Any Rumors About tours in Valdez Alaska next summer??

[Mrs007]

We have booked for the new 14 day cruise Vancouver/Vancouver next summer. When I check Princess' website, they don't have any information for tours out of Valdez. Has anyone heard any rumors about what Princess might be offering?? OR - any suggestions of private tours??

[Chat Noir]

Google Stan Stephens perhaps along with Valdez or Alaska and I think you'll come up with something. When we considered Valdez on our last land trip, I received some information in the mail from them. Looked interesting.

 

I'm once again going to wait for 'last-minute' offers for our next Alaskan cruise... I sure would like to see this cruise come up, but of course, with few cabins, I know it won't! Not sure DH would spend 2 weeks on a ship, anyway... Lucky you! Hope you have a fantastic time!!!

[Budget Queen]

They should be offering some flights, kayak trips and hopefully a long boat tour- that gets to Columbia Glacier. (the current timeframe of this trip doesn't fit into the port schedule, but maybe will be contracted by the cruiselines??)

 

Stan Stephens runs fantastic tours, I've gone out with them 3 times. Columbia glacier also has some of the biggest ice you will ever see, not likely to get close to the glacier, but, the ice is the size of buildlings which you don't see on the cruiseship portion.

 

Valdez, has some great walking trails, and a very interesting small museum.

 

You dock at some record holding floating dock, about 4 miles away, which is a flat level walk if you want to take the time, or they had run pay shuttle buses when I had docked there several years ago.

 

http://www.valdezalaska.org/

[Mrs007]

Thanks BudgetQueen. I was thinking of something to Columbia Glacier. DH uses a cane and so hiking is very unlikely for us. Valdez seems mostly "water-based" excursions. We will be doing a small boat excursion in Sitka, and Kodiak, plus Glacier Bay and now looking at LuLu Belle or Stan Stephens in Valdez. Because of that, we are thinking of the Ididaride out of Seward. Are you familiar with them?? any opinions?? I know Resurrection Bay is suppose to be fabulous, but don't think I can get DH on a boat excursion 3 days in a row.

[Chat Noir]

Columbia glacier also has some of the biggest ice you will ever see, not likely to get close to the glacier, but, the ice is the size of buildlings which you don't see on the cruiseship portion.

 

I take it these are even more impressive than the beautiful blue icebergs typical of Tracy Arm???

[ARRTrain]

You can't go wrong with the LuLu Belle. Fred and Megan are the best.

[Mrs007]

Thanks ARRTRAIN - can you elaborate :) Got any pics?? or tour review to share??

[ARRTrain]

Hi there,

 

I don't have any pics., but Fred and Megan have been touring Prince William Sound for over 20 years. Fred has great knowledge of the areas all around the sound.

 

http://www.lulubelletours.com/

[Budget Queen]

I take it these are even more impressive than the beautiful blue icebergs typical of Tracy Arm???

 

It's the massiveness and size, not even remotely similar to Tracy Arm. Miles of ice.

[Budget Queen]

Thanks BudgetQueen. I was thinking of something to Columbia Glacier. DH uses a cane and so hiking is very unlikely for us. Valdez seems mostly "water-based" excursions. We will be doing a small boat excursion in Sitka, and Kodiak, plus Glacier Bay and now looking at LuLu Belle or Stan Stephens in Valdez. Because of that, we are thinking of the Ididaride out of Seward. Are you familiar with them?? any opinions?? I know Resurrection Bay is suppose to be fabulous, but don't think I can get DH on a boat excursion 3 days in a row.

 

A big part of Alaska is the sea. Frankly, all these boat tours are VASTLY different and when I'm there, I do go on them all. IF you are only interested in 1, I would definately select Kenai Fjords over going out of Valdez. There also should be a bus trip to the Keystone Canyons, a distant second in my opinion over the Valdez boat tours however, my opinion only.

[GMoney]

As usual, BQ is right on. I did an independent excursion with Panagea (sp?) while in Valdez in mid August - full day sea kayak at Columbia Glacier. It was hands down the best thing I have ever done while traveling and one of the most memorable experiences of my life, kayaking around the bergy bits. We also saw many bald eagles, a seal, sea otters and a bear while "cruising" the shoreline.

