How Early to Reboard After Port?

[Teacher_91]

The Mr. & I are sailing on the Princess STAR to Alaska in July 2012. We will be in Juneau from 2:00 to 10:00 p.m. I had a whale watch tour with Harv & Marv scheduled for 2:30, but am leery of booking that time because prior to that we are doing the Tracy Arm Fjords Glacier Explorer with Princess from 8:00 to 2:00. Harv & Marv have suggested we change our whale watch to 5:30 and they promise to have us back to the ship by 9:20. They have ASSURED me that there will be NO PROBLEM and they will get us back to the ship before it sails. Yet I'm still nervous. :confused: Should I be? As much as we want to do the whale watch, it certainly won't be worth it if we miss the ship! I'm holding off paying for this excursion, because I'm just so unsure.... All insight, comments, and tips are welcome!

[cindep]

Harv and Marv have been doing this for years. If they say they will have you back to the ship on time, they will. Fortunately they only take small groups, so you don't have to wait for lots of other people to get off, etc.

 

I am guessing 9:30 will be all aboard time. It will be close, but it shouldn't be a problem.

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

Harv and Marv can promise all they want, but if it's not through Princess, the ship probably won't wait for you. There could be traffic problems or ship problems that are out of their control and you could end up missing the ship.

We've never had a problem but you just don't know.

 

I think they are pushing you for the later time because the whale watching would be better. (Yes, there are synics on here that will say that they are trying to fill both trips, ignore them.)

 

Good luck!

[Pam in CA]

Keep in mind that the LATEST you should be onboard is 9:30pm. That's when they start removing the gangways and securing the ship. It takes about half an hour to prepare to depart. A 10-minute cushion isn't enough. Plus, if you miss the ship, you could be subject to a fine re: the PVSA, depending on where you embarked initially and the next port. That's $300/pp. It could wind up being a very expensive tour.

[GloriaF]

I would weigh which one we wanted to do most, and opt for just one excursion. It's often like this when in port unless it's a rare overnight port stay.

 

If you are doing the north- or south- bound cruise, then you will spend a full day in Glacier Bay National Park. You don't get to disembark, but the upclose views of the glaciers are spectacular. The ship goes in slowly and pivots so you see all sides, and a NPS ranger will be onboard as well as the Princess naturalist pointing out specific points of interest.

 

I am saying all this to say that I am not familiar with the Tracy Arm excursion, but I think if it were my decision (since there is the Glacier Bay experience and also the opportunity to visit Mendenhahl Glacier in one of the ports) I would choose whale watching.

 

Good luck making it all work for you! Alaska is beyond words, and you will have a very memorable trip no matter which excursions you do!!!

[Teacher_91]

[quote=GloriaF;31912598]I would weigh which one we wanted to do most, and opt for just one excursion. It's often like this when in port unless it's a rare overnight port stay.

If you are doing the north- or south- bound cruise, then you will spend a full day in Glacier Bay National Park. You don't get to disembark, but the upclose views of the glaciers are spectacular. The ship goes in slowly and pivots so you see all sides, and a NPS ranger will be onboard as well as the Princess naturalist pointing out specific points of interest.

I am saying all this to say that I am not familiar with the Tracy Arm excursion, but I think if it were my decision (since there is the Glacier Bay experience and also the opportunity to visit Mendenhahl Glacier in one of the ports) I would choose whale watching.

Good luck making it all work for you! Alaska is beyond words, and you will have a very memorable trip no matter which excursions you do!!!

 

Unfortunately, Glacier Bay is not on our itinerary. We had friends who did this same Alaskan cruise last year and they were VERY sorry they missed out on the excursion, because they really didn't get an 'up close & personal look' at the glacier, wildlife, & waterfalls.

Everyone else's point is well taken. We don't want to miss the ship and thus my concern. If we opt for the earlier whale watch, we run the risk of missing it, IF the Glacier Excursion with Princess runs 'long'. That's why the Captain of Harv & Marv recommended we do the later whale watch. It sounds like I'm taking a 'risk' no matter which whale watch tour I book UNLESS we give up the Glacier Excursion. <SIGH> :confused:

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

Oh! Please excuse the comment about Harv and Marv having two trips. I read the post wrong. They are two different excursions.

 

Again, they probably have a great record of getting people back to the ship. I wouldn't doubt it. But anything out of their control could also happen.

 

I guess it depends on the type of person you are. Would you spend the entire trip worrying about getting back to the ship on time and not enjoying yourself? Or would you not even think about it until it's getting close to 9:30.

 

I think that should weigh in on your decision too. Some people are more flexible while some are more rigid. Not a judgement there. (And if there was it would be against the flexible people as I am more rigid and time anal! :D)

[Teacher_91]

<<Oh! Please excuse the comment about Harv and Marv having two trips. I read the post wrong. They are two different excursions.>>

 

Oh please don’t worry about me. I’m not easily offended! :D All I thought was ‘I would be VERY disappointed if we didn’t see whales, so if this is the best time, cool!’ It would REALLY be a bummer if after all this deliberation we didn’t see whales! :eek:

 

<I think that should weigh in on your decision too. Some people are more flexible while some are more rigid. Not a judgement there. (And if there was it would be against the flexible people as I am more rigid and time anal!)>

 

I’m actually usually very laid back and flexible (it’s the Mr. who is the anal one in our family ;)) however that being said, I’m not so flexible and ‘nonchalant’ that I wouldn’t FREAK if we missed the ship. :eek: I can’t see how I wouldn’t think about it during the cruise/excursion. Heck, it’s MONTHS away and I’m thinking about it! :confused:

[gooch47]

Probably not relevant, but last trip we saw plenty of whales from the cruise ship. Not terribly close, but very enjoyable.

