We are trying to decide which tour operator to use for a full day cruise (around 8 hours) along the Kenai Fjords/glaciers out of Seward. I have noticed posts recommending the longer cruises. Both tours sound like good tours, but the Major Marine tours have a park ranger aboard for the narrative. The Kenai Fjords Tour boats use the captain as the narrator.
If anyone has taken either of these, would you comment on your experiences? How close did you get to the glaciers? What wildlife did you see?
I am also curious about how comfortable the seating is on each boat - are the chairs padded or are they hard wood chairs? (I don't want to stand or sit in a hard wood chair for 8 hours.) Is the inside cabin heated? How is the food buffet on the Major Marine?
Any comments would be welcomed. We are going to Alaska this June and we can't wait!
Thanks - Ginny
Kenai Fjords Tour or Major Marine tour?
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I have gone with both companies. Either is good, they go along similar routes but they are subject to change. Only Kenai fjords has a Northwestern glacier trip- 9 hours going the farthest. Wildlife is varied and this is usually a ROUTE trip not necessarily a wildlife searching trip. Closeness to glacier is also dependent on conditions- again neither company does better than the other. Every trip is different. Seats are padded- and again differ depending on what boat is used. Be prepared for a full boat in season. Food isn't the highpoint on either in my opinion.
The long tour with the Fox Island is probably ideal if the food is important. Look at routes. If you are prone to seasickness- take precautions, I have seen sick passengers EVERY trip. Go with who fits your schedule best, there is little superiority with the ranger- the cpts. I have gone with are extremely informed and provide good commentary.
We used Major Marine and took the longest day tour they had. I think BudgetQueen is right about them both being about the same. We saw the Kenai Fjord boat a couple of times off in the distance.As for wildlife,you never know what you will see. However we saw Seals, Puffins, and some other types of birds.Did see a whale blow off in the distance,but that was it for them.There was some dophins playing in the wake of our boat for a little bit,which was great.For wildlife ( whales,otters,birds) however, we saw a whole lot more out of Homer on our trip.We did happen to see the Glacier calf while we were there,which was nice.
We're looking to do one of these tours too but I'm a little confused about booking. We plan to be in Seward during the height of high season (mid-July). Some people say you should book now to reserve a spot while others say wait till the last minute to pick a day with the best weather. We have enough flexibility in our schedule that we could do a Friday or Saturday tour if the weather is better on one day, but I don't want to wait and have them be sold out (particularly since it's the weekend, which I assume might be busier). Any advice? I've been told that ticket dates can't be changed once you're within 15 days of the scheduled trip.
We're currently leaning towards the 9.5 hour tour to Northwest glacier (Kenai Fjords Tours) but also considering the 8 hour trip (Major Marine) to Holgate glacier.
We booked ours ahead of time,(we went in mid- July)just because I wanted to be sure of getting a spot. However the day before our tour,I stopped into Major Marines office to confirm, and did see a couple buying tickets. So it maybe ok to wait,if you feel comfortable taking the chance.
If you want the long tour- there is only one per day. You can probably wait on the 6 hour trip as they usually run 2-3 per day in season. One day isn't going to make much difference. I would book ahead.