Sunny AZ Girl Posted January 6, 2010 #26 Share Posted January 6, 2010 I second this one! It was a terrific tour, and I learned lots of neat tips/ideas for the rest of the trip (Juneau was our second port). This was one of the best excursions ever - and I usually book independantly, so that is really saying alot! Dave was our guide and he is very knowledgeable and helpful. Started at Mendenhall Glacier with lots of stops along the trail. Then we spent at least 2 hours on the water - probably more, it was so much fun, I lost track of time. We spent most of our time watching a pod of orca, including a baby. I cannot say enough good things about this one! Liz Thank you for the review. This is a tour I am considering booking. With our limited time in port it may be my best option for both the whales/orca and Mendenhall. Still researching.......:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarTrkGeek Posted January 6, 2010 #27 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Thank you for the review. This is a tour I am considering booking. With our limited time in port it may be my best option for both the whales/orca and Mendenhall. Still researching.......:cool: If you have the option of going to Icy Strait Point, do your whale watching tour there. We saw 5-10 times as many whales as we did in Juneau.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare flannbarr Posted January 7, 2010 #28 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Having just returned from a Harv & Marv tour, I cannot recommend them more highly, particularly Jay, who we were lucky enough to have as a guide. His boat is by far the smoothest I have ever been on even though it's only a six-pack. He explained it was custom built and it must be, as I was able to shoot pictures from the aft section no matter how fast we were going. We also saw lots of whales and Jay immediately makes you feel like he's just a buddy taking you out for a few hours. He's an incredible photographer and his knowledge makes the experience unforgettable. I'd love to return to Juneau as 14 hours there just wasn't enough! So your boat ride was relatively smooth? I prefer to not book the the cruise line. There will be 4 of us and my 8 year old freaks out a bit in fast boats. I assume the boats don't go very fast and are not miles from shore, correct? Oh yeah, and a wife who can get sea sick easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunny AZ Girl Posted January 7, 2010 #29 Share Posted January 7, 2010 If you have the option of going to Icy Strait Point, do your whale watching tour there. We saw 5-10 times as many whales as we did in Juneau.:D ISP is not on our itinerary. I am not completely convinced that I want to go whale watching at all at this point. I do want beautiful scenery and good photo ops. Just checking out ALL the alternatives. In Juneau the whale watch and Mendenhall seem to be the most popular options....and we are only on port from 7 - 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmerboy321 Posted January 7, 2010 #30 Share Posted January 7, 2010 My brother and I had a fantastic time a while back touring the Mennenhall Glacier and watching whales with Capt. Louis of Alaska Galore Tours a while back. We had a fantastic time with their very knowledgeable staff looking for wildlife in Juneau Bay. We saw so much fun stuff and had such a great time, and the fact that an airplane ride is part of their Whales, Bears, and Glaciers tour just works out to being a recipe for the perfect day in Alaska! Their website is AlaskaGaloreTours.com. Highly recommended, they absolutely made our trip to Alaska one we will always remember! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmama Posted January 7, 2010 #31 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Last Sept I took the Glacier Gardens & Mendenhall excursion through the ship, then had Orca Enterprises pick us up at the glacier. The whale watch trip was fantastic even in the rain, saw lots of whales, had plenty of room, & a smooth ride. Had little time to shop in Juneau, but that's not why I went to Alaska. Scenery & wildlife is everything. I have already booked Harv & Marv for May(they were already closed for the season when I visited last year). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budget Queen Posted January 7, 2010 #32 Share Posted January 7, 2010 So your boat ride was relatively smooth? I prefer to not book the the cruise line. There will be 4 of us and my 8 year old freaks out a bit in fast boats. I assume the boats don't go very fast and are not miles from shore, correct? Oh yeah, and a wife who can get sea sick easily. I've been on some faster boats here. You have some issues here that you can not guarantee will not be the case for your group. Sure you are going to get many "positive" go aheads, which may make you feel better. But, for someone who gets sick or freaks out, time stands still with no way out on these extended hours trips. It boils down to a question that can not be answered, since no one can predict the future. You are on water, expect it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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