Allen Marine Tour questions

[World Gallery]

I found a tour company that is rated well on tripadvisor so I visited their website at www.allenmarinetours.com and they have the kind of tours we are looking for in Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan. I am unclear though on their wording in regards to if you can book them directly or must book through a cruise ship if you are on a cruise. When you try to reserve, it brings you to a page that has unclear policies an no pricing.

Has anyone use Allen Marine Tours? Did you book directly? What tour?

[BIG_Steve]

I found a tour company that is rated well on tripadvisor so I visited their website at www.allenmarinetours.com and they have the kind of tours we are looking for in Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan. I am unclear though on their wording in regards to if you can book them directly or must book through a cruise ship if you are on a cruise. When you try to reserve, it brings you to a page that has unclear policies an no pricing.

Has anyone use Allen Marine Tours? Did you book directly? What tour?

 

Took the Misty Fjords boat tour with them last year in Ketchikan. They have agreements with most (if not all) the cruislines to run that tour for them. Therefore they will not knowingly compete with the cruiseline independently for your business.

 

FYI, their boat and crew were the best/most professional out of all the tours we did, and they were all good.

[vbmom87]

I found a tour company that is rated well on tripadvisor so I visited their website at www.allenmarinetours.com and they have the kind of tours we are looking for in Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan. I am unclear though on their wording in regards to if you can book them directly or must book through a cruise ship if you are on a cruise. When you try to reserve, it brings you to a page that has unclear policies an no pricing.

Has anyone use Allen Marine Tours? Did you book directly? What tour?

 

Contact them via email or phone. Sometimes vendors only offer their tours through the cruiseships.

[sharecruises]

I think they do the whale watch tours in Juneau too don't they?

 

have you done that? Is the boat heated, does it feel "safe"??? did you get seasick?? thanks

[Sandi3667]

We had great experiences with Allen Marine Tours last month. Wound up booking 2 trips with them, both booked through HAL. Did the Whale Watching out of Juneau, and the Sea Otter Quest in Sitka. We went up to the upper deck of each catamaran, and I was able to get views from the rail for the orcas & humpbacks. The lower level on our boats were fully enclosed, with bench seats & lots of windows. The upper level had bench seating in the enclosed area behind the wheelhouse, with an open area towards the rear. The open decks had quite a few handholds, which did come in handy. There are speakers throughout the vessel so you can hear the naturalist, and any comments from the Captain.

[LindaKE]

Took the Misty Fjords boat tour with them last year in Ketchikan. They have agreements with most (if not all) the cruislines to run that tour for them. Therefore they will not knowingly compete with the cruiseline independently for your business.

 

FYI, their boat and crew were the best/most professional out of all the tours we did, and they were all good.

 

We did the Tracy Arm add-on tour in which the cataraman meets you at the entrance and you transfer directly from the ship. Therefore, our tour was through the cruise line. It was very good! The boat was clean, and they gave lots of interesting commentary and stopped for wild life sightings. Whether you book through the cruise line or directly, I recommend them.

[johnjohnwaverider]

I was looking forward to this trip as it was the only "boat" shore excursion we had planned. I was super disappointed. It felt like an impersonal extension of our cruise ship. We were herded onto the boat in a single file line, spoken to by the "naturalist" over a loud speaker, competed with others to see wildlife that looked small b/c the boat was massive and it wasn't peaceful due to rumbling diesel engines. Oh, don't forget the on-board store selling stuffed eagles and other tourist junk. I don't think I'll be booking through the ship anymore as I feel that the tours are just a money making extension of the cruise.

[vbmom87]

I was looking forward to this trip as it was the only "boat" shore excursion we had planned. I was super disappointed. It felt like an impersonal extension of our cruise ship. We were herded onto the boat in a single file line, spoken to by the "naturalist" over a loud speaker, competed with others to see wildlife that looked small b/c the boat was massive and it wasn't peaceful due to rumbling diesel engines. Oh, don't forget the on-board store selling stuffed eagles and other tourist junk. I don't think I'll be booking through the ship anymore as I feel that the tours are just a money making extension of the cruise.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!!

 

Exactly which boat tour are you talking about?

[Budget Queen]

All of Allen Marine's boat, are larger tour books that can hold 100 +++--- passengers. They are a long standing, well run company in Alaska. But they do take out much larger numbers of people compared to the independents. And are ship contracted.

[LindaKE]

All of Allen Marine's boat, are larger tour books that can hold 100 +++--- passengers.

 

Ours was almost exactly 100. But it wasn't crowded. There was plenty of room to move around and it only took a little patience to get to the railing for good photos. The boat waited until everyone had a chance before moving on.

[WantaBCrusn]

I took the Otter Quest tour with Allen Marine out of Sitka earlier this month. It was a very nice tour and not at all crowded. Wherever possible he would rotate the boat so both sides had a view.

 

I booked this trip through HAL. They picked everyone up at the ship which was a nice feature and then dropped you off at the dock at the end of the tour.

[Sandi3667]

I took the Otter Quest tour with Allen Marine out of Sitka earlier this month. It was a very nice tour and not at all crowded. Wherever possible he would rotate the boat so both sides had a view.

 

I booked this trip through HAL. They picked everyone up at the ship which was a nice feature and then dropped you off at the dock at the end of the tour.

 

And if your tour runs late, like ours did, they'll bring you directly to the ship.

[Budget Queen]

I took the Otter Quest tour with Allen Marine out of Sitka earlier this month. It was a very nice tour and not at all crowded. Wherever possible he would rotate the boat so both sides had a view.

