frugaltravel

AIP - you said for the price of a rental car you had an amazing day. I assume there must have been a cost for the Buser kennel tour. In any case it sounds like a great day. Martin is so personable. Met him during Iditarod activities one year.

In reality, many independent companies mentioned on CC are probably overrated. They become the "favorites" of regular posters here. Some posters on CC seem to deify some of the posters here and hang onto their every word - even putting their screen names in the Title line. Operators know the power of the internet - that is why info on CC and Trip Advisor seem to be so influential, for better or worse.

Also what is 'better' or 'best' is very relative and subjective. So what bearbait might think is 'better' or 'best' certainly won't be what someone else might think is 'better' or 'best.'

Even in the middle of August, which should have been more optimal viewing, a woman in the group before ours said they only saw the "back side of one bear". Our group saw 4 bears - including one that was right on the trail as we were walking back to the van.

That is exactly why some of us say we would never take expensive fly-in bear viewing tours outside of peak times. It is hard enough during peak times to see bears sometimes. No way I would spend my hard-earned money doing such a day tour off-peak. But you all know that already :D

We will be in Ketchikan on July 2nd. The following is a direct quote from Island Wings' website: "From July 1st to early August you can experience a trip of a lifetime at the world renowned bear observatory, Anan Creek. Fly along the beautiful waterways of the Tongass National Forest to Anan Creek which hosts one of the largest pink salmon runs in Southeast Alaska. The presence of the salmon draws a large dinner crowd, including both black and brown bears, seals, river otters, mink, marten and eagles." The company has been in business for many years and I find it hard to believe that they would advertise the early July time frame if nothing can be seen.

Sorry that you read something I didnt write! I never said nothing can be seen. But on a 5 hour tour you will get max 3 hours on the platform, probably less. You are going off peak and spending a small fortune doung so. Better you than me.

Since our 2014 B2B Alaska cruise overlaps into July, we are able to take advantage of the tour sooner rather than later. :)

When in July? Early or late? If permits are not required for Anan (usually before July 5th) it means the chances of seeing bears are much more remote. I certainly would not be paying that kind of money for going to Anan the first few days of July, if that was your plan.

Though I don't agree with donaldsc that the "guy up front (is) determining what I will see" on the train (the one time I took the train from Anchorage to Seward I sat in the dome car most of the time and looked out the window to determine what I would see and photograph), I still think the car gives much greater flexibility.

If one is traveling one-way to Seward, perhaps the train is a good idea (no one-way drop off fee for a car). But with a car, you can make multiple stops along the very scenic Turnagain Arm and see/do way more than you can ever do on the train. Of course you can make that drive on your own a different day, but you are backtracking and unless you have a lot of time on your hands in Alaska, most of the time backtracking means you are giving up seeing/doing something else that is very worthwhile.

In Denali there are also nice places south of the park, toward Carlo Creek, including a hostel with a variety of lodging types. Just depends on what your interests, budget, priorities, etc. are.

Train takes 4 hours not 5. And yes you do have to check in early BUT..... it does not feel early! Remember you fall back 3 hours (or so we did from Central time) so while it is 5:45 am in your mind it is only 8:45 am. I am NOT a morning person and hate getting up early. I almost did not do the train just for the reason of having to get up so early. It was no problem even though we got to Anchorage late an did not get to bed until after midnight. The train was a highlight of the trip. It is spectacular and I is first day so you are excited with anticipation. you will not regret it. Totally awesome!

Some of us begin adjusting to a new time zone even before we arrive at our destination.So your theory of body clock time is inaccurate for people like that. Plus it is one of the worst ways to conquer jet lag.

June and even early July was terrible this year for mosquitoes in southcentral Alaska. But by now they are all but gone. You shouldn't have any issues.

Nothing earth-shattering there - things regular Alaska visitors have been saying for years.

