Mendenhall Raft Tour

I will be on Serenade of the Seas 6-2-07. Has anyone done the Mendenhall raft tour in Juneau? If so, did you book it through RCCL or on your own? Thanks for the help.

My husband and I did the raft tour when we were in Juneau in 2004. We booked it through our ship (Celebrity) but others booked it on their own. The "rapids" are not at all fast, but it was a nice excursion.

My opinion only, I do not recommend this tour, you get only a brief distant look at the glacier, rest of trip is a lot of trees and back yards. Money may be better spent elsewhere.

We were on the Dawn Princess last week and took this excursion.

We booked it directly through Alaska Travel Adventures which is whom I believe the ship uses as well. By booking it directly, we were able to save a few dollars.

Alaska Travel was very accomodating. We originally booked 6 people and then changed it to 3 as my children opted for a kayak trip and helicopter/dog sled. There was no problem changing the reservation.

Alaska Travel picks you up 5 minutes from the dock (easy walk) and transports you in a big bus to the launch site. They outfit you with raincoats, rainpants, boots and life preservers and you get into a raft with 7-8 other people. The guide rows out into the lake where you see the glacier. You never get right up to it but you can clearly see it and take pictures. You then float down the river for approximately 45 minutes. There are a series of very small rapids but nothing bad or rough. The people in the front of the raft may get splashed on.

At the end, you have a snack of cheese and crackers and cider and you go back on the bus for the trip back to Juneau.

The glacier part is only in the beginning. After that, it's a float trip.