Question on Mendenhall Glacier Explorer excursion

[juliethecruiser]

A big portion of my OBC is nonrefundable, with only a small amount that is refundable. We'll do the casino route for the refundable portion to get some extra money for our days in port. I think we'll be doing either the UST or possibly the Chef's Table. I'm more interested in the UST, since you do get something for the money you spend.

[FLCruise7]

Be sure & save room (and weight) in your suitcase if you do the UST - we ended up with 2 bathrobes, 2 aprons, 2 picture frames, 2 notepads and several pictures - plus a couple more blue Princess bags :D

 

 

The release form makes it sound like you'll be climbing down narrow stairs & over engines, but nothing seemed to be really dangerous. The only part that seemed dicey was walking up/down the sloping wet deck to get to the bow where the anchor and mooring lines are (no handrails). They do require long pants & closed-toe shoes, but if you're doing Alaska I'm sure you'll have those! And the information says no restroom breaks, but we took one of those (long time without one after coffee!!)

 

If you do the UST, I think you'll enjoy it - we sure did. Sort of like when we did behind-the-scenes at Disney - gotta do it once!

[floridalover5623]

It all depends on what type of OBC the OP has -- if it's refundable, the casino route works fine. I think that's what some people will do instead of waiting for check from Princess. But, if it's non-refundable OBC, I don't think running it through the casino will work.

:cool:

It does.

 

Be sure & save room (and weight) in your suitcase if you do the UST - we ended up with 2 bathrobes, 2 aprons, 2 picture frames, 2 notepads and several pictures - plus a couple more blue Princess bags :D

 

 

All of these items hardly seem to be worth $300 but many people feel they are of great value.

[whatcruiseisnext]

I saw a person trying to cash out, and the cashier stated that since the OBC was non-refundable, they could only honor that request...up to the amount or the refundable credit remaining

 

 

 

On what ship was that?

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[FLCruise7]

Just one more comment on the UST - while you do get all the stuff, that's not why we took it -- We went because we wanted to see the areas we don't normally get to see. Would I do it to get a bathrobe & an apron? No. I just made a suggestion for the OP to do something that we enjoyed.

[westcoaster]

Oh no' date=' you can easily see it. THe public bus stop is basically at the bottom of a slightly sloping hill (not steep) that leads to the charter bus parking lot. If you stand in the parking lot for the buses, you can see the sign for the public bus stop.[/quote']

 

I just did this yesterday, and the public bus stop is indeed about 1.5 miles from the Visitor Center. Only the private shuttle buses go close to the Visitor Center. There were lots of people making the 20-30 minute walk from the public bus stop - it's a pleasant walk with a paved trail along the side of the highway.

[Taer al Saefer]

I just did this yesterday, and the public bus stop is indeed about 1.5 miles from the Visitor Center. Only the private shuttle buses go close to the Visitor Center. There were lots of people making the 20-30 minute walk from the public bus stop - it's a pleasant walk with a paved trail along the side of the highway.

 

Is it relatively flat or hilly?

[Cairn Mom]

Is it relatively flat or hilly?

 

 

 

We took the Princess excursion but I remember seeing people walking from the public bus stop. I don’t recall any steep hills. Depending on which trail you chose in the park, the path can be rocky and muddy. We wore waterproof hiking boots. We loved this excursion. Enjoy!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[westcoaster]

Is it relatively flat or hilly?

 

Yes, it was flat the whole way. There are lots of beaver dams along the way, which makes it an interesting walk.

[moki'smommy]

I just did this yesterday, and the public bus stop is indeed about 1.5 miles from the Visitor Center. Only the private shuttle buses go close to the Visitor Center. There were lots of people making the 20-30 minute walk from the public bus stop - it's a pleasant walk with a paved trail along the side of the highway.

Interesting--it may have changed since our Alaska cruise.

 

Can you update me on the cost of the public bus? I'm sure that has increased. We have the national park pass, so I'd love to use that rather than paying for entrance that is included with an excursion.

[westcoaster]

The bus is $2 each way.

[moki'smommy]

The bus is $2 each way.

WHAT? Are you perhaps thinking about the Ketchikan bus to Totem Bight? The last time I knew, the bus to Mendenhall was $30 round trip.

 

I hope you are right, but I question your info. If you are correct, where do I catch this $2 bus? And where does it let us off?

[westcoaster]

No, this is the Capital Transit bus from Juneau to (near) the Mendenhall Glacier. You catch it from the Downtown Transit Center (Egan Drive and Main Street), which is an easy walk from the ship. The $30 buses you are referring to are the private shuttles (like the Glacier Express) which do go all the way to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center.

