Harv and marv

[dsg560]

It was wonderful! We were there on a day that was a bit rainy and right at the pier they offered us a refund if we didn't want to chance the "choppy" water. I was surprised! They run a very fair and honest business. We went out and although we didn't see TONS of whales as they seemed to be diving down quite a bit...we saw enough to make us happy and saw one breach! My brother in law has been on many other tours and said this was the best he had ever been on. Our operator allowed plenty of space between us and the whales. He was very considerate of making sure we stayed far enough away. He was extremely professional but at the same time, it felt like you were going with an old friend! We would recommend them 100%. We had 7 in our party...(6 on one boat and 1 on the other) and all of us were 100% satisfied.

The driver took us over to Mendenhall after for a quick stop.

 

I will say, this day was one of the highlights of our wonderful trip to Alaska!!

 

Debbie

[Assateague Island Princes]

For all you H&M fans, I have been corresponding w/Eileen to book our (2nd time with them!) whale watching excursion for June of 2010, and she told me that they are expanding just a bit for 2010. They're hoping to hire on two more captains (they hired Steve this year, haven't had the pleasure of sailing with him yet, but heard great things!), and they are also purchasing a 12 passenger boat. That is it though because they still want to retain the "small business" feel they hope they portray - which in my opinion, they do....and VERY well, I might add!!!

 

We are sooo looking forward to this excursion with them again next year. We even got the captain we requested (Jay, who we lovingly call "Tigger" - the guy is so excitable!) - how is THAT for service???

 

Great company, great customer service, and amazing passion for the whales - what more can you ask for? Go, enjoy, you won't be sorry!

[DoggyDaddy]

We were on a H&M tour in July with Jay. We saw a baby whale who was playing for quite a while, just slapping his tail in the water. We also saw a group of whales (around 18 of them), "bubble feeding". It was awesome! Jay stayed a respectful distance from the whales - a bit more than other operators. I kind of wished he would get closer, but he respects the whales so much that he does not want to bother them. During the bubble net feeding, they came closer to us, and after a while he moved farther away, but we got some great pictures! Jay respected the 30 minute rule (he explained it to us), and it was no problem. We really enjoyed the trip.

 

 

DD

[jalexsai]

I was on the 9/10 morning tour and had a fabulous time! Jay told us the water was rough and would refund our money if any chose not to go. We all stayed on and saw one of nature's great spectacles, whales breaching (5-6 times), a whale waving it's tail and about 15 other sightings. It was wet, windy and wavy, but so spectacular I wouldn't trade it for all of the tea in China.

[texascruiser3]

We also can't say enough about Harv & Marv & Steve!:) Steve was our captain and was the nicest guy you will ever meet! There was an older lady on our tour and he ran to get the boat and drove it up to a closer dock, so she would'nt have to walk very far. After picking us up at the pier, he also gave us a quick tour of Juneau and drove us by the Govenor's Mansion, which was an added bonus. We also saw 6-8 whales, Humpbacks & Orca's & also saw one large male breach! It was an awesome sight. We even saw the famous "Spot" and got a great picture of his tail. If I weren't electronically challenged, I would show it to you!:o He also was very respectful of the distance between us and the whales and like another post said, I was actually hoping that he would get a little closer, but of course he didn't. He told us about a group of seals that hang out on a buoy in the middle of the ocean and asked if we would like to go see them. They were facinating too! We were so happy that we chose small operators on our excursions, because we learned so much more about their way of life in Alaska and wouldn't have had the oportunity to ask questions otherwise.

[Budget Queen]

He told us about a group of seals that hang out on a buoy in the middle of the ocean and asked if we would like to go see them.

 

These were sea lions. They have been there for years. :)

[texascruiser3]

These were sea lions. They have been there for years. :)

 

 

You know, funny enough, I started to go back and correct that error and did'nt, since they're in the same family, but........... you can always count on someone doing that for you! Thanks for the correction!

[christee52]

We used Harv and Marv on our late August cruise. In no way did they try and abuse the regulations concerning the distance between whales and boats. Our captain was one of the brothers of the owners and he was very mindful of the laws. I have been on many whale-watching excursions in Hawaii and have had whales actually come up next to the boats because they are curious animals. I do not want Harv and Marv to get a bum rap here on Cruise Critic...please do not believe that they purposely got too close to the whales, because I DO NOT believe they would do that.

[sunbird51]

A group of three of us went with Harv & Marv on the above date. What a trip! It was wonderful! It was drizzling rain! Lot's of whales and a sea lion that came right up to the boat to check us out! And Eagles! Even if you didn't like whales ~ after a trip with Jay, you'd be in love with them. He is so enthusiastic, you can't help catch it! His pictures are wonderful! I mentioned that I loved lighthouses and he was going to run us over there to get a closer look but we were there to see whales. You can't go wrong booking this excursion. First Class!

