Harv and marv's or orca enterprises?

[Italy52]

We didn't find it too crowded at all when we went. I'm not sure how many people were there but it looked like most of the bench style seating was filled. It turned out that we were seated in a pretty good location for viewing whales on this particular trip. We did go outside and climb to the top viewing area but it was windy, rainy and cold so spent most of our time indoors.

 

 

We chose Harv&Marv this time as we just wanted to try a smaller boat. We had done a private tour with Captain Davey in Sitka and really enjoyed it.

 

Thanks for the response, I appreciate it. One last question: for outside viewing, were you able to walk all around the boat for viewing like some of the smaller boats?

 

Karen

[nursemindy]

We are just back from an Alaska cruise and booked with Harv and Marv. Our Captain was Liz and it was an amazing day. I dont know how to post photos on here but if you go to my FB ablum you can see some of the photos.

[PurrSusan]

We chose the smaller 6 passenger boat with Harv & Marv (Captain Steve was great!) the first week of June. We were able to go outside at the back of the boat as well as the front. It was so easy to get a good view when there were only 6 people. All of the boats observe the rules & stay the proper distance from the whales but apparently the whales don't know the rules---here's one that snuck up right behind us!!

[Italy52]

Love your whale picture --- both scary and exciting all at the same time --- love that feeling. :)

 

Karen

[aamechs2]

We went with Harv and Marv's and it was so awesome! We had Capt Steve and there were 6 of us so we had our own "private" boat. The whale watching is well worth every penny and then some.

[Alaska_2012]

We just got back from our cruise this morning. We went whale watching Monday (July 2nd) with Harv and Marv and had an amazing time! Captain Jayleen was wonderful and allowed us extra time when we came across a humpback putting on a show. The shuttle driver then took us out to Mendenhall Glacier. I cannot recommend this company enough. :D

[wowsmom]

We are just back from an Alaska cruise and booked with Harv and Marv. Our Captain was Liz and it was an amazing day. I dont know how to post photos on here but if you go to my FB ablum you can see some of the photos.

 

Now I'm reaaaallllly looking forward to our trip with Harv & Marv! Thanks for sharing your pictures. :)

[langrela]

We enjoyed our whale watching tour with Orca a couple of weeks ago, but I think next time we will try Harv and Marv.

 

The boat had about 35 people onboard, and it did not feel crowded. However, whenever they would say "there she blows 12:00", everyone would stand up, and being seated in the back we could not see 12:00. There was an area to stand outside aft so we spent much of our time out there. There is also a large area up top. They allowed people up top at certain times, 12 people at a time.

 

The girl in the Orca office told us that the $20 each for the Mendenhall shuttle included admission to the Visitor Center but it did not. It was only $3.00 each, so not a big deal. Must have just been a miscommunication.

 

The crew were knowledgeable and friendly, and we very much enjoyed ourselves. I just think next time we'll try something different :)

[gymjudge55]

Don't forget Rum Runners with Captain Chris. We're booked with him in September and he has EXCELLENT reviews. He's also been super via phone and email.

 

We are also booked with rum runners. He offered us an excellent deal for a 6 hour combo fishing and whale watching tour. We have a private charter for the 4 of us and it was $240 per person for the 6 hours including all taxes. He is dropping us off at Mendenhall and we should have a good 2 hours there and still be able to catch the last shuttle at 6 p.m. He has been really great both with phone, email and a mailed packet that included all kinds of great information about Juneau.

[mt82]

we are in Juneau for 8 hours, if we do the 11:30 time and get back at 4 and ship leaves at 8, so I am thinking 3 hours to see everything else, is this enough time? if it really worth it for taking away everything else

[Budget Queen]

we are in Juneau for 8 hours, if we do the 11:30 time and get back at 4 and ship leaves at 8, so I am thinking 3 hours to see everything else, is this enough time? if it really worth it for taking away everything else

 

What is your "else" reference?

 

Whale watching, may not be "worth" it depending on YOUR touring priorities, in this limited time.

[nonnacous]

Did a whale watching trip with Harv and Marv last week. I had waited til the last minute and called them the afternoon before we were to be in Juneau to see if they had anything available. Thankfully they offered us a "watch" first thing the next morning when our ship docked - the 4 of us and another couple from our ship were taken out by Colin, who was great! The seas were a little choppy so they decided to use a little larger boat than they had planned and all was well! We saw many humpbacks and sea lions and then came across a group of Orcas! Such fun watching them frolic in the open water!

