NCL Juneau, Alaska Excursions

[Heather1972]

Hi all -

 

I'm trying to nail down what we are doing on our summer Alaska cruise. If I book the Whale Watching and Mendenhall Glacier photo safari, the excursion is 14 or less people with Gastineau Guiding Company? I'd hate to book this and then find out it's more like 60+ crammed on to a small boat.

[Sauer-kraut]

Have you looked on the Alaska board for this company? You might find a better operator for cheaper. The boards are fantastic for exploring port excursions.

[JimS4210]

Two years ago we went to Alaska on the Sun. We booked our Juneau whale watching tour with Harv & Marv's. Unbelievable! Best excursion we've been on, bar none. I think we had a total of ten people on the boat. Saw tons of whales and they made a stop at the Mendenhall Glacier on the way back. We decided to stay at the glacier longer, so we took a taxi back ourselves to the port. Look up their reviews on these board or TripAdvisor... Definitely recommended!

 

Jim

[Heather1972]

I can't book with Harv & Marv since we have an 11 year old. :eek:

[JimS4210]

I can't book with Harv & Marv since we have an 11 year old. :eek:

True. I think they have a 13 or older policy unless you book the entire boat.

 

Jim

[hawgwildterry]

I have done both Marv & Harv plus Orca Enterprises with Captain Larry. Mary & Harv is better in the fact that they take less people...but as you say, they have an age limit.

 

Captain Larry does a great job but does carry more passengers although his boat is really fast and actually passed the Marv & Harv boat I was on. When I went with him, they allowed people to go onto the top deck (with railings) for a better view. He also allows younger kids.

 

http://www.orcaenterprises.com/tours-and-rates

Edited April 3, 2016 by hawgwildterry

[OneWord]

True. I think they have a 13 or older policy unless you book the entire boat.

 

Jim

 

Bummer.

[lmintzer]

Gastineau Guiding limits its Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier Photo Safari to 14 people! No big crowds. It books only through cruise ships, but gets rave reviews on the Alaska Port-of-Calls message board. Not a cheap trip, but you get photo guidance, a motion-stabilized boat for 14, padded armrests and big, wide-opening windows for easy photo shooting. Downside (to my mind) is that the trail tour at Mendenhall Glacier is the "Trail of Time" instead of the trail to Nugget Falls. And the price!

 

Two other options I have resarched:

 

Rum Runners: small company, 1-2 boats. Captain Chris returned my e-mails promptly. Takes 6 per boat for 2.5 hour whale watching tour. Will either drop off or pick up at glacier and can help you arrange transportation the other way. We will be able to spend 1.25-1.5 hours at glacier which is more than is possible on the combined tours. Downside: possibility of motion sickness on smaller boat; small chance trip could be cancelled if weather was really bad. Having to take a taxi/car service one way.

 

Orca Enterprises (now run by Dolphin Jet Boat Tours): also highly reviewd on Alaska ports board. Small boats. 2 hours on the water. They have a combined trip to Mendenhall as well (45-60 minutes there, self-guided).

 

HTH.

Edited April 19, 2016 by lmintzer

[mimi'sgirl]

We used Orca Enterprises last July. I chose them due to price, reviews and I have 2 kids 10 and 12. We had a great experience. The staff was friendly, the boat comfortable, small enough group and we saw a bunch of whales!

[Sue Do'nym]

We did the whale watching/ Mendenhall excursion through NCL. ( I wanted Harv and Marv but I have family members who are afraid of being left on shore and insisted on going through NCL to ensure we would not be left behind). The boat was great and did not feel crowded- they divided us up into multiple boats and the naturalists were knowledgeable. The Mendenhall visit was rushed- we only had an hour. If you cannot find another option- I would recommend the excursion through NCL.