Sitka Fortress of the Bear

[earn]

3 hours ago, slidergirl said:

I’m a sucker for all wildlife rescues and sanctuaries, so going to Fortress of the Bear and the Raptor Rescue Center was a no-brained for me.  I booked with Sitka Wildlife Tours.  9 of us in the van.  Besides the 2 centers, we went to Sitka National Historic Park and did a little walk in the woods.  We got everywhere before the big buses did.  I really enjoyed the trip. It was the only excursion I booked for my cruise.  

Thanks, just checked the website.  Unfortunately, they either don't have a tour the day we're there or it is already fully booked.  

[Ashland]

59 minutes ago, earn said:

Thanks, just checked the website.  Unfortunately, they either don't have a tour the day we're there or it is already fully booked.  

Look at my post #15. Hope that helps. The transportation was $10.00 pp then a small charge at each of the venue's paid upon entrance.

[Coral]

4 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Look at my post #15. Hope that helps. The transportation was $10.00 pp then a small charge at each of the venue's paid upon entrance.

There definitely were not any buses that were $10 pp when I was there in May.

[travelbuds]

10 hours ago, Coral said:

Currency is US for Sitka. I think I paid $80 or $90 for my tour. There were 10 of us in a van. 

 

This is the tour I went with off of the dock:

 

https://www.baranoftours.com/tours 

This is the tour company that my wife and I plan to go with next summer. Did you find that the 25 minutes allotted at each of the three sites were sufficient? Did the tour end on time? Thanks. 

[Ashland]

4 hours ago, Coral said:

There definitely were not any buses that were $10 pp when I was there in May.

There certainly was a provider offering this last September. Had a large sign as we exited the shuttle from the ship into town and several bus's offering this tour option to Fortress of the Bear and Raptor Center. Sorry it wasn't an option for you. Many posters on CC gave this recommendation before we cruised to Sitka and so I knew to look for them.

[Coral]

3 hours ago, Ashland said:

There certainly was a provider offering this last September. Had a large sign as we exited the shuttle from the ship into town and several bus's offering this tour option to Fortress of the Bear and Raptor Center. Sorry it wasn't an option for you. Many posters on CC gave this recommendation before we cruised to Sitka and so I knew to look for them.

Though several have reported back this year saying a $10 tour was not offered for them either this year.

[Coral]

4 hours ago, travelbuds said:

This is the tour company that my wife and I plan to go with next summer. Did you find that the 25 minutes allotted at each of the three sites were sufficient? Did the tour end on time? Thanks. 

The tour was enough time at the Rapture Center and Fortress of the Bear (I don't remember how much time we had - it seemed longer but maybe it wasn't). Though I should say we were timed properly (intentional or by luck) to avoid any large buses. If we had any large buses, it may not have been.

 

Though for the 3rd stop, at the Sitka park, many people chose to walk back to town so more time was needed there. It was a very leisurely, scenic walk.

 

I got off the ship and realized I was dressed too warmly so I walked back to the ship and then back to catch the shuttle to town so I was not one of the first people into Sitka. So maybe that worked with my timing.

 

 

[CaribbeanIsland]

5 hours ago, Ashland said:

There certainly was a provider offering this last September. Had a large sign as we exited the shuttle from the ship into town and several bus's offering this tour option to Fortress of the Bear and Raptor Center. Sorry it wasn't an option for you. Many posters on CC gave this recommendation before we cruised to Sitka and so I knew to look for them.

We did not see this either this year.

[quack2]

6 hours ago, Coral said:

The tour was enough time at the Rapture Center and Fortress of the Bear (I don't remember how much time we had - it seemed longer but maybe it wasn't). Though I should say we were timed properly (intentional or by luck) to avoid any large buses. If we had any large buses, it may not have been.

 

 

 

 

I would have thought that not everyone was accounted for when leaving the Rapture Center.

[travelbuds]

8 hours ago, Coral said:

The tour was enough time at the Rapture Center and Fortress of the Bear....

