August 29th, 2026
I’m sure anyone who started their first semester college career in a dormitory, remembers that unsettling feeling when you walk into your room for the first time, which probably has a bunk bed, limited space, and a shared bathroom down the hall or in your multi-bedroom suite. Now shrink that down to the size of a medium sized closet, and picture two adults in that same space, with a tiny bathroom shared with two adults in the adjoining tiny cabin and you’ve got the living quarters on the Ursus. It’s cramped but comfortable and functional. But you do have to coordinate showers and potty breaks with your neighbors – the doors lock on both sides so you have to remember to lock the other side upon entry, and unlock it on the way out. And remember to put the seat back down…..something most men learn after 48 years of marriage.
The Ursus was formerly a crab boat, used in the Deadliest Catch TV series. When the boat was replaced on the series, the owner had thoughts about using it for tourism in Alaska. Eventually, he wound up in partnership with Natural Habitat Adventures, and it was modified for bear tourism. There’s not that much you can do with a small crab boat to accommodate a large number of guests comfortably – as you can see in the photo, there a small section of cabins aft on the boat for the crew quarters, the wheel house and a kitchen. The rest of the boat has holds for the catch, big winches and space for the crab pots, and other related activities for catching crabs. So what they did was build two structures in the middle of the boat, each with two small cabins and a shared bathroom. You can see that on the photo – the white structure, with two windows (the cabins) and a very small window in the middle for the bathroom. The passageway between the two structures (I call them shipping containers) is covered, so you can get over to the kitchen without getting too wet.
You can also see all the boots outside the cabins – no room to store them inside. Each cabin has a sink, a bunk bed, and a large cubby hole for your stuff. You can store luggage and bags under the beds. The beds are comfortable, with extra blankets if it gets cold. You get towels of course, which never really dry off. It is a lot like camping.
That’s it for accommodations. They use the cranes to move the skiff off and on the boat, and the guests can hang round in the kitchen/dining area/lounge. Very cozy, and it’s kind of fun sitting and watching the cook/chef do her thing. The guide and crew all hang around – it’s like a big, family gathering.
It works, as long as you are not expecting all the creature comforts you get on a cruise ship. No spa, no bar, no waiter service/room service and no internet. You are on the Ursus to be out with the huge bears, and enjoy the company of your fellow photographers. You are not there to be pampered.
Another nice feature on the Ursus was the wheel house, which you could hang around in whenever you wanted – you get a 360 degree view of the world, and can chat with the captain while the ship is moving. They also let me steer the ship.
So life on board was a lot different than being on cruise ship – you just need to adjust…quickly. Really, it was a lot of fun, since everyone is suffering with the inconveniences together. Everyone eats together at the one big table in the galley. We all gripe and laugh about pulling the waders on and off. It’s a group experience throughout the trip. My little shipping container group of my roommate and two retired school teachers, also had the pleasure of enjoying the initial ride out in the float plane that had to turn around in the storm. More good stories to laugh about. One of the teachers had been on the Ursus before, and the other group of four had one person who had been on the trip multiple times. We all had a great time on board.
Here are a few more photos from the ship
Today (Monday) is our last full on the Ursus, and out with the brown bears. I’ve done some pretty crazy trips so far since my wife passed – this one is by far the most adventurous – and one I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. Jan would absolutely never have gone on this, but she would have enjoyed my stories for sure.
Peace.
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