Non-DCL Whale Watching/Mendenhall Excursions in Juneau

[Mom-2-2Princesses]

Has anyone had any experience with any of these companies for a whale watching/mendenhall tour in Juneau:

Juneau Shore Tours
Alaska Shore Excursions
Juneau Tours

I'm also familiar with Harv & Marv, but they don't seem to offer the glacier option any longer.

Any others I should look into?

TIA!

 

[Pens Fan]

We are using Rum Runners this summer, taking their photo/fishing safari. I've read a lot of positive reviews for them on here, Trip Advisor and Cruise Critic. They don't specifically have a tour that goes to Mendenhall but in their FAQ they note that they will drop you off there and help you arrange transportation back to your ship.

 

[phinz]

We booked ours through Princess, so I can't say I've done non-line booking, but I would recommend going to Mendenhall *first* then doing the whale watching. By noon Mendenhall is *packed* with people. It was a miserable experience. Heck, I'd just rent a car, drive to Mendenhall and then drive to my whale watching trip.

 

[quickcat]

We used Rum Runners and had a great experience. They are educational and really make sure that you're getting what you want out of the excursion. He brought us to see eagles, which we weren't expecting, and that was a really nice way to end the excursion. It was rainy on the day we did the excursion and he has a heated inside cabin which was a definite bonus! Good luck with your decision, really I think all the tour guides up there are top notch

 

[xlxo]

I vote to do Mendenhall after the whale watch....

• if it rains.... you don't want to be at the visitor center for more than 15 minutes.
• If the weather is dry.... you want to explore the trails, especially the hour long Nuggat Falls.

 

[dcassetta]

You might look at booking them separately. Make arrangements for the whale tour ahead of time. Then just buy the Mendenhall round trip tickets at the pier.

 

[KashasMom]

We've gone with Orca Enterprises twice (excellent) - not sure if they offer Mendenhall excursion though.

 

[anricat]

I had it in mind that I wanted to do a combo tour as well, but I'm really glad we didn't. We ended up renting a car to explore on our own in the morning. We arrived at the glacier right when they opened and practically had the place to ourselves. It was amazing. Then we drove back into town, went shopping and dropped the car off. We ate lunch on board the ship and then met our private whale watching tour with Rum Runners right after lunch. It was perfect. If you want more specifics, here's the part in my trip report specifically about Juneau:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/w...fun-in-vancouver.3537617/page-2#post-56343773

 

[disneyfaninaz]

We used Weather Permitting. Great tour! We were taken to the Mendenhall Glacier after our whale tour. The taxi gave us a couple of hours and then picked us up and took us to the place where the DCL bus picks you up to take you back to the ship. We had a "snack" at Tracy's Crab Shack (a must do) and shopped a little before getting on the bus.

 

[sammydent]

We're booked with Juneau Tours for our June 12 cruise. Great reviews on Trip Advisor.

 

[TestingH2O]

I had it in mind that I wanted to do a combo tour as well, but I'm really glad we didn't. We ended up renting a car to explore on our own in the morning. We arrived at the glacier right when they opened and practically had the place to ourselves. It was amazing. Then we drove back into town, went shopping and dropped the car off. We ate lunch on board the ship and then met our private whale watching tour with Rum Runners right after lunch. It was perfect. If you want more specifics, here's the part in my trip report specifically about Juneau:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/w...fun-in-vancouver.3537617/page-2#post-56343773

I had hoped for this itinerary, but Rum Runners told us we would have better luck in the morning.

Oh well, even if we end up missing the glacier because DD gets too tired, the whales are our priority. I suppose one of us could always take her back to the ship to rest while the others go see the glacier. I'm super excited!

 

[anricat]

I had hoped for this itinerary, but Rum Runners told us we would have better luck in the morning.

Oh well, even if we end up missing the glacier because DD gets too tired, the whales are our priority. I suppose one of us could always take her back to the ship to rest while the others go see the glacier. I'm super excited!

It might be the time of year. We went in August and the afternoon was PHENOMENAL. The tour guide was even wowed. But, they are a good company and know their business. Chris is a great guy - it wouldn't hurt to ask him why he thinks that for your trip.