Icy Strait Point~Royal Charters and Tours

[Char]

Hello all :D

 

I'm researching private whale watching in Icy Strait Point and wonder if anyone could give me any insight on the company Royal Charters and Tours. I have received a quote for a 4 hour tour that is less than Celebrity charges and don't want to commit until I get some first hand info on the company.

 

Thanks!

[Budget Queen]

Frankly- if it fits your timeframe I would give them a shot. :) Are they also longer whale watching? That would be the bonus. I go all the time on tours and stay in lodging without recommendations.

[Char]

As a matter of fact, the private tour is twice as long as the Celebrity offering. Celebrity is 2 hours for $120 with about 200 per boat, and Royal Charters is 4 hours for $110 with 4 to 8 per boat. I've emailed 2 other companies in Icy Strait Point for quotes, but haven't heard back yet.

[Budget Queen]

Definately on whale watching- longer is BETTER. :)

[JohnQ]

Char

On our trip to ISP in Sept, we took the ships tour. Our whalewatching was 3-3.5hrs with Celebrity, and was a great whalewatching trip, our best ever with perfect weather and lots of whales. We had friends from Cruisecritic who charted their own fishing/whalewatching boat for about $400 for three hrs. I think maybe they originally booked with Royal or did book with Royal. I know their original charter cancelled on them and gave them name of another. There are not a lot of private vendors in ISP or Hoonah. We saw this group two or three times on the trip and they were right in the middle of the whales too. They actually got sprayed once by two or three whales.

 

We debated on this charter but were not sure

-if we would whalewatch as we were also going with Cap Larry in Juneau

-didn't know how rough it would be out there on a small boat

-wanted to go with Koo Hook' tour with the ship.

 

Then we ended up staying the whole time on the open rear deck and could never hear the narration anyway, it was not rough on our day, and we watched Koo Hooks dancing on the way in and met him later.

 

I have posted a few pictures from this trip under

http://community.webshots.com/user/jq4653

[SEPyle]

Does anyone know of a private charter that would take us to Glacier Bay from Icy Point? Would Royal Charters do sightseeing to Glacier Bay by boat instead of whale watching? Do you have a web address or tell me where they are based? I want to spend time in Icy Point, however I also want to see Glacier Bay. Getting there by boat is too long from Juneau. Does anyone know if this type trip is possible from Icy Point? Flightseeing is a possiblity as well.

 

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Sharon

[Char]

Char

On our trip to ISP in Sept, we took the ships tour. Our whalewatching was 3-3.5hrs with Celebrity, and was a great whalewatching trip, our best ever with perfect weather and lots of whales.

Hey John :D

 

The new whale watching tours for 2005 show as 2 hours on the shore excursion section of the Celebrity web site. I'm liking the longer time on the boat and the smaller "crowd" of only 8 max for the private company. I'll see what the other 2 come up with and make my decision then. I was just wondering if anyone had any up close and personal dealings with this company.

[Char]

Does anyone know of a private charter that would take us to Glacier Bay from Icy Point? Would Royal Charters do sightseeing to Glacier Bay by boat instead of whale watching? Do you have a web address or tell me where they are based? I want to spend time in Icy Point, however I also want to see Glacier Bay. Getting there by boat is too long from Juneau. Does anyone know if this type trip is possible from Icy Point? Flightseeing is a possiblity as well.

 

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Sharon

Hey Sharon :D

 

Here is the link to Royal Hoonah, Alaska. Royal Charters & Tours

Send them an email and tell them what you are looking for--it wouldn't hurt! Let us know what they say--there may be others interested in that as well.

[SEPyle]

Thanks Char, I'll do just that! It's freezing here in Charlotte today so I guess that will get us ready for Alaska in May!

 

I'll let you know what they say.

 

Sharon

[Budget Queen]

Does anyone know of a private charter that would take us to Glacier Bay from Icy Point? Would Royal Charters do sightseeing to Glacier Bay by boat instead of whale watching? Do you have a web address or tell me where they are based? I want to spend time in Icy Point, however I also want to see Glacier Bay. Getting there by boat is too long from Juneau. Does anyone know if this type trip is possible from Icy Point? Flightseeing is a possiblity as well.

