Whale Watching Dilemma - And Planning my Day in Juneau.

[Amy5000]

So after reading all the recommendations that Harv and Marv got on this board I went ahead and booked a trip for our party of 7 people when we will be in Juneau this July 3rd. (Apparently they only have one boat that can accommodate that size). Then I started to think about things I like to do in Juneau. Our ship will be in port from 10am to 10pm. I realized that Whale Watching would be something nice and relaxing to do in the evening. Even if we are tired and low energy we'll be able to get on board and relax. The problem is that Harv and Marv do not have an evening time slot available.

 

Our HAL ship offers an "Evening Whale Watching Quest" which would cost the same as Harv and Marv. I called and was told the boat carries about 50 people so it would not be the small boats that Harv and Marv use.

 

I'm think I should probably cancel H and M and go with the ship excursion. I'm also wondering if I'm spending too much on this excursion. It is the most expensive excursion we are looking at. All seven of us are doing the 7.5 hour Kenai Fjords Trip for less than $650.

 

While we are in Juneau, we are also planning on going to the Mendenhall Glacier, doing a hike, checking out the "city", maybe Mt. Roberts Tramway, and Sled Dog Summer Camp (coupon from Toursavers). That's a lot for a day! Am I planning too much.

 

What to do?

 

Thanks in advance for any insight.

[frugaltravel]

Personally I would never give up a personal, "my group only" tour to do one with 50 other people. That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever to me. I would find a way to rearrange my schedule to make a private excursion work, especially when it costs the same as one with 50 !!!

 

Almost anything you do in Juneau in the evening will be relaxing. Most everyone is back on their ship eating, drinking and going to shows. Very few people maximize their time in port when port time overlaps into the evening.

 

You didn't way what time you have Harv and Marvs booked for, but you can easily do Mendenhall and the hike before/after the whale watch. Mt. Roberts is great anytime if the weather is nice - evening is actually great for that and would be very relaxing.

 

What are the ages of those in your group? Most likely not everyone will be interested in all activities, so there can be some splitting up according to interests.

[firstalaskatrip]

Wow! Sounds like you are trying to fit in a lot. We were there from about 8-8, did Mendenhall in the am, came back to town and got lunch at a great crab place that was recommended on cruise critic, and then went whale watching in the afternoon. We initially thought we might fit in the tram at the end, but we ran out of time and were exhausted by that point. That being said, we did walk around at the glacier for a number of hours and could have saved a little time if we had linked Mendenhall and the glacier together instead of coming back to town in between. We knew we would want some food between though and you aren't supposed to bring food to Mendenhall, so that's why we split them up. I would second the person above that a small group whale watch is much much nicer than the boats with 50 people. Personally, I would try to pick the 2 or 3 things you care about most and focus on them. Also- is it possible to switch the dog excursion to Skagway? Do you have as much planned there?

[Amy5000]

Personally I would never give up a personal, "my group only" tour to do one with 50 other people. That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever to me. I would find a way to rearrange my schedule to make a private excursion work, especially when it costs the same as one with 50 !!!

 

Almost anything you do in Juneau in the evening will be relaxing. Most everyone is back on their ship eating, drinking and going to shows. Very few people maximize their time in port when port time overlaps into the evening.

 

You didn't way what time you have Harv and Marvs booked for, but you can easily do Mendenhall and the hike before/after the whale watch. Mt. Roberts is great anytime if the weather is nice - evening is actually great for that and would be very relaxing.

 

What are the ages of those in your group? Most likely not everyone will be interested in all activities, so there can be some splitting up according to interests.

 

So my group is "diverse" I will traveling with my parents who have mobility limitations. (My mom will probably have a scooter) Myself, husband and brother in our 40s and my children ages 8 and 10. It's hard for me to guess how much time things will take. I'm assuming we'll all want to see the Mendenhall Glacier visitors center and some of us will want to hike around and check out the Glacier.

 

I currently have a 10:30 pickup scheduled for H and M and I could switch it to 2:20. I can do the Sled Dog Summer Camp at 11:30, 1:50 or 5:20.

 

I could do H/M morning, Mendenhall Glacier, check out city/shopping and do Sled Dog Summer Camp at 5:20. But I just wonder if we'll be exhausted by then and not in the mood to enjoy it.

 

The cruise ship excursions does seem to a buffet of some type. I get that H/M would be preferable, but I wonder if the cruise ship one would be ok as well. It got high ratings on the HAL site.

[Amy5000]

Wow! Sounds like you are trying to fit in a lot. We were there from about 8-8, did Mendenhall in the am, came back to town and got lunch at a great crab place that was recommended on cruise critic, and then went whale watching in the afternoon. We initially thought we might fit in the tram at the end, but we ran out of time and were exhausted by that point. That being said, we did walk around at the glacier for a number of hours and could have saved a little time if we had linked Mendenhall and the glacier together instead of coming back to town in between. We knew we would want some food between though and you aren't supposed to bring food to Mendenhall, so that's why we split them up. I would second the person above that a small group whale watch is much much nicer than the boats with 50 people. Personally, I would try to pick the 2 or 3 things you care about most and focus on them. Also- is it possible to switch the dog excursion to Skagway? Do you have as much planned there?