With all the aforementioned, which Harv/Marv Captain would one suggest we request? We're doing a private charter for six which include parents (late 70's). We have been with Jay whom is now behind the scenes along with Pete so they are out. Suggestion, recommendations? TIA

Do a search for Harv & Marvs and you will find good reviews for pretty much all their captains, including Jayleen. I am not sure if one incident means someone should never go with that captain again. If anything, it was probably a huge learning experience for her and my guess is she would handle it different and perhaps even better than another captain who might come up against a similar situation in the future without having gone through it in the past.

First of all I would probably ask Harv & Marv which captains you have a choice between. Some might not be on duty that day, or maybe not during the time frame you booked. I would not eliminate Pete or Jay altogether - they do captain the boats sometimes, just not as much as in the past.

It is because it is no longer H&M thay were bought out by a different company if you dont belive this go to the State of Alaska buiness (sic) liscense (sic) page and that is is rthe (sic) reason for all the changes:)

How does changing from individual owners to an LLC more than two years ago mean that is the reason for the incident last week? Now that makes no sense at all.

It is public information that the original owners partnered financially with other locals after the 2010 season. There have been glowing reports of all the captains for years, even more for those who were not the original owners. Even Orca, which has a great reputation, has received negative posts on the forum, especially in the winter months when their response to EMails is often poor to non-existent.

I would be more concerned if I read multiple reports about H&M (or any other operators) on a recurring basis, which happens with more than one operator on this forum (though not always in Juneau and no I am not referring to Orca by this comment). Plus, almost all of your recent (well, if recent means the past year or two since you haven't posted on the forum in a year) posts are about whale watching in Alaska, so I wonder if you have a vested interest in any company in Alaska (Juneau, Hoonah, elsewhere?).

That is a bummer but I tend to agree with Walleye. I have been with Harv & Marvs at least three times myself. They don't cancel their tours at will. If it truly was rough on the water (I have to assume they are telling the truth - they always seem to have in the past), you probably would not have wanted to be out on the water.

I generally try to have a "plan B" ready for Alaska, as I have had excursions canceled at the last minute more than once for various reasons. So I at least have in the back of my mind what other options might be available in case something gets canceled.

Plus, I would do the whale watch tour independently and not through the ship. Harv & Marvs is great for their small boats, longer tours and if you have time, free stop at Mendenhall Glacier.

We will be leaving on the Sapphire Princess that evening at 8:30pm... if we arrive in Whittier at 3:45pm will it be too late? What is the earliest time we can board the ship?

Your question should be "What is the latest time we can board the ship?" (probably 7pm or so). It is a shame to board the ship earlier than need be when there is so much to see/do on land between Anchorage and Whittier. You will have the entire evening and next day on the ship, so there really is no rush to get on board. A great use of your time is to take an early transfer from Anchorage to Whittier and then take a Prince William Sound glacier boat tour. You get much closer to the glaciers on this trip than you will on your cruise ship.

Great information. Thanks for posting.

Note that all tours and shuttle buses are operated by Doyon/Amarark Joint Venture in cooperation with the Park Service. But the Park Service does not operate any buses. They got out of that business years ago.

Note that commentary is "guaranteed" on the tour buses, but it is very rare that the shuttle bus drivers do not also give excellent commentary. If someone happens to get onto a shuttle bus where the driver is not very talkative the solution is simple - get off at the first rest stop (Tek) and wait for the next shuttle bus.

Note too that the biggest difference between the Kantishna Experience Tour and the shuttle bus to Wonder Lake or Kantishna is the cost. Otherwise, it is the same road, the same chances for seeing wildlife and the Mountain, the same company operating the buses, etc. Of course the food on the KET is another difference.

Does the Orca have a bathroom on it?

Both Orca and H&M have a bathroom on board.

While Harv's and Marv's and Orca Enterprises get all the headlines, there are other whale watching companies that offer just as fabulous an experience. H&M and OE were both booked up by the time I got around to booking an excursion, so with a little research, I found June Whale Watch and took this excursion on June 13. We had a fabulous time which included a shuttle bus ride to the bay, two + hours on the water, and a drop-off and pick-up at the Mendenhall Glacier for $120 a person. The boat was a small, 28 person jet boat which the ride in itself was an experience, and in addition to the comfortable, heated enclosed seating area, had an open bow and stern for plenty of outdoor viewing. And, there is a bathroom on-board. The on-board guide was very informative and there was not one issue at all with this excursion. Oh, and did I say we saw lots and lots of whales?; even saw some bubble-net feeding.

