Help picking Whale Watching Vendor In Juneau

[ExilePA]

As the title says, need some help figuring out which vendor to go with.

 

I've narrowed it down to Harv and Marv's and Gastineau Guiding.

 

We really want to combine a Mendenhall visit along with and these seem to be the 2 operators that allow for that with ease. Does anyone know if the length of time with either of these providers allow enough time to see Nugget Falls or will we only have enough time to see these basics of MH?

 

From what I'm reading it seems H&M have smaller boats than GG which would allow for a more intimate experience and closer viewing of whales. But on the flipside I've read that GG's boats, while at double the capcacity, have a better window and viewing setup than H&M.

 

GG is roughly $75 more than H&M as GG is booked directly through the ruise line. However, I believe H&M charge additional money for MH stop on the tour -- does anyone know if this is the case?

 

Really we're trying to just get the best bang for not only our buck but also our time since we're only in Juneau from 12-9 on this cruise.

 

I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts and opinions.

[Kamloops50]

As the title says, need some help figuring out which vendor to go with.

 

I've narrowed it down to Harv and Marv's and Gastineau Guiding.

 

We really want to combine a Mendenhall visit along with and these seem to be the 2 operators that allow for that with ease. Does anyone know if the length of time with either of these providers allow enough time to see Nugget Falls or will we only have enough time to see these basics of MH?

 

From what I'm reading it seems H&M have smaller boats than GG which would allow for a more intimate experience and closer viewing of whales. But on the flipside I've read that GG's boats, while at double the capcacity, have a better window and viewing setup than H&M.

 

GG is roughly $75 more than H&M as GG is booked directly through the ruise line. However, I believe H&M charge additional money for MH stop on the tour -- does anyone know if this is the case?

 

Really we're trying to just get the best bang for not only our buck but also our time since we're only in Juneau from 12-9 on this cruise.

 

I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts and opinions.

 

You give a little more information. Whether you have time for Nugget falls depends

1 - time tour

2 - Length

3 - Time of departue

[Cruisingthesuitelife]

Recent experience with Harv & Marv and they were outstanding. I was on boat OB1 with Captain Alex. There were 6 in our group. When we weren't going at a high speed, he opened the front so that we could go out there; that easily held 3 people and probably would have held more. The back held all 6 of us with plenty of room. The inside had plenty of room and windows to see through. At one point I was the only one inside and he happily opened up the front side windows and I had a great view! I have absolutely no complaints about our ability to view and Alex was great at putting the boat side on so that we could all have the best view spread out between the front, inside and the back of the boat.

 

Our driver for the day was John. He drove us from the ship to the marina and picked us up after the whale watching. The stop at Mendenhall was after the boat. He dropped us at the visitor center and we had 20 minutes for viewing. There was no extra charge for this. Had we wanted to, we could have stayed there and made our own way back to the ship (at our own expense of course). Otherwise, he took us back to town and was happy to drop us anywhere in town or back at our ship.

 

Can't recommend them highly enough.

Edited June 10, 2015 by Cruisingthesuitelife

[jmcmo]

We are planning a tour with Harv and Marv's for next year and are planning to have them drop us at Mendenhall Glacier and then take the Blue Bus back to the port with Mighty Great Tours. You can purchase the $10 ticket one way with the driver so that it will allow you any extra time needed at Mendenhall Glacier.. MGT picks up at the Visitor Centre at Mendenhall Glacier.

[mapleleaves]

If you're trying to maximize your time in Juneau, don't leave your time at Mendenhall in the hands of the whale watch vendor.

Since the shuttles to/from Mendenhall end at 6-7pm, go there first at 1pm, then have the whale watch vendor pick you up there at 3 or 4 for a late afternoon tour. Or if they won't do that, it's only another $10 for shuttle bus ticket back to the pier.