 

After the whale watch our shuttle driver took us out to the Mendenhal Glacier where we spent about 45 min walking around and taking pictures. Then, on our way back to the port, he took us to the salmon processing plant. It was so interesting to see the salmon jumping the ladders and the holding tanks black with them! Our driver was very knowledgeable of the area and gave us good commentary as we drove along both going and coming.

 

I would definitely recommend Harv and Marv to anyone headed to Juneau!

[mt82]

What is your "else" reference?

 

Whale watching, may not be "worth" it depending on YOUR touring priorities, in this limited time.

 

since this is our first trip to Alaska (first cruise actually) we not sure what else there is to do, so many talk about Mendenhall, and musems and walking around town. We don't care about museums but of course gotta go buy "something". and love waterfalls to, BUT nothing takes the place of whales :p

[nonnacous]

since this is our first trip to Alaska (first cruise actually) we not sure what else there is to do, so many talk about Mendenhall, and musems and walking around town. We don't care about museums but of course gotta go buy "something". and love waterfalls to, BUT nothing takes the place of whales :p

 

 

Well, then I would definitely book with Harv and Marv!:)

They will take you to Mendenhall too, but if you want to spend any time there you'll need to take the "blue bus". Maybe H & M would drop you there and you could take the bus back as it runs every 30 minutes or so. And if you want to "buy something" - for some reason every other store in Alaska is jewelry!!!!:eek:

[johndc]

Just returned from a cruise last week, and for whale watching in Juneau we tried H&M, but they had only 2 spaces when we needed 3, so they referred us to Alaska Galore. We loved it! (Read my review on TripAdvisor.) Capt. was John Sylvester; boat was small (we had 10 pax), but had a head; and we saw tons (literally, hundreds of tons :-) of whales, including 2 pods bubble net feeding, and other wildlife. Highly recommend AG from our experience.

[rdnpdx1]

Did a whale watching trip with Harv and Marv last week. I had waited til the last minute and called them the afternoon before we were to be in Juneau to see if they had anything available. Thankfully they offered us a "watch" first thing the next morning when our ship docked - the 4 of us and another couple from our ship were taken out by Colin, who was great! The seas were a little choppy so they decided to use a little larger boat than they had planned and all was well! We saw many humpbacks and sea lions and then came across a group of Orcas! Such fun watching them frolic in the open water!

 

After the whale watch our shuttle driver took us out to the Mendenhal Glacier where we spent about 45 min walking around and taking pictures. Then, on our way back to the port, he took us to the salmon processing plant. It was so interesting to see the salmon jumping the ladders and the holding tanks black with them! Our driver was very knowledgeable of the area and gave us good commentary as we drove along both going and coming.

 

I would definitely recommend Harv and Marv to anyone headed to Juneau!

 

 

We had an equally good experience with H&M. We went earlier in the season - June 1 sailing - but had a delightful morning with them Would highly recommend. We were on a six passenger boat and had no issues with seasickness. There was some chop that day, but nothing too bad.

[dread_pirate]

I just returned from Alaska, and we went with Orca Enterprises. We saw so many whales! There were only about 20 people on board, and everyone was able to see everything! Very sweet people. One whale came so close to the boat that even Captain Larry came out to see it! We could see the entire animal just under the surface - amazing!

[capriccio]

We loved Harv and Marvs! When I made reservation last fall we were traveling with my sister/BIL and brother/SIL so we 'filled up' the 6 person boat. Then in March our other brother/SIL decided to join us. I was worried about how to handle that but they put us on their new 12 person boat but only charged us for the 8 passengers (and didn't accept anyone else). It was a fabulous morning - dead calm, sunny and in the 70s. We watched more than 10 whales bubble net feeding all around us for an hour and then moved to the other side of the island where some of us a whale breach and we saw lots of sea lions. We recommend them wholeheartedly!

[Kycruisefan]

Great information! Thanks

[lorilea]

We just did a whale watch with Harv & Marv last week. We did Orca 3 years ago.

Both trips were very different.

 

Orca - boat was full but we sat in a good spot, it was raining but waters were calm - watched 16 whales bubble net feed for 3 hours - incredible! Heard them on the sonar.

 

Harv & Marv - 6 people on boat, it was a beautiful sunny day but a bit choppy, saw quite a few spouts and a few tails - nothing really close. Saw puffins which I wasn't expecting. Orca's boat was in the same area and did not appear to be full - they would have seen the same thing we did.

