Major Marine PWS tour

Hi,

Major Marine is doing the Blackstone cruise on the day we will be in Whitter instead of Surprise Glacier that we wanted to do.Is it just as good or should we go with 26 Glaciers Philips?Please also,let know who has the best boat,meal etc. Thank you!

"Best" is relative so what are your standards/qualifications for best? For example, I am not a huge fan of Major Marine's meals - I heard for example on the Kenai Fjords tour they serve it when at the glacier, which is probably the worst time on the entire trip. Glacier calving doesn't wait until a meal is finished!

The longer tour is definitely more scenic. I have taken both of them. I would say to take whichever best fits into your schedule.

Thank you for your reply. I guess right now I am just trying to figure out if Blackstone cruise is a good substitute for Surprise Glacier since they are not having it that day or go with the longer 26 Glacier Cruise.I believe its 30 min longer.We are there all day so any would work.

I really enjoyed the tour that included Surprise Glacier, as we saw a lot more wildlife on that route, but both tours are worth doing, IMO. I've done the PWS tour five or six times with both vendors and have only good things to say about both of them.

Yes that's the one we wanted to take but are not offering it that day. :(

Hi,

Major Marine is doing the Blackstone cruise on the day we will be in Whitter instead of Surprise Glacier that we wanted to do.Is it just as good or should we go with 26 Glaciers Philips?Please also,let know who has the best boat,meal etc. Thank you!

I have done all three of these above tours, many times. Blackstone Glacier is my least preferred, but I always go when I have one of the nice discount offers, otherwise I will always choose Surprise, if going with Major Marine. As for meals they are the winners but it is an upcharge. Are you going end of season? I know that for my last trip in Sept. they had just ended the Surprise tour, a few days prior to my arrival. I went on the Blackstone tour again. :)

As for Phillips, it's a very different boat tour. There is no "waiting" for calving, but is definately a great tour for scenery and varied glaciers.

Well, I don't think you will be disappointed with the Blackstone route. You do get really close to some spectacular glaciers along the way, and as I recall, we saw lots of otters and sea birds on that route. Go. You'll be glad you did. :)

Thank you everyone! Yes I got an email saying they are doing a private charter which is why they can't do the Surprise Glacier.I agree Budget Queen the food does sound better on Major Marine.

Well, I don't think you will be disappointed with the Blackstone route. You do get really close to some spectacular glaciers along the way, and as I recall, we saw lots of otters and sea birds on that route. Go. You'll be glad you did. :)

The "lots of sea otters" is the Surprise Glacier route, not Blackstone. The area is loaded between the glaciers and Esther Passage on the muraine. Consistant sea otter area for many years.

There are only a few that occasionally show up in Blackstone Bay. Not consistently seen.

Thank you everyone! Yes I got an email saying they are doing a private charter which is why they can't do the Surprise Glacier.I agree Budget Queen the food does sound better on Major Marine.

I had the Major Marine "meal" 6 times this year. :) It has been, always, very good every time, I've had it. They do a great job and I can't believe they haven't raised their price is several years. I always enjoy the "glacier margarita" that I get $1 off with the drink coupon for the cheap- $3. :)

On the other hand, I had one of the worse meals in a long time, this year on Kenai fjords tours, that was included, so of not a big deal.

There also was another vendor out of Whittier, who also did glacier tours. They were much smaller, and more costly, but superb reviews. I had forgotten about them, when I was there this year. So, if still operating next year, I may try them out.

Thank you everyone! Yes I got an email saying they are doing a private charter which is why they can't do the Surprise Glacier.I agree Budget Queen the food does sound better on Major Marine.

Funny how for some people the food on these day trips is a fairly big factor and for others, the food on the cruise ships is a big factor. Then for some, food on either is a low priority. Do note that you can also bring your own food on either tour and that gives you complete freedom to move about the boat when you spot wildlife, see glaciers, etc.

The small boat operator is Lazy Otter Charters (http://www.lazyotter.com). They do trips to both Surprise and Blackstone on either a six passenger boat or the larger 22 seater. The trip is much more personable and not as rushed.

Blackstone was my least favorite of the 3 trips. Sorry Surprise glacier isn't available as that was a great trip.

Me too we are disappointed. We are on the list in case the charter cancels and they open it to the public again.That's why we are leaning toward 26 Glaciers. Is the fish or chicken strips and chips really that bad?

Just found out the Major Marine Surprise Glacier tour we wanted is also unavailable the day we need it as well! Wonder if we're trying for the same day? We are VERY disappointed! 😞 My husband and I did the Blackstone Tour 5 years ago and actually saw a lot more wildlife than we expected (whales, birds, several groups of Sea Otters and groups of harbor seals). We are bringing extended family this time and were hoping to do the longer Surprise Glacier tour for an even better chance at seeing the wildlife. I'm afraid the 26 Glacier tour will be rushed and won't give us time to enjoy the wildlife we do see. Anymore feedback on comparison of the tours would be appreciated.

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Yes we are disappointed too. We signed up for the Philips after a lot of research and reading reviews.The only difference I see is the lunch is different and I think its 30 min shorter.I am really impressed with their website and videos.

Libertarian, thanks! Do you know if 26 Glaciers slows down or stops for wildlife and Glacier calving? I know when we used Major Marine to Blackstone years ago, they were great about allowing time for photos calving.

Yes go to their website and the tab named "the experience".It lists every wildlife that you can see and then it talks about seeing the calving of the ice.There is a great video on that page as well and many others on the website.They even talk about making drinks with the ice from the calving.

Will do! Hope that's true and not just a marketing gimmick. Would love to hear from folks with previous experience.

Will do! Hope that's true and not just a marketing gimmick. Would love to hear from folks with previous experience.

Been on both companies numerous times and all stop to view wildlife and glaciers. The picture in fact was taken about a 26 Glaciers trip as the ship approached Surprise Glacier.

Libertarian, thanks! Do you know if 26 Glaciers slows down or stops for wildlife and Glacier calving? I know when we used Major Marine to Blackstone years ago, they were great about allowing time for photos calving.

There are brief stops for wildlife, but Phillips is more "on the move". I have never found the wildlife in this area "plentiful", compared to Kenai fjords. it's the glaciers that are the priority.

I do find the Phillips boats packed on cruise days, since they are the ship contractors. They do hold a lot of people. I have had superior trips going out non cruiseship days, and won't go out at this time personally, now. There are benefits to the assigned seating on Major Marine for some people. Key is to make the best choice with what is available, for YOU. :) Doesn't matter what anyone else does.

Thanks Budget Queen! 👏 I agree! Thinking the smaller Blackstone tour with Major Marine may be a better choice for our group considering ages and interests. A more low-key tour with bigger meal while still enjoying a nice glacier tour and an opportunity to see some wildlife should work fine. My husband and I went to Kenai last time but can't make it in this trip. We're just thrilled to be back in Akaska! 😃