Juneau October whale watching

[eileeshb]

Has anyone done a whale watching excursion in Juneau in October ?

A few of the companies don't seem to operate in October and I know Gastineau are not running their photo safari option as the daylight is too limited.

So at the moment I'm looking at 4 potential options, 2 from NCL and 2 from independent companies

Discover Alaska's whales - sold by NCL but is run by Gastineau, this is the most expensive of the options I'm looking at so I need advice on whether it's worth the extra cost (€201)

Whale watching & wildlife quest - sold by NCL not sure which company is running this one so if anyone knows please let me know, it might be Allen Marine as they have a tour with this name (€153)

both of the below are about $150ish

Alaska Outback whale watching experience - Harv & Marv, their other tour isn't running in October or is already sold out. 

Premier Whale watching expedition - Juneau tours, not sure if this is the company running it or they're a reseller

 

Harv & Marv I'm wary of as their terms say they'll retain the full fee if I don't make it, there's no mention a cruise ship missing port allowance and even if I cancel a month out they'll till hold $50

Juneau tours also says no refunds if cancelled later than 24hrs pre tour

 

[Glaciers]

The operators with smaller boats begin shutting down in September due to the potential for rough water. Booking with Allen Marine through the ship and their larger boats would be the most stable. I believe this is the “Whale watching & wildlife quest”. Another option is booking with Juneau Whale Watch. We’ve had about 25 passengers on their catamaran two-deck boats and they were very stable.  This is from their FAQ page:  “If your ship doesn’t make it to port for any reason, we will refund you in full without incurring any administration fees or penalties.”

 

This is a post from one of the small boat whale watch operators:  “There are several reasons why we shut down, every season, in the middle of September. NONE of these reasons has anything to do with whale activity! Humpback whales will continue to be in the Juneau area (usually) through the end of October.

The main reason we stop offering tours in September is because of the weather. It gets BAD. Rough waves, high winds & heavy rain become a common occurrence in the fall. “

[pdmlynek]

10 hours ago, Glaciers said:

...This is from their FAQ page:  “If your ship doesn’t make it to port for any reason, we will refund you in full without incurring any administration fees or penalties.”

 

 

What does that mean?  Does this mean that they will refund you in full if the ship with you does not make it back to from the excursion?  As in, if our ship sinks, we'll refund your money?

[auntmeg]

1 minute ago, pdmlynek said:

 

What does that mean?  Does this mean that they will refund you in full if the ship with you does not make it back to from the excursion?  As in, if our ship sinks, we'll refund your money?

It seems like it means that if your cruise doesn't make it to port (ie not your fault), they will refund you fully without any fees or penalties.

[pdmlynek]

1 minute ago, auntmeg said:

It seems like it means that if your cruise doesn't make it to port (ie not your fault), they will refund you fully without any fees or penalties.

OK, got it, thanks!  That makes sense.