Whale Watching in Juneau through Princess

[sh2738]

I am going on a cruise to Alaska in July on Princess and want to do whale watching excursion. I have seen threads about whale watching but they seem to be about outside companies.

 

Has anyone done a whale watching excursion in Juneau through the Princess Cruise line that had a good experience? There are many options through Princess and I wanted to see if anyone could offer a good one that was able to get great views of whales?

 

I want to stick with excursions through Princess instead of looking outside of it

 

Thanks.

[peety3]

Do JNU-700 or JNU-710. Both are serviced by Gastineau Guiding http://stepintoalaska.com/ and are fantastic. Small-boat freedom (14 or 20 passengers max) with big-boat stability (inflated pontoons broaden the base and keep the ballast [YOU/US] centered), plus large swing-up windows that offer great photo freedom. We used them in 2010, regretted using somebody else in 2012, and went back to them in 2014.

 

I suspect they offer a few others. Just check their website and match up the Cruise Shore Excursions to the names you see in your excursion picker.

[xlxo]

I was on Gastineau via DCL. Love the trip. The swing up windows were my fav feature on a rainy August trip.

[martincath]

Another vote for the above tours with Gastineau. Boats were indeed excellent (as well as the big open windows, also an open bow that saw some use on our trip when it wasn't drizzling) and the guides are experienced photographers who give excellent advice for maximizing the potential of your camera and skillset (our group had everyone from a point & click 'all I do is use Auto' person to a semi-pro with two camera bodies and about a thousand lenses - everybody got some good advice for shots on the water, in the forest, and at the glacier).

[Saruman]

Have booked our sixth cruise on Princess and have reserved tickets for the whale watching in Juneau through Princess. We have NEVER failed to be see whales or orcas on any of the trips. I know lots of folks have done the independents and there are craft out there that are smaller than the catamarans we take, but the skippers are all communicating with each other and everyone seems to see whatever is out there, with whichever outfit they take. We know that the timing back to the ship will always be coordinated and are quite content with the tour. Take your pick, you're going to see a whale. Probably more. Now, are you going to see a whale breach clear out of the water like they show in the television clips? Probably not. But you will see whales…tails and fins at least. That seems to be the norm. The breaching is a special thrill. Do any of the competing tours guarantee you'll see a breach? Nope. But they ALL guarantee a sighting or give refunds!! You'll see a whale! Enjoy!! And if you are patient and watch from the ship, you might see a whale while sailing up or down the passage!! We have.:)

[JimAOk1945]

I am going on a cruise to Alaska in July on Princess and want to do whale watching excursion. I have seen threads about whale watching but they seem to be about outside companies.

 

Has anyone done a whale watching excursion in Juneau through the Princess Cruise line that had a good experience? There are many options through Princess and I wanted to see if anyone could offer a good one that was able to get great views of whales?

 

I want to stick with excursions through Princess instead of looking outside of it

 

Thanks.

 

On our first Alaska cruise in August 2009, we were on the Star Princess. We booked our whale watch excursion through Princess and had a very good experience.

Edited February 11, 2015 by JimAOk1945

[peety3]

A follow-up on why we went back to Gastineau: on our 2012 cruise, the whale watch boat was very similar to this: The aft viewing platform isn't big enough for everyone. The side windows only open 49% at most (they slide), and they aren't really lined up with the rows of seats. With the majority of the people on the starboard (right) side of the boat, it's leaning/heeling to the right.

 

Meanwhile, the flip-up windows of the GG boats make for great wide viewing spaces inside: Although there isn't a ton of space up front or in the back, the windows more than make up for it, and they have flip-out cushions so you can rest your arm while holding your camera. And even with everybody on the port side, the boat is either level or at least a lot closer to it than the boat above.