Excursions on land tour portion

[travbee]

We will be on Island Princess cruise/tour the end of May and I wondered if anyone has done the Black Bear ATV Adeventure at Mt. McKinley and also the ATV Adventure in Denali. Are they worth doing? We also thought about the Talkeetna River Float Trip. Need feedback please. I believe these can't be booked until we are on the land portion of the trip. Is that correct? Thanks,

[vacation-time]

We will be on Island Princess cruise/tour the end of May and I wondered if anyone has done the Black Bear ATV Adeventure at Mt. McKinley and also the ATV Adventure in Denali. Are they worth doing? We also thought about the Talkeetna River Float Trip. Need feedback please. I believe these can't be booked until we are on the land portion of the trip. Is that correct? Thanks,

 

I did the ATV tour in Denali year before last and they did not furnish rubber boots and our shoes got muddy and were ruined. We did Black Bear ATV at Mt. McKinley last year and it was 100% better. We were able to get 2 tickets at the Tour desk but from what we heard they were pretty booked up. They provided rainsuits and rubber boots. They had all local guides and we learned more about Alaska from them than from the whole trip. Well worth the price. Their 4 wheelers are automatic and simple to drive. We didn't do the Talkeetna float trip so don't know about.

[hoalahapa]

Hi Travbee,

 

Just courious which date are you going to be on the Island Princess: I am going

northbound leaving May 21, Vancouver~

I have a roll call started, however there are only myself, DH and another couple from CC on the ship!!

Take care!

Pam

[travbee]

Hi Pam, that is the same date that we are going. Would love to meet you and any other "cruise critics" while we are there. Maybe we can manage a meeting time on board.

 

Travbee

[hoalahapa]

Hi Travbee,

 

I am glad to meet you. Please join myself, my DH, Ted and DW and our newest passenger, that we also found today Joan and DH on our thread in roll calls:

New Roll Call Island Princess 5-21-05 Northbound Alaska!

 

Ted and I have been chatting away for a couple of months. We keep starting new thread hoping to find more CC passengers.

Today is our lucky day!! So join us and lets compare notes!!!:p

 

Pam

[JohnQ]

Vacation-time,

How many black bears did you see on your tour and how close do you get? Thanks.

[vacation-time]

Vacation-time,

How many black bears did you see on your tour and how close do you get? Thanks.

 

Hi,

 

We only seen 1 black bear , But there was bear tracks all over the place.(Black & Grizzly) It was cool the bear was ahead of us on the trail and the guide ran up on it fast on his atv and it ran up a tree so we got to watch it for a while. But that's the name of the business Black Bear ATV Adventures its not a bear viewing tour it is an atv tour ,The neat thing was the guide showed us how to tell how big (Tall)a bear is by his tracks, We thought he was just B.S ing us but when we got back to the tour bus the guide pulled out a real bear hide and told us to measure the paw on the hide and ,Ya know what he was exact :rolleyes: . That group of people that run that tour know everything. At least everything I asked :D And I love to ask questions.

[Budget Queen]

Hi,

 

We only seen 1 black bear , But there was bear tracks all over the place.(Black & Grizzly) It was cool the bear was ahead of us on the trail and the guide ran up on it fast on his atv and it ran up a tree so we got to watch it for a while..

 

 

Frankly I question this practice, almost sounds unethical??

[vacation-time]

Frankly I question this practice, almost sounds unethical??

 

 

What practice are you talking about :confused: Mabey I should go more into detail on this. So I do not make him look bad. As we were going up the bluff a bear steped out onto the trail and then turned and ran back into the woods the guide told us to follow him (the guide) quickly as the bear was going to cross a clearing in the marsh and he wanted all of us to see him. As we all rounded the next corner the bear ran out onto the trail again and then seen us and headed up the first tree he seen. I did not mean to say he tried to run it over on purpose, By no means did he do that.

[travbee]

Hi again Pam, glad to hear that you located a few other cruisers on our sailing. I am new to this board but would like to meet up with others on the cruise. How should we arrange that on board?

 

Barbara

[travbee]

Hi again Pam, glad to hear that you located some other cruisers on our sailing. Yes lets get together on board if we can arrange a time and location.

