Kenai Fjord Tours: Northwestern vs. National Park
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: MN
Programs: Lots of programs, dirt on all of them!
Posts: 11,938
I have been on both but it has been 2-3 years since I have been on the Northwestern Fjords tour. My preference is for the tour that gives me the biggest discount. This year it was a 2-for-1 offer through the Iditarod that gave me 2-for-1 on the 6 hour Kenai Fjords tour.
Having said that, yes you do get a chance to see more wildlife since the tour is 3 hours longer. As to seeing more glaciers, not really. With the Northwestern tour you see the Northwestern Glacier, with the 6 hour tour you see the Aialak or Holgate Glacier.
You can't go wrong with either one. They are both great.
If glaciers are your main interest, then the Prince William Sound tours from Whittier emphasize glaciers (whereas the Kenai Fjords tours emphasize marine wildlife).
Having said that, yes you do get a chance to see more wildlife since the tour is 3 hours longer. As to seeing more glaciers, not really. With the Northwestern tour you see the Northwestern Glacier, with the 6 hour tour you see the Aialak or Holgate Glacier.
You can't go wrong with either one. They are both great.
If glaciers are your main interest, then the Prince William Sound tours from Whittier emphasize glaciers (whereas the Kenai Fjords tours emphasize marine wildlife).
#3
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Minnesota
Programs: AA, DL
Posts: 68
I took the 6.5 hour Major Marine Cruise (10:00am - 5:30pm) and we saw 2 glaciers up close (many more from afar, including bear, which they all go past). We saw a lot of wildlife too:
Humbacks, Orcas, Otters, Seals, Sea lions, Puffins, many different birds, mountian goats, etc.
The longer you are in the water, the better chance at viewing wildlife. A lot of it is dumb-luck timing too. My boat saw 2 humbacks and a group of 6 orcas with 1 orca breaching twice. A different boat (found out from people riding train next to us) saw humbacks breach, but never saw the orcas... Each trip is different. 7.5 hours got to be long and we were ready to go on shore.
Humbacks, Orcas, Otters, Seals, Sea lions, Puffins, many different birds, mountian goats, etc.
The longer you are in the water, the better chance at viewing wildlife. A lot of it is dumb-luck timing too. My boat saw 2 humbacks and a group of 6 orcas with 1 orca breaching twice. A different boat (found out from people riding train next to us) saw humbacks breach, but never saw the orcas... Each trip is different. 7.5 hours got to be long and we were ready to go on shore.
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 850
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Thanks for all the input - we ended up going with the Northwestern area tour since the 2-4-1 NLCB coupon on Major Marine expires before we arrive in seward. Will be sure to provide some feedback afterwards.
Thanks for all the input - we ended up going with the Northwestern area tour since the 2-4-1 NLCB coupon on Major Marine expires before we arrive in seward. Will be sure to provide some feedback afterwards.