Juneau - We have a complaint about our excursion here, and its not what you think! My video

[ABQrobin]

 

I want everyone going to Juneau to watch this and learn from our mistake.  Maybe it was an OFF day, but the more we talked about it afterwards, the more we think it was a total RIP_OFF!

If you had a different experience, please let us know!  The place gets such great reviews.....

[zqvol]

Would love to comment but since I don’t watch videos I won’t be able to. 

[oaktreerb]

We do have to make choices.  You were fortunate to have a clear day.  Next time try Taku Glacier Lodge flight with salmon bake.  It’s expensive but worth it!  

Edited September 2 by oaktreerb

[peety3]

Can we get a cliff's notes version without having to watch your video?

[ABQrobin]

Not sure why you don't want to watch a video, it doesn't cost anything.  Anyhow... the Salmon Bake was not very good.  We added it at the last minute and shouldn't have bothered.  Food was just okay, not worth $60+ per person.  And it wasted over an hour of our port time we could have used to ride the Tram.  I just want people to see what it looks like, what we saw and the food (seemed to run out of items on the all-you-can-eat buffet).  Just an FYI.  We don't think it was worth it.  Maybe it was an off day and they just ran out of salmon and sides, and didn't cook the salmon long enough to get flavor, etc.  I am sure that was their excuse.

[Jnsplace1]

Cannot really watch videos at work, but thanks for the recap.

[peety3]

3 hours ago, ABQrobin said:

Not sure why you don't want to watch a video, it doesn't cost anything.

Yes it does, TIME. I read (what you're willing to write) far faster than your video.

 

It's also a thinly-veiled attempt to grow your YouTube channel. C'mon folks, you're in a  discussion forum, come here to discuss, not to draw folks to some other platform where you're begging for subscribers, comments, likes, shares, and ad revenue.

 

Your timing at the salmon bake was just not aligned with their food production schedule. Get over it. We've done exactly that tour once before, and got "stranded" at the salmon bake due to a fatality accident on the highway back to the docks. They put more food on, and we had essentially first dibs on a huge spread before the next tour arrived. You were in a rush, moreso than their kitchen.

 

You also ended up on a mediocre whale watch boat. The viewing platform wasn't big enough for the ~40 passengers on the boat, and the interior windows only slide open about 40% of the way, so if you wanted obstruction-free views/photos, you had to fight for the railing and/or hope there weren't seven tall guys holding an iPad at arms length thinking that being one arm closer improved their photo. Go try a tour with Gastineau Guiding and you'll discover a world with flip-up windows (so the WHOLE opening is obstruction-free), plenty of observation platform space relative to passenger count, and boats that don't lean because everyone is on one side of the boat.

Edited September 3 by peety3

[ABQrobin]

4 minutes ago, peety3 said:

Yes it does, TIME. I read (what you're willing to write) far faster than your video.

 

It's also a thinly-veiled attempt to grow your YouTube channel. C'mon folks, you're in a  discussion forum, come here to discuss, not to draw folks to some other platform where you're begging for subscribers, comments, likes, shares, and ad revenue.

 

Your timing at the salmon bake was just not aligned with their food production schedule. Get over it. We've done exactly that tour once before, and got "stranded" at the salmon bake due to a fatality accident on the highway back to the docks. They put more food on, and we had essentially first dibs on a huge spread before the next tour arrived. You were in a rush, moreso than their kitchen.

 

You also ended up on a mediocre whale watch boat. The viewing platform wasn't big enough for the ~40 passengers on the boat, and the interior windows only slide open about 40% of the way, so if you wanted obstruction-free views/photos, you had to fight for the railing and/or hope there weren't seven tall guys holding an iPad at arms length thinking that being one arm closer improved their photo. Go try a tour with Gastineau Guiding and you'll discover a world with flip-up windows (so the WHOLE opening is obstruction-free), plenty of observation platform space relative to passenger count, and boats that don't lean because everyone is on one side of the boat.

 

Well, that is your opinion, not mine.  The Salmon Bake was a dud in MY opinion.  We've been to the Salmon Bake on an excursion in Skagway and it was EXCELLENT.  Totally different experience.  And as I SAID IN MY VIDEO... it may have been an off day for them but for an "all you can eat buffet" it was a fail.  Several people were asking for more salmon and told it was coming in a little while but they had just put it on.  I walked by the buffet of sides and most of them were empty or near empty.  THAT is not acceptable when charging so much.  

 

The Whale Watching was good, but not as great as other days.  Every person on our ship who did a whale watch that day said the same thing... Orcas but not that many humpbacks.  So I don't think it mattered which company.  Plus there were only about 20 people on the boat, not 40.  

This is our first excursion in Alaska that we have complained about anything!  We usually have a great time and we know that some days are better than others.  Geez.  

 

So have a nice day!

