Gastineau Guuiding Whale/Glacier Photo Safari

[jeblaw]

Has anyone done this photo safari excursion in Juneau? We are going on our very first cruise ever in July and are thinking of booking this excursion. Would love any feedback or things to know about this choice. Thank you so much!

[Tralynn]

Has anyone done this photo safari excursion in Juneau? We are going on our very first cruise ever in July and are thinking of booking this excursion. Would love any feedback or things to know about this choice. Thank you so much!

We have it booked for May. It has excellent reviews so we're looking forward to it. I can give you a report when we get back. FYI: They returned my deposit and told me due to contracts I had to book through Princess for their tour. It was the same price, so no biggie.

 

My email is listed under my signature. Send me a note with 'cruise critic' showing in the subject line reminding me to let you know how it went when we return home on May 29th. I'd be happy to send you an email about the tour and how it went.

[jeblaw]

Thank you so much! Enjoy your cruise and I look forward to hearing all about it! I am so excited I can hardly stand this waiting!

Rene'

[Tralynn]

Thank you so much! Enjoy your cruise and I look forward to hearing all about it! I am so excited I can hardly stand this waiting!

Rene'

No problem.....

And just so you know, you can book the tour with Princess with no money out of pocket and you can cancel up to a few days before. Also, Gastineau promises that if you don't see whales, you get $100 back per person. Not too shabby. I'm thinking they must see whales all of the time.

 

Just be sure to shoot me an email so I don't forget to update you!

[Suzanne123]

Yes, I've done this excursion twice. Loved it!

[dolfndreams]

Its been 4 years but I did this tour and highly recommend it. A small group and great guide. Got my one solid whale tail picture on this tour and beautiful shots at Mendenhall.

 

Definitely not a professional photographer but not a problem, only wished I knew more about my camera, our guide was a young man who was a wealth of info about working a camera. I just listened and learned what I could while taking great shots.

 

Liked them so much I'm doing their other tour this year, forest trails and whale tails. Love the small group excursions

[cruzgryphon]

Took this excursion a couple of years ago. The company pays attention to details - a computer hooked up to a TV in the van ride to Mendenhall. You use the time productively as the photographer goes through some powerpoint slides and tips etc. Also on the water they communicated and co-ordinated with other boats, so not a lot of boats were chasing the same whale or pod.

 

Also when I took the excursion (don't know if they still do this or not) - we also got a CD with the tips as well as some of their stock pictures.

It's good to have a company pay attention to details like that - makes for a very enjoyable excursion.

[jeblaw]

Thank you all so much for your feedback. I am not a photographer at all but would like to be :) My husband got me a new Canon sx30is for this trip and now, thanks to your feedback, I am so excited to do this excursion!

[cruiseluv]

We have it booked for May. It has excellent reviews so we're looking forward to it. I can give you a report when we get back. FYI: They returned my deposit and told me due to contracts I had to book through Princess for their tour. It was the same price, so no biggie.

 

My email is listed under my signature. Send me a note with 'cruise critic' showing in the subject line reminding me to let you know how it went when we return home on May 29th. I'd be happy to send you an email about the tour and how it went.

 

Hi,

 

Do you know how big is the group for this tour?

 

thanks and enjoy your cruise!

[judynorth]

Hi,

 

Do you know how big is the group for this tour?

 

thanks and enjoy your cruise!

 

A maximum of 14 on this excursion. You can go to the website and see pictures of the boat and shots taken on the tour.

[cruiseluv]

A maximum of 14 on this excursion. You can go to the website and see pictures of the boat and shots taken on the tour.

 

Thanks. Hope this is the company Princess uses. According to Princess description of tour in their website, they accept a max of 24 persons.

[judynorth]

Thanks. Hope this is the company Princess uses. According to Princess description of tour in their website, they accept a max of 24 persons.

 

We booked through HAL and the description stated a total of 14 places on the tour. I am sure that HAL uses this company. The cost is the same - $199. Does the Princess tour cost the same?

[cruiseluv]

We booked through HAL and the description stated a total of 14 places on the tour. I am sure that HAL uses this company. The cost is the same - $199. Does the Princess tour cost the same?

 

Yes, with Princess it's also $199. Maybe I'll write the company and ask if they are working with Princess this summer.

