Juneau Whale watching

[SCRT]

This is for saving to be eccentric - which tour company did you use? We have always waited until arriving at port to book excursions but am kind of worried about doing that there. I am also looking for a small tour and have talked to a couple of companies but have still not booked anything. Any input from anyone will be greatly appreciated.

[Saving Up To Be Eccentric]

This is for saving to be eccentric - which tour company did you use? We have always waited until arriving at port to book excursions but am kind of worried about doing that there. I am also looking for a small tour and have talked to a couple of companies but have still not booked anything. Any input from anyone will be greatly appreciated.

Apparently, Whale Tales according to my receipt. But while there is a phone number listed, it doesn't come up on a google search.

[SCRT]

I found their website. It showed that is was 159/pp - does that sound about right? How many people were on your boat?

[Saving Up To Be Eccentric]

I found their website. It showed that is was 159/pp - does that sound about right? How many people were on your boat?

 

Whale t-a-i-l-s or t-a-l-e-s? It was a bit less than that at the dock, and it only had room for the six of us on bench seats, plus the captain. When I did a google search of the phone number, I came up empty.

[sherryf]

We must of just had an off day with Orca Ent, because we were not impressed. We were there on Monday July 15th. We only saw a few whales, and they were so far away. I actually saw many more whales closer up from my balcony on the ship. We considered Orca Ent. as more of a scenic boat ride.

 

I think you must have just had an off day for the whales.

 

We went out with Orca Enterprises exactly a week after you, and had the most incredible day! Captain Larry stopped the boat at the appropriate distance from the whales, but they came up to us. They were so close to the boat I felt I could almost reach out and touch them. It nearly brought me to tears!

 

 

Then we went to another spot where the whales were bubble net feeding!!

 

 

Sorry my photos are not that great, but I only have a point and shoot camera. I'm hoping my mom got better shots but we haven't had time to go through them yet. We only just got home today!

[KAYEF]

My friends were in Juneau yesterday and hadn't been on the boat for ten minutes yet when the Captain got really excited...............they had a LONG performance of Bubble Netting/Feeding!!

How lucky is that?

AND, it was their first time up north!:)

[edmusic]

Day of, I went straight to the kiosk row near the ships and bought a whale watching tour that was in the right cost ballpark. It wound up being a small boat, but none of the "name brands" here. We went out to the same place as over a dozen other boats, some big, some small, with the remark "And here's the secret hideout. Don't tell." Because the humpbacks were bubble net feeding that afternoon, everyone had a great show.

That's the way to do it. We reserved with Juneau Whale Watching Co. about two weeks prior to our cruise and discovered that they are in a co-op that owns 7 or 8 of those kiosks at the dock. We got a smaller boat with less people, plenty of room on the bow or stern, saw lots of whales, and added a trip to the Mendenhall Glacier for way less money than the cruise ship excursions; and slightly less than H & M, Orca, and all the other 'big name' whale watching companies.

[wild4cruisin]

Day of, I went straight to the kiosk row near the ships and bought a whale watching tour that was in the right cost ballpark. It wound up being a small boat, but none of the "name brands" here. We went out to the same place as over a dozen other boats, some big, some small, with the remark "And here's the secret hideout. Don't tell." Because the humpbacks were bubble net feeding that afternoon, everyone had a great show.

 

We are headed to Juneau on a Princess Alaskan cruise in mid Sept. Would you mind sharing the cost of the whale watching tour you were able to purchase at the kiosk near the ship? Were these tours readily available?

There's one we're considering that costs $120pp for 5 hrs, whale watch, and trip to the glacier nearby. We're deciding whether or not to book one in advance. Thank you for the info!

[wild4cruisin]

That's the way to do it. We reserved with Juneau Whale Watching Co. about two weeks prior to our cruise and discovered that they are in a co-op that owns 7 or 8 of those kiosks at the dock. We got a smaller boat with less people, plenty of room on the bow or stern, saw lots of whales, and added a trip to the Mendenhall Glacier for way less money than the cruise ship excursions; and slightly less than H & M, Orca, and all the other 'big name' whale watching companies.

 

How did the prices compare at the 7 or 8 kiosks at the dock, compared to the advance purchase with Juneau Whale Watching? The advance purchase is $120 for 5 hrs. At the kiosk, was the price more ... or less? Thank you!

[Saving Up To Be Eccentric]

We are headed to Juneau on a Princess Alaskan cruise in mid Sept. Would you mind sharing the cost of the whale watching tour you were able to purchase at the kiosk near the ship? Were these tours readily available?

There's one we're considering that costs $120pp for 5 hrs, whale watch, and trip to the glacier nearby. We're deciding whether or not to book one in advance. Thank you for the info!

 

Wild: that's a great price for that package. *Edit to add: But mid-Sept is the shoulder season, so it's not too surprising that they'd come down on their prices. I had to pay more than that for my DIY tour out to Mendenhall and the Shrine combined with the whale watch.

[Budget Queen]

A significant factor is time. If it is a later afternoon/evening trip, it may only be a couple hours. The longer you are out, the more you see- bottom line.

[edmusic]

How did the prices compare at the 7 or 8 kiosks at the dock, compared to the advance purchase with Juneau Whale Watching? The advance purchase is $120 for 5 hrs. At the kiosk, was the price more ... or less? Thank you!

To be honest with you, I can't remember. If I had to guess, I think it was about $20 less at the dock, but I feel better having advanced reservations and so that amount is negligible.