Mendenhall Glacier and Evening Whale Quest with Meal (HAL excursion)

[Sherme]

Has anyone done this excursion through HAL?  I would like to know how long you get to spend at Mendenhall Glacier, because I would love to walk to Nugget Falls and back.  Also, how big is the boat? Did you feel that it was packed on he boat?  I am wanting to do a combo Mendenhall Glacier and whale watching tour later in the afternoon, and this one has availability.

I appreciate any input from people that have done this.

[five.]

@viewsandqueues did a video on this excursion and even though they were on Royal, it's probably similar. They had an hour at Mendenhall Glacier.

 

 

[donaldsc]

If you do the glacier after the whale watching tour, could you just tell the tour operator that you will not be taking the bus back and use the city bus to get back on your own schedule.  If that works, it seems like a simple solution.

 

DON

[Sherme]

Thank you for your responses and Five, thanks for the video.  I arrive in Juneau after doing the small boat Tracy Arm excursion directly from the ship, so the main purpose of doing this evening Mendenhall and Whale excursion is to see whales.  But since Mendenhall is one of the big attractions in Juneau, I was hoping to see it and to be able to do the walk to Nugget Falls.  I have read that the walk to Nugget Falls takes 45 minutes round trip, so I think I will be able to do it in an hour.

If anyone has done this tour, did you feel that there were too many people on the boat?  I am hoping that it won’t be too crowded.  Thanks for any advice.

[donaldsc]

13 hours ago, Sherme said:

Thank you for your responses and Five, thanks for the video.  I arrive in Juneau after doing the small boat Tracy Arm excursion directly from the ship, so the main purpose of doing this evening Mendenhall and Whale excursion is to see whales.  But since Mendenhall is one of the big attractions in Juneau, I was hoping to see it and to be able to do the walk to Nugget Falls.  I have read that the walk to Nugget Falls takes 45 minutes round trip, so I think I will be able to do it in an hour.

If anyone has done this tour, did you feel that there were too many people on the boat?  I am hoping that it won’t be too crowded.  Thanks for any advice.

 

Depends upon the tour and the boat.  We did a whale on an excursion that could hold 15 people and there were I think 8 of us.  You need to research the boat size w the tour operator.

 

DON

[Sherme]

Since it is offered through HAL, I am not 100 % sure who the tour operator is.  However, when I google the name of the tour, it points to Allen Marine Tours.  I know there is heated inside seating and a topside outdoor observation deck.  From the YouTube Video above, it’s definitely not a small boat.  I am just wanting to make sure that I will be able to stand on the observation deck without having people all around me that will make it hard for me to have a great view.  I have contacted Jayleen’s to see what they have late afternoon.  Harv and Marc don’t have anything after 2 pm that day.  I would have to give up on Mendenhall if I end up going with Jayleen’s, but I know there will be less people on the boat.  Again, I don’t mind more people as long as I can have a good outside view.

[Sherme]

I heard back from Jayleen’s and they have space on a late afternoon whale watching trip.  I decided to cancel the combo Mendenhall glacier and evening whale quest that I had booked through HAL and go with the small boat experience with Jayleen’s.  I will lose out on the hour at Mendenhall Glacier, but since I am doing the small boat Tracy Arm excursion from the cruise ship in the morning, I am okay with that.  I was worried about being on a whale watching cruise with 100 + people, and Jayleen’s only has 6 passengers on their excursions.  Thanks for your advice, I can’t wait to go!

[Crew News]

On 5/11/2022 at 4:49 AM, Sherme said:

Thank you for your responses and Five, thanks for the video.  I arrive in Juneau after doing the small boat Tracy Arm excursion directly from the ship, so the main purpose of doing this evening Mendenhall and Whale excursion is to see whales.  But since Mendenhall is one of the big attractions in Juneau, I was hoping to see it and to be able to do the walk to Nugget Falls.  I have read that the walk to Nugget Falls takes 45 minutes round trip, so I think I will be able to do it in an hour.

If anyone has done this tour, did you feel that there were too many people on the boat?  I am hoping that it won’t be too crowded.  Thanks for any advice.

The roundtrip walk to the falls can be done in an hour with the return to the Visitors Center being uphill and not as easy as walking to the falls.  Allow at least 15 minutes to walk around the falls area before heading back.  A stop at the Visitor Center would be both a chance to use the telescopes to scan for bears and for a restroom break after a long whale-watching excursion in a small boat with VERY limited facilities.