we do not take cards on the site
Florida experiences move for weather, minimum passengers, dock changes, and passport lines (Bimini and similar days). Charging first creates refund fights. Confirming first keeps you safer: you only pay after the plan is real.
Timeline (what you should expect)
| Step | You do | We do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Choose | Open a guide or tour listing | Publish honest planning copy |
| 2. Request | Dates, party, pickup area, notes | Receive the unpaid request |
| 3. Confirm | Reply to questions quickly | Check fit / operator reality |
| 4. Invoice | Pay only the emailed invoice | Send totals and pay instructions |
| 5. Travel | Arrive with the confirmed details | Support if weather reshuffles |
Step-by-step
- Choose a listing in Tours or start from a planning guide.
- Submit name, email, date, party size, pickup area, and notes.
- We reply to confirm, adjust, or suggest a better-fit product.
- You receive an email invoice only after confirmation.
- Pay that invoice through the method shown there.
What “estimated from” prices mean
Catalog prices are public marketplace-style starting bands for planning. Private upgrades, hotel pickup, kid seats, and seasonal surcharges can change totals. The invoice is the money truth. If a band looks too good for a private SUV day, ask — we would rather reset expectations than invoice a surprise.
Agents, groups, and special notes
Travel agents: put the agency name in the notes and list passenger names clearly. Groups: tell us the headcount early; some docks and coaches have different private vs shared math. Passport days (for example Bimini ferry style products): buffer customs time and say so in the request.
Sample email sequence (what “human desk” feels like)
- You: request with date, party size, hotel neighborhood, and must-haves (kid seats, passport day, quiet alternative, etc.).
- Us: confirm the product class or propose a better fit if the stack is unrealistic (for example Everglades + Key West same day).
- You: approve the plan in writing.
- Us: email the invoice with the confirmed total and pay instructions.
- Travel day: you follow the confirmed meet details — not an old marketplace screenshot.
Weather and cancellations
Boats and outdoor Florida products move for weather. Policies belong to the confirmed operator product, not a generic website promise. Ask before you pay the invoice if your dates sit in a storm window. We help coordinate changes after confirmation when the operator reshuffles. Keep screenshots of the confirmation thread; they beat memory when docks change.
FAQ
Are you the operator? We are an independent guide/request hub. Listings may reference partner desks or publicly advertised product types. We disclose that posture on the site.
How fast do you reply? We aim for prompt human follow-up on business days. Urgent same-morning requests should say so in the notes with a phone number.
Can I request without choosing a tour URL? Prefer a listing so the product class is clear. Otherwise start from Guides and tell us the shape in notes.
Why do some catalog pages say they are request tools? Bulk thin tiles stay usable for requests but are not the ranking layer. Hubs and seed tours are the indexable set.
Where do I read trip logistics first? Day trip, Everglades, Keys itinerary.
What to put in the notes field (high signal)
- Hotel neighborhood or cruise pier, not only “Miami.”
- Ages of kids and any mobility limits.
- Must-have vs nice-to-have (sunset, snorkel, quiet wetlands).
- Hard constraints: flight times, all-aboard, dinner reservations.
- Brand preference if you already know one (say so; we still confirm live).
What good request hygiene looks like
Write like you are briefing a human desk, not stuffing keywords. One hero activity per day. Honest flight or cruise constraints. Hotel neighborhood. Ages. Motion or mobility notes. If two people disagree (snorkel vs dry glass-bottom), say which preference wins if weather trims the day. That single paragraph prevents most confirmation churn.
After you understand the desk, pick a planning guide — Key West day trip, Everglades, or Keys itinerary — then open one seed tour and send the unpaid request from Florida tours.
More request-desk questions
What if the brand I named cannot run my dates? We propose a better-fit Wave-1 path and wait for your written OK before invoicing. Naming a logo is a preference, not a charge.
Do you store my card on this site? No. There is no cart. Payment happens only on the emailed invoice after confirmation.
Can agents request for a group? Yes. Put agency name, passenger list, language, and billing entity in the first notes field so we do not bounce emails later.
What happens if weather cancels after I pay the invoice? Operator weather policy wins. We help relay the call and the next honest option. We do not invent live seat counts on this page.