Whitter, Pr. WilliamSound Cruise OR not

[Cshell5]

Since I will see whales 1)w/Capt. Larry,2) whitewater in Denali,3)glaciers in College Fjord & Glacier Bay,4)flight over Juneau icefields,5)summit of McKinley--Do you think I would be missing something if I don't do the 4hr. Prince William Sound Cruise(2for1 toursaver) w/halibut dinner. Our ship doesn't leave until 9:30pm and I will be in Whitter by 12:30 and to kill time should I take the Pr. W. cruise or try and board the ship early? What would I see in Pr. William Sound that I would not see anyplace else?? Thanks.

[NancyIL]

From what I've read here and in guidebooks, you'll get a MUCH closer look at the glaciers in Prince William Sound on the small boat than what you see from the deck of your cruise ship as you sail through College Fjords and Glacier Bay. If it were me, especially if I had a 2-for-1 coupon...I'd take the tour.

[Chenega]

By all means take the cruise from Whittier. My wife and I take visiting friends and relatives out every year on these cruises. Much better to see wildlife and glaciers upclose from a smaller boat vs. the deck of a megaship.

 

Even better, many of these cruises are staffed by locals who enjoy showing the wonders of our state to visitors.

 

Some advice - dress warmly and spend some time on deck, even if the day is clear. It gets breezy in the sound at times but the sights are worth it.

[Budget Queen]

I agree, these tours are just excellent for close up extended glacier viewing. Although I don't do PWS glacier trips every time I am there, I still enjoy them greatly. Always different and the beauty is breath taking. :)

[hsmom]

Would you still do the Prince William Sound tour if you were going out on a 9 hour tour from Seward? I know that the sound has better glaciers and Seward has more wildlife but are they different enough that it wouldn't feel like overkill to do both? Then, of course, we are getting on the cruise ship the next day....

 

Or for that matter would you pick the PWS over Seward?

 

thanks

[Chenega]

If your cruise from Seward is including College Fjord, I would skip the Whittier cruise and take one from Seward into Kenai Fjords. The small tour boats go a different direction into the National Park than the cruise ships do. Be sure to take a trip that goes to Holgate, Ailiak, or Northwestern glacier since you will get much closer that the cruise ships do.

 

Other than Passage Canal, Barry Arm, or Ester Passage, the cruise follows the same route that the ships from Whittier do into College Fjord.

[hsmom]

Our cruise ship goes through College Fjord and Glacier Bay on the way south. Since glaciers are the big item on our "to do list" I am thinking that we will still go out of Whittier on a small ship day tour. We just have to decide if we want to go a long way quickly or a short way slowly....

 

Also, if we have we done the above should I still drag them out into Kenai so that Mom can look at whales?

[Budget Queen]

Our cruise ship goes through College Fjord and Glacier Bay on the way south. Since glaciers are the big item on our "to do list" I am thinking that we will still go out of Whittier on a small ship day tour. We just have to decide if we want to go a long way quickly or a short way slowly....

 

Also, if we have we done the above should I still drag them out into Kenai so that Mom can look at whales?

 

 

If you want whales, go out of Juneau, Seward Kenai Fjords trips are NOT whale watches and of my many many trips, sightings of whales for me has been less than 50%. Kenai Fjords trips are just spectacular for VARIED wildlife, always a must do for me- at least once every trip, twice if I can schedule it. :)

[Budget Queen]

Would you still do the Prince William Sound tour if you were going out on a 9 hour tour from Seward? I know that the sound has better glaciers and Seward has more wildlife but are they different enough that it wouldn't feel like overkill to do both? Then, of course, we are getting on the cruise ship the next day....

 

Or for that matter would you pick the PWS over Seward?

 

thanks

 

 

How often are you going to travel to Alaska??? PWS is one of the most scenic areas and yes, my opinion only. I would definately sail both. Neither of these boat tours even remotely duplicates your cruise ship sailing. Both way superior. Determine what your priority for Alaska is? :)

[hsmom]

Determining our priorities for Alaska - now that is the fun part....

 

My husbands job is to pick everything he wants to do (everything) and my job is to decide what will actually work.

 

If Prince William Sound and Kenai are very different trips I don't have any problem doing both. Thank you for the update on whales in Juneau. I haven't gotten to what we will do in the ports yet.

[Chenega]

Budgetqueen is right on seeing the whales on the Juneau trips. We saw at least 10 last summer right out of Auke Bay.

 

Kenai Fjords does late spring whale trips in March and April but the regular summer tours are not designed specifically for whale watching. That's a matter of sheer luck although our last few trips hit the jackpot.

 

If you choose to do Prince William Sound, the three tour operators are Philips Cruises (http://www.26glaciers.com), Prince William Sound (http://www.kenaifjords), and Major Marine (http://www.majormarine.com). All are excellent but differ in their tours.

 

Phillips goes into College Fjord itself for a view of the glaciers and then enters Barry Arm where cruise ships do not go. Prince William Sound Cruises and Tours (run by Kenai Fjords which itself is owned by the CIRI Native Corporation) runs a longer tour through Ester Passage and Barry Arm and a shorter visit to Blackstone Bay and its glaciers. Major Marine focuses on Blackstone as well, an area off the route of the cruise ships.

 

Can't go wrong on any of them plus you get to go to Whittier, one of the most unique locations in Alaska, and all are day trips from Anchorage.

[hsmom]

My husband thought that the 26 Glacier trip sounded best since it came the closest to a glacier. (400-500 ft. they claim) I have heard that they go too fast for you to be outside while traveling. This does cover some of the same ground as the Princess will the next day. hmmm...

 

How is Ester Passage? Would we be better off going in all different areas than the big ships? Will we really notice a big difference between the 1/2 mile away and the 500ft from the faster boat?

 

Is Harvard glacier worth the closer look or would Ester Passage and Surprise glacier do the trick?

 

Then again will I be so tired of seeing frozen H2O by the end that I will just want the hot tub;)

 

Thanks for all your help...now if my TA would answer as quickly as you I would be in good shape!

[Chenega]

Funny rumor on the 26 glaciers catamaran! If you dress for it, being outside is wonderful. Recommended are a good rainproof coat, gloves, scarf, and hat along with rain or wind pants. My wife and I find being inside rather boring since many people spend the time snoozing on these trips. There are even areas protected from the wind (your # 1 problem) where you can sit or stand. The "Klondike" catamaran used by 26 Glaciers is pretty new compared to the other ships, but it is a relatively new ship with an excellent crew and a highly scenic tour.

 

My wife and I love Ester Passage. Ester Passage is offered by the Prince William Sound Cruises and Tours group run by Kenai Fjords Tours. It is a fairly narrow passage around Ester Island that often features some wonderful wildlife sightings. We've seen countless bald eagles, orca, black bears, and even humpback whales against a background of mountain peaks, countless trees, and waterfalls. Furthermore, you also pay a visit to an operating salmon hatchery on Ester Island (viewed from the boat only) where the fish are jumping out of the water all around you.

 

Once you leave Ester Passage, you cross Port Wells to Barry Arm (three tidewater glaciers with pretty consistent calving of ice) and the Surprise Glacier which was very active last June. We got within 1/4 mile; you can't get too close since falling ice and glacial currents can cause problems. Glaciers are best seen from a "respectful" distance since falling ice (known as calving) is so unpredictable.

 

I've taken many field trips for my University classes out into the sound with my students and they've never been disappointed. However, weather is variable and we've had everything from sunny days requiring sunscreen to rainy weather.

 

Sure hope this helps you make a decision.