Sitka Fortress of the Bear

[masspector]

17 minutes ago, ladyj1138 said:

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?

I thought service dogs were required to be allowed by law. 

 

But to check the number of ships I can't remember the exact website but just Google ship port times and you will find the site's 

[ladyj1138]

20 minutes ago, masspector said:

I thought service dogs were required to be allowed by law. 

I thought so too, was very disappointed in the tour operator’s flat refusal. 

[travelbuds]

3 hours ago, ladyj1138 said:

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?

2023   https://claalaska.com/?page_id=1250

2024   https://claalaska.com/?page_id=1551

[Coral]

11 hours ago, masspector said:

I thought service dogs were required to be allowed by law. 

 

But to check the number of ships I can't remember the exact website but just Google ship port times and you will find the site's 

They are required by law. Though that doesn't mean that people know the law or are willing to abide by the law. I traveled with a parent for 20 years who was blind and had a Seeing Eye dog. We constantly ran into people who were ignorant of the law. Unless you are willing to call the police at that moment which takes time (especially on a vacation), it is a lost cause. I can't think of how many times taxis refused to pick us up, we were told we couldn't go into a restaurant, etc... We also had people who refused to take us on "shared tours" because they claimed they were thinking of the other passengers and would only book us on a private tour which is illegal also.

 

There are certain situations where we would not go to places as I thought it would not be good for the dog (a petting zoo in Santa Barbara was one of them). I am trying to think if the Raptor Center or Fortress of the Bear would be one of them and I think they are both fine.

 

BTW - tours with the cruise line usually were fine.

 

This is the company I used: 

 

https://www.baranoftours.com

 

Granted, my Mom has now passed so I didn't ask the question but they seem to be a well established company and hopefully they know the law.

Edited July 30, 2023 by Coral

[ladyj1138]

@Coral I’m very sorry to hear of your mother’s passing.  It sounds like you put in a lot of effort to make sure she had a very full life. 
 

Thank you for the referral to your tour operator, we will give them a try.  We have encountered so much ignorance about service dogs and the laws that cover service dog teams. This will be my daughter’s first cruise and I really want it to be a positive experience for her so she can feel safe and comfortable in traveling with her dog. Thanks again! 

[Coral]

21 minutes ago, ladyj1138 said:

@Coral I’m very sorry to hear of your mother’s passing.  It sounds like you put in a lot of effort to make sure she had a very full life. 
 

Thank you for the referral to your tour operator, we will give them a try.  We have encountered so much ignorance about service dogs and the laws that cover service dog teams. This will be my daughter’s first cruise and I really want it to be a positive experience for her so she can feel safe and comfortable in traveling with her dog. Thanks again! 

We started cruising with my Mom's dog in late 90's and we even ran into issues with the cruise lines back then. We were a rarity back in the day and my Mom had been written up in Cruise Travel magazine.

 

There had been a Supreme Court ruling earlier in the 90's which allowed for Service dogs on cruise ships that docked in US ports.

 

I really hope things go well on your cruise. It definitely can be challenging when people are ignorant. Or even when they are not ignorant and do not want to follow the law. Hopefully all of us who traveled previously with dogs makes it easier for those traveling now.

 

This was my first time in Sitka so I don't have first hand experience with bringing a dog to the tour. I kept looking back at my tour to see if I would have brought my Mom and her dog on that tour (again, there are some tours I would not due to other animals) and I think the tour would be fine.

[ladyj1138]

@Coral The tour operator doesn’t have a tour at the time we needed, so we’ve opted to rent a car for the day instead. We’ll have more flexibility that way, and my husband loves to drive so it’s no big deal. Thank you for your suggestion and the story about you and your family. ❤️

[Coral]

33 minutes ago, ladyj1138 said:

@Coral The tour operator doesn’t have a tour at the time we needed, so we’ve opted to rent a car for the day instead. We’ll have more flexibility that way, and my husband loves to drive so it’s no big deal. Thank you for your suggestion and the story about you and your family. ❤️

Renting a car is probably a great idea. While at the sites, we got there when it was not crowded. I can't imagine these 2 places which are relatively small, what they would be like when crowded with a ship's tour or other large tours. By having a car, if it is crowded, you are on your own time and can adjust accordingly.

 

Have a great trip! I would encourage you to go to the Sitka totem park also. A beautiful place for a walk.

[ladyj1138]

4 hours ago, Coral said:

Renting a car is probably a great idea. While at the sites, we got there when it was not crowded. I can't imagine these 2 places which are relatively small, what they would be like when crowded with a ship's tour or other large tours. By having a car, if it is crowded, you are on your own time and can adjust accordingly.

 

Have a great trip! I would encourage you to go to the Sitka totem park also. A beautiful place for a walk.

We got the rental at a great rate, lots less expensive than taking a tour. We’re the only ship in port that day which helps with crowding. The totem poles are super important for us to see.  I hope the artists will be working that day.