Juneau, AK

[TSCRUISING]

Anyone have any suggestions on the best way to take a whale watching tour outside of the ship?

 

I'm planning on taking the bus to the Mendenhall Glacier but am looking for other things to do there.

[karatemom2]

We had a very good tour with Orca Enterprises a couple of years ago and they are highly recommended here as are Harv and Marv. We are booked with Captain Greg of Weather Permitting this year and he has had some very good recent reviews as well.

[BIG_Steve]

We had a very good tour with Orca Enterprises a couple of years ago and they are highly recommended here as are Harv and Marv. We are booked with Captain Greg of Weather Permitting this year and he has had some very good recent reviews as well.

 

Same here, and Orca will be happy to put together a Mendenhall stop in addition to your whale watch.

 

http://www.orcaenterprises.com/

 

Your best bet is to CALL them. They are busy, and a don't have a zillion employees. Email can be kind of hit and miss with them.

[MercedMike]

We prefer the ship's excursions on Allen Marine's big comfortable boats. Here are a few pics of the one we were on in Sitka. The ones in Juneau are very similar. http://www.bully4.us/alaska2010.html. There are a hundred or so people on the boat, but both the inside picture windows and the outside top deck offer plenty of room and good views. An onboard naturalist, a nice snack bar, and particularly flush toilets make it very comfortable for me! Being a ship's excursion it is very convenient to book, and the ship's staff are available to assist you.

 

Others prefer smaller boats. Orca enterprises and Harv and Marv are both highly recommended. Of course in that case you have to do the research and booking yourself.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[CALMOM]

Harv & Marv without a doubt, excellent customer service and fantastic tour. They will also drop you off at Mendenhall Glacier after wards and usually will come back and pick you up, if time allows. Harv & Marv have smaller boats, 6 & 10 passenger boats which gives you personal attention without having to try and look over peoples heads. You will not be sorry using this company but book early they do fill up quickly.

[sparky-elpaso]

Another Harv & Marv fan here.

 

 

[Budget Queen]

I am a long time, happy customer of Orca Enterprises. :)

 

With ANY independent, be sure to have a Mendenhall pick up/drop off included. This saves an hour of transit time. (unless you have all day and don't mind back and forth on a bus?)

[BIG_Steve]

We prefer the ship's excursions on Allen Marine's big comfortable boats.

 

I didn't do a Whale watch with them, but did do a ship's tour in Ketchikan that went with Allen Marine. They really are a top notch company, with boats that are in exceptionally good condition, and spotless. Allen Marine was the most professional and thorough tour provider we had in Alaska. And the others were good, so that says a lot.

[cosmo1027]

We recently did a tour with Captain Greg of Weather Permitting and he was outstanding! I can't recommend him enough. His boat was comfortable and had great visibility and he was knowledgable about the area and the whales (and other wildlife). We saw many whales spouting and diving; we saw a whale sleeping (and spouting -- he was snoring); and we saw eagles, sea lions, and porpoises. Captain Greg was very interesting to talk with as well. We truly enjoyed our trip with him. It was the highlight of our cruise!

[karatemom2]

We recently did a tour with Captain Greg of Weather Permitting and he was outstanding! I can't recommend him enough. His boat was comfortable and had great visibility and he was knowledgable about the area and the whales (and other wildlife). We saw many whales spouting and diving; we saw a whale sleeping (and spouting -- he was snoring); and we saw eagles, sea lions, and porpoises. Captain Greg was very interesting to talk with as well. We truly enjoyed our trip with him. It was the highlight of our cruise!

 

This is great to know. We are booked with him in a few weeks based on some very good reviews here and he has been very responsive. We are really looking forward to our trip with him!