[moki'smommy]

No, this is the Capital Transit bus from Juneau to (near) the Mendenhall Glacier. You catch it from the Downtown Transit Center (Egan Drive and Main Street), which is an easy walk from the ship. The $30 buses you are referring to are the private shuttles (like the Glacier Express) which do go all the way to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center.

Thanks. So to be clear, this is the one that lets you off with about a mile or a bit more walk?

[caribill]

All of these items hardly seem to be worth $300 but many people feel they are of great value.

 

Many people spend $150 each on a shore excursion. Think of this as a $150 excursion but on the ship. Even without the "gifts" it is worth doing once.

[juliethecruiser]

The bus is $2 each way.

 

That's the same info I found online for the public bus transit. Thank you for confirming. What a deal!

[juliethecruiser]

Yes, it was flat the whole way. There are lots of beaver dams along the way, which makes it an interesting walk.

 

Thank you for the add'l info. I love spotting stuff like beaver dams, so thank you again for that as well. We'll sure be keeping an eye out for those. Sometimes you just got to stop and smell the roses (or stop and admire nature).

[juliethecruiser]

Many people spend $150 each on a shore excursion. Think of this as a $150 excursion but on the ship. Even without the "gifts" it is worth doing once.

 

My husband isn't interested in the tour, so I'm going to do it alone while he relaxes during that time. I was planning on buying one of those Princess robes with my OBC anyways, so getting that included with the $150 was part of my motivation for taking the tour. I'm a big foodie too, so really excited about seeing all the behind the scenes of the kitchen.

[westcoaster]

Thanks. So to be clear' date=' this is the one that lets you off with about a mile or a bit more walk?[/quote']

 

Yes

[westcoaster]

Thank you for the add'l info. I love spotting stuff like beaver dams, so thank you again for that as well. We'll sure be keeping an eye out for those. Sometimes you just got to stop and smell the roses (or stop and admire nature).

 

I agree!

[cdngrl]

I just did this yesterday, and the public bus stop is indeed about 1.5 miles from the Visitor Center. Only the private shuttle buses go close to the Visitor Center. There were lots of people making the 20-30 minute walk from the public bus stop - it's a pleasant walk with a paved trail along the side of the highway.

thank you for sharing this. a $4 round trip sure beats the shuttle buses which are now charging $45! (which is the same price as princess is charging).

[floridalover5623]

My husband isn't interested in the tour, so I'm going to do it alone while he relaxes during that time. I was planning on buying one of those Princess robes with my OBC anyways, so getting that included with the $150 was part of my motivation for taking the tour. I'm a big foodie too, so really excited about seeing all the behind the scenes of the kitchen.

I suppose they show more of the galley on the paid tour but since a galley tour is free, why pay for something that's already included?

[FLCruise7]

My husband isn't interested in the tour, so I'm going to do it alone while he relaxes during that time. I was planning on buying one of those Princess robes with my OBC anyways, so getting that included with the $150 was part of my motivation for taking the tour. I'm a big foodie too, so really excited about seeing all the behind the scenes of the kitchen.

 

The galley portion was great! When we did the "behind the scenes" galley tour previously, they marched 500 people through about 20 feet of the galley and we saw nothing really. On the UST, we had two different "hosts" - one was a chef & the other one did all the buying. We saw lots of food being prepared - soups, pastries, breads, meats, veggies. We also saw storage areas and got information on how much food is used. Very interesting!! If you like food, I think you'll really like this portion. I personally was intrigued also with the laundry and how they iron all those sheets! My DH (an engineer) liked the engine control room a lot. I think the really nice thing about the UST is that each area is hosted by someone from that area (captain, chief engineer, doctor, etc.) They were all very informative. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

[moki'smommy]

I suppose they show more of the galley on the paid tour but since a galley tour is free, why pay for something that's already included?

We did the general galley tour and the VIP galley tour on another cruise line--hugely different. The general tour was basically a walk thru of the kitchen with one guy talking and a cookie at the end. The VIP tour showed us the storage areas, talked about purchasing, storage, preparation, etc. as the above description from Princess, with each area hosted by a different person. At the end we received a cookbook from the ship and a glass of decent champagne. And it was limited to 20 people.

[FLCruise7]

One last thought on the UST Julie - as soon as you board, go to the Guest Services Desk & sign up for the tour. They take a limited number of people.