2025 Katmai Alaska Bears
Wild Photography Adventure
Cancellation Policy

The process of setting up and operating workshops is complex.  In some cases deposits have to be made many months in advance to hold space and those are not refundable if we later release that space.  Sometimes a cancellation would result in a group not meeting minimum enrollment and the trip would have to operate at a loss or be canceled for the other participants (who may have already committed to airfare). We have to have some policies to protect our ability to put together and operate the workshops - and to protect those who are still in the group when someone leaves.

In the case of Alaska's Katmai there is a shortage of lodging and a very short season. Further, to conduct this adventure we need access to pilots and airplanes that have to be in perfect shape when we arrive. As with other Alaska operators, ours demand a substantial payment far in advance and do not offer refunds if a committed traveler has to withdraw for any reason. Hence some tougher terms than we like. Please understand that.

We strongly advise travel insurance.

Hence, the following policy:
  • We will refund the initial deposit up to July 20, 2024 - minus a $500 handling fee
  • Those cancelling after July 20, 2024 will forfeit the entire workshop fee unless we are able to find someone else to fill the space. If we are able to fill that space, we will refund 50% of the trip cost, unless our costs are higher.
  • If a cancellation causes the adventure to fall below the minimum count or five clients no refunds will occur unless someone else brings the count back over minimum.
In some cases we may not be able to recover payments that we have made that exceed this policy.  When that is the case, those funds will not be refunded.

With all of that said, when circumstances cause someone to cancel and they have to forfeit funds, we work with them to find ways to recover at least some of that loss on a future workshop.