[birdylady]

I've been researching and researching for our upcoming trip in May and it appears from everything I've read, H&M seems the way to go. I hve noticed that they are a few dollars more than most other tours, but I assume that's because they are smaller groups that go out.

Is there a better time (am/pm) for going whale watching?

 

Thanx,

Erika

[mringenoldus]

Another huge thumbs up for Harv and Marv. I'd go again tomorrow. Steve was awesome!

 

Call them and ask if there is a best time for the excursion. We went early because of the ship's port time.

[CALMOM]

I've been researching and researching for our upcoming trip in May and it appears from everything I've read, H&M seems the way to go. I hve noticed that they are a few dollars more than most other tours, but I assume that's because they are smaller groups that go out.

Is there a better time (am/pm) for going whale watching?

 

Thanx,

Erika

 

We did a.m. the last time and are doing a.m. again in July just because we had the best luck seeing whales even "Spot". I just can't wait to go again:)

[doe326]

Went whale watching with Harv & Marv om May 31. Our ship got in around noon time and we had a 1:00 excursion. Harv was our captain. We had such a good time, can't wait to go back and book with them again. We saw a lot of whales and then Harv got a call and was told where the Orcas were. We took off to see them and what a sight. A pod of about 5-6 were in the area and gave us quite a show and some wonderful photos too. There were six of us on the boat and it made for a really great time. No worry about being able to see the whales as everyone had a terrific view. Would definitely use them again.

[birdylady]

Went whale watching with Harv & Marv om May 31. Our ship got in around noon time and we had a 1:00 excursion. Harv was our captain. We had such a good time, can't wait to go back and book with them again. We saw a lot of whales and then Harv got a call and was told where the Orcas were. We took off to see them and what a sight. A pod of about 5-6 were in the area and gave us quite a show and some wonderful photos too. There were six of us on the boat and it made for a really great time. No worry about being able to see the whales as everyone had a terrific view. Would definitely use them again.

OH Lucky you. We went the day before and we didn't see any Orca. Although we had a fantastic time. Harv and Marv do a first class operation. We saw Humpback, seals and eagles. If we are ever lucky enough to get back to Juneau, we WILL book with them again!

 

Erika

[frugaltravel]

Went whale watching with Harv & Marv om May 31. Our ship got in around noon time and we had a 1:00 excursion. Harv was our captain. We had such a good time, can't wait to go back and book with them again. We saw a lot of whales and then Harv got a call and was told where the Orcas were. We took off to see them and what a sight. A pod of about 5-6 were in the area and gave us quite a show and some wonderful photos too. There were six of us on the boat and it made for a really great time. No worry about being able to see the whales as everyone had a terrific view. Would definitely use them again.

 

I am glad that you had such a great viewing experience, but I do not rate the whale watch operators based on the whales I see. One might or might not see orcas for example, and probably won't see breaching whales. Having said that, I do think H&M runs a great operation (as do Orca and others). But I just hope that people do not equate their experience with an operator with how many whales they seen.

[doe326]

I am glad that you had such a great viewing experience, but I do not rate the whale watch operators based on the whales I see. One might or might not see orcas for example, and probably won't see breaching whales. Having said that, I do think H&M runs a great operation (as do Orca and others). But I just hope that people do not equate their experience with an operator with how many whales they seen.

 

 

I based my experience on how well the tour was conducted. I was only trying to convey that we were fortunate to see so many whales. I think most people are aware that they may or may not see any whales on these tours. I would use Harv and Marv again because they treated us so well. They run a first class operation and that was the point I was trying to make, sorry if you missed it.

[trophy_23]

We went with Harv and Marv on the 31st as welland had a wonderful tour. Though we were not fortunate enough to see orcas we did see many humpbacks. They run a first class operation and the guide was very informative and really had a passion for what he was doing. I would book with them again for sure!

[puckster55pics]

After reading all these excellent reviews of Harv & Marv's I checked out their site & contacted Kerry via email to get a tour booked for September 5th when we get to Juneau-Can't wait :) Did any of you do the Mt. Roberts Tram as well? Just trying to decide whether to do the Tram first & then whale watching or vice versa?? Also need to allow my wife a little shopping time in Juneau. We are "Scheduled" get in @ 11am but we are taking the Pacific route from Seattle so I'm concerned about booking this too early should we get into Juneau later than scheduled-Your advice would be appreciated :)

[vbmom87]

After reading all these excellent reviews of Harv & Marv's I checked out their site & contacted Kerry via email to get a tour booked for September 5th when we get to Juneau-Can't wait :) Did any of you do the Mt. Roberts Tram as well? Just trying to decide whether to do the Tram first & then whale watching or vice versa?? Also need to allow my wife a little shopping time in Juneau. We are "Scheduled" get in @ 11am but we are taking the Pacific route from Seattle so I'm concerned about booking this too early should we get into Juneau later than scheduled-Your advice would be appreciated :)

 

Frankly, if you are concerned about possibly getting into Juneau a bit late, I would go ahead and book the later time. You will be able to rest easier and relax more on the days preceding Juneau. Some things are just worth the peace of mind.

