Does anybody have any inside info on when Princess will be offering their 2010 summer Alaska Cruisetour schedules?
It seems like I ask this last year and someone said April. Is it still too soon?
EB

They should be out any time now. Usually April or May.

I just learned that Alaska 2010 opens May 7.

Thank you, That gives me something to look forward to. I loveplanning new trips.
EB

OK, I am getting ramped up for the 2010 SB cruisetour. I need some feedback. We want to go when the salmon are running so we can go to the river and see the bears. What time of year is best for this and which lodge do we need to end up at to take atour to see the bears? I am looking at the DB4 SB. Will this one work?
That will do for a start.
We what to book very soon.
Thank
EB

I don't know anything about the land tours, but I'm not sure I would want to get close enough to a bear to be able to see it catching salmon :-)

It is a very safe tour....as long as you go with someone who can not run as fast as you

So do you know about the tour that takes you to see the bears. Is it on one of the cruisetours.
Where do you look to find out about the excursions for the cruisetours.
Thanks
EB

My Uncle has taken a tour out of Homer Alaska a few times. They run Bear tours. I think it is this company. I do not know of any ship tour, but this does not mean that there isn't one.
My Uncle loves this tour and plans on doing it a few more times.

Not sure if the above link will met TOL of cruise chat. However if you Google "cruise ship tour to see bear in alaska" you will come up with some information.
Hope this helps

I've been on 3 Alaska cruises and don't ever recall seeing a ship's tour which included bear watching.....I'm going on a 4th Alaska Cruise in 2010 and would like to see them myself...We do have 3 Alaska brown bears that catch fish here at the Minnesota Zoo if you are ever in the area....Happy Cruising...

Bob E

I was in Alaska in the month of August and the Salmon were running. I was there August 10-17.

I have noticed that the cruises don't really have a excursion out to Brooks River to see what I am talking about. The tours to Brooks river, if you set it up yourself start at about $700 PP and go up from there. That is more than I want to spend watching a bear eat a salmon.
Has anybody been on the Alaska cruisetour to Danali and McKinley and seen bears while site seeing or on one of their excursions. We really would just like to see some bears in the wild.
We will be booking for July 2010.
Thanks
EB

Where were you at and did you get to see any bears?
Thanks
EB

I went salmon fishing last September in Ketchikan and saw one bear walking on shore...but never got any closer....come to the Minnesota Zoo and watch our brown bears catch and eat Trout:-).....Happy Cruising.....

Bob E

You know, at the price of some of these bear tours it may be alot cheaper to go to Minesota before or after the cruise to see bears. A one day trip with lodging is about $2000 for two people. I think I can buy a bear for that.
You add that on to a 11 or 12 day cruise tour and you have blown your budget for excursions for the next 5 cruises.

EB

This third party excursion company has some bear excursions in Ketchikan.

EB, we went on a Princess Cruisetour in May 2008. We saw bears when we took the Tundra Wilderness Tour from Denali Lodge. We also saw a bear along the shoreline at Glacier Bay. It is definitely a thrill to see one!

Nadine

We saw this bear in a tree in the parking lot at the Mendenhall Glacier. We were told they it is not uncommon for them to be in the area. However, this was our third time there, and the only time we saw one. This guy/gal was too shy to come out.
BTW notice the size of the branch he/she is on. I was amazed it did not break!!



Yea he/she is up ther but you have to look hard.

So much for the idea of climbing a tree to get AWAY from a bear!

gdjoslin, Great picture. You just saved me $1000.
I think we are going to just take our chances on the cruise and spend the money somewhere else.
Thanks
EB