 

I booked this trip through HAL. They picked everyone up at the ship which was a nice feature and then dropped you off at the dock at the end of the tour.

 

However, Allen Marine chooses the areas, you sail. With an independent, out of Sitka, a highlight is St. Lazaria Island, and the viewing of the puffin rookery. Allen Marine does NOT always go there.

[Budget Queen]

Ours was almost exactly 100. But it wasn't crowded. There was plenty of room to move around and it only took a little patience to get to the railing for good photos. The boat waited until everyone had a chance before moving on.

 

I guess my preference is to have that space available to me, the entire trip. I do not want to juggle a spot, and "wait" my turn. I am spoiled on the boat tours I go on, and look for and book with specific touring preferences.

 

For many, it may not matter, and certainly the Alaska boat tours offer excellent adventures.

[MightyQuinn]

Does Allen Marine usually include St. Lazaria Island and the puffin rookery on their 3-hr Sea Otter Quest tour out of Sitka? Their on-line description is pretty nondescript!

[Ohio-C-Luver]

I took the Otter Quest tour with Allen Marine out of Sitka earlier this month. It was a very nice tour and not at all crowded. Wherever possible he would rotate the boat so both sides had a view.

 

I booked this trip through HAL. They picked everyone up at the ship which was a nice feature and then dropped you off at the dock at the end of the tour.

We were on the Allen Marine out of Sitka last September, a ships tour with RCCL, it was one of the best Wildlife tours ever! We saw lots of whales, eagles, sea otters, and even Bear's come down to the beach and catch salmon it was wonderful!

 

Jan

[Budget Queen]

Does Allen Marine usually include St. Lazaria Island and the puffin rookery on their 3-hr Sea Otter Quest tour out of Sitka? Their on-line description is pretty nondescript!

 

no, and as I have already mentioned, they are the only one to determine where they go. With an independent, not the case.

[fleckle]

Ours was almost exactly 100. But it wasn't crowded. There was plenty of room to move around and it only took a little patience to get to the railing for good photos. The boat waited until everyone had a chance before moving on.

We took the Allen Marine tour the first time and while we liked the large, comfortable boat, we strongly disliked the necessity for passengers to take turns at the railing. They simply booked too many people for the available space.

 

It should not require any "patience" or waiting to get to the railing when wildlife is spotted if they have adequate room for everybody.

 

The next time we were in Sitka, we booked a private excursion with Captain Davey on the Esther G. instead. What a world of difference!

[Beach4me]

We took 3 Allen Marine tours through the ship last year. They were all wonderful and none of them were crowded. Enjoyed them very much and would take them again.

 

btw - I was with Jan on the Sitka trip...one of the best excursions we've ever had anywhere! (Hey, Jan!)

[PennyAgain]

The problem with taking turns is that some people refuse to give up the rail space and nothing is done about it.

 

If they are going to expect people to take turns, they need to enforce it.

 

We had one woman who refused to move one inch and had others 'save' her space.

 

She pushed and shoved her way into the best positions. Even though several people complained. Absolutely nothing was done. There were enough 'hogs' that it was useless to try to wait for another space.

 

Really a shame. I won't take another tour where such taking turns is expected. It is a poor deal.

[MightyQuinn]

Really a shame. I won't take another tour where such taking turns is expected. It is a poor deal.

The Sea Otter Quest tour is "award-winning" and does get good reviews, so I was tempted until I read the bit about 100 pax and taking turns. Not appealing at all. Furthermore, I e-mailed Allen Marine several days ago to ask if they included St. Lazaria Island but still no reply. Thankfully, Budget Queen filled in the details. It will be private operator for us.

[Sandi3667]

We took the Sea Otter quest in May, and had plenty of space. I'm sure during the peak seasons, the boats can get crowded. We went up to the top deck, and had enough space that we could leave bags on the seats up front, then go to the open areas when we saw something. In between viewings, there was plenty of room to sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery.

 

We really enjoyed our trip, but next time around, will probably look at independent operators, just for some variety.

[Beach4me]

When we took the Sea Otter Quest last year, there was no "taking turns" or any sense of being crowded.

 

It was a huge convenience for the boat to pick up us at the ship too. (I think they only do this on the first tour of the day.) I prefer the larger boats and the amenities they afford. Others prefer the smaller boats of the independent operators. The good thing is that we all have options that suit us!

 

Enjoy your visit to Alaska.

[zqvol]

I found a tour company that is rated well on tripadvisor so I visited their website at www.allenmarinetours.com and they have the kind of tours we are looking for in Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan. I am unclear though on their wording in regards to if you can book them directly or must book through a cruise ship if you are on a cruise. When you try to reserve, it brings you to a page that has unclear policies an no pricing.

Has anyone use Allen Marine Tours? Did you book directly? What tour?

 

We were on them 10 days ago to go through Tracy Arm and Sawyer Glacier. The only way to describe them is EXCEPTIONAL!

 

I can't help much with booking aas we went through the ship because they picked us up in the middle of Tracy Arm as we were moving and we left the ship behind. (It went to Juneau and we went to the glacier).

[ironin]

Does Allen Marine usually include St. Lazaria Island and the puffin rookery on their 3-hr Sea Otter Quest tour out of Sitka? Their on-line description is pretty nondescript!

 

If you haven't found anything yet, check out Jim Seeland. We did a tour with him last year. Included all that and more and were quite pleased. He's flexible about doing what you want. He's a marine biologist, btw. Jim could have cancelled our tour because there were only two of us and his mechanic didn't deliver the new boat engine before the season started as promised (We were there in May). Instead, he got someone else to lend/rent him a boat (and captain) and we had a great time!