funjione

Will we be redundant in doing a Prince WIlliam Sound or Kenai FIords cruise or will we miss something spectacular if we do not do them. W e will cruise Glacier Bay and College Fiords on the cruise ship. Post cruise we are renting a car in Whittier to drive a little ways down Kenai peninsula and then to Anchorage via Turnagain Arm in hopes of seeing some wild life in Chugach Mountains and whales etc in Cook's Inlet.
All Suggestions are welcom. Thanks once again !

mamajo

We took the Kenai Fjord tour while in Seward and saw all sorts of wild life. Birds of all kinds, a mother bear and her cubs on the shore, a whale was right beside our boat. The captain slowed down and stopped and turned around so all could see if there was something interesting. His narration and information was excellent. On the Dawn Princess, you will not get all that close to the glaciers or the shore.

You will probably see some Beluga (white) whales on the Turnagain, but you won't be all that close.

BudgetQueen

Yes you are missing a great deal- if you don't do at least one. The glacier viewing of PWS via the small boat tours is nothing like viewing from a cruise ship. You get much closer and the overall sailing is narrated and closer as well. Kenai fjords boat tours are probably the top attraction out of Seward. Don't consider any less than 6 hours on the water. You are 2 hours Whittier- Seward. So it's not really a day trip. How many days do you have??? The only wildlife on the Arm you are likely to see are the mountain goats on the mountains- binoculars needed. As for the belugas- for clairfication- they are NOT all that common in the Arm and certainly you can not count on sightings, they travel anywhere along the Cook Inlet, if they are there, they are CLOSE viewed if you stop where they are- the Arm is narrow and I've been there when large pods have been in. Binoculars are better certainly- so bring them. I would estimate them being in the Arm less than 20% of the time??

funjione

Thanks for you help. Here is another question....If we rent a car at 8 am in Whittier, drive down to Seward and take the 11:30 - 5:30 pm Fiords National parks cruise tour, will we be able to drive leisurely through Turnagain Arm with a few sightseeing stops, back to Anchorage without exhausting ourselves for the next day? I thought Seward to Anchorage was a 2 hour drive. Is that a misnomer? I really want to see the wildlife up close and personal.

Thanks again !!!!

BudgetQueen

This is a lot for one day and in my opinion, to Seward from Anchorage is NOT a day trip. You need to allow 3 hours for Seward/Anchorage on the Seward Highway. Only 2 lanes and you can't count on consistant 55mph+. Plenty of slow RV's and too many stops along the way to miss.