I got off the ship and realized I was dressed too warmly so I walked back to the ship and then back to catch the shuttle to town so I was not one of the first people into Sitka. So maybe that worked with my timing.

 

 

Thank you for your comments. Did you notice if the shuttle lines were long at the cruise terminal or at the visitor center going back to the ship?

[Coral]

8 hours ago, quack2 said:

I would have thought that not everyone was accounted for when leaving the Rapture Center.

Why?

 

I just looked and my first picture at the Rapture Center was 11:37 and my last picture was at 12:05.

 

My first picture at Fortress of the Bear was at 12:31 and my last picture was at 12:54. I know we walked through a gift shop before we left.

[Coral]

6 hours ago, travelbuds said:

Thank you for your comments. Did you notice if the shuttle lines were long at the cruise terminal or at the visitor center going back to the ship?

So yes, the lines were long at the cruise terminal to get on buses. They did seem to move quickly though. I was off the ship right away, walked to catch the bus, and then realized it was going to be warmer than I expected and that I wasn't dressed appropriately. Our cruise originally looked like rain and cold all week and it was sunny and 70 all week. So I walked back to the ship, changed clothing and walked back and at that point, the line was very quick.

 

We had a long day in Sitka. On the way back, the lines were pretty quick. I was in line to catch a large coach. One large coach had just left and another arrived. Someone pulled me aside and offered to take me and a few others in a van. I found that odd but it worked and the driver was very pleasant. So the Sitka people in charge of moving people between downtown and the pier were trying to do their best to move people back and fourth. They seemed very organized.

 

We only had one ship in port.

[smarterman64]

it is $20 this year, not $10. Admission i believe at raptor and fortress is $15 each. They are selling at the port before you get onto the shuttle to get to harrigan hall. You pick up their shuttle outside harrigan hall. 

Edited July 11, 2023 by smarterman64

[travelbuds]

1 hour ago, Coral said:

So yes, the lines were long at the cruise terminal to get on buses. ...........On the way back, the lines were pretty quick. I was in line to catch a large coach. One large coach had just left and another arrived. ......................

 

We only had one ship in port.

Sounds like you had sufficient time at each of the Sitka sites. We're doing a ship tour early in morning and touring with a local tour operator in early afternoon. Afternoon tour is suppose to end at 2 pm at the visitor center, and ship all-aboard time is 3 pm. Not sure how fast the lines at the visitor center will move since there will be 4 ships in port---staggered every 1 to 1.5 hours. Ours is first ship in port.

 

Edited July 11, 2023 by travelbuds

[Coral]

4 minutes ago, travelbuds said:

Sounds like you had sufficient time at each of the Sitka sites. We're doing a ship tour early in morning and touring with a local tour operator in early afternoon. Afternoon tour is suppose to end at 2 pm at the visitor center, and ship all-aboard time is 3 pm. Not sure how fast the lines at the visitor center will move since there will be 4 ships in port---staggered every 1 to 1.5 hours. Ours is first ship in port.

 

The Raptor Center and Fortress of the Bear sites are pretty small (though worthy). For us it wasn't crowded though I can see with a bus there, it would get pretty crowded.

[travelbuds]

4 minutes ago, smarterman64 said:

it is $20 this year, not $10. Admission i believe at raptor and fortress is $15 each. They are selling at the port before you get onto the shuttle to get to harrigan hall. You pick up their shuttle outside harrigan hall. 

Does this shuttle just make a continuous loop from Harrigan Hall to the raptor site, then the bear site and finally back to Harrigan? Works like a hop, on-hop off ride so you can spend how much time you want at each site? Does it go to the National Park as well? Name of company? Thanks.

[smarterman64]

1 minute ago, travelbuds said:

Does this shuttle just make a continuous loop from Harrigan Hall to the raptor site, then the bear site and finally back to Harrigan? Works like a hop, on-hop off ride so you can spend how much time you want at each site? Does it go to the National Park as well? Name of company? Thanks.

the shuttle makes a continuous loop from harrigan hall on the hour in a school bus shuttle. 

