Bering Sea Fishermen's Tour in Ketchikan

[I object 2]

We're starting to check out tours for our upcoming Alaskan cruise. The Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour in Ketchikan sounds interesting. Has anyone taken this tour and would you recommend it? Pros/cons would be appreciated.

[caribill]

You may want to see what others have said in the Ports of Call section of Cruise Critic on Alaska.

[RickEk]

We're starting to check out tours for our upcoming Alaskan cruise. The Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour in Ketchikan sounds interesting. Has anyone taken this tour and would you recommend it? Pros/cons would be appreciated.

 

We took this tour a couple of year's ago when we visited Ketchikan on the Sea Princess. It was great fun. We sailed in July, so we didn't see as many eagles as earlier in the season since the salmon had started to run and the eagles had moved on from their nesting grounds. But we did see many sea lions and the demonstration on how they catch crabs was very interesting and well done. We'd highly recommend the excursion.

 

Here's a photo set from our day in Ketchikan. The Bering Sea excursion is in the middle of the set. Enjoy!

 

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjrB4uBJ

[I object 2]

RickEk, thanks for the recommendation and photos. DH is a fisherman at heart, so your comments nudged us a little more in this tour's direction. :)

[Treven]

I took this excursion in early June and, for the most part, felt it was a big waste of $ and time. It was very hokey and canned. The part I did enjoy was the feeding of the eagles. If you'd like, here are some photos I took while there:

[logan25]

We did the Bering Sea crab boat excursion in June. It was hubby's favorite excursion of our trip. We saw different species of crab, miscellaneous sea creatures (like octupus) and lot of eagles.

 

If you're looking at booking through Princess, I might suggest going direct and save some bucks. The tour boat was moored just up the dock so only a short walk (maybe 5 minutes) away.

[EddieCruzer]

We did the Bering Sea crab boat excursion in June. It was hubby's favorite excursion of our trip. We saw different species of crab, miscellaneous sea creatures (like octupus) and lot of eagles.

 

If you're looking at booking through Princess, I might suggest going direct and save some bucks. The tour boat was moored just up the dock so only a short walk (maybe 5 minutes) away.

 

If you are fans of The Deadliest Catch, then this tour is a must for you. We are huge fans of the show and this was probably one of the best excursions we have ever been on. It was worth every cent.

 

I totally disagree with the above poster who suggested going on your own to save a few bucks. Our trip was 30 mins late coming back. There were 23 of us from Princess aboard. As we were running to the dock the crew was waiting and as soon as we all boarded they pulled the gangway and we left. I wouldn't want to chance that on my own. :eek:

 

The nice thing is they take you into a cove and throw herring so the boat gets surrounded by bald eagles. We also watched them fish for crab and octopus. We also got to hold Alaskan King Crab and Shrimp.

 

A group of killer whales followed the boat back to the dock. That added extra excitement.

[Italy52]

We have taken this excursion 3 times and enjoy it very much. Each time we have gone there have been different crabbing stories shared. So, for us, each visit has been different. The eagle feeding is also a beautiful sight to see.

 

For those women that care, there are also very modern restroom facilities (compared to other boats) on board, stadium jackets to keep you warm as well as overhead heaters --- the owners have done a nice job of ensuring everyone is comfortable.

 

If you look at the photos in my Ketchikan book under my signature, you will see some pictures of the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen tour.

[mumofsons]

A couple of weeks ago it was sold out on the Spirit - if you can purchase precruise I would highly recommend it - I think it is a very popular excursion.

[I object 2]

Karen: the pics are amazing. Thanks for sharing the link.

[msvacation]

We just returned from a fantastic trip to Alaska and we did the Bering Sea Tour. I booked it independently as it was a little cheaper than through the ship, but I also was aware of the time of the tour and when our ship would be leaving. No problems there. If you have watched the Deadliest Catch, the tour has much more meaning. They were docked right along with the cruise ships so very convenient to get to. The crew was fantastic and all the men in the crew have been out in the Bering Sea working either as captains or hired in. They were very nice and shared many stories of what their lives and adventures have been. You do not go out to sea and remain in calm waters where they bring up pods with a variety of sea life in them. You can learn all about these sea creatures and even touch and hold some if you like. They also took us to a cove where they fed the eagles that are coming in for the salmon run and it was amazing to see so many of these beautiful eagles in one place and up very close. We enjoyed this excursion very much.

[Cattravel10]

Check out Trip Advisor for all the reviews as that will tell you alot. I did this tour June 25 of this year and would do it again! The stories (some sad of course and others had me in stitches with laughter), the sea critters, the eagles, etc. are worth it all, IMO. They do FANTASTIC job!!

[Posaune]

We loved the tour in 2010. The stories are fantastic and the waters are quiet and sheltered. I am attempting to attach a few photos. The trip is one of my favorite excursions from any of our cruises.