[CC Help Michell]

Just a thought, even though it wouldn't be Harv and Marv, isn't the ship offering a whale watch that afternoon? It might not be ideal, but it would let you do both things (with less worry!).

[cboyle]

Just a thought, even though it wouldn't be Harv and Marv, isn't the ship offering a whale watch that afternoon? It might not be ideal, but it would let you do both things (with less worry!).

Or, you might be able to book a whale watching excursion at the dock after you return from Tracy Arm.

[Princess Patches]

I think you are cutting way too close with a 9:20 return time. That gives you just 10 minutes leeway for anything that does not go perfectly. Heck, you are already worrying about it. You will spend the entire excursion worrying over this.

 

Missing the ship is a big hassle. In addition to the possible PVSA fines mentioned by Pam, you will also have the expense of traveling to rejoin the ship. No shore excursion is worth it. I would choose one or the other. Whale watching can do done in many ports of call throughout the world, but glaciers are limited to a few places. We also saw whales from our balcony on both of our Alaska cruises. I would do the whale watching elsewhere.

[karatemom2]

I'm sure Harv & Marv are great, but there are other whale watching options in Juneau. We have had a great experience with Orca Enterprises and when we decided on a smaller boat excursion for our most recent Alaska cruise, Harv & Marv were already completely booked for the day in question.

 

We ended up going with Captain Greg of Weather Permitting and it was a fantastic experience. We saw tons of whales, dall porpoises, and some amazing scenery on his small boat that holds only 6 people. You might find he can be more flexible on your timeframe, perhaps leaving at 3 or 4 p.m. instead. There are other good whale watching options out of Juneau that get good reviews as well. It certainly would be worth exploring some other vendors on your part if whale watching is a priority.

 

I agree with those that say getting back to the ship at 9:20 p.m. is cutting it too close for comfort. Why be held captive to Harv & Marv's schedule if you can find another option that works better for you?

 

Here is a link to Captains Greg's website if you are interested in contacting him.

 

https://www.weatherpermittingalaska.com/

[Teacher_91]

Thanks everyone! :)

I'm going to check with Orca Enterprises & Captain Greg to see if they have availability for 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. I like the idea of a smaller group which is why I'd prefer not to book with Princess. If I can't find what I'm looking for, I guess the Mr. & I will have to whale watch another time & place. We don't want to miss out on the Glacier Explorer. As Princess Patches said it's not an opportunity easy to replicate!

[oskidunker]

Just curious.

[TallinnGirl]

I REALLY doubt the ship will leave passengers behind especially if they are only 10 to 20 minutes late...

[Pam in CA]

I REALLY doubt the ship will leave passengers behind especially if they are only 10 to 20 minutes late...

It all depends. Ships have scheduled slots for departure, pilots are scheduled for specific times, tides can affect departure times, etc. Sometimes, Captains don't have the option if all ship's tours have returned. Late is late and you should plan to leave enough time to arrive when requested. It's called taking responsibility.

[rdsqrl]

I REALLY doubt the ship will leave passengers behind especially if they are only 10 to 20 minutes late...

They can.

They will.

They have.

[KreinKrunker]

Harv & Marv have a great excursion. If any way possible I'd go with them, Orca would be my second choice. They've been doing this for a long time, and are very organized. If they say they will get you back, you will be there barring unforseen problems. Yes, you will see whales from the ship, but being up close is fantastic.

[topspot]

We went with Harv and Marv two years ago. At that time, they had a guarantee on their website that they would get you to the next port at their expense if you were not back in time to the ship. This was one of the reasons why we went with them. Their excursion was great. We were surrounded by whales, and they stopped the boat, and lowered a sonar microphone into the water and we got to listen to the whales.

[MHMarkL]

I REALLY doubt the ship will leave passengers behind especially if they are only 10 to 20 minutes late...

 

Check out this Youtube video to see if they will leave you on the dock.

 

[Pam in CA]

We went with Harv and Marv two years ago. At that time, they had a guarantee on their website that they would get you to the next port at their expense if you were not back in time to the ship. This was one of the reasons why we went with them.

They can't guarantee you to the next port. On most Alaska itineraries, that would be a violation of the PVSA. Kind of a foolish "guarantee."

[Teacher_91]

Just curious.

 

I'm sorry. Is it offensive? I just like colorful, bold font! I've told the Mr. & my sons that when I die, I want a bold & 'interesting' font on my tombstone. :D

[Teacher_91]

Just curious.

 

 

I'm sorry. Is it offensive? I just like bold, colorful font. I've already told the Mr. & my sons that when I die I want bold, interesting, bright font on my tombstone. :D

[Princess Patches]

I'm sorry. Is it offensive? I just like bold, colorful font. I've already told the Mr. & my sons that when I die I want bold, interesting, bright font on my tombstone. :D

 

I like the big font. It is so much easier to read!