Kroschel Refuge

[mel8kri]

I am going to Alaska in September and this excursion looks nice. It is expensive, $210 pp, so I was hoping those that have been on it can let me know whether it's worth it. Thanks.

 

 

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[oaktreerb]

That price seems high. We will be docked in Haines on the Noordam and the ship excursion is called "Wild at Heart: The Kroschel Center for Orphaned Animals" for $139.95 discounted to $132,95. Does your price include another activity? Our tour with the 45 min narrated bus ride includes a snack and is scheduled to last 3.8 hours per HAL. WE have seen Steve and the Kroscchel center on the Saturday morning "Wilderness Vet" TV program.

[JP-Cruise]

I am going to Alaska in September and this excursion looks nice. It is expensive, $210 pp, so I was hoping those that have been on it can let me know whether it's worth it. Thanks.

 

 

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What port is this excursion at?

[mel8kri]

We are docking in Skagway so we need the ferry ride.

 

 

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[oaktreerb]

We are docking in Skagway so we need the ferry ride.

 

 

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That would make the difference! As to whether it is worth it, i don't know. The HAL website on excursions gives a few reviews. Maybe check it out on Trip Advisor.

[wolfie11]

I enjoyed it. The guy that runs the place is committed and passionate (and walks around barefoot). However, for the money, there are other excursions I would choose over this one... train to Bennett Lake/Glacier Point Safari/Haines raft trip.... but I prefer more active trips.

[JP-Cruise]

I am going to Alaska in September and this excursion looks nice. It is expensive, $210 pp, so I was hoping those that have been on it can let me know whether it's worth it. Thanks.

 

 

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This excursion does sound pretty amazing. Have you read the reviews on trip advisor? This one review someone said they had the opportunity to feed moose, porcupine, a bear...now that's an experience! But I also prefer active tours. I'm doing the Laughton glacier glacier hike and white pass rail in July. 49 more days to go! :)

[JULIE A A]

Also trying to get to Kroschel Refuge in September - we dock in Skagway 6th September. The Princess tour is expensive but they won't let me book as I return from the bike down Klondike Summit 10 minutes BEFORE the Kroschel tour commences. Does anyone know of another independent tour or way to get there. The Haines Ferry appears easy enough but then there is a 1 hour drive (school bus) to Kroschel with lots of people missing the turnoff and getting lost (no signs). Ideas anyone?

[oaktreerb]

I would enjoy Skagway. There is plenty to see and do. Save Kroschel for a future cruise that stops in Haines.

[SnorkelMoose]

I did this excursion when I was on the Celebrity Solstice in May. There were three parts: the ferry ride from Skagway to Haines, the bus ride from the pier in Hanes to Kroschel's place, and finally, the refuge, itself. The day I went, it was raining and cold, but I still enjoyed it. As someone mentioned, yes, you do get to feed a moose! Steve brings out a bucket of carrots, and everyone puts a carrot in their mouth. The moose will take the carrot from you, or--if you don't let go quickly enough--you'll end up "kissing" the moose when she reaches you with her snout! She's so sweet!

 

We were also allowed to feed his reindeer, and that was a blast, as well.

 

He has a lot of animals, and he seems pretty dedicated to their well-being. The ones I remember were a lynx, wolf, porcupine, moose, reindeer, bear (it eats cherry pies!), wolverine, and ermine. There were definitely more, but it was a whirlwind of a day. He allows ample time for photographs, as well.

 

Anyway, the only negative aspect is the transportation situation. The ferry ride over to Haines is nice (and you might see some wildlife), but it also takes about 50 minutes. Then, you have to take a bus for another half an hour (I'm just guessing, here, because I can't remember exactly). So, there's a lot of "waiting" to do before you actually reach the place. But if you don't mind the transportation aspect, then definitely go for it. It's a wonderful place.

 

 

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[budbo]

Hi, We were also on this excursion in May....probably the same day as SnorkelMoose. It was a foggy, rainy day but we still really enjoyed it. We typically don't do ship excursions but I don't think we'd try this one on our own because of the time it took to get there. I've attached some of the pictures from our visit. Some of the animals were behind fences, others allowed us to get more up close & personal. I had also wondered if it would be worth the money but after doing it, we were really glad that we did.

 

[Cruise_More_Often]

This is on my bucket list for next year. We chose our cruise because it is going to Haines. We've been to Skagway four times.

[JT1962]

Kroschel is great, but much easier from Haines due to the time to get there from Skagway. We booked direct for 2 people and rented a car for about the price the ship wanted for 1 person from Haines. We had the use of the car to tour the area for the rest of the day.

 

 

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[JULIE A A]

Thank you everyone for your response - I have decided its a must-do for me simply for the elusive Alaskan animals they have there. The travel time does not bother me so much as we are there from 6am-8.30pm! For anyone interested, joe@joeordonez.com does photography tours and can arrange 'private' 3 hour time at Kroshel. Is quite expensive but I am considering it along with other photographic hotspots in and around Haines. If it works out too expensive then I will simply do the ship excursion which doesn't sound so expensive now by comparison! I considered hiring a car from Haines but driving in USA scares me (we Aussies drive on the left side of the road!) Anyway - nice to have options and thanks for your responses :)

[kodidog]

A couple of people have mentioned a 'Ferry Ride' from Skagway. We are going on a Princess Excursion to the Refuge in Sept. and it says in the details that we take a 'High Speed Catamaran'. Is this something different, or is Princess just 'fancy-talking' the ferry ride up the Fjord? :confused:

[JT1962]

The ferry is a catamaran, so it is probably the same boat. Search Haines Fast Ferry online and you will see what the boat looks like. I was on an excursion 10 years ago from Skagway to Haines that did use a smaller boat, so it may not always be the regular ferry.

 

 

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[kodidog]

The ferry is a catamaran, so it is probably the same boat. Search Haines Fast Ferry online and you will see what the boat looks like. I was on an excursion 10 years ago from Skagway to Haines that did use a smaller boat, so it may not always be the regular ferry.

 

 

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Thank You, JT! I will check that out to get an idea of what I am probably going to be boarding. ;)