Juneau Whale Watching

What is the advantage of taking a whale watching trip with a private vendor vs. the Princess excursion?

In general, the ship excursions can be quite large with 100-150 for a whale watching excursion. Some people complain about being treated like cattle. Booking privately can be much smaller &/or personalized.

We booked with Harv & Marv and their boats are qutie small - only holding 6 passengers. Even though we booked a whale watching trip, Pete (the captain) asked us when we boarded what our priorities were. In other words, he would take us to see what ever we wanted. We were never jockeying for position to see. We had two small children (6 & 4) in our party, and Pete was great with them. We felt like we were out on a friend's boat instead of with a stranger. There are other great tour operators in Juneau that many here recommend, but I loved everything about our tour with Harv & Marv's! Check out www.harv&marvs.com and see Jay's photos, which are phenomenal!

The website moved apparently and is now http://www.harvandmarvs.com.

The website moved apparently and is now www.harvandmarvs.com.

Thanks. I probably just typed it wrong.

I'm bummed!! :( They don't start until May 10 and we will be in port May 9!!

In general, the ship excursions can be quite large with 100-150 for a whale watching excursion. Some people complain about being treated like cattle. Booking privately can be much smaller &/or personalized. We booked with Harv & Marv and their boats are qutie small - only holding 6 passengers.

OTOH some people prefer the larger, more comfortable boats. Allen Marine is the usual contractor for the ship's tours, and they have beautiful big boats specifically designed for wildlife viewing, with an open upper deck and an enclosed lower deck, snack bar, restroom, onboard naturalist and all the comforts! We have enjoyed several ship's excursions with them very much.

Have a GREAT cruise!

I'm bummed!! :( They don't start until May 10 and we will be in port May 9!!

who are "they"? There are several vendors constantly getting good reviews here. You may want to try other outfitters.