Another thing to watch for with the small boats, especially if you're prone to motion sickness; they're not as stable in rough seas

[lag9122]

We are going to Alaska next week we have harv and marv on Sunday . I will let you know when we get back . The paperwork says we stay at MG for 15 mins

 

Lisa

[ExilePA]

You give a little more information. Whether you have time for Nugget falls depends

1 - time tour

2 - Length

3 - Time of departue

 

With HM we pretty much have our choice of going at 12:30, 1:30, or 3:30 GG is 1:15 only. It looks like both tours are 5 hours total in length with GG provding roughly an hour at MH where as HM is only 15mins. Our ship leaves at 9PM that night. I see someone suggested perhaps doing MH before a trip with HM which doesn't sound like a bad idea at all.

[Budget Queen]

. MGT picks up at the Visitor Centre at Mendenhall Glacier.

 

No they do not. Shuttle buses pick up from the parking lot, before you get to the Visitor Center.

[Budget Queen]

You need to allow at least an hour for the Nugget Falls walk. Not ideal on a tight schedule, where you are running in one direction due to extended time looking at something of interest- as an example.

 

I would expect cab rates to be higher- with an expectation of around $40 with tip, a possibility if hitting heavy traffic downtown and at the AJ dock.

[peety3]

From what I'm reading it seems H&M have smaller boats than GG which would allow for a more intimate experience and closer viewing of whales. But on the flipside I've read that GG's boats, while at double the capcacity, have a better window and viewing setup than H&M.

H&M have smaller boats, mostly 6 pax, one or at most a few 12 pax. It'll allow for a more intimate experience if you care to know ALL of your fellow whale watchers. However, the boat rules are the same around animals regardless of boat size, so H&M isn't going to get you closer to the whales.

 

GG's boats have better windows for viewing and pictures than darn near anybody else. They're also a lot more stable, due to the inflated pontoons on either side. Essentially you're "confined" to the central 60% of the boat's width, and therefore moving to one side or the other isn't as offsetting as with other boats (I suspect the 100+ passenger boats have enough framing and infrastructure that passenger shifts aren't as offsetting on those boats either).

 

We've used GG twice and another vendor once. We'll be using GG again every chance we get.

[jessed]

Used H&M last week with Captain Russell. He spotted some orcas and hightailed it to that area. Saw seven all together. We were the only boat there.

[lag9122]

We just returned from AK. We did the Harv & Marv tour I would recommend them . Our captain Steve was the best he followed the whales . We saw humpbacks about 10 of them bubble-net feeding it was the best tour . We also stopped at Mendenhall Glacier for about 15 mins too

[WIS-Cruiser]

We used Harv & Marv and enjoyed it very much. Had about 20 minutes at Mendenhall - not enough to go to the falls but we really didn't feel we missed much.

[RJHNorthyorks]

We used Harv and Marv a couple of weeks ago. Brilliant!!

[GORDONCHICK]

Used H&M on May 28th. The stop at Mendenhall is only 15-20 minutes but you could catch the bus back to town depending on what time your tour starts and ends.

 

It may be just me, but I won't ever shoot photos through a window (unless it's open) - even if it's raining. All the H&M boats have standing room in the back and there is bow area that's open when the boat is stopped.

 

I can't speak to the other vendor since I've not used them.

[Voyagers]

Just got back from a cruise on the Pearl. H&M were booked so we went with Dolphin tours, booked through Trip Advisor. What a great time! Took a bus to Auke Bay, then got on a small boat (about 20 people) and saw lots of whales. Then got on another bus for a short trip to Mendenhall for about 75 mins of viewing time. Captain Amy had drinks, candy and bagels on the boat. All told, about a 4.5 hour excursion at a reasonable price!

[knbcruisers]

We took the MV SCANIA with Capt Alan and it was fantastic. The max is 9 people with room for all on the upper level of boat. We only had 5 the viewing was excellent and the Capt was extremely knowledgable. We sat nixt to he for a good chunk of the tour and learned a great deal about whales and Alaska. Just Google MV SCANIA for the details. Can't say enough good things about this boat and guide.