whale watching excursion vs. on cruise ship

[taclkc]

We are cruising the inside passage in August. Do we need to book a whale watching excursion in Icy Strait or will we see plenty from the cruise ship?

[dustyroad]

There is no way to tell when the whales might pop up and give you a view. And you have to be in the right place on the ship to see them if they do.   I have seen them a few times on the ship but mostly from a tour.  If it is a priority for you on your trip I would book a tour.  If you are going this season I would book soon as this is a popular tour.  

[karatemom2]

Here is the difference - you will likely see whales from the ship. We always do and have binoculars at the ready on our balcony for those moments. But the reality is that those sightings are generally by luck and from a distance. The other issue is that the cruise ship is on the move to its next port - it will not slow down or try to maneuver so you can get a better look. On a small boat whale tour the entire goal of the trip is to see whales. They know where to go and you will get closer and more quality prolonged viewing. So if you can do a whale watch trip your results will likely be much more satisfactory. 

Edited June 8, 2019 by karatemom2

[LoriPhil]

Great thing about the whale watch tour is that if the whale is sighted on one side of the boat it's very simple to look there quickly, rather than hearing the captain or naturalist announce over the load speaker/grab your binocs and dash to the other side of your ship where you very possibly may miss the elusive critters.  It's a roll of the dice, but while we've had great sightings on the ship, we've had even better luck with a dedicated whale watch.

Edited June 9, 2019 by LoriPhil

[quack2]

1.  Book a whale watching excursion in Juneau or Icy Strait.

2.  Book with an independent operator with a small boat.

 

Cruise ship whale watching excursions tend to be on big boats that are loaded with too many people to allow for decent photo opportunities.

[Pushka]

Our best whale watching was in Sitka and Seward. We saw whales from the ship but that really doesn’t count. 

[Graciesmom2]

We heard from several cruisers this week that did whale watching tours and were very disappointed. Most said all they saw was one fluke. We saw a whale breach while just walking along the shore in Juneau. Also saw several “ blows” from the ship. Saw an Orca just before we reached Victoria. It’s all very iffy since the whales go where they want, not where you want them. Some areas I understand are better than others. Do research on this board and others.