 

I don't have much planned in Skagway but I do have a coupon for Juneau. Can I ask what you meant that you could have saved time if you had not not split up Mendenhall? Now I'm trying to figure out how we'll eat if we go from out 10:20 whale watch straight to the Mendenhall Glacier. Is there no where to get food in the visitor's center?

 

While I'm at it...what time do stores in Juneau close?

[firstalaskatrip]

To answer your question about distance - both the harbor the whale watch boats leave from and the glacier are outside of town. I can't remember exactly how long it took to get there, but I think it was about 30-45 minutes - we got traffic, so I'm not sure. Budget Queen can tell you the exact distance. On the way to our whale watch, it actually took much longer since there was a severe accident, and there is only one road which they had to close. Anyway, point is that coming back into town and then going back out to the harbor uses up quite a bit of time. As for food, we didn't go into the visitor center, but I don't think they have any food. They highly discourage anyone from bringing food because of the bears. We couldn't figure out where we would get food at the harbor either, so that's why we came back into town. I think it depends on how long you want to spend at the glacier though - Harv and marv and some of the other whale watches will let you do a short stop at the glacier with them - if you don't want to hike, this might be enough for you. For us, we wanted a longer stop at the glacier.

[Budget Queen]

I don't have much planned in Skagway but I do have a coupon for Juneau. Can I ask what you meant that you could have saved time if you had not not split up Mendenhall? Now I'm trying to figure out how we'll eat if we go from out 10:20 whale watch straight to the Mendenhall Glacier. Is there no where to get food in the visitor's center?

 

While I'm at it...what time do stores in Juneau close?

 

I too think you are way over planning Juneau and underestimating time and distances.

 

I also suggest you frankly find out, IF everyone wants these tours you have selected? Also verify that the mobility limitiations can be accomadated? In the past H&M did not have accessable boats? Are your shuttles going to be accessable? (sometimes there are high steps, limited leg room etc etc. You just can NOT make any assumptions in Alaska. :) Also does your dog sledding coupon include transportation from the docks/downtown?

 

I also would not count on the ship whale watch being 50 passengers, unless in writing (you don't say where you got this information)

 

A must- with wanting to include both Mendenhall and a whale watch is to have a direct transfer which will save at least an hour of time. In your case this is way less desired, since food is a priority and no there is NO option for any food at Mendenhall.

 

Stores close in ports when the ships leave. :)

[Amy5000]

Thank you all for the input. I suspected I was trying to do too much. I have a pretty good sense of what the different people in my family would prefer and do try to plan accordingly.

 

I've decided to only do one excursion and now my day looks much more relaxing. Get off the boat at 10am and head to the Glacier for the visitor center and, for some of us, a hike. Then back into town to check out Juneau, eat, maybe walking tour or the Mt. Roberts Tramway.

 

I've decided to do only excursion in the early evening. I was going to do the Sled Dog Summer Camp at 5:30 (not all of us would do it). But then I was able to change our whale watching excursion to 4:30 so we will do that. (I will double check with everyone before I complete the bookings!)

[vbmom87]

My brother in law went on the cruise ship whale watch later in the day and he loved it. He said the boat wasn't crowded, it was a nice boat and he had a great time.

[SoloNoMo]

Also keep in mind that if you're in Juneau on July 3rd and the weather's decent, the fireworks will be going off that evening. That might change schedules!

We're scheduled for the HAL Tracy Arm cruise excursion, so won't be getting to Juneau (via the excursion boat) 'til about 4:30 (give or take) and we leave Juneau at 10:30. Should leave us enough time to get to Mendenhall, no?

[newbie53]

Also verify that the mobility limitiations can be accomadated? In the past H&M did not have accessable boats?

 

I noticed that on their web site. I'm doing some early planning for a trip hopefully next year, and based on the many glowing reviews checked it out. But DH does have mobility issues. He can walk, with the aid of a walker or cane. H&M's web site has in big red letters

"There are 3 big steps to get in and out of our boats and the van parks about 300 yards away from our boat. If you can not walk 1/2 mile or up and down stairs with ease, you should consider booking with a different company "

 

While he may be able to do 300 yards, he certainly can't do a half mile, and would need a hand going up/down stairs. Are there other whale watching tours in Juneau that are a bit more accessible? The cruise line does offer one that is listed as wheel chair accessible, so that is always an option if the smaller tours are not feasible.

 

Thanks.

 

Sue

[Fat Bottom Gurl]

When I went to Alaska in 2006, I went with Harve and Marve Whale Watching. I was by myself, and it was a great choice. The boats are small and I sat right beside Captain Ron. He was a great wealth of information. I think it was a much better excursion compared to the 50 passenger ones. We were so fortunate that day - we saw 8 whales and it was amazing. We also saw a whole slew of Sea Lions (and my do the STINK!). They are very entertaining, however, I could was almost wretching after a few minutes.

