Whale Watch + Mendenhall with MGT?

[meab]

I've searched high and low - nearly all whale-watch recommendations go for H&M or Orca. But I'm working last-minute here, and traveling with 4 young kids... so even IF H&M or Orca had space available, the price is high for our family.

I talked to the people at MGT (who I was originally going to use for the shuttle to Mendenhall), and they told me kids 5 and under are free on their whale-watch/mendenhall trip. This is some huge savings for us.

She did mention the boat held 30 or so people. So compared to H&M, this is obviously huge and less personalized. I could only find one review online, and it said they didn't get close to whales...not sure if that was just their day, or the MGT trip just isn't very good. The fact that there is still space available, and she said I can even book as a walk-up when I get to town also makes me nervous (as in, why isn't anyone else on this tour?!?)

Even though MGT is the best price for us, it will be a waste of money if we don't see the whales. And yes, I know no one can guarantee great sightings - but is it really luck of the day, or do some operators just do a better job at getting close?

Another option is to leave the kids onboard and go on my own, but I thought they might enjoy it and I'll feel guilty if they miss out on something cool!

[Budget Queen]

Did you ask MGT who the vendor was? They certainly aren't the vendor, and they are only cobooking this for you. With the 30 person reference, this sounds like Orca Enterprises, since most of the other vendors use 6 packs.

You are wrong with your thinking a 30 person boat is crowded or a disadvantage. That is still a small boat. My east coast whale watches are on boats of over a hundred people and I see just fine. :)

With the kids being free, I wouldn't worry about it, but under 5 is a tough age, due to them not being real good or quick enough to see much. Bring TRIPLE the amount of distractions and snacks, and be well prepared to not give you any priority whale watching. Your job is going to be keeping all those kids in line. :)

It appears you are expecting more than you should with a whale watch. You can expect nothing more than seeing blows, backs and trails. Not a lot of surface behavior. IF you think your small kids are going to get a Sea World show, they aren't.

[meab]

thanks BudgetQueen.

in reading reviews here and seeing pictures that people post, i agree it is easy to begin to expect more than is reasonable.

i know that under 5 can be a tough age - welcome to my life, lol! we've done other boat rides to see some wildlife, and it can definitely be a challenge.

i feel more optimistic about this experience though - thanks for your input!

[meab]

just an update: we decided not to do the whale watch tour after all. my younger daughter wasn't feeling well the day before, and my husband and i saw quite a few whales from the ship (i know it's not the same thing, but we were satisfied). we decided not to risk it - daughter getting sick, kids being cold/bored - it was still a lot of money for the excursion. BUT, we know other people who went, and they said they saw tons of whales and it was amazing. So, we were a little disappointed that we didn't do it, but our day in Juneau was pretty leisurely between the Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls in the morning, and then we were able to enjoy the ship and even go swimming onboard in the afternoon. We'll just do the whale watching next time! Thanks for your advice, BudgetQueen!