Enough time in Ketchikan for Bear adventure?

[puppymama1]

We are in the very early stages of planning a trip to Alaska in September, 2010. Looking at the Norwegian Pearl out of Seattle on 9-05-10. According to their itinerary, the ship is in Ketchikan from 6 am to 1:30 pm, but the book says disembarkation doesn't start until 2 hours after arrival and you have to be back on the ship 2 hours before departure.... Which means we would only have from 8 am to 11:30 for a tour. The Alaska Bear Adventure via Floatplane says approximate duration 3-1/4 hours... which to me is cutting it way too close. We would really like to do this tour, but don't want to "miss the boat" coming back! We found a similar (actually identical) sounding tour privately under Island Wings air service, but would it be better to do it through NCL in case the ship was delayed and we couldn't make the tour we would get a refund? I didn't understand why NCL would offer the tour if it wouldn't be enough time, but since this is our first cruise, I don't want to make any mistakes. Are there similar tours in Skagway where we would have more time? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[PennyAgain]

I've never heard of having to be back on board a ship 2 full hours before departure.

 

Island Wings has an excellent reputation. They know when the ships sail. Not a long list of people complaining here about missing their ship.

[gbcruise]

You will be able to get off the ship not long after they port & be back on by 1:30, no worries for your timeframe. You will have time. The two hours before departure is ONLY for the day you embark, not every day in port, just be back no later than 30 minutes each day for departure.

[crjack]

We just returned from the Pearl and for each port we visited we had to be back on board a half-hour before departure....for Ketchikan it was 1:00 pm so you should be fine.

[Budget Queen]

You are mixing up embarkment time with port times. You have to be back on the ship in ports, 30 mins. prior. Most ships do make their arrival schedules.

 

As to your tour question, unless, it is stated in the ship shore excursion tour WHERE this Ketchikan bear tour is, DO NOT consider it. A big mistake. You want to know where they are taking you. Superior will be an independent, and going to Traitor's Cove, in your timeframe. But you are late in the season, and would be best with back up plans, since with an independent, THEY will cancel if the bears have moved on. Ship contracted tours, can still go as scheduled.