Request for Juneau and Ketchikan Questions

[debcsus]

I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do in Juneau.. Any suggestions for independent trips or excursions? We'll be on Princess and I'm looking at $120 or less for an excursion.

 

I'm doing the SouthEast Kayak Orca's Cove trip in Ketchikan but would also like to see the Totem Pole Heritage Museum. Can I do this fairly easy independently, or do I need to book the excursion?

 

Was this near the lumberjack thing? I've heard a few recommendations for it, what do you guys think?

[Budget Queen]

The Totem Heritage Museum in Ketchikan is easily walkable from the dock. It's off Park, near the city park. Pick up a walking tour map at the dock visitor center. Have them mark it for you.

 

As for Juneau- plenty to do, but I suggest you look over a shore excursion list and narrow down your interests. There are way too many excellent choices to consider otherwise. If you can swing it, for about $190 a top tour is a glacier helicopter landing. http://www.coastalhelicopters.com

[a1moty]

I vote for Captain Larry's whale watching---$114.95

 

You can find more info at www.orcaenterprises.com

 

It is a wonderful excursion!!

 

(If Captain Larry had a dollar for every time his name is mentioned on this board....):D

[wdblake]

I second Captain Larrys. Lots of whales...great jet boat!

[Dave2760]

I 3rd capt Larry's, and the Lumberjack show was humorous and entertaining

[Mrs007]

Personally, I would spring the $125 and go with Harv and Marv for the whale watch. They have a smaller boat and you will get a more personal tour. http://alaskawhalewatch.com/Whalewatching.html

 

Also, spend the $6 each way for the bus and get out to Mendenhall Glacier. Once there, you can enjoy the Glacier and you don't need to spend the extra to go into the Visitor Center if you don't want.

[braves]

It's a little over your budget, but I would go with Harv & Marv's as well. www.harvandmarvs.com It's $125 and it's awesome.

 

If you have 4 to 6 people, they will make it a private tour. Boat only takes up to 6, so it's very comfortable and it's stable. Went out with Marv (Pete), last Saturday and saw a group of humpbacks doing lunge feeding (where they circle the food into a ball and then jump up thru it, mouths open). Marv is the one that found them, then a couple other boats came over. I've attached one of the pictures from when the whales came up about a 100 yards from the boat!

 

They picked us up at our ship, were great along the way and then dropped us at the Mendelhall Glacier at the end. We took the bus back for $6.

 

It was my family's highlight of our cruise (with my wife and sons, ages 17 and 20 who are normally hard to impress!). We were on the Carnival Spirit.

[Toyz711]

The only thing wrong with harv and marv (and i do mean the only thing wrong with them...they are great) but their prices are based on the number of people on the boat. if they have a full boat (3-6) the cost is $125 pp, but it's more if they were to NOT fill the boat. that was my problem when the others in my group decided they were just going to wing their time in juneau. i could not afford the extra $50 each if we were the only ones going. i can understand the pricing, it cost the same to take 2 out as it does to take 6 out...they need to get a set price to make it worth thier time/gas.

[CraftyDD]

My vote goes to Captain Larry in Juneau. We did Mendenhall on our own. They give you a map of the trails. That way we could spend as much time as we wanted there. The busses weren't running (it was Saturday and that is a slow day so they stopped at 3:00) so we (6 of us) took a taxi for about the same price. The driver gave us his phone number and picked us up when we were done. Then spent a couple of hours at the Red Dog. Didn't do the tram because for $25 each it was kind of late and felt it wasn't worth it.

DH and friends booked Knudson fishing thru cruise line in Ketchikan and didn't get a bite. They played cards for 5 hours. What a bummer. The ladies shopped.