[sensasianl]

Just wanted to add my two cents in here. While we booked with H&M, one of their captains got ill the day before and was unable to take us on our tour. Because of spotty cell reception, I didn't find out until the day we arrived in Juneau, and found that I had an email and two voicemails from Eileen of H&M trying to reach me. She offered us a refund or alternatively could book us with another tour operator that they trusted. We ended up having a great time with the other captain, Greg Brown of Weather Permitting (https://weatherpermittingalaska.com/Home_Page.html), however we were very impressed with the customer service of H&M and appreciated their booking us with a back up so that we would still be able to have a great experience whale watching in Juneau.

[trophy_23]

After reading all these excellent reviews of Harv & Marv's I checked out their site & contacted Kerry via email to get a tour booked for September 5th when we get to Juneau-Can't wait :) Did any of you do the Mt. Roberts Tram as well? Just trying to decide whether to do the Tram first & then whale watching or vice versa?? Also need to allow my wife a little shopping time in Juneau. We are "Scheduled" get in @ 11am but we are taking the Pacific route from Seattle so I'm concerned about booking this too early should we get into Juneau later than scheduled-Your advice would be appreciated :)

 

I have done the tram and would personally wait and decide on that once you arrive. In September when we were there you couldn't see a thing the fog was so thick and the clouds so low. If you are going up only for the view this will be a factor. If you are just going to explore then you may not care as much. As for the port times, they are usually pretty accurate and you should be pretty close to scheduled arrival time.

[birdylady]

After reading all these excellent reviews of Harv & Marv's I checked out their site & contacted Kerry via email to get a tour booked for September 5th when we get to Juneau-Can't wait :) Did any of you do the Mt. Roberts Tram as well? Just trying to decide whether to do the Tram first & then whale watching or vice versa?? Also need to allow my wife a little shopping time in Juneau. We are "Scheduled" get in @ 11am but we are taking the Pacific route from Seattle so I'm concerned about booking this too early should we get into Juneau later than scheduled-Your advice would be appreciated :)

We did H&M and LOVED it. After the stop at the Glacier, we had them drop us off at the Tram. To be honest, we were not impressed. But to be fair, we didn't go on the nature trails so maybe that might be worth it if you are into that. When we got to the top, we walked through the gift shop, looked at the eagle, walked into the education center and looked at the restuarant menu deciding to skip it. Found out later from friends that ate there that it took an hour to get an expensive, so-so sandwhich. Others may have better input for that. For our 2 cents, if we ever get lucky enough to get back to Juneau, we'll do H&M again, but just go back and shop on the main street afterwards instead.

Erika

[PugMom02]

I have to say I went on cruise in May. We had a group of 8 adults. I was so happy to find out the Harv and Marv had just bought a new boat this year that would hold all of us. When we got to Juneau, we really lucked out, being the beginning of the cruise season we got Jay(Harv) and Pete(Marv) on the new boat. OMG!!!!! What a fabulous time we all had. It is so cool to be on this tour and have the tour guides be just as excited as everyone else to see the whales. I would have thought after years of running the company and Jay showed us his house right on the beach were whales "play" in his front "yard" it would become "old hat" to these guys. But they make it great by enjoying our tour as much as we did.

 

Also the new boat if wonderful. They went all out on this. The seats are so comfortable, the binoculars they provide top notch. I would not use any other whale watching company again if I ever go to Juneau again it would be Harv and Marv or nothing.

 

We were picked up by Steve and he was also great. After our tour, he took us to Mendenhall Glacier and just parked and waited for us to look around as much as we wanted. He also made some fabulous cookies while we were on the whale tour and had them for us on the bus. YUMMMMM, they were great everyone is still talking about how great the whole thing was.

 

Thank you Jay, Pete and Steve for showing us an unforgettable time!!!

 

If you are planning a trip to Juneau you must book with Harv and Marv they are the best!!

[Imalismom]

So how far in advance would you say one needs to book this excursion?

 

Thanks! We are going on a cruise August '10.

 

DHS

 

I have already booked my excursion with Harv and Marv for August of 2011.

[barefoot cruiser]

Just back from Alaska (and H&M). My friend wasn't sure about the "small" boat with "big" whales.

 

Yes we saw whales, but it was the small boat experience and Steve that made the tour our top memory. We went in knowing there was a possibility of not seeing whales...I think anyone who reads these posts has it stressed enough to them over and over. We were blessed with sightings. We enjoyed talking with Steve and seeing his excitement when we did spot our first whale (and the others later). We felt taken care of like guests.

Later in the trip, we took a bigger boat tour. We saw wildlife and whales then too. My friend would have taken less wildlife to have a much more personalized tour in the small boat with H&M.

Just thought I would share.