Radiance of the Seas - Juneau excursions

[colorado_cruiser]

We're leaving for the Alaska cruise on July 17. We already reserved a helicopter ride/dogsled excursion, but I still want to do other excursions. Please help give input on the following excursions:

[list]
[*]Whale Quest, Mendenhall Glacier, and Salmon Bake
[*]Mount Roberts Tramway
[*]Mendenhall Glacier and Salmon Hatchery
[*]Juneau Deluxe City Tour
[/list]Any input/ideas will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

[Budget Queen]

I am no fan of ship tours, but your first choice is a good package. Don't purchase the Mt. Roberts tram until you get there- just a walk up purchase- the weather may limit views or you may run out of time shopping. :) Be sure to reride at dusk- pass is good all day. The hatchery is good if interested, great fish ladder. As for the city tour- you can go for half price with an independent- not as nice a bus however. :) MGT offers a nice tour for about $20, pick up at the dock.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

Love to do whale watching excursions.

:D

[colorado_cruiser]

BQ: Thanks for your advice. I'll definitely will wait to purchase the tix for the Mt. Roberts tram until we get there. Do you happen to have the site (if they have one) for the MGT tours?

KK: I've been seriously considering the whale watching excursions. I'm just not sure if it will still be as exciting for me since I used to live in Santa Barbara, CA and have been on a number of whale watching trips out there. I am considering it for the other members of my dh's family though. :)

[rshillman]

We got off the Radiance and took the MGT shuttle (right on the pier) to Mendenhall @ $10 each round trip. Stay as long as you like...shuttle runs every 30 minutes each way. Mendenhall is quite different from Hubbard, which you will see from the ship later in the week. There is a hiking trail if you have the time...Although it looked beautiful, we did not do the walk due to a whale watch booking with Captain Larry [url]http://www.orcaenterprises.com/1-other%20tours.htm[/url]
in the afternoon. We did go into the Mendenhall visitor center and watched the movie about the glacier ($3 admission).

The clouds were hanging low over Mt. Roberts tram when we got back from the whale watch, so we skipped the tram ride, as advised by others on message boards. I was disappointed that we were unable to do that one, but I didn't want to waste the money. If you are doing the helicopter ride, that will probably give you the best higher elevation views anyway. That is one excursion that I heard is fantastic, but we didn't do it.

By the way, upon return to Vancouver, we had spectacular weather and took the tram up to Grouse Mountain...fantastic views from there!

You are going to have a fantastic trip...wish I was still there!

[Budget Queen]

For clairfication- there is MGT shuttle and MGT TOUR bus. The tour bus is available at the dock as is the shuttle. The tour gives a downtown drive by commentary, about 30 min. at Mendenhall with the visitor center admission included, a stop at Chapel on the Lake, a drive and photo stop on Douglas Island and sometimes a stop between Mendenhall and downtown. [url]http://www.mightygreattrips.com/se_alaska_shore_excursions.htm[/url]