Whale watching in Juneau

[Missing Linc]

I am going with Marv & Harv on May 19th. Will let you know how it was when I return at the end of May

 

Just returned from Alaska. We did whale watching with Marv & Harv. I would recommend them highly the service was great and with only six people in the boat a lot more personal attention. The smaller boat allowed for greater maneuvering which allowed us to get a better view than the larger boats.

[kkbrig]

So it looks like a few of the choices are if you want to combine this with Mendenhall:

 

1)Gastineau, which is booked through the cruise line (Princess for us) and may be a boat of only 14, has 2:15 minutes whale watch and 1:15 at Mendenhall, $210

 

2) Harv and Marv's- 2:35 on whale watch part and 15 min at Mendenhall, $150

 

3) Orca Enterprises- 2:30 on whale watch part and 1 hour at Mendenhall, $140

 

As far as schedule, the Gastineau and Orca ones seem a little better, just because I was hoping to see Mendenhall while I was there and 15 minutes does not seem like long enough. The Gastineau one is not an option for us at this point as they do not have enough spots left, so I need to book independent of Princess. Would love to hear other thoughts.

[mapleleaves]

So it looks like a few of the choices are if you want to combine this with Mendenhall:

 

1)Gastineau, which is booked through the cruise line (Princess for us) and may be a boat of only 14, has 2:15 minutes whale watch and 1:15 at Mendenhall, $210

 

2) Harv and Marv's- 2:35 on whale watch part and 15 min at Mendenhall, $150

 

3) Orca Enterprises- 2:30 on whale watch part and 1 hour at Mendenhall, $140

 

As far as schedule, the Gastineau and Orca ones seem a little better, just because I was hoping to see Mendenhall while I was there and 15 minutes does not seem like long enough. The Gastineau one is not an option for us at this point as they do not have enough spots left, so I need to book independent of Princess. Would love to hear other thoughts.

 

You aren't limited to the 15 minutes or 1 hr at Mendenhall. Have the vendor drop you off at Mendenhall but take the blue or white shuttle bus back to the pier for $10. If your visit is after the shuttle bus time period, take a taxi ...

[kkbrig]

Wow. Somehow I completely missed the shuttle option! I knew about the taxi option, but I think that would make my parents nervous (they are already nervous about booking outside of princess). Thanks for pointing that out!

 

 

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[theriac]

Juneau Tours is another option and they're one of the companies that runs the shuttle.

 

For $125 you get a whale watching tour, trip to Mendenhall and also a City Tour if time permits.

 

I can't recommend yet as I'm going in 3 weeks, but they seem to have great ratings on trip advisor.

[baconlover1]

We toured with Adventures in Alaska on May 20th and it was absolutely the best. There were only six of us onboard and we saw lots of whales including killer whales. We got a breaching and watched a baby calf play with sea lions. I highly recommend this tour. They dropped us off at Mendenhall on the way back and the driver picked us back up for a small fee. The shuttles had stopped running by the time we got back from our 4 hour tour.:D

[Cornishpastyman1]

Juneau Tours is another option and they're one of the companies that runs the shuttle.

 

For $125 you get a whale watching tour, trip to Mendenhall and also a City Tour if time permits.

 

I can't recommend yet as I'm going in 3 weeks, but they seem to have great ratings on trip advisor.

I went with them and had a great time. All the best, Tony

 

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[theriac]

I went with them and had a great time. All the best, Tony

 

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Thanks for the videos, and letting me know you enjoyed the tour. I leave in about 3 weeks and I can't wait!

[MichFish]

Greetings from Alaska! Currently sitting on the Lido deck looking at beautiful Skagway!!

 

Yesterday we did an excursion with Harv and Marvs. It was amazing! We saw killer whales - a whole family, Sasha the humpback with her baby Jenny, and sea lions. Weather was perfect! Sunny and warm! Highly recommend!!

[ExilePA]

Does Harv and Marvs include a Mendenhall stop or is it something you have to do independently?

[loeytalldog]

Just returned from Alaska. We did whale watching with Marv & Harv. I would recommend them highly the service was great and with only six people in the boat a lot more personal attention. The smaller boat allowed for greater maneuvering which allowed us to get a better view than the larger boats.

 

Thank you for checking back in and letting us know! I'm feeling good and can't wait!

[Budget Queen]

Does Harv and Marvs include a Mendenhall stop or is it something you have to do independently?

 

Yes they do. All you need is transit between Mendenhall and the whale watch. The other direction, if you want more time, can be done with a $10pp shuttle bus (ends around 6pm) or you can call a cab- have the numbers, about 1/2 hour prior to needing one.

 

You need to allow an hour is you want to walk to Nugget Falls.

[Barkly]

We are booked on the Pacific Princess, leaving Vancouver on 6/29. I've booked a whale watching/Mendenhall excursion that includes a photographer to give you tips. Has anyone else done something like this?

[Budget Queen]

We are booked on the Pacific Princess, leaving Vancouver on 6/29. I've booked a whale watching/Mendenhall excursion that includes a photographer to give you tips. Has anyone else done something like this?

 

This tour gets very good reviews. I would only suggest- you know your camera -well- practice and more practice before you get there. :) I always suggest fully understanding composition. this is where the differences between so so and stunning can shine.

[peety3]

We are booked on the Pacific Princess, leaving Vancouver on 6/29. I've booked a whale watching/Mendenhall excursion that includes a photographer to give you tips. Has anyone else done something like this?

Is it JNU-700? You'll love it. We've done it twice, and it's a spectacular choice. Not only do they help you move up a level (a small level, but a level nonetheless), you get a better experience on the whale watch because they use a smaller boat and keep it to just 14 passengers max. The windows tilt up/in so you don't have to shoot through glass, nor do you have to compete for window space around a sliding window pane.

 

Oh, and we're doing it again in August...

[xlxo]

We are booked on the Pacific Princess, leaving Vancouver on 6/29. I've booked a whale watching/Mendenhall excursion that includes a photographer to give you tips. Has anyone else done something like this?

Yep... DCL had me setup with http://www.stepintoalaska.com/tour_shore_excursion_details.cfm?tourid=photosafari

 

Yes, knowing your camera pre-trip makes it more enjoyable when the whales make their appearance.

 

Only thing I would do different on the trip is quit the Mendenhall segment back to the port and use the shuttle which extends your Mendenhall time for Nugget Falls. Do you research on how and when to catch the shuttle.