 

The price was very reasonable and the tour operator was very professional.

 

Next year, I will return and do their 3 day kayak and camp trip around the same area.

 

I may have misspelled the tour operator's name, but someone will correct me or a Google search will yield it. I'll post more on this when I return from AK.

[margord]

We have booked for the new 14 day cruise Vancouver/Vancouver next summer. When I check Princess' website, they don't have any information for tours out of Valdez. Has anyone heard any rumors about what Princess might be offering?? OR - any suggestions of private tours??

 

We are doing this cruise also. When do you go? We are on the June 26 sailing.

 

Marilee

[Budget Queen]

As usual, BQ is right on. I did an independent excursion with Panagea (sp?) while in Valdez in mid August - full day sea kayak at Columbia Glacier. It was hands down the best thing I have ever done while traveling and one of the most memorable experiences of my life, kayaking around the bergy bits. We also saw many bald eagles, a seal, sea otters and a bear while "cruising" the shoreline.

 

The price was very reasonable and the tour operator was very professional.

 

Next year, I will return and do their 3 day kayak and camp trip around the same area.

 

I may have misspelled the tour operator's name, but someone will correct me or a Google search will yield it. I'll post more on this when I return from AK.

 

 

http://www.alaskasummer.com/

[Chat Noir]

IF you are only interested in 1, I would definately select Kenai Fjords over going out of Valdez.

 

To the OP - This is not an argument against the above, only a point to consider... Valdez is much less likely to be on any future Alaskan itinerary for the typical repeat cruiser/traveler, whereas Seward is much more accessible if you plan to visit again. My opinion only, I would take maximum advantage of the Valdez port stop on this fabulous itinerary.

[margord]

To the OP - This is not an argument against the above, only a point to consider... Valdez is much less likely to be on any future Alaskan itinerary for the typical repeat cruiser/traveler, whereas Seward is much more accessible if you plan to visit again. My opinion only, I would take maximum advantage of the Valdez port stop on this fabulous itinerary.

 

Good point.

[NancyIL]

As usual, BQ is right on. I did an independent excursion with Panagea (sp?) while in Valdez in mid August - full day sea kayak at Columbia Glacier. It was hands down the best thing I have ever done while traveling and one of the most memorable experiences of my life, kayaking around the bergy bits. We also saw many bald eagles, a seal, sea otters and a bear while "cruising" the shoreline.

 

The price was very reasonable and the tour operator was very professional.

 

Next year, I will return and do their 3 day kayak and camp trip around the same area.

 

I may have misspelled the tour operator's name, but someone will correct me or a Google search will yield it. I'll post more on this when I return from AK.

 

Glad you enjoyed the kayak trip so much. Were you on the 10-hour Columbia Glacier tour?

 

We stayed in Valdez one night, and at one time I was going to do the 3-hour Duck Flats kayak trip. I was the only one signed up for it, and since my husband couldn't go (too big and tall), I decided to skip it.

[Mrs007]

Hi Marilee (margord) - didn't mean to not respond - we are on the July 24th sailing. Booked it while on the Pacific Princess in Alaska this year. We loved the ship so much we cancelled another trip (to Egypt) and booked this one. It will be tough to wait until end of July - let me know how you enjoy your cruise and what you think of the Tahitian.

[GMoney]

http://www.alaskasummer.com/

 

Yup this is it - thanks BQ!

 

NancyIL - I did the 10 hour Columbia Glacier tour. I'll post a few pics when I get home, but the website gives a lot of accurate detail.

[margord]

Hi Marilee (margord) - didn't mean to not respond - we are on the July 24th sailing. Booked it while on the Pacific Princess in Alaska this year. We loved the ship so much we cancelled another trip (to Egypt) and booked this one. It will be tough to wait until end of July - let me know how you enjoy your cruise and what you think of the Tahitian.

 

I will. This will be out 2nd time on the Tahitian as we sailed her before in Tahiti. We loved the ship in Tahiti and am sure we will love her in Alaska. She was really pretty with all the dark woods.

 

Marilee