Picking up a tour in port in Juneau?

[mlbcruiser]

We don't have anything planned excursion-wise in Juneau (mid-May). Wondering what our chances would be if we decided upon arrival that we'd like to do a whale watching tour? I'd prefer to know the weather before deciding to go and am hoping we can grab one on the spot for less than the cruise line charges. Especially since we've done a couple of whale watching tours before - just not in AK.

 

Is it easy to get a cab to/from Mendenhall glacier? If so, does anyone know about how much this would cost? Will there be independent tour reps hanging around the port who offer tours there? How long does it take to get from the port to Mendenhall? I know there are buses from town that go there, but don't know if that would involve transferring to another bus or if the buses make a lot of stops (?). Would prefer to get transport that goes directly to the park.

 

We've done whale watching trips in other places, so if we don't do one, guess we'll just try to get to Mendenhall, walk around the near ship area of Juneau and possibly ride the tram to see the view. (Can we expect long lines for the tram? Esp. since we won't have reservations or tickets ahead of time.)

 

Thanks for any info!

Edited April 8, 2016 by mlbcruiser

[renaissancewoman101]

When I went on my Alaskan cruise last year, I saw that there were kiosks right out by the ships, where you could purchase last minute tours for whale watching, Mendenhall Glacier, and even helicopter tours. Since I already signed up for my helicopter tour in advance, I didn;t need to deal with that.

 

There is a blue bus that does trips to and from Mendenhall. I think a round trip is $20 IIRC. ( I don't think they do stops, just from pickup point and to the Glacier). I think the last return trip from Mendenhall is 6 PM. Not completely sure. You can purchase the bus tickets at one of the kiosks. Out by where the bus picks up for the tours, there are cabs waiting around for people. You can ask them to take you on a tour around the city (They do advertise that they do city tours). Not sure how much that is though.

 

Depending on what time you get into port, there might not be a line. If your ship is one of the first in port, there shouldn't be a line. It does get busier later in the afternoon.

Edited April 8, 2016 by renaissancewoman101

[mlbcruiser]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply and the info, rennaissancewoman101! That is what I had hoped. That way, if the weather is lousy we won't be stuck doing something we'd rather skip under the circumstances. I appreciate the help.