It gets to the fortress of the bears at about 15 after and the raptor center maybe 30 after. The driver will indicate what time you meet them back on the shuttle. 

It's not necessarily a hop on hop off, but you meet them when they come back at the next hour.

It doesn't go to the national park, but it is a short walk from raptor center. it's downhill from raptor center, across the highway and into the national park. I chose to walk back through the park and down the waterfront past the russian bishop's house. The driver will point out where to go if you want to do that. 

 

Company is sitka tours shuttle and i caught them on the uphill ramp up to where the shuttle is at the port. 

 

[travelbuds]

1 hour ago, smarterman64 said:

the shuttle makes a continuous loop from harrigan hall on the hour in a school bus shuttle. 

......It doesn't go to the national park, but it is a short walk from raptor center. it's downhill from raptor center, across the highway and into the national park.......

Company is sitka tours shuttle and i caught them on the uphill ramp up to where the shuttle is at the port. 

 

Thank you for your comments. Will google Sitka Tours.

[quack2]

4 hours ago, Coral said:

Why?

 

I just looked and my first picture at the Rapture Center was 11:37 and my last picture was at 12:05.

 

My first picture at Fortress of the Bear was at 12:31 and my last picture was at 12:54. I know we walked through a gift shop before we left.

I just assumed that some people went with the hope of being raptured.

Edited July 11, 2023 by quack2

[Ashland]

Sounds like the price doubled since we did this option last September.

 

As mentioned above it's not a HOHO. Our shuttle driver was just wonderful and was a local that had so much history/info and she drove to each of the two sites. She waited for us at each stop and gave us a time to meet in each parking lot.

 

At each venue there was a senior and a child discount available.

 

Approx 20 people on our particular bus.

[Coral]

4 hours ago, Ashland said:

Sounds like the price doubled since we did this option last September.

 

As mentioned above it's not a HOHO. Our shuttle driver was just wonderful and was a local that had so much history/info and she drove to each of the two sites. She waited for us at each stop and gave us a time to meet in each parking lot.

 

At each venue there was a senior and a child discount available.

 

Approx 20 people on our particular bus.

I did see one that was higher cost. I couldn't remember the price but knew it wasn't $10. I ended up not wanting a large coach and am pleased with the small van I went with.

[DadPerson]

I talked to Sitka Tours, who run the $20 shuttle. They added a warning: when the Fortress of the Bear is heavily booked with prearranged tours, the venue sometimes asks them to cancel the shuttle bus.

 

Fortress of the Bear has added a note to their website as well: On 5,000+ cruise ship passenger days we have a limit of walk-in visitors to 10 per hour.

[earn]

24 minutes ago, DadPerson said:

I talked to Sitka Tours, who run the $20 shuttle. They added a warning: when the Fortress of the Bear is heavily booked with prearranged tours, the venue sometimes asks them to cancel the shuttle bus.

 

Fortress of the Bear has added a note to their website as well: On 5,000+ cruise ship passenger days we have a limit of walk-in visitors to 10 per hour.

Thank you.  I actually contacted them and they said the day we are there is very busy and the shuttle will not run.

[Coral]

3 hours ago, DadPerson said:

I talked to Sitka Tours, who run the $20 shuttle. They added a warning: when the Fortress of the Bear is heavily booked with prearranged tours, the venue sometimes asks them to cancel the shuttle bus.

 

Fortress of the Bear has added a note to their website as well: On 5,000+ cruise ship passenger days we have a limit of walk-in visitors to 10 per hour.

Honestly - the area is not that large. I would hate to have a bus or two of individuals there at the same time. We had 11 on our van and it was perfect. I would not want anymore.

[ladyj1138]

We are seeking a tour of Bears and Raptors that will allow our service dog. I already booked and had to cancel one tour that refused to allow our service dog. 
 

how do you know how many ships will be in port?