[ryarger]

10 hours ago, ABQrobin said:

This is our first excursion in Alaska that we have complained about anything!

Honestly if you’d started with the write up and then embedded your video in a comment, you’d probably have gotten a better reception.

 

People are very sensitive about self-promotions in forum-based communities. This is because the community only stays alive when people stay here and engage. Many a forum has withered and died without engagement.

 

To your credit, you have stuck around in the thread and discussed and that’s great.

 

On the other hand, there are those will argue with any critical posts. No escaping that, sadly!

 

I’m glad the rest of your cruise was enjoyable and if you share more videos (embedded in comments), I’m sure people would enjoy them.

[Coral]

On 9/2/2024 at 9:32 PM, peety3 said:

Can we get a cliff's notes version without having to watch your video?

I won't watch the video either. Prefer to read about reports. Much quicker to read and don't like the self promotion of YouTube videos. If someone posts pictures, one can quickly look at those. Video, you have to wait until something interesting is discussed (if something interesting ever comes up).

Edited September 4 by Coral

[ABQrobin]

30 minutes ago, Coral said:

I won't watch the video either. Prefer to read about reports. Much quicker to read and don't like the self promotion of YouTube videos. If someone posts pictures, one can quickly look at those. Video, you have to wait until something interesting is discussed (if something interesting ever comes up).

 

Well, I am the exact opposite.  I take people's words with a grain of salt, and need to SEE proof of what an excursion or experience looks like.  A video tells me more honestly what I need to know.  So you do you, and I will do me.

[Ferry_Watcher]

On 9/3/2024 at 6:25 AM, ABQrobin said:

Maybe it was an off day and they just ran out of salmon and sides, and didn't cook the salmon long enough to get flavor, etc.  I am sure that was their excuse.

 

The worst thing you can do with a fish like a salmon is to overcook it.  You don't get more flavor the longer you roast it - you get a dried out piece of fish.  Maybe the salmon that you had on a previous excursion that you enjoyed so much had been basted before it was cooked

 

Also, if the food being offered on this excursion was just mediocre, I don't understand why you are complaining that they ran out of food.  Did you want 'seconds'?.

[ABQrobin]

5 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

The worst thing you can do with a fish like a salmon is to overcook it.  You don't get more flavor the longer you roast it - you get a dried out piece of fish.  Maybe the salmon that you had on a previous excursion that you enjoyed so much had been basted before it was cooked

 

Also, if the food being offered on this excursion was just mediocre, I don't understand why you are complaining that they ran out of food.  Did you want 'seconds'?.

 

I agree about the salmon.... but let me explain.  It was flavorless.  It tasted to me like it had been sitting out a long time then thrown over the fire to cook quickly.  It was cooked thru but no smoky flavor.  They offered a "glaze" to go over it but I didn't want it, too sugary and I wanted to taste the salmon because I love salmon.  I am sure that if I had used the glaze it would have had some flavor, and that's probably what most people do.  My husband and I cook salmon at home all the time, so I am very familiar with what good salmon tastes like.  

As far as why was I going back for more... I wasn't but I wanted to take video of salmon on the grill and when I walked up people were there asking for more.  So that is when I realized how much salmon was just laying out on racks, not over the fire at all.  So I walked over and looked at the sides, just to see.

It was 1pm when we arrived, so don't think it was "off hours" for the Salmon Bake.  And with 5 ships in port that day, they had a constant flow of people coming in.  There should have been food for everyone ready.  

 

[Ferry_Watcher]

58 minutes ago, ABQrobin said:

I agree about the salmon.... but let me explain.  It was flavorless.

 The 'fat' content does vary among the different types of salmon, so I don't know what type of salmon they were serving.  I know that you can tell the difference if you have a Copper River or King/Chinook salmon v a Sockeye or Coho salmon.  Another way to add flavor to salmon is to cook it over wood planks like cedar, or alder. 

 

We eat a lot of salmon as well, and I just salt & pepper it, then roast it in my oven at 425 degrees for 12 minutes.

 

Sorry that you didn't have enough time to do both the salmon dinner and the tram ride. 

[vermonter16]

Well that is a bummer.  Sorry the excursion was a fail.  I did watch some of the video and the sides at the salmon bake....well, they didn't look appetizing at all.  Everyone has a different reaction but I did appreciate your review.

[karatemom2]

Not watching the video, but take it from the discussion that you didn’t care for the Gold Creek Salmon Bake. Sorry it wasn’t a good experience for you.  We have been twice and thoroughly enjoyed it both time - tons of food, salmon was good as were all the sides. Food was plentiful and the blueberry cake for dessert was delicious. We loved the beautiful setting, entertainment, and lovely walk to the waterfall. Toasting marshmallows was fun too. Guess everyone finds something different in their experiences but we loved it!