cruise kitty Posted October 13, 2019 #1 Share Posted October 13, 2019 Hi there, we'll be in ISP next May for 3 pm to 10 pm. I understand that when we leave the ship there will be a ton of vendors selling excursions, my question is, do we need to book ahead? We're interested in whale/wildlife kayaking tour. Thanks in advance :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanF65 Posted October 13, 2019 #2 Share Posted October 13, 2019 43 minutes ago, cruise kitty said: Hi there, we'll be in ISP next May for 3 pm to 10 pm. I understand that when we leave the ship there will be a ton of vendors selling excursions, my question is, do we need to book ahead? We're interested in whale/wildlife kayaking tour. Thanks in advance 🙂 I would book in advance so I knew I had a spot on a tour and where I was leaving from (the dock were the ship ties up, the pier at ISP or in town). Tours that leave from the docks in town meet at a gathering spot and each tour has a van / bus to take people to their tour. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted October 13, 2019 #3 Share Posted October 13, 2019 There weren't tons of vendors when we were there in June. It is a somewhat isolated area that is part of native land. Certainly there was some activity there, but "tons" is definitely not the way I would describe it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk1972 Posted October 13, 2019 #4 Share Posted October 13, 2019 We did a whale watching tour with Glacier Wind in June 2018 and it was excellent. They have small boats with personal service. I would book ahead with them. We are going back in August 2020 and will probably go with them again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Italy52 Posted October 13, 2019 #5 Share Posted October 13, 2019 If you want a popular small boat vendor, it is best to book as soon as possible as they tend to book up quickly. We are big fans of Glacier Wind Charters for whale watching. Small boat experience with excellent customer service. Here is the link to their website. You can also check them out on Trip Advisor. We have gone with GW numerous times and will be going with them again in May of 2020. https://www.g-wind.com/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanF65 Posted October 13, 2019 #6 Share Posted October 13, 2019 (edited) Here is a map of where ships dock. Its a few miles into Hoonah and you gather at the "excursion hub" to the left of the cookhouse restaurant. There is a new dock being built for next year. not sure where it is. There aren't a lot of excursions being sold when you get off the boat. https://icystraitpoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Icy-Strait-Point-Map.pdf https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hoonah,+AK/@58.1096206,-135.4424262,6641m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x54016e328db9b761:0x6cb7fb631ee5abfd!8m2!3d58.11!4d-135.4436111 Edited October 13, 2019 by AlanF65 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruise kitty Posted October 13, 2019 Author #7 Share Posted October 13, 2019 wow, thanks everyone, super helpful info! I'm going to look into booking ahead. I already have Jayleens small boat whale watching tour booked for Juneau, so I'm looking for something more active here, hopefully a kayak tour :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruise kitty Posted October 13, 2019 Author #8 Share Posted October 13, 2019 Just a little update: I ended up booking G-Wind w/Captain Shawn. :) Reading the kayak trip reviews, it looks like they are often cancelled due to bad weather, while the small whale watching boats can still go out ( I don't mind rough water on a small boat) Thanks for all the help everyone! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk1972 Posted October 14, 2019 #9 Share Posted October 14, 2019 8 hours ago, cruise kitty said: Just a little update: I ended up booking G-Wind w/Captain Shawn. 🙂 Reading the kayak trip reviews, it looks like they are often cancelled due to bad weather, while the small whale watching boats can still go out ( I don't mind rough water on a small boat) Thanks for all the help everyone! You won't be sorry. Captain Shawn really knows that area. His son does too. We saw lots of whales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruise kitty Posted October 14, 2019 Author #10 Share Posted October 14, 2019 11 minutes ago, hawk1972 said: You won't be sorry. Captain Shawn really knows that area. His son does too. We saw lots of whales. thank you! I've never laid out this much money for excursions, we've almost always done exclusive DIY or private (in Europe, where it's easy to DIY & the private excursions can be had pretty cheaply) so it's a bit of sticker shock, but looking at the photos & videos I've seen online, & reading the reviews, I think we're going to be happy with what we've booked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk1972 Posted October 14, 2019 #11 Share Posted October 14, 2019 Excursions are definitely more expensive in Alaska. Last time we rented bikes in Skagway and Sitka or explored on our own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterdrago Posted October 16, 2019 #12 Share Posted October 16, 2019 On 10/13/2019 at 8:40 PM, hawk1972 said: You won't be sorry. Captain Shawn really knows that area. His son does too. We saw lots of whales. Ditto on Glacier Winds. Shawn is working on his 3rd book. Check out "Night Vision" and "Icy Passage". I could not put Night Vision down! And we definitely saw Whales! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giantfan13 Posted October 17, 2019 #13 Share Posted October 17, 2019 We were in IPS in September and sure don't recall seeing 'tons' of vendors anywhere. If you want to go out, you should book ahead of time and sure yourself a spot. In Juneau, there are scores of vendors around the square, when you get into town. Cheers Len Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bafinegan Posted October 17, 2019 #14 Share Posted October 17, 2019 After reading this thread, I looked into Glacier Wind tours. Was impressed by all the positive reviews. SO I called and capt Shawn's wife answered my numerous questions :). Ended up booking for our Aug trip. Seeing as the boat only 6 passengers,was really glad i booked so far ahead! Thanks ya'll! baf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Italy52 Posted October 17, 2019 #15 Share Posted October 17, 2019 2 minutes ago, bafinegan said: After reading this thread, I looked into Glacier Wind tours. Was impressed by all the positive reviews. SO I called and capt Shawn's wife answered my numerous questions :). Ended up booking for our Aug trip. Seeing as the boat only 6 passengers,was really glad i booked so far ahead! Thanks ya'll! baf Have gone with Glacier Wind 7 times and have another trip booked with them in May. Shawn, Teresa and their son, Casey all work hard to provide a great whale watching experience. Glad to hear that you were able to book with them. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEtue Posted October 23, 2019 #16 Share Posted October 23, 2019 On 10/17/2019 at 2:54 PM, bafinegan said: After reading this thread, I looked into Glacier Wind tours. Was impressed by all the positive reviews. SO I called and capt Shawn's wife answered my numerous questions :). Ended up booking for our Aug trip. Seeing as the boat only 6 passengers,was really glad i booked so far ahead! Thanks ya'll! baf You will have a great day with Captain Shawn. Booked my second trip with them for May 2020 1 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