Juneau - dog sled /Mendenhall?

[Disneymadhouse]

So the itineraries are out for next summer.
Our options are 4th August ( that goes to Skagway) or 11th August (that goes to ISP)

I had planned on doing the dog sled and puppy cuddling in Skagway, but the ISP cruise looks like it will be a fair bit cheaper.

So that leaves me with doing the dog sled / puppies in Juneau - but I also want to see Mendenhall glacier. Does anyone know of such an excursion with an outside company that does the dogs and mendenhall please? (I don't want to do the helicopter / snowy sled!)

TIA

 

[auntlynne]

You may be able to build your own day. This excursion gets you to a musher’s camp. Lasts under 2.5 hours.

https://alaskashoreexcursions.com/juneau/mushers-camp-tour

A visit to Mendenhall does not have to be hours long. Most port days I have been in Juneau would accommodate these two excursions.

You may also find that renting a car may be more cost-effective; admission to Mendenhall is only about $5, parking is free, I think - but the transportation is the big expense.

…The above excursion is the first thing I found with the search for shore excursion Mendenhall Juneau puppies. Alaska Shore Excursions is a go-to site for many people.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

Thankyou, yes I wasn't sure if I could build my own day with two excursions. We are from the UK and I don't feel comfortable driving abroad, so renting a car isn't an option for us unfortunately!

 

[auntlynne]

Thankyou, yes I wasn't sure if I could build my own day with two excursions. We are from the UK and I don't feel comfortable driving abroad, so renting a car isn't an option for us unfortunately!

Puppies excursion uses the center of Juneau, at the base of a tramway, as its drop-off point. That location also is the place a lot of excursions drop off or start. There is usually a free shuttle to the ship there that runs very often (really, many shuttles).

Disney typically docks a little farther away, not right in town, about 1 mile that does not have the infrastructure for walkers.

Here is a bus to the Glacier. Looks like $90 adult / $80 kids RT. This will be a repurposed school bus.

There is a Promo Code for a 10% discount on the website if you click on the side tab (but not in my picture).

https://www.juneautours.com/shuttle-mendenhall-glacier/

Most things are expensive in Alaska. And that gets passed on to the tourists.

Are you sure you couldn’t be comfortable driving around a small town with slow traffic speeds? This is definitely not like LA traffic. Not even an M1 in England.

 

[auntlynne]

Here’s another site for booking the puppies. Refundable until 14 days prior. Very possibly/probably the same location as the one listed on Alaska Shore Excursion page.

https://juneaushoretours.com/tours/juneau/dog-sledding/juneau-sled-dog-discovery#faqs

 

[auntlynne]

This usually surprises people about dog sled teams - they are not huskies. Usually mixed breed dogs. (Not my photo).

 

[robinb]

We went to Juneau on a Princess cruise 2 years ago. We took the JuneauTours bus to the glacier and back, but I didn't think it was $80! The driver was very knowledgeable and kept us entertained. It's about a mile walk to the Glacier from where the bus dropped us off so I think that it was about 3-4 hours total round trip. We ended up just wandering around Juneau and then having a crabby lunch at Tracy's Crab Shack.

 

[Lumpy1106]

It's been quite a few years, but we did the sled dog excursion when we went and really enjoyed it. We also have friends in Juneau and have driven to the glacier on our own. Watching the cruise passengers on excursions was pretty humorous - they bring you out on a bus, drop you off at the visitor's center, then tell you when the bus leaves - don't be late! Problem is you are at the mercy of the bus schedule and they barely give you enough time to get to the glacier and back - people were practically running along the trail to get to the face of the glacier and back in time. Meanwhile, we walked out to the glacier with our friends, let the kids play in the water and had a nice picnic lunch. Maybe you could just hire an Uber? It's not far from the cruise terminal. Just don't miss the boat.

One other thing about Juneau - the area around the boat is full of bars, liquor stores and tourist traps - it's pretty disappointing. I would definitely plan an excursion in Juneau just to stay away from it. Skagway is better - it's all built yesterday, but made to look authentic. Pretty sure they literally close the town down when cruise season ends. You don't need to do an excursion in Ketchikan. That's a really nice little port city with plenty of things to see within walking distance.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

Thankyou everyone for your help.

We've watched a ton of vlogs so realised that the boat docks a little way from the town in Juneau, so really want something to do something there.

We're not planning on doing an excursion in Ketchikan, just have a wander around the town.

No, I really don't like the idea of driving there at all!