 

If I had to choose - I would pick Harv & Marv as we prefer the small boat experience. Both companies are excellent as far as I'm concerned.

 

Surprisingly, we saw more whales from our ship this time. We saw 2 calves breeching over and over again one morning. My son could even see them from the bed. Last trip we did not see a single whale from the ship. You just never know.

[basil1]

I just returned from Alaska last week. We had tried to book with Harv & Marv but they were sold out so we booked with Orca instead. I would highly recommend Orca. Captain Larry knows right where to go and his tour guides are very knowledgable about whales and other Alaska wild life. One of them has his own special on whales that has been featured on the Discovery channel.

The fact that the boat wasn't full may have impacted my opinion.

The boat had comfortable seats and was heated.

We saw lots of whales. One pod that had 9 in it. We also saw a baby whale and some sea lions.

Have a great cruise

[dacjam]

We used Orca in 2009 and H&M in 2012. They were both good. I was actually a bit disappointed with H&M but that's because my expectations were so high. We had a group of 8 and I assumed we would be on their newer large boat. They actually "outsourced" our booking to Alaska Galore. I wish they had told me this upfront. I booked last November and I might have made a different choice if they were already booked. They never told me that. The Captain we had seemed to be annoyed we were on his boat. Several people in my party commented on it. I felt bad since I picked H&M. For some reason, he also cut the trip short by 10 minutes. He wasn't clear about why. He just said the driver told him to. On the other hand, I liked having the boat to ourselves. H&M includes pickup at the cruise ship. With Orca, we had to walk to town from the Princess AF dock. H&M bus was much cleaner and the driver was friendlier and more informative. H&M includes a 20 minute stop at Mendenhall Glacier. We had a beautiful day in Juneau and that stop was the highlight of our cruise. We saw salmon, a mother bear and her two cubs and hiked to Nugget Falls. We took a bus back to town since we wanted to stay more than the 20 minutes allowed. I'd use H&M again but I wouldn't want the same Captain. Orca's boat was easier to get around in because it was larger. I liked the top platform for whale viewing. Whale sightings and other wildlife were about the same.

[Firery Fairies]

On 6/29/2012 at 4:51 PM, ute_fan said:

In answer to the OP's question, there are several of us here who swear by Harv & Marv's, and as many, if not more (including Budget Queen) who think that Orca is the best way to go.

 

Frankly, you probably can't go wrong with either one. I went with Harv & Marv because I didn't get any response from Orca the first time we were planning a whale watching excursion. Maybe they were already booked for that day, or maybe they didn't get the messages since it was not yet tourist season when I called and sent an email, but for whatever reason they didn't get back with me.

 

Rather than pursuing it, I contacted Harv & Marv and was extremely pleased with both their customer service and the excursion itself. We ended up totally loving the small "6-pack" boat, with just 6 passengers plus the captain, and felt that both their customer service and the excursion itself were excellent. As a result, when my daughter and her husband went on an Alaskan cruise for their honeymoon, I sent them off with Harv and Marv, and my husband and I have now done two excursions with them, and will be calling them again next time to go to Alaska.

 

I have seen numerous people mention Harv and Marv and JWW for excursions. I am new to doing excursions on cruises. How do I get a hold of and/or find Harv and Marv??

[capriccio]

11 minutes ago, Firery Fairies said:

 

I have seen numerous people mention Harv and Marv and JWW for excursions. I am new to doing excursions on cruises. How do I get a hold of and/or find Harv and Marv??

Google Harv and Marv Juneau or go directly to their website:  https://www.harvandmarvs-juneau-whale-watching.com/

[ute_fan]

32 minutes ago, Firery Fairies said:

 

I have seen numerous people mention Harv and Marv and JWW for excursions. I am new to doing excursions on cruises. How do I get a hold of and/or find Harv and Marv??

I saw that someone gave you the link to Harv and Marv's.  Just as an update, as my original post was written in 2012, the original owners have now sold the company.  We went with them when we were there 4 years ago, which was after the transition,  and had a great time and wonderful whale sightings.  I certainly wouldn't discourage anyone from using them, but do be aware that the original owners are no longer involved.

We're going in June again, and Harv and Marv didn't have availability.  I'm going to try Jayleen's Alaska this time.  She's the daughter of one of the original Harv and Marv founders.  If Harv and Marv isn't available that's another option.  She gets good reviews here and on TripAdvisor.

 

Edited April 18, 2019 by ute_fan