I wish I could give this company zero stars. The only reason I booked with this them, is that most…read moreexcursions available in Ketchikan, through the cruise line or direct, exclude kids under 5 or under 7. I wanted to find something fun to do with my 3-year-old son. I noticed that this company had no age limit for their whale watching, website stated that it was for "all ages" and "great for families". So, I naturally assumed that their boat was safe and comfortable for small children. It did not occur to me that the only difference between them and others was dishonesty and disregard for safety.
First of all, in my personal opinion, their vessel is not entirely safe for small kids. There is a net protecting kids from falling into the water that covers most of the guardrail. However, the net does not cover the entirety of the ship, and there are spots where a small child, in my opinion, could fall overboard.
The boat is small. Technically, there is seating for everyone (barely), but be prepared for your child to be confined to a small space, for long stretches of time.
The bathrooms are tiny and not large enough to safely and comfortably change a diaper.
The tour is stated to be 2-2.5 hours. But since they could not find any marine wildlife (only eagles that they attract by throwing frozen fish at them) , the captain decided to extend the tour for an hour. I told her that I did not have enough food, since I did not expect/agree to be on the water for so long with a small child. There are no facilities, and no food available on the boat except for absolute junk. But she didn't care. She told me that the website says the tour is up to 3 hours and can be extended (a lie and a lie). This felt like kidnapping (being held against one's will), to have to spend time confined in a tiny space, with a restless child, who had nothing to do and nothing to see.
I signed up for a quick excursion 2-2.5 hours, on a vessel that was "great for families". That is not what I got at all.
The kicker was the aftermath, the response that I got from the owner, via company email. I asked for a refund and told her that the excursion did not match the advertisement, the ship was not safe for "all ages" and that the company had no right to hold me and my son on the vessel, arbitrarily for longer than I agreed to. What followed was a bunch of insults, false accusations and childish threats.
The owner told me I was "very lucky (she is) a calmer person than (she) used to be". I wonder what she used to do to customers before she became a "calmer person". She accused me of clogging their toilet (I never went, since I did not feel safe leaving my child alone on that ship). She accused me of not bringing diapers or food (I brought both, but I ran out of food for him as the trip was longer than expected). She further called me a " liberal piece of shit" (because I am from California?), a "lunatic", "dipshit" and an "idiot". All of this was done via company emails that I can produce if they ever try to deny it.
Anyways, if you want to deal with this company, it's your choice. Maybe you will be lucky and have a great time on the water. Personally, I would not recommend anyone dealing with them. Certainly never bringing a small child on their boat. And hey, if there is a problem, expect them to respond as stated above....