[Jen4398]

Yes, with Princess it's also $199. Maybe I'll write the company and ask if they are working with Princess this summer.

 

Let us know what you discover. I am booked through Princess for the Photo Safari tour in Juneau the last week of August. I would like to confirm the tour company name aw well. TIA

[wolfie11]

Yes, with Princess it's also $199. Maybe I'll write the company and ask if they are working with Princess this summer.

 

I did this excursion last summer through Princess. I think it was called Photo Safari by Land and Sea or something similar. It was a good tour and I enjoyed both the walk through the rain forest and the whale watch. I think our group was around 12 or so. They may send some people out on the whale watch first and some people to the glacier and then switch them out??? That may account for the different limits. My only complaint was that the guide was a student from New York who had never been to Alaska before. She knew her photography, but not what the plants were called or much about the local area.

[barbdea]

We have it booked for May. It has excellent reviews so we're looking forward to it. I can give you a report when we get back. FYI: They returned my deposit and told me due to contracts I had to book through Princess for their tour. It was the same price, so no biggie.

 

My email is listed under my signature. Send me a note with 'cruise critic' showing in the subject line reminding me to let you know how it went when we return home on May 29th. I'd be happy to send you an email about the tour and how it went.

 

Tralynn: I think my husband and I are booked on this same tour with you. Are you booked on May 25 off of the Diamond Princess? I'm excited about this trip - just an amateur photgrapher, but love to take thousands of pix on our trips. Have read good things about it. To the OP: I also will give you impressions of this if you're interested.

[cruiseluv]

Let us know what you discover. I am booked through Princess for the Photo Safari tour in Juneau the last week of August. I would like to confirm the tour company name aw well. TIA

 

I received an email from Jeremy from Gastineau, and he confirms that the Princess tour called Whale watching and Mendenhall photo safari Is their tour. The number of 24 persons which I saw in the Princess description refers to the capacity of the van and/ or vessel. However, the tour is limited to 14 persons.

[Jen4398]

I received an email from Jeremy from Gastineau, and he confirms that the Princess tour called Whale watching and Mendenhall photo safari Is their tour. The number of 24 persons which I saw in the Princess description refers to the capacity of the van and/ or vessel. However, the tour is limited to 14 persons.

 

 

Good news...thanks for following up.

[jeblaw]

Thank you all for the great information regarding this excursion. Barbdea, I would LOVE to know what you think of this after your trip!

I signed up with a local camera shop for two private classes on how to use my specific camera, so am really looking forward to some good pix. I also am hoping that I am not the only person in the history of Alaska trips that manages to not see any wildlife :)

[elliemaej]

Bumping this up to see if any of the previous posters could give a review or better yet pictures from this excursion.

My daughter wants to take this tour and I'm wondering if it is worth the extra dollars.

[MJAS]

Here is my review from the Cruise we just got off. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1443857

 

It's quite long, but look under the Juneau part for a review on this tour. All of my whale watching pictures are also from this trip.

 

The tour is Fantastic. Lots of Amazing picture opportunities and the Guides really know what they're talking about. My husband and both already said when we go back to Juneau we will rebook this tour!

[judynorth]

We also did this tour and loved it. You can see the pictures that I took at the link below in the Juneau album. My DH got better whale pictures because he has a DSLR with a much longer lens than my P&S G9 so could get much closer. My whale pictures are seriously cropped so lose a little in quality. (One of these days my DH might post his pictures.)

[jasminelee]

We also did this tour and loved it. You can see the pictures that I took at the link below in the Juneau album. My DH got better whale pictures because he has a DSLR with a much longer lens than my P&S G9 so could get much closer. My whale pictures are seriously cropped so lose a little in quality. (One of these days my DH might post his pictures.)

 

do you know what his lens was? I have a 18-200, but am wondering if this is going to be enough

thanks

[judynorth]

do you know what his lens was? I have a 18-200, but am wondering if this is going to be enough

thanks

 

He has a Sigma 120-400 lens and still had to crop his photos. However, he could still print very nice 8x10 pictures.

[judynorth]

Here is a link to some of my DH's whale pictures:

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/judymnorth/WhaleTailsInAlaska#

 

You can see what a difference the long lens makes.