Lots more reading and research to do, thanks again everyone

 

[Stormypetrel]

I have been debating those two weeks as well! Did you price them out *with* excursions? Based on the size of my party and number of kids, seems like the cost savings of the ISP itinerary would be minimal when I factor in that at that port there is nothing to do unless you pay for an excursion, and some of them are expensive. I only just started researching this but it seems ISP has limited 3rd party vendors, and fewer options for families with younger kids like mine. If you did the dog sleds in Skagway, it seems just taking a bus or taxi to the Mendenhall glacier visitor center is fairly affordable, and you wouldn’t necessarily have to pay for an excursion to do that. With the ISP itinerary OTOH you are paying for the dog sled at Juneau plus an excursion at ISP. Of course, all depends on the excursions you were looking at and how many people in your party! We have a large extended family group so the math might work out differently.
Curious what you end up deciding and if you find any helpful resources, since I’m in the same boat!

 

[auntlynne]

We went to Juneau on a Princess cruise 2 years ago. We took the JuneauTours bus to the glacier and back, but I didn't think it was $80! The driver was very knowledgeable and kept us entertained. It's about a mile walk to the Glacier from where the bus dropped us off so I think that it was about 3-4 hours total round trip. We ended up just wandering around Juneau and then having a crabby lunch at Tracy's Crab Shack.

I am shocked each time I look at the bus to Mendenhall. It was about $30 RT in 2013; $40 the following year. In 2021, I did a ship excursion through NCL with a discount included in my fare.

When I saw that $80 (minimum - it is $90 on a random day I picked in the Summer), I really thought rental car could be an answer - especially when a group has more than one person.

The public bus drops off about a mile from the Visitor’s Center.

@Lumpy1106 - with the Blue Bus, you were not tied to a return time. That made for a relaxing, lingering, or exploring visit.

But I think that bus is no longer offered. It may be what is now the Glacier Explorer Tour I referenced.

@Stormypetrel - the excursions on an Alaskan cruise can be killer - and be as much as cruise fare if you choose helicopters, planes, boats at every port!

ISP is very expensive for many of their limited selection of options. It is a good place to whale watch - the other is Juneau, where most people do this activity (because ISP is not so common a stop).

I think I have done a whale watch and visit to Mendenhall each of my AK cruises. Helicopters, float planes, trains, Zodiac boats are all checked off my list.

 

[auntlynne]

Ketchikan has some hiking above town. It can be accessed from the area around Creek Street. There is a pretty little flower and totem park on the walk through town. Whale Park:

 

[holula]

Personally after seeing the glacier from the ship (and I’ve done it twice, and it was no less spectacular the second time!) Mendenhall glacier was a bit disappointing.

I do agree that the port time in Juneau allows time for two excursions - this is what I did the first time I went to Juneau, flightseeing in the morning and whale watching in the afternoon. The second time we did a combo whale watch/Mendenhall tour in the morning and had the afternoon to ourselves, so we ate lunch in Juneau and went back to the ship.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

I have been debating those two weeks as well! Did you price them out *with* excursions? Based on the size of my party and number of kids, seems like the cost savings of the ISP itinerary would be minimal when I factor in that at that port there is nothing to do unless you pay for an excursion, and some of them are expensive. I only just started researching this but it seems ISP has limited 3rd party vendors, and fewer options for families with younger kids like mine. If you did the dog sleds in Skagway, it seems just taking a bus or taxi to the Mendenhall glacier visitor center is fairly affordable, and you wouldn’t necessarily have to pay for an excursion to do that. With the ISP itinerary OTOH you are paying for the dog sled at Juneau plus an excursion at ISP. Of course, all depends on the excursions you were looking at and how many people in your party! We have a large extended family group so the math might work out differently.
Curious what you end up deciding and if you find any helpful resources, since I’m in the same boat!

No I haven't added in the costs of excursions yet
We will fly in from the UK on the Saturday so will stay in Vancouver for 2 nights and plan to do whale watching there, as my daughter really wants to see Orca's.
We can't do the 18th August cruise as we need to be back home in the UK for GCSE results. DCL have really mucked up my plans as I just assumed ( and having looked at the port schedules for 2025) that Skagway would be on all the 7 nighters in August!

 

[robinb]

I am shocked each time I look at the bus to Mendenhall. It was about $30 RT in 2013; $40 the following year. In 2021, I did a ship excursion through NCL with a discount included in my fare.

When I saw that $80 (minimum - it is $90 on a random day I picked in the Summer), I really thought rental car could be an answer - especially when a group has more than one person.

The public bus drops off about a mile from the Visitor’s Center.

@Lumpy1106 - with the Blue Bus, you were not tied to a return time. That made for a relaxing, lingering, or exploring visit.

But I think that bus is no longer offered. It may be what is now the Glacier Explorer Tour I referenced.

@Stormypetrel - the excursions on an Alaskan cruise can be killer - and be as much as cruise fare if you choose helicopters, planes, boats at every port!

ISP is very expensive for many of their limited selection of options. It is a good place to whale watch - the other is Juneau, where most people do this activity (because ISP is not so common a stop).

I think I have done a whale watch and visit to Mendenhall each of my AK cruises. Helicopters, float planes, trains, Zodiac boats are all checked off my list.

