We just received our Toursaver book (We should use enough coupons to recoup the cost)!
Anyway, the only whale watching tour listed is ';Alaska Whale Watching,'; and a coupon for $129. I know that Harv and Marv is the preferred tour for whale watching, but using the coupon would be a tremendous saving.
Do all the whale watching tours essentially travel the same route?
I would appreciate feedback if you used the whale watching tour listed in TourSaver.
We%26#39;re feeling overwhelmed, but feel we must start reserving places and activities.
Aslo, we%26#39;re staying in Juneau for three nights and think we want to stay at Alaska Capital Inn. Are they open this time of year? I left a message on their phone yesterday, and didn%26#39;t receive a call back.
TourSaver and Whale Watching in Juneau and B%26amp;B info needed
I%26#39;m not a fan of Alaska Whale Watching. Part of my problem with them is some ';unethical'; business practices last year, but part is as a customer as well. I%26#39;ll just discuss the customer point of view and leave the business disputes out of it.
I had several friends and family members scheduled to go out with Alaska Whale Watching. At the time we booked, we were told they would put us on their 6-passenger boat. When their shuttle van arrived to pick us up (nearly 40 minutes late!) I wondered why there were 6 others from another ship going on the same tour. I assumed (wrongly) that they were guests for another boat... but when we arrived, all of us were escorted to the same boat and ordered to load quickly because they were in a hurry to get to their next tour. I asked about being promised a boat with no more than 6 aboard, and the captain pointed to a boat with lawn chairs on the deck that was pulling away from the dock. He said that was the 6-pack boat, but it had another tour just then. My father was then asked if we were getting on the boat for our tour, or if we were refusing to board so that there would be no refunds.
We went, and I guess the tour was okay. I know what I used to do when I was running these same tours, so I guess I%26#39;m biased and used to giving nothing but first class service. Maybe I%26#39;m not the best to be writing a review of a tour given my experience in the industry. I%26#39;m sure if you%26#39;ve never been on a whale watching tour in Alaska before you don%26#39;t know what you%26#39;re missing or what things should be like, but I sure wouldn%26#39;t recommend Alaska Whale Watching unless price was the only factor in the decision... you%26#39;ll get exactly what you pay for!
Happy Alaska Travels!
-Case
TourSaver and Whale Watching in Juneau and B%26amp;B info needed
Dear Case,
Thanks for answering this post. I had posed the same question about a month and a half ago and didn%26#39;t get any response from someone who actually had experience with them--that was what I was looking for! I have a tour scheduled with Harv and Marv and will stick with them instead of using a coupon.
Hi Truly
Haven%26#39;t stayed there but WOW the Alaska Capital Inn looks nice.....it%26#39;s in a great location downtown, up on the hillside and away from the crowds.....walk through the neighborhood here and check out the governor%26#39;s mansion.....
be sure to ask the propietors for directions to the Mt Roberts Trail....it%26#39;s a wonderful hike on a clear day, hike up, take the tram down......
If you have a car, drive out to the end of Basin Road to check out the old gold mine museum or drive out to Douglas Island to the end of the main street where the Treadwell Mine Trail starts, this one is great to do even if it%26#39;s raining.....
Do get back to the forum and let us know how the Alaska Capital Inn was.....looks like a great place for a special occasion !
I just don%26#39;t understand why places can have such great websites but not post their prices - aka Alaska Capital Inn.
I have been looking for a place to stay in Talkeetna and I have ruled out any place that I need to contact just to get a price estimate. They lost my business before even contacting them. Do they realize this? I just don%26#39;t have the time to contact such places just to get prices and then realize they are way out of my price range, or not. So for Talkeetna, the only places I contacted were three that were in my price range and are open in the winter.
I doubt lodging owners read boards like this, but if you are listening - please give us an idea of your pirces on yoru website:-)
John
I agree with you%26lt; John We too are looking for a place in Talkeetna and elsewhere and want to know up front if we can afford to stay there. Doing a trip on your own requires a lot of time and planning.
If you are still looking, a place in Trappers Creek (1/2 hour from Taalkeetna) that we are considering is Alaskas Northland Inn:
http://www.alaskasnorthlandinn.com/
Looks really nice, with a kitchen too if you want to cut down a bit on your food expenses. I haven%26#39;t booked it yet - waiting for my niece to reply since we have one option right in Talkeetna too. It will be her decision:-)
John
Case,
Thank you for sharing your personal experience with Alaska Whale Watching...(I was hoping you would chime in)! and for taking the ';high road'; as far as the business itself.
Based on what you said, I called ';Harv and Marv'; and booked a tour with them. I/we decided paying a little more for a whale watching trip would be money well spent. It%26#39;s going to be awesome to be on a
6 passenger boat!
Mombear,
I was finally able to get in contact with someone from Alaska Capital Inn...and found out that the reason their rooms look so great is because they are s-o-o-o expensive. Way above our price range for this trip. The room I was interested in was $289 per night!
Back to searching once again.
Here%26#39;s where we stayed while in Juneau for several days this past summer...
http://www.alaskawolflodge.com/default.aspx
We had the 2 bdrm apt. since there were 4 of us, worked out great! Very clean, breakfast was good, enjoyed our time visiting w/the other travelers. It%26#39;s about a mile outside of town, just off ';the Road';.
trulyoregon- You%26#39;ll LOVE the Harv%26amp;Marv tour. They%26#39;re about the only ones I can safely recommend anymore for the smaller boats, and yes... IMO, money well spent!
beth- Do you have a review of the Wolf Lodge posted anywhere? I%26#39;d be curious to read your impressions in more detail if you%26#39;ve written anything. The owner, Jeff, is a good friend of mine... as a matter of fact, he%26#39;ll be accompanying me aboard the Can Can this May when I deliver the boat south, and I%26#39;ve promised to have him back in Juneau on June 1 so he can resume cooking his famously great breakfasts....
Serious bonus points to anyone staying at the Alaska Wolf Lodge who asks Jeff to make fried chicken and waffles for breakfast! ;-)
Happy Alaska Travels!
-Case
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