 

Included in the whale watching was a bus ride to the Mendalhall glacier with plenty of time to trek up to the glacier and stick your hand into the waterfalls. Then we were returned to the docks.

 

I then purchased a ticket to go up the tram and walked around the trails at the top of Juneau - it is gorgeous.

 

By that time, I was ready to go back to the ship and just relax.

 

I'd say you should go with H and M and reserve a boat just for your party. It's way more personal.

[tee_harbor]

Also keep in mind that if you're in Juneau on July 3rd and the weather's decent, the fireworks will be going off that evening. That might change schedules!

We're scheduled for the HAL Tracy Arm cruise excursion, so won't be getting to Juneau (via the excursion boat) 'til about 4:30 (give or take) and we leave Juneau at 10:30. Should leave us enough time to get to Mendenhall, no?

 

The fireworks don't go off until midnight because it's not dark enough until then. Some of the captains leave Juneau very, very slowly to try and give their passengers a view, but in general, all the ships are gone by the time they go off.

 

The glacier is 'open' as long as its light, but the visitors center does close in the evening and Blue Bus stops at like 6? But then you have no crowds, so just take the phone number of a cab company. Depending on the number of people in your group, it could be cheaper than the Blue Bus anyway.

 

Get off the boat at 10am and head to the Glacier for the visitor center and, for some of us, a hike.

 

Please realize that there's not a lot of seating for the grandparents to wait comfortably for the rest of you to hike.

 

Then back into town to check out Juneau, eat, maybe walking tour or the Mt. Roberts Tramway.

 

Juneau is my home and I love it dearly, but with this great amount of time you have, it's such a shame to waste hours of your visit 'seeing town'. The flat parts are nothing but tee shirt and jewelry shops with narrow, crowded sidewalks and the interesting parts are up hills. With your age range, I doubt anyone would really enjoy that time.

 

If your mother is in a scooter, I assume you're taking a HAL tour bus instead of the Blue Bus to the glacier? For that money for your party, you could rent a minivan and see much more in your time, at a much slower, less crowded pace to look around before the Sled Dog Camp and they'd have somewhere to sit while you were at the glacier.

 

Fourth of July is the biggest holiday in Alaska. Houses and businesses will be decorated all over Juneau and Douglas. Very worth viewing and seeing some real Alaska.

[Budget Queen]

I noticed that on their web site. I'm doing some early planning for a trip hopefully next year, and based on the many glowing reviews checked it out. But DH does have mobility issues. He can walk, with the aid of a walker or cane. H&M's web site has in big red letters

"There are 3 big steps to get in and out of our boats and the van parks about 300 yards away from our boat. If you can not walk 1/2 mile or up and down stairs with ease, you should consider booking with a different company "

 

While he may be able to do 300 yards, he certainly can't do a half mile, and would need a hand going up/down stairs. Are there other whale watching tours in Juneau that are a bit more accessible? The cruise line does offer one that is listed as wheel chair accessible, so that is always an option if the smaller tours are not feasible.

 

Thanks.

 

Sue

 

 

Orca Enterprises has one boat fully accessable, have personally made use of it with my party. Just be certain to mention it at booking. And confirm it.

[dustyroad]

also the blue buses ( MGT ) that take you back and forth too mendanhall quit running at a certain time (5pm i think ) . dont make the mistake of thinking they will available later in the evening. check their website.

[vbmom87]

Taxis are available after the Blue buses stop running. Of course, make sure to have their number with you, or better yet, make a reservation. I also read on this forum that the rangers can help you call a cab. I believe the visitor center is open until seven or seven thirty. You definitely need to plan ahead and confirm all your plans.

[newbie53]

Orca Enterprises has one boat fully accessable, have personally made use of it with my party. Just be certain to mention it at booking. And confirm it.

 

Thanks! I've added them to my stack of planning notes.

 

Sue

[ChoosinCruisin]

Sue, have you come across any other whale watching tour companies that offer accessible boats? Would appreciate any info you have.

 

=0)

[newbie53]

Sue, have you come across any other whale watching tour companies that offer accessible boats? Would appreciate any info you have.

 

=0)

 

I can't say that I have, but I haven't done any extensive looking either. Since I'm looking at 2014, I have time (at least, I think I do) to book Orca and they have good reviews here. Orca and Harv & Marv seem to be the ones usually mentioned.

 

Sue

[ChoosinCruisin]

Thanks Sue, my group's trip is 2014 also. Orca hasn't responded to emails. If you learn anything further I'd appreciate it if you passed it along; I'll do the same.

 

=0)

[donaldsc]

If you have a choice of any tour w 7 people versus the same tour w 50 people, 7 people wins every time. Take the H&M tour.