 

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Sharon

 

 

You don't have enough time- it is 70+++ miles to the Grand Pacific glacier. Next time choose a cruise ship that goes there. :)

[SEPyle]

OK, so it looks like flight-seeing is the way to go for us to see the glaciers. Actually I picked the Summit knowing it wasn't going to Glacier Bay. I'm perfectly content with the choice we made with the Summit, so guess it's either Flightseeing or wait till next time. Both are great options so thanks for letting me know the geography of the area. It looks closer on the map...

 

Sharon

[JohnQ]

Use the opportunity to see Hoonah instead. There is more to see there than you can do in the short day the ships spend there. Whalewatching, bear viewing, and town tour are just a few, plus lots to see around the cannery, beach walk and nature trail. If you flightsee to Glacier, you will have spent your time in Hoonah without seeing it.

[SEPyle]

Thanks John for the good advice. I received an email back from Royal Charters and they do not go into Glacier Bay because of time. Actually thinking it through I absolutely agree...I'm really excited about Icy Strait Point, so why would I want to go somewhere else while we're there!

 

 

I do have to mention though, since we're on a NorthBound, we are in Icy Strait Point longer. We're there from 9am to 6pm. SouthBound is there from 6:30am to 2:30pm. I guess I was thinking since we're there longer we could fit something else in. However we'll stay put and really enjoy our day!

 

That's what I love about these boards. We can ask questions and learn so much! Thanks again!

 

Sharon

[JohnQ]

If you can do the whalewatch first thing, then a bear viewing tour and use remaining time for walkabout, this would be a full day. I really wish we would have had at least 2 more hours.

[hooked-on-travel]

We went whale watching with Floyd of FISHES Charters. His boat only takes 6 people, but that was perfect since that was the size of our group. He doesn't have a web site, so I got his contact from the guy at Glacier Wind Charters. Floyd picked us up at the tourism village and drove us to town. (It's walking distance, but quicker to get a ride.) On the way out to the whale watching, Floyd spotted a bear on the shore, so we stopped and whatched a while. Then we stayed where the whales were until the whales left. It ended up being a little more than 4 hours. Floyd would have stayed longer if we would have wanted to. He brought a salmon spread snack that his wife made with salmon he caught/smoked. I certainly felt like we got our money's worth. He charged $100pp, $400 minimum. Even without the financial savings, the quality of the trip was superior to me. Just the six of us, so nobody had to "crowd the rail", and I knew everybody so I didn't mind leaning on someone if I needed to for a picture. After the whalewatching, we chose to be left in town to wander and find our own way back to the tourism village. You can certainly make a full day in Hoonah/ISP one way or another.

[Char]

Thanks for all the input :D Royal was already booked for our date, so we wouldn't be using them anyway now.

 

I think we will enjoy the local area and maybe whale watch with Captain Larry in Juneau. We have used him before and had a marvelous experience.

 

There is so much to see and so little time! This will be our 5th Alaska cruise and I know we will want to go back again ;)

[JohnQ]

Hooked on Travel

Some of our Cruisecritic group chartered a boat from Floyd Peterson of F.I.S.H.E.S. also. Royal Charters recommended him. Like you said I don't think he has a website, but maybe email and a phone number of you do a websearch under Hoonah charter boats. They had a great time too, and we saw them once or twice while we were on the ships tour. There is a picture of his boat on my site I posted earlier in this thread.

[hooked-on-travel]

After going with Floyd, I later noticed that he had an ad in the Juneau visitor's guide...you know, the one they'll mail you for free. I can't find his e-mail, but his phone is 907-945-3327.

[DaveP]

Try Glacier Wind Charters. We went with them last year. Saw a brown bear with two cubs, caught a couple salmon and halibut and had whales surface right beside us while fishing. Shawn and Theresa are really nice and will pretty much take you where you want to go. I believe six persons max and snacks provided.

Book early they fill up fast. Try gwind@alaska.net