merlot1024 Posted June 12, 2017 #1 Share Posted June 12, 2017 Hi- I am really stressing about whether we will have enough time in Juneau. Our ship is scheduled to be there 6:30 AM - 4 PM. We have a 3 hour whale watching tour with Juneau Whale Watch at 8:30 AM. Then we would like to take the blue or white bus out to Mendenhall Glacier. Ideally we would like to visit the Visitors Center and then walk out to the waterfall. I am seriously worrying about whether we will make it back to the ship in time. We will be bringing snacks in case we don't have time to stop in Juneau. I would like to see a bit of the town but really don't know about the time. Thoughts or opinions :) Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisingram1 Posted June 12, 2017 #2 Share Posted June 12, 2017 You don't say which cruiseline you are with, but a lot of the cruiselines have the same excursions. Celebrity has a combo ship tour that does both the Whale watch and a stop at Mendenhall Glacier. That might be a better way for you to see both and not worry about timing. Unless you prefer a private tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted June 12, 2017 #3 Share Posted June 12, 2017 Instead of backtracking to the cruise pier to catch a shuttle, arrange for a cab to meet you at Auke Bay at 11:45 after the whale watch. Get dropped of at Mendenhall by noon, and ask to be picked up again at 1:30 or 2. Get dropped off in town 20 minutes later for a litlle sightseeing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlot1024 Posted June 12, 2017 Author #4 Share Posted June 12, 2017 You don't say which cruiseline you are with, but a lot of the cruiselines have the same excursions. Celebrity has a combo ship tour that does both the Whale watch and a stop at Mendenhall Glacier. That might be a better way for you to see both and not worry about timing. Unless you prefer a private tour. We will be on the Star Princess. I will have to look into the ship excursions again. I didn't see one that appealed to us originally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkkunk Posted June 12, 2017 #5 Share Posted June 12, 2017 The only thing about the combo tours is that you usually don't have a lot of time at Mendenhall. We were there for 2-3 hours and we definitely could have stayed there longer if we didn't need to get back to the ship. Check to see how long you would be there if you do the tour. Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tee_harbor Posted June 13, 2017 #6 Share Posted June 13, 2017 Hi- I am really stressing about whether we will have enough time in Juneau. Our ship is scheduled to be there 6:30 AM - 4 PM. We have a 3 hour whale watching tour with Juneau Whale Watch at 8:30 AM. Then we would like to take the blue or white bus out to Mendenhall Glacier. Ideally we would like to visit the Visitors Center and then walk out to the waterfall. I am seriously worrying about whether we will make it back to the ship in time. We will be bringing snacks in case we don't have time to stop in Juneau. I would like to see a bit of the town but really don't know about the time. Thoughts or opinions :) Thanks! Lots of whale watching tours have the drop off at the glacier option, although you may have to get one that's not through the cruiseline. You can also buy the white/blue bus ticket one way, so if the whale watch shuttle time doesn't work for you, you can catch the bus back. You cannot bring food to the glacier, or consume it while there. There's a lot of bear activity and they don't want to make the human habituation even worse. There's several food options at Auke Bay, so the taxi idea may work out best. Eat there, then go onto the glacier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkidawayCara Posted June 25, 2017 #7 Share Posted June 25, 2017 Take a local taxi- we asked the driver for his number when we used him to get out to the glacier- we then called him to take us to the gardens and then called him to pick us up and take us back to the ship. Worked out well for us (and for him!). You should have plenty of time. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamsocal Posted June 25, 2017 #8 Share Posted June 25, 2017 Instead of backtracking to the cruise pier to catch a shuttle, arrange for a cab to meet you at Auke Bay at 11:45 after the whale watch. Get dropped of at Mendenhall by noon, and ask to be picked up again at 1:30 or 2. Get dropped off in town 20 minutes later for a litlle sightseeing. this is what we have done in the past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budget Queen Posted June 25, 2017 #9 Share Posted June 25, 2017 Yes, just cab between the whale watch and Mendenhall. You need a couple hours at the glacier for what you are considering. You also need to prearrange the cab or call at least 1/2 hour prior to needing the pick up. Do your eating on the whale watch. And don't have any food on you at Mendenhall. You should have no problem just getting a shuttle bus for the return to the ship, but don't wait until the last bus for your return, I'd suggest you leave by 2:30p if you use a cab, again, you need to call at least 1/2 hour prior to needing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksjayhawks Posted June 27, 2017 #10 Share Posted June 27, 2017 We did a combo tour through the ship. However, when we were at the glacier, we saw a lot of taxis dropping people off and picking people up. If you want to go to the glacier on your own, I would take a taxi. The walk to the waterfall was mentioned as a 20-30 minute walk one way, so if you are doing that allow 1 hour at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now