Whale watching during cruise

[christineann3]

I am taking a cruise to Alaska in August. There is so much to do at the ports I am having a hard time deciding what to do. I want to see whales while I am in Alaska but don't know if I will have the time to do it as an excursion. Can I expect to see whales during the cruise or should I plan on going whale watching for an excursion?

[Dave]

Welcome to cruise-chat.

The thing with whale watching is that there are no guarantees, whether you are on the ship or on a tour. It is pretty much a matter of luck. We went on an Alaska cruise last June. We saw a few whales on the tour we took, including humpbacks, but don't expect to see epic leaps from the ocean like you see on TV. The whales we saw just glided at the surface for a few seconds to take in air and then they'd submerge. We wouldn't have known they were whales if the guide didn't tell us they were. We did see one humpback tail come out of the water as it submerged. The guide said this meant it was diving deep and would be submerged for a while. Pretty much a ho-hum tour. This was in Prince Rupert.

There were a couple sightings from the cruise ship, but by the time you could react they were gone.

[SlyOldLady]

We've done four Alaska cruises to date and will usually see quite a few whales in the distance but only a couple times did they get close enough for anything memorable. We took the whale watching excursion a couple of times out of Juneau and saw bunches up close...well worth the money.

[Dave]

I guess the bottom line answer is this: if you want the best chance to see whales you need to take a tour.

[christineann3]

Thanks for the information. I decided to book a whale watching tour.

[portbow]

Hi Christineann3,

We are also planning an Alaska cruise, in a couple of months.

I was wondering if you have any information about any other excursions on the trip?

Regards
portbow

[Berick1234]

The whale watching in Juneau is very good...

On our last cruise to Alaska, we toured Glacier Bay and everything was perfect...Glacier's calfing, Whales all around us, Dolphins, Orca's, sea lions, sea otters....it was paradise for 4 hours....the cruise before..NOTHING...You just have to be in the right place at the right time....

Happy Cruising...

Bob E

[7thSon]

We seen a whale in the distance. The on-board naturalist and/or the crew from the bridge would announce over the PA where one is. The problem is by the time you get to look out it is gone.

There were also many passengers camped along a rail or window looking thru binoculars hoping to see something. To each there own but to me it is a total waste of time. I have other things to do.

The best way is take a tour or go to Sea World.

If you take a tour don't book it on board. At every port there are booths that offer the tours cheaper. The other thing is if you book on board and it rains that day there is no refund. You are still in the USA so there is no problem.