The white Juneau Tours bus came back hourly. You could take any one back as long as it had room. I’m glad that I’m not the only one with $80 sticker shock and thought it was cheaper. I just peeked over on cruise critic and it was $45 last year, the same as the Blue Bus company. However, to protect the gracier, the national park limits the number of busses that can visit in a day and Blue Bus company got frozen out of passes for accessing the visitor center. With no other direct competition, Juneau Tours doubled their price. That’s crappy business behavior as far as I’m concerned.

The public bus does drop off about a mile from the visitor center but then it’s another mile to the glacier.

I agree on whale watching at ISP. We did a whale/bear tour. We didn’t see any bear but the other group that met us at the boat did. We saw whales bubble feeding and it was amazing. Otherwise, ISP was pretty boring being a totally made up port.

@holula , what I liked most about Mendenhall Glacier was the ability to touch and hold glacial ice chunks.

 

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

Does anyone have a company they can recommend for the Juneau Dog Sled on Mendenhall Glacier with the helicopter? We’re on the 9 night cruise in July & we’re Pearl and it’s already sold out! Bookings opened Wednesday night.

 

[auntlynne]

The white Juneau Tours bus came back hourly. You could take any one back as long as it had room. I’m glad that I’m not the only one with $80 sticker shock and thought it was cheaper. I just peeked over on cruise critic and it was $45 last year, the same as the Blue Bus company. However, to protect the gracier, the national park limits the number of busses that can visit in a day and Blue Bus company got frozen out of passes for accessing the visitor center. With no other direct competition, Juneau Tours doubled their price. That’s crappy business behavior as far as I’m concerned.

The public bus does drop off about a mile from the visitor center but then it’s another mile to the glacier.

I agree on whale watching at ISP. We did a whale/bear tour. We didn’t see any bear but the other group that met us at the boat did. We saw whales bubble feeding and it was amazing. Otherwise, ISP was pretty boring being a totally made up port.

@holula , what I liked most about Mendenhall Glacier was the ability to touch and hold glacial ice chunks.

I like your research info!

 

[auntlynne]

No I haven't added in the costs of excursions yet
We will fly in from the UK on the Saturday so will stay in Vancouver for 2 nights and plan to do whale watching there, as my daughter really wants to see Orca's.
We can't do the 18th August cruise as we need to be back home in the UK for GCSE results. DCL have really mucked up my plans as I just assumed ( and having looked at the port schedules for 2025) that Skagway would be on all the 7 nighters in August!

If budget is a consideration, look into the YWCA hotel. We stayed there. My sister will again this summer (I’ll see what she says about it with renovations done). They offer hotel rooms, en suite, but also rooms with multiple beds (private or shared, en suite or bathroom hallway). We did not get the youth hostel feeling.

At a summer price of ~$250 per night, it is so much lower than the $400-1200 at other downtown Vancouver hotels. (Example, they booked a second night at the Hampton Inn a few doors down on points. Cash price was C$600.). If you wait too late, two nights might not be available.

Start checking monthly to find out when you can book for your dates. I check for no- deposit cancellable rates.

There are a few hotels in Burnaby that had more reasonable rates. Near Metrotown Mall - a Hampton Inn and a Holiday Inn Express. Both within walking distance to the Skytrain (then 18 minutes into town).

The Skytrain is also a great way to get from the airport into town.

 

[robinb]

No I haven't added in the costs of excursions yet
We will fly in from the UK on the Saturday so will stay in Vancouver for 2 nights and plan to do whale watching there, as my daughter really wants to see Orca's.
We can't do the 18th August cruise as we need to be back home in the UK for GCSE results. DCL have really mucked up my plans as I just assumed ( and having looked at the port schedules for 2025) that Skagway would be on all the 7 nighters in August!

You may consider flying into Seattle and taking the train to Vancouver the day of the cruise. Seattle is usually cheaper for airfare at the very least and has a ton on hotels.

 

[Jeni1781]

The white Juneau Tours bus came back hourly. You could take any one back as long as it had room. I’m glad that I’m not the only one with $80 sticker shock and thought it was cheaper. I just peeked over on cruise critic and it was $45 last year, the same as the Blue Bus company. However, to protect the gracier, the national park limits the number of busses that can visit in a day and Blue Bus company got frozen out of passes for accessing the visitor center. With no other direct competition, Juneau Tours doubled their price. That’s crappy business behavior as far as I’m concerned.

The public bus does drop off about a mile from the visitor center but then it’s another mile to the glacier.

I agree on whale watching at ISP. We did a whale/bear tour. We didn’t see any bear but the other group that met us at the boat did. We saw whales bubble feeding and it was amazing. Otherwise, ISP was pretty boring being a totally made up port.

@holula , what I liked most about Mendenhall Glacier was the ability to touch and hold glacial ice chunks.

So the blue bus is no longer an option?