Tahitian Princess Alaska cruise - shore excursions

[travguy]

We will be taking the 2 week cruise this July and the potential for spending on shore excursions seems enormous. Can anyone suggest what is unmissable and whether there is any sensible DIY option? Does anyone know of any inbound operators who will offer better value. We are not sufficiently mobile for extensive walking but would like to see the bears somewhere. Difficult to ascertain whether the scenic trips are better/different from one location to another.

[Budget Queen]

You need to first- do your homework. I suggest you all go over a shore excurison list and narrow down your interests. There are hundreds of excellent tours to recommend otherwise. You also need to make your choices first, then look into vendors. Many times, independents, won't be big price differences but the tours will be superior for more personal attention, smaller groups and sometimes longer tours.

 

List perhaps- 5 possible choices in your ports, then you will get more specific information for your selection.

[NancyIL]

Since the Tahitian stops in Kodiak - does Princess have a bear excursion there?

[Grego]

We will be taking the 2 week cruise this July and the potential for spending on shore excursions seems enormous. Can anyone suggest what is unmissable and whether there is any sensible DIY option? Does anyone know of any inbound operators who will offer better value. We are not sufficiently mobile for extensive walking but would like to see the bears somewhere. Difficult to ascertain whether the scenic trips are better/different from one location to another.

 

Thanks for starting a thread on this subject. We have the same concerns. There will certainly be stops that we will just "walk the town" after studying what there is to see of importance and there will be other stops that we will have to spend some bucks and see what there is to see.

 

We are looking at this as maybe the only time we will get to see this (as there is a whole lot of the world left that we haven't seen) and we will have to invest in the experience.

[GMoney]

The TP has such a nice itinerary; I am so jealous I'm not going! LOL:D

[NancyIL]

The TP has such a nice itinerary; I am so jealous I'm not going! LOL:D

 

 

I agree! If Princess had this itinerary available in 2007, we might've been on the ship.

[greatam]

Since the Tahitian stops in Kodiak - does Princess have a bear excursion there?

 

It's a real shame-the majority of "Kodiak" bear viewing day trips fly to Katmai.

 

The bears in Kodiak are VERY hard to see/find. Usually takes a trip of a day or two.

 

The reputable operators in Kodiak do not have day trips IN KODIAK. The day trips fly to Katmai.

 

So if Princess offers a trip-most likely to the Katmai from Kodiak. I would hate to think people actually think they see a "Kodiak" bear.

[vbmom87]

Thanks for starting a thread on this subject. We have the same concerns. There will certainly be stops that we will just "walk the town" after studying what there is to see of importance and there will be other stops that we will have to spend some bucks and see what there is to see.

 

We are looking at this as maybe the only time we will get to see this (as there is a whole lot of the world left that we haven't seen) and we will have to invest in the experience.

 

Do a search on this board for each port. You will find a lot of valuable information that will help you narrow down the choices.

[sophieb]

Princess is offering no bear viewing trips. Frommers suggests Sea Hawk Air. http://www.seahawkair.com/ In May and June, their bear-viewing trips are to neighboring Katmai, but in July and early August they fly to Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge for bear viewing. Kingfisher Aviation, http://www.seahawkair.com/ offers floatplane tours to Katmai May - June, then to Frazer Lake on Kodiak Island in June, July and Ugust.

 

This is just info I found doing research, and have no idea if you really see bears. The Sea Hawk Air tour is 1/2 day and $450 - so for that price I'd like to see bears.

 

Anyone ever actually done a day floatplane trip for brown bear out of Kodiak?

[sophieb]

oops, sorry copied the wrong web address for Kingfisher Aviation - that would be http://www.kingfisheraviation.com/beartours/june_aug.html