Esther Passage in Prince William Sound

[momeason]

On May 22, the date of my cruise departure from Whittier, I want to do a Prince William Sound Cruise. The most convenient one, time wise is the Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise 1pm to 5:30pm. I read a lot though and the Esther Passage is supposed to be a narrow waterfall-filled 7 mile passage within the sound. ( Cruise West Ships, which we could not afford, go through this passage) From the maps, it looks like 26 glaciers does not go there. Prince William Sound Cruises does, but leaves at 11:00am which will be a push to get there by then. I have to get 4 people, (2 college age) up, dressed, packed and transported by car from Seward. So, has anyone cruised thru this passage and is it worth the trouble? It really sounds like something I would love. (Sometimes I wonder why I am taking my kids!!)

[momeason]

Or, does anyone know of any other cruises, maybe independents, that would show me the Esther Passage on a Glacier Cruise?

[Chenega]

We've taken this trip every summer and the trip through Esther Passage is definitely worth it and highly recommended.

 

It's extremely calm and very beautiful. We've seen humpback whales, orca, bald eagles, and even a few black bear. Many waterfalls too. It's too small and shallow for cruise ships but the 100 ft boats of Prince William Sound Tours go through easily.

 

The cruise also continues on to Barry Arm and Harriman Fjord where you will see several active glaciers.

 

The early morning drive from Seward is definitely worth it. Be sure to give yourself enough time to get through the tunnel to Whittier. The tour company can give you further information.

[momeason]

Thank you so much. It sounds like something right up my alley. How many people are on the Prince William Sound boat?

I am also checking on Small boat charters so I can customize the time of the trip. It may be prohibitively expensive though.

[Chenega]

Prince William Sound Cruises doesn't like to pack their boats; a full trip would probably have 75 people. Last summer's trip had about 50 on board and there was plenty of room.

 

If you dress warmly, spend as much time as possible outside in the seating area on deck. Few people spend much time there and it's a bit like a private cruise. It can be windy at times but there is a sheltered seating area right behind the passenger area. A warm coat, hat, gloves and (if desired) a pair of wind pants should do the trick nicely.

 

For what it is worth, they do serve a nice halibut lunch which seems to taste better when you are outside.

[NancyIL]

Is there a web site for this?

[Set2travel]

How long is the 11:00 tour on the Prince William Sound Cruise?

[Chenega]

The website for Prince William Sound Cruises is http://www.princewilliamsound.com

They are run by Alaska Heritage Tours, the same organization that operates the Kenai Fjords trips out of Seward.

 

To be fair, there are other tour operators that do outstanding jobs as well including Phillips Cruises and Tours (http://www.26glaciers.com) and Major Marine Tours (http://www.majormarine.com). However, it's Prince William Sound Cruises that does the regularly scheduled trip through Esther Passage.

 

With a departure at 11am, they get you back into Whittier around 5pm so you can catch the 6pm tunnel opening.

 

For those who do not know, Whittier is accessed by the Antonson Memorial Tunnel from Bear Valley/Portage (about 1.5 hours south of Anchorage). There is a $12.00 charge for passenger vehicles entering Whittier. The inbound tunnel is usually scheduled on the half-hour with the outbound from Whittier scheduled on the hour. For more information, go to http://www.dot.state.ak.us/creg/whittiertunnel/index.htm FYI - don't expect many services in Whittier before you take the day cruise - with an official population of 290 people, you're better off to get food, film, etc. in Anchorage or Seward.

[NancyIL]

Thanks so much for that information, Chenega!

[momeason]

I changed our May 21 lodging to a B and B condo ( Soundview Getaway) on the water in Whittier so I could definitely take this cruise and not have to worry about getting my lazy college students up. I also talked to a charter boat captain in Whittier and he also highly recommended Prince William Sound Cruises. The charter Boat captain was booked for that day, but he was very friendly, talkative and helpful. He said Esther Passage is stunningly beautiful and our cruise ship will be going thru College fjord the next day, the glaciers that we miss from the 26 Glacier Cruise we will see the next day.

I am excited!! Our cruise does not depart Whittier until 9:30 pm so we have plenty of time to get to our cruise ship which is parked almost next door. ( Whittier is TINY!)