 

If you want to check them out, go to www juneauwhalewatch dot com for all the info.

I believe it is Juneau Whale Watch. I have heard about them. I believe they are definitely competition for Orca since they are the only other company with that size boat. They have been in business a couple of summers now.

In any case, I know what you mean about a couple of companies getting more attention than others. But some of that is deserved. Plus seeing the issues with a new entrant this year (Stories and Legends), if I were only going to Alaska once and wanted to make it count, why would I use an operator that does not have a stellar reputation?

I am glad that you got to see a lot of whales and bubblenet feeding. Plus, I like the way you put that at the end of your post as an afterthought. Your praises of Juneau Whale Watch were for other factors. I too don't believe that one can "rate" a company based on whether one sees a lot of whales, bubblenet feeding, breaching, etc.

There is SO much written about these two companies it is not funny. Either one would be a good excursion.

With 5 people I would book Harv & Marvs hands down though. Totally private excursion for 5 people (book the whole boat). Time on the water is 1/2 hour (25% longer) than Orca. Free drop off/pick up at Mendenhall (Orca charges +-$16/person).

If you want the larger boat with more amenities like a snack bar (though Harv & Marvs has free soft drinks, water and snacks) or if you want a handicap-accessible boat, then Orca is better for sure.

For any Canadians following this thread, keep in mind Canadians cannot rent a car in Skagway and take it into Canada. Only US and other nationalities can.

This is no longer true - see another thread for discussion about this.

Or Upper Dewey Lake, or to the Devil's Punchbowl.:)

Have you done that hike? I have been to Upper Dewey Lake but not as far as Devil's Punchbowl. Great hike!

What are you interested in? Great hiking in/near Skagway for example. All kinds from easy to difficult. NPS activities are free. Who is "we"? You could rent a car, you could go to a playground if you have kids.

Well I would not go as far as to say it is "historical" to see the aurora on an Alaskan cruise, but in May it isn't possible because it really is not dark enough. If you were going in mid to late August or early September, your chances increase. I was on an Alaskan cruise in late August one year and saw the aurora from near Juneau.

Besides the expedited arrival into the US for immigration and customs, those in the trusted traveler program often get expedited security screening at many airports (it is not "guaranteed" but has been possible for me all but one time so far). The number of airports and number of airlines participating is increasing fairly rapidly. On multiple occasions I have been able to leave my coat and shoes on, as well as leave my liquids and laptop in the bags then just walk through the metal detector. Such a breeze and worth it IMHO.

Involuntary Denied Boarding.

 

If you're not in a hurry it can be a good thing. Our family of 4 has done this numerous times with Delta and received $1600.00 each time in vouchers for future tickets.

I think that in your case it was VDB - Voluntary Denied Boarding, aka volunteering for the bump. IDB is when you don't volunteer and they still say "Sorry, you're staying".

Exactly. Since with IDB the airlines are supposed to pay you in hard cold cash (or a check), not vouchers. However I have seen airlines offer $X in a check and $X + more in vouchers for IDB.

They can't "stake out" a seat you've bought and paid for. Just put some stuff on the seat. They may want it but they can't have it. If there's an issue, get a stewardess who will inform the passenger that the seat is taken. The "empty seat" ticket is not all that uncommon so stewardesses are aware of it.

Theoretically you are correct. I had a friend buy an extra seat and the gate agent wanted to put someone in that seat since the flight was oversold. Fortunately he was persistent.

Our last experience was difficult in that we were to be the last flight out of Toronto before it being hit with a major snowstorm. Standby passengers were a mile long as everyone wanted out before the storm. It is difficult to sit with an empty seat between you under these circumstances when the entire cabin knows how many people would be left behind and for who knows how long. Not a comfortable flight

I would think the extra seat would have made it more comfortable. :D. You bought the seat and actually only one more person was left behind due to your purchase. Sorry that you felt bad, You really shouldn't have.