 

Barbara

[tedjazz]

Hi Travabee,

There is a thread started over on the Princess Roll Call threads. Look for the ship and date and you'll find other cruisers for this voyage. DW and I are among those and I think it would be fun to get together after embarkation and before we sail just to meet and say "Hi". It's more fun to at least have someone you kind of know while out cruiseing. You're invited over to the thread on the Roll Call site, so come on over.

[travbee]

Hi Ted, thanks for the info and the Roll Call Thread. Since I am new on here I am kind of stumbling around looking for different sites. Glad I ran across Pam's. We are flying into Vancouver on the 20th from southwest Florida. We will be anxious to meet everyone - its nice to cross paths on board and feel like you know someone on the ship.

 

Barbara

[hoalahapa]

Hi Barbara,

 

I have only been on this board since December. I stumbled around alot before I felt confortiable. My DH and myself are flying into Vancouver also on May 20. We are arriving from San Diego. What part of Florida are you from!! We have been their once and we would love to go back. My DH and myself are celebrating our 25 wedding anniversary and both of our birthdays. Even though it is early (Sept 14) we will be renewing our vows on May 22. I can't wait since this is our first cruise and our first trip to Alaska!!

Looking forward to chating with you. Lets catch up with each other on the roll call thread!!

Take care Pam:rolleyes:

[hoalahapa]

Opps Barbara, forgot to give you this! It will be easier to find our thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=151388

[travbee]

Hi Pam, we are from Fort Myers Florida having just moved here in August after many years in Orlando. We are both originally from Virginia. Where are you staying in Vancouver (I believe you mentioned you were going up on the 20th)? We're at the Westin Bayshore the night of the 20th.

 

Barbara

[hoalahapa]

Hi Barbara,

 

We are staying at the Four Seasons in Vancouver! I am hoping that our flight gets in early enough on May 20th, so that we can enjoy the city for most of the day and evening. We still have not got our final trip docs yet!!!

 

We were in Orlando, 7 years ago when our oldest son was 4. We went to Disney World, etc. I really enjoyed Florida!

 

What type of land tour do you have after the cruise! We are doing 13T with an extra day in Vancouver and and extra day in Fairbanks!!

 

Pam

[travbee]

Pam, we are on tour 13N. We have only one night in Fairbanks, flying out on the 2nd back to Florida. Wish I had booked the extra night there. I am sure we will need the weekend to rest up after the trip - we have an overnight flight back home. Our flight doesn't leave Fairbanks until 4:30 pm on the 2nd. Sounds like we are on the same tour but I you said 13T didn't you.

 

Barbara

[hoalahapa]

Hi Barbara,

 

We are on the same tour!! Cool:cool: !

I am not sure of the difference between 13t & 13N, but they say the same

thing. Anyway, I added the extra night in Fairbanks about a month ago!!

How did you find out your airline flights etc already?? We still don't know yet!

 

Have you thought about what you want to do at Mt McKinley or Denali??

We are still trying to decide! Maybe Jeep tour or ATV tours. I know for sure no air flights!! Not to crazy about small planes and helicopters:o

 

Pam

[travbee]

Hi Pam, we booked a Continental flight ourselves because it was a lot cheaper at the time than the cruise line's. We booked our hotel in Vancouver through them so they are picking us up at the airport on arrival. We get into Vancouver about 12:15 pm. so we'll have time to look around in Vancouver. We haven't decided for sure on Mt. McKinley or Denali although I thought the ATV might be fun (but muddy I am sure). Since we can't book it yet I guess we have time to mull it over.

 

 

We haven't received our ducuments yet but it is still a little early. Should have them within the next couple of weeks or so.

[tedjazz]

I think that Princess exchanged the 13N for the 13T when they could no longer offer the Tundra Wilderness tour. I think that's the only difference The "T" is for Tundra and the "N" is for Nature as in tours. I hope that's right.

[hoalahapa]

Hey Ted, that makes since!! :rolleyes:

 

Anyway I am happy that I change to the Tundra Tour!!! It sounds from other posts that we should get lucky and see lots of animals!! I hope

Pam

[Budget Queen]

Hey Ted, that makes since!! :rolleyes:

 

Anyway I am happy that I change to the Tundra Tour!!! It sounds from other posts that we should get lucky and see lots of animals!! I hope

Pam

 

 

 

Absolutely plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities. :) But necessary are BINOCULARS, have a pair for everyone. :)

[hoalahapa]

Hi Budget Queen:

 

The binoculars are on the list for packing:::)

Thanks

Pam