Adventure Bound or Allen Marine?

[Bucky3]

For a day excursion to Tracy Arm Fjord, which company do you recommend? We will be in Juneau from 8AM until midnight on July 4, 2013. Thanks for your thoughts on this.

[bonvoyagie]

Most of the cruise lines use Allen Marine - they have the fastest boat and a very good safety record (compare to AB). Bunnie was our naturalist and she was great at answering questions. The only problem with their boat is that the cabin can hold 42 but the upper deck can only have 36 so you must take turns above. The RT from Juneau is 9+ hours - most of it getting to and from Tracy Arm inlet.

[vbmom87]

Originally Posted by bonvoyagie

Most of the cruise lines use Allen Marine - they have the fastest boat and a very good safety record (compare to AB). Bunnie was our naturalist and she was great at answering questions. The only problem with their boat is that the cabin can hold 42 but the upper deck can only have 36 so you must take turns above. The RT from Juneau is 9+ hours - most of it getting to and from Tracy Arm inlet.

Did you take the round trip Allen Marine Tracy Arm tour or the add on excursion with the cruise ship?

[vbmom87]

Originally Posted by Bucky3

For a day excursion to Tracy Arm Fjord, which company do you recommend? We will be in Juneau from 8AM until midnight on July 4, 2013. Thanks for your thoughts on this.

Allen Marine's round trip out of Juneau has not been running every day of the week, so before you consider them, you need to check if that option is even available.

I have only done the Adventure Bound Tour and was very satisfied.

[bonvoyagie]

We did the roundtrip from Juneau - however the excursion was booked through the cruise line - we were on the NCL Pearl and the trip was a late PM - we left around 2 pm and did not get back until around 9:30 - just in time for a late snack/supper at the buffet. Since we were in a suite we could have had our butler have a spread waiting for us - oh well.

[Texas Tillie]

I did an independent excursion with Adventure Bound and was very pleased. I also did a ship's excursion in Sitka with Allen Marine. If the boat at Juneau is the same, it does get crowded on top. The Adventure Bound boat has viewing around the deck, not from the top.

[Italy52]

We did Adventure Bound this past June and were extremely pleased with the experience. The crew was very friendly, very knowledgeable about the glaciers and marine life, there was lots of viewing space, and the crew worked very hard to ensure we all had a good time. It was kinda like being on an outing with family.

I would love the opportunity to compare Allen Marine and Adventure Bound. Unfortunately, our cruise itinerary never match Allen Marine's schedule.

[Bucky3]

Thanks for all your replies! Keep them coming!

[vbmom87]

Originally Posted by bonvoyagie

We did the roundtrip from Juneau - however the excursion was booked through the cruise line - we were on the NCL Pearl and the trip was a late PM - we left around 2 pm and did not get back until around 9:30 - just in time for a late snack/supper at the buffet. Since we were in a suite we could have had our butler have a spread waiting for us - oh well.

Do you happen to know how long it took you to get from Juneau to the entrance to Tracy Arm. Also, if you did get to one of the glaciers, how long did you spend watching the glacier?

You are the first poster I have come across who did the round-trip Juneau with Allen Marine. When we went with Adventure Bound in 2008 it was a 10 hour trip. We left at 8:45 a.m. and returned at 6:45 p.m. I do not know if they still allow this amount of time. I have been curious as how the two tours compare. Some people have speculated that the Allen Marine boats are faster and can get to Tracy Arm quicker. It took Adventure Bound just over 2 hours to get to the fjord the day we went.

[Coral]

I have done Adventure Bound 2x and loved both experiences! Great ship, great crew, great experience! Would go again in a heart beat with them.

[bonvoyagie]

According to Allen Marine's captains their boat is faster We took the tour through the cruise line - we were on the NCL Pearl which arrives in Juneau around 2:00 PM - AB only does tours in the AM. We left the dock around 2:15 and arrived back to the ship around 9:30. We got to see both glaciers and spent about 1/2 hr or more in front of each one - South Sawyer cut loose twice with some major calving - North Sawyer was not that great.

I really did not time the trip to Tracy Arm entrance - I know that segment was the only part done mostly at full throttle - esp on the home segment.

[ckrcjr]

We used Adventure Bound for our group in Sept. 2009. They were great and very accomodating with our group. It was one of the highlights of our entire cruise as the captain took the boat right up to the base of the falls - and yes you could get wet, but also going over the ice in the boat to get to the glaciers was an incredible experience.

We would use them again in a heartbeat! No problems, no complaints - just great service and fantastic memories!

[vbmom87]

Originally Posted by bonvoyagie

According to Allen Marine's captains their boat is faster We took the tour through the cruise line - we were on the NCL Pearl which arrives in Juneau around 2:00 PM - AB only does tours in the AM. We left the dock around 2:15 and arrived back to the ship around 9:30. We got to see both glaciers and spent about 1/2 hr or more in front of each one - South Sawyer cut loose twice with some major calving - North Sawyer was not that great.

I really did not time the trip to Tracy Arm entrance - I know that segment was the only part done mostly at full throttle - esp on the home segment.

Thanks for the info. We only got to one glacier as we were told it was too icy to get to the other, but we spent a long, long time in front of the glacier. We had a major calving and I thought for sure they would head back after that. However, they stayed and we saw an even more spectacular calving. It was a totally awesome experience. I am sure both companies are good. After all, it is the same scenery after all.

[Budget Queen]

I have gone with both companies, and give the edge to Allen Marine. Their boats have multi level viewing which was superb.

[Casey12]

I have gone with both companies and much prefer Adventure Bound. Captain Steve had far more knowledge then our Captain on Allen Marine whose name escapes me now. Not very memorable. We also made a lot more stops on Adventure Bound to look for bears, watch whales, see waterfalls. We did none of this on Allen Marine. I will definitely go with Adventure Bound again. Not sure if I would do Allen Marine again. I also prefer the ship we had on Adventure Bound. It was easier for everyone to be outside viewing.