[cruisequeen4ever]

We highly recommend it! It was one of our all time favorite shore excursions! You get to hold sea creatures, and you feel like you're living the life of a crabber for a few hours (without getting exhausted, dirty, in danger, or paid of course). The crew was fabulous and told fascinating stories. You'll love it, and book early because this tour has won awards as a favorite Alaska excursion.

[5waldos]

I rather dislike the show but loved the excursion. And we didn't even have the chance to feed the eagles since there was construction in the area and the feeding was not allowed. Even my husband who has a very strong hokey radar and tends to dislike these things enjoyed a great deal.

 

We bought it on our own since it was exactly the same trip at the same time and they drop you about 1/2 block from the ship. I am not sure how you would miss the ship if the others with you from your cruise were on the excursion- and they will be. There were 5 of us so even that small difference in price added up.

[Sunshine91]

The husband went on the tour when we were in Alaska in Sept 2009. He LOVED it. But we're Deadliest Catch fans.

 

The Aleutian Ballad, a DC season 1 crabbing boat, has been converted to a touring boat with staggered seating so everyone has a great view. The crew takes the tour out in local, calm waters to pull pots with all kinds of sea creatures - crabs, fish, octopi, etc. And the eagles - phenomenal!

 

I don't remember if we booked his ticket thru HAL or direct, but I'm almost positive there wasn't a price difference. But if one has a 2fer coupon, that would certainly be a reason to book direct, as the shorex office wouldn't accept that.

 

John says if you're lucky, a bit of bad weather will blow in, causing water to break over the rail. Made the tour much more realistic & enjoyable. :D This happened in the lee of the island where the waters are very calm anyways. He STILL wears his AB hat. :)

[Rockfan2]

We did this tour in June 2010 and would highly recommend it.

 

Witnessed some long line fishing as well as pulling up pots of crab, prawns, octopus.

 

Friendly staff. We saw lots of eagles as well as sea lions, seals and a couple of whales.

 

Rockfan2

[Coopbella]

We went on this excursion two weeks aga and had fun! The eagles were plentiful and it was fun to see them "catch" the crabs. Yes, it is definitely planned out but we still enjoyed it.

[Italy52]

Karen: the pics are amazing. Thanks for sharing the link.

 

Your welcome.

[Leo Mcgary]

I took this tour last year and loved it , as an added bonus that day our captain was Derrick Ray from The Deadliest Catch.

[trophy_23]

Another vote for this tour. It was fantastic in 2010 when we did it. We almost did it again this year but the weather was not good so we decided not to.

[Sandi3667]

We did it in 2011, and had a blast. If you're a fan of the show, it makes everything you see on TV that much more real. The waters are calm, but everything else is pretty much the same. They had demos on long line fishing, as well as several types of crab pots. We were one of the first to board, so we were able to get seats right behind the launcher. Derrick Ray met us right at the gangway as we got off the ship, and walked with us to the Aleutian Ballad.

 

The viewing area is heated, and they had stadium blankets available. Sailing out to the waters where they have the pots, you have time to explore the ship, so I wandered to the upper level, and even got to go back behind the wheelhouse.

 

In the galley, where they now have the guest book & sell souvenirs, they show a loop of the DC segment where she was nearly capsized by a rogue wave.

 

When we booked, the pricing through HAL was the same as buying the tour directly, so we bought through HAL, just to have it count towards our on-board spending.

 

 

(tried resizing the first image, but it just won't shrink down).

 

 

 

 

[foundnemo]

I know I don't post here very often (but I love reading what others write about :p), but when I see anything written about the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour - I have to jump in. I have now had the amazing pleasure of going on this trip 3 times and I have to honestly say - I can't wait till my 4th! I have cruised all over the world and this remains mine and my family's favorite excursion of all time. I don't know how anyone can call it "hokey". These are the real men who have risked life and limb in this profession. Perhaps some of them are not the best public speakers, but that is because they are REAL! Not actors given scripts to memorize and training on how to be a "tour guide". Give them a break! The honesty and sincerity that comes across from these gentlemen is truly heartfelt. And of course - the amazing beauty and wonder of Alaska is all around you. The next time I am lucky enough to be in Ketchikan - I will be sailing with them again. Thank you for allowing me my two cents.

[CruisingAg01]

I took this tour last Sunday, the 15th, and loved it. I'm a fan of the show, but I think even non-fans would enjoy it. The eagle feeding was amazing. I expected the "crab catching" to be a bit canned but it was still enjoyable. Also a very smooth ride and nice facilities. Probably a good excursion for families or those with mobility issues.

 

However, I don't see myself doing this again simply because our time in Ketchikan was so short and I want to see other things. Glad I had the opportunity to do it once.

[I object 2]

Thanks for all your comments and photos. We didn't waste any more time and booked this excursion. Now comes the hard part.....waiting for our cruise. ;)