Juneau and Icy Strait

[1bets1]

My daughter and her husband are cruising from Seattle Aug 27, 2022. For those that have been here before- which port would you whale watch? It looks to me both are good, but if they chose one, what to do in the other port? They like hiking, etc. Thanks in advance!

[3rdGenCunarder]

They're two of the best ports for whale watching. if you want to do only one, look at the other offerings in each port and see what you would do instead of a whale watch. There are more choices in Juneau than in Icy Straight Point.

 

If you don't want to buy a ship excursion, I have had excellent experiences with Gastineau in Juneau and Hoonah Adventures in ISP. 

 

Read some of the other whale watch threads here for suggested vendors. Do your research and find a  good company. Don't take one of the double-decker boats where it will be crowded.

[1bets1]

Thank you. For Icy Strait Point, they were recommended Glacier Winds for whale watching, andJuneau Harv and Marv.  Do you know of any hiking type tours in Juneau? I'm not finding a lot.

[karatemom2]

1 hour ago, 1bets1 said:

Thank you. For Icy Strait Point, they were recommended Glacier Winds for whale watching, andJuneau Harv and Marv.  Do you know of any hiking type tours in Juneau? I'm not finding a lot.

I would recommend doing the whale watch in Icy Strait Point - excellent whale watching there! And if they like hiking there are great options in Juneau. Tell them to check out the trails at Mendenhall Glacier- especially to Nugget Falls. Perseverance Trail is another great option as is the Mount Roberts trail and Treadwell Mine trail. 

[1bets1]

Thank you! I will research them now.

[Italy52]

Whale watching recommendations:  Icy Strait --- Glacier Wind and in Juneau, Jayleen's Alaska.  Both are great companies, we have gone out with them numerous times.  Also, check TripAdvisor for their reviews, if interested.

[quack2]

Thanks to all who spelled Icy Strait correctly.

[kona_wahine]

We did a whale watch thru NCL in Juneau “whale watching & wildlife quest” that was ok. We saw 3 whales but the problem was the boat was basically a glass box. You put a boat load of very wet, rained on people in a glass box with no ventilation and turn the heater on and you get fogged up windows. They finally gave us rags and we literally spent the whole excursion wiping down windows. That kinda sucked. They had a small deck above you could go outside, but it was very crowded. Finally after a couple hours they turned on a small fan but it didn’t do much. Hopefully they figure it out, as it does rain a lot up there. I’d much rather have had an open boat, so that’s what I would look for. (Rain or not, I can wear a rain coat)

Edited May 22, 2022 by kona_wahine

[SightCRR]

ISP has new gondola to view the landscape. Also the zip rider. Check the in port times as some cruises do ISP after Glacier Bay and you get to ISP late or it is dark before you leave. 

In Juneau if they want a trip they will never forget do the helo glacier landing. We used Costal. If they want hiking take tram  up to Mt Roberts and hike down one of two main trails. Be alert for signs closing trails do to bear activity and don't carry food (just water). Juneau only black bears, ISP either black or brown. 

sightcrr

[JT1962]

I was in ISP and Juneau the first week of May and did whale watching in both ports and saw whales in both locations, but many more in ISP. I have used Glacier Winds at ISP in the past and had them booked again, but one of the Captains tested positive for Covid just before I arrived. Glacier Winds refunded me and recommended Hoonah Adventures, which was excellent as well.

[Dancing Shoes]

6 hours ago, kona_wahine said:

We did a whale watch thru NCL in Juneau “whale watching & wildlife quest” that was ok. We saw 3 whales but the problem was the boat was basically a glass box. You put a boat load of very wet, rained on people in a glass box with no ventilation and turn the heater on and you get fogged up windows. They finally gave us rags and we literally spent the whole excursion wiping down windows. That kinda sucked. They had a small deck above you could go outside, but it was very crowded. Finally after a couple hours they turned on a small fan but it didn’t do much. Hopefully they figure it out, as it does rain a lot up there. I’d much rather have had an open boat, so that’s what I would look for. (Rain or not, I can wear a rain coat)

Aloha. We are booked on a whale watch through Celebrity.  Do you know the company who took you out?  I hear ya about being out in the open, like whale watching in Hawaii.

[kona_wahine]

44 minutes ago, Dancing Shoes said:

Aloha. We are booked on a whale watch through Celebrity.  Do you know the company who took you out?  I hear ya about being out in the open, like whale watching in Hawaii.

The name of the company was Allen Marine. It was just unfortunate they couldn’t crack a few windows or open the doors and got some air circulating. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

10 hours ago, Dancing Shoes said:

Aloha. We are booked on a whale watch through Celebrity.  Do you know the company who took you out?  I hear ya about being out in the open, like whale watching in Hawaii.

Google the exact title of your tour and see if it gets a hit. Compare the written descriptions to see if that's the company Celebrity is using. It takes a while, but it's worth it to avoid the dreaded double-deckers.

[Firepath]

On 5/22/2022 at 8:20 AM, 1bets1 said:

My daughter and her husband are cruising from Seattle Aug 27, 2022. For those that have been here before- which port would you whale watch? It looks to me both are good, but if they chose one, what to do in the other port? They like hiking, etc. Thanks in advance!

My husband and son are fishing from shore in Juneau.

[3rdGenCunarder]

13 hours ago, kona_wahine said:

The name of the company was Allen Marine. It was just unfortunate they couldn’t crack a few windows or open the doors and got some air circulating. 

 

Allen Marine gets a lot of business from cruise ships. Their boats are larger than some of the other companies, which means the ship can sell more tickets. 

[kona_wahine]

2 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Allen Marine gets a lot of business from cruise ships. Their boats are larger than some of the other companies, which means the ship can sell more tickets. 

I’m sure they do. I hope they figure out the fogging issue as it was a problem. Literally 3 hours of wiping down windows. 

[Dancing Shoes]

I think it is Allen Marine.  I was on one of their vessels up Tracy Arm and it was nice. The weather was too.  I am fine with a bigger boat if there is enough room to move around.  I am using an on-board credit.  That helps if it is bad.  

Edited May 24, 2022 by Dancing Shoes