quaffin1

Does anyone "really" know the best tour operator for the fjords out of Seward?
I am looking to book tour for wife and I for June 25th. Want to pick the absolute best possible. Here is what I have learned.

Major Marine Tours:
Pros--
Park Ranger on board to narrate, but I'm sure other has just as knowledgeable guides.

Reserved seating inside, so if raining or when tired of standing on deck you know you have your seat back inside. I understand on other tour you will probably loose your inside seat to others when you are out on deck.

Salmon/prime rib lunch onboard, for extra fee.

Cons: Only go to Holgate glacier. Is this a actively calving glacier?

Kenai Fjords Tours:
Pros: Goes for longer trip, to Northwestern Glacier. Is this a better glacier to view? Looks like you may see other glaciers on the way to Northwestern.

Cons: Meager box lunch served, heard you want to take supplemental snacks along, but this is not problem.

Cushioned bench seats, that you lose when you get up and wander around.

Any help choosing between the two from anyone who knows the difference.

Neither of us generally has trouble with seasickness, but will both take preventative measures irregardless.
Thanks in advance for any help/tips.

Connie

I haven't taken both but we loved our Kenai Fjords Tour. We took the trip where you stop on Fox Island for a grilled salmon lunch. It's not boxed at all. They are grilling as you walk in and everything is set up as a buffet. It really added to our trip.

We took the 8 hour trip but really wished we had taken the longer one to Northwestern Glacier.

I didn't miss being without a Ranger. We did have someone on board that answered questions but not many came up. You are basically looking for wildlife and enjoying the scenery. It's not really any different than being on any other large body of water--just different wildlife.

janeq

We went on the tour with Major Marine a couple of years ago,and did experience seeing glacier calving. Since it has been some time, my recall is diminished, but it seems we passed another glacier on the way. I was more interested in wildlife, so for me these two glaciers (and our own sidetrip the next day to Exit Glacier) was enough for me.

freespirit61

Two years ago we took the Kenai Fjords Tour: National Park Tour (8 hours) and am hoping to do it again this year. The trip was awesome and we saw glacier calving, humpbacks and other animal life. The boat captain was great and we learned alot. The food was so-so but we didn't go for food. I tried to go last year in September but the weather was too rough and I was impressed that they were offering refunds to people that had already paid because of the unruly seas. Don't know if they always do that but it caught my attention. The scenery is incredible..Enjoy.

BudgetQueen

I HAVE gone with both companies and frankly, little difference in how they are run. The seating issue is WRONG, I have never "lost" my chosen seat on any Kenai Fjords trip. You will be leaving stuff in the seats. Food is not a priority for me. AND superb and superior is the Northwestern Fjords tours, first off it goes farther, they use their nicest and fastest boat and just a great day for viewing opportunities. Holgate Glacier has receeded and some now also go a little farther to Aialik which is very active and stable, not receeding. I also do not prefer to go on any Fox Island tours- mainly because the route is FIXED and they have to be there at a certain time. It is also within sight of Seward. I have been on tours where they went in different directs due to reports of wildlife. The best bet- book the Northwestern Fjord trip with Kenai Fjord- 2 for 1 coupon in the toursaver.

dfrostnh

Our trip on Kenai Fjords last summer was just about the time your are going. We had a beautiful warm day. As Budget Queen said, people seem to respect your seat. Everybody seemed to be very nice about letting people get a good camera shot. I stayed outside most of the time, my husband chose an inside seat for the trip back. The simple meal was quite adequate. Freshly baked cookies were also given out. We lucked out with very calm seas and a young captain who did a lot of narrating. We passed several glaciers and Northwestern didn't calve while we were there. Just a lot of small chunks breaking off. We spent a half hour with the engines turned off. We got some great video and digital photos. Saw a couple of pods of orcas and two humpback whales, possibly a mother and calf. I think watching the orcas dive and surface in perfect unison was the highlight. You can have a big dinner when you get back to Seward.

mlw

I also would recommend the KF Northwestern Glacier trip. We were fortunate to have a beautiful, calm sunny day,and spent most of the time outside. The scenery was wonderful and the day went by too fast!! Lunch was adequate, but as others have said we were not there for the food. The boat was not at full capacity, and we had no trouble retaining our seat, most folks left their "stuff" on their seat, (camera cases,daypacks,etc.)We were there the last day of August and it was not crowded;you may find it more so,at the end of June. Wish I was going again this year!!!

jq

we have taken the Kenai Fjords Tour for the 6 hr tour twice, once on Memorial Day andjust before Labor day last year. We grabbed our inside table seats, put our stuff there and wandered around the boat all day without a problem. Most people move around from front to back, side to side, inside/outside. The boat captains and many of their crew are very knowledgable of the NP. Both times we had hot lunce, chicken or halibut strips with fries or chips, plus got cookies, drinks, fruit, and juices. We had seconds available too because we weren't full due to rought seas. But it was a great trip both times as I hear Allen Marine is.You can't go wrong on either.

Connie

The Fox Island lunch is at the beginning of the trip. After that, you head out into the gulf. The captain told us several times that they had gotten word from another boat of wildlife sightings and we headed there.

So, even with the Fox Island lunch, they DO go in different directions, depending on wildlife sightings, on that tour.

BudgetQueen

The 10am trip is dinner at Fox Island. Lunch would definately be superior.

easytraveler

Whichever tour you take, suggest that you try and get a window seat as close to the CENTER of the boat as possible.

I have pretty good sea legs but on an all day trip on a small boat with BIG waves, I got seasick. amp; The best view is a seat in the bow, but it's also the roughest ride. Don't recommend getting a bow seat, you can always go outside or just wander around the bow area.

The sea can get pretty choppy in the Kenai Fjords.

Also recommend you bring heavy winter wear, like a knit cap, gloves, and heavy winter jacket.

Try not to fall overboard. My recollection of what the captain said was that they had six minutes at most to rescue a person falling overboard. Three minutes and the person would be fine. Six minutes and the person might be frozen stiff...and this is in the summer time!

Halfway kidding about the falling overboard bit! You'll have a fine time - awesome tour, one of the highlights of our trip to Alaska!

BudgetQueen

I post over and over, take precautions for sea sickness on the Kenai Fjords boat tours. I see sick passengers EVERY trip I have been on- over 10.

jq

And they are usually the ones who NEVER get sick!!!! So everyone else suffers because one or two didn't take the medicine.

BudgetQueen

jq- HOW TRUE!!!

Connie

We were blessed with calm seas. No one got sick that I could see. We really enjoyed sitting on top out in the open. Being inside would have really restricted our view.

jq

On our last tour early last Sept, we had the early morning 6hr Kenai Fjords tour and it was so rough out that they left it up to passengers before we left if they wanted to cancel with no charges. Weren't sure they could do whole tour. Everyone seemed to want to try so off we went. The short section across the open ocean was rough, but everyone seemed prepared. We got thru fine and the glaciers were calving nicely. Only hitch was that we had trouble with one of the motors on way back and didn't get to do as much sightseeing along the rookeries as they would normally do. They even had an empty boat shadow us on way back in case we had trouble with second engine. No problem but we were 45 min or so late. They also gave us all a $30 refund for having to miss some of the bird watching. Good people that run this tour company.