Full-Day Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise
Description
Explore the whales, wildlife, and glaciers of Kenai Fjords National Park on this thrilling 7.5 hour cruise. Enjoy the extra time on the water as you get up-close views of wildlife such as orca whales, humpback whales, sea otters, Steller sea lions, puffins, and more. Visit two active tidewater glaciers and watch for calving, where giant chunks of ice break off and crash into the water. Visit the Chiswell Islands or Cape Resurrection, home to Steller sea lion colonies and thousands of nesting seabirds. Onboard captain narration and complimentary deli lunch included.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This 7.5 Hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise departs daily at 9:30 a.m. and returns at 5:00 p.m. The cruise will travel approximately 130 miles roundtrip through Resurrection Bay into Kenai Fjords National Park. Since this cruise does go out into the open Gulf of Alaska it is not recommended for anyone who is prone to motion sickness. Our half-day Resurrection Bay cruises are much better options if motion sickness is a concern.
This 7.5 Hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise departs daily at 9:30 a.m. and returns at 5:00 p.m. The cruise will travel approximately 130 miles roundtrip through Resurrection Bay into Kenai Fjords National Park.
We will cruise through the protected waters of Resurrection Bay, searching for wildlife and and enjoying spectacular scenery.
We will cruise by Bear Glacier, a piedmont glacier and the largest glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park.
Our next stop is Holgate Glacier, another actively calving tidewater glacier. We will spend approximately 20 minutes in front of each glacier, floating among the icebergs as we watch for spectacular calving.
After cruising through Resurrection Bay, we will round Cape Aialik (pronounced “I-al-ik) into Aialik Bay. As we cruise into Aialik Bay you will get your first glimpse of Aialik Glacier, an active tidewater glacier. We will stop in front of the glacier and watch for calving, where large chunks of glacial ice break off and crash in to the water.
Depending on the weather, we will cruise to the Chiswell Islands or Cape Resurrection, home to thousands of nesting Alaskan seabirds like puffins, kittiwakes, and cormorants. The captain will stop the boat very close to the nesting areas of the seabirds, which provides great photo opportunities. We will also visit Steller sea lion colonies, where Steller sea lions gather on the rugged, rocky coastline. Sea otters, bald eagles, and mountain goats are also commonly seen along the route.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Sandwich options are turkey, roast beef, or vegetarian. Please submit choice in advance.
- Wheelchair accessibility or limited mobility requests must be submitted ahead of time due to limited seating capability
- Please arrive 1 hour prior to departure for check-in
Reviews(739)
Despite the choppy, rough sea, this cruise turned into one of the unmissable experiences of my Alaskan journey from Italy. Marcelle, the captain, and her fantastic crew made all the difference. Watching Marcelle confidently navigate both with and against the high waves outside the bay was an experience in itself, while at the same time she became the wonderful narrative voice of our journey. Her passion, confidence and distinctive tone of voice were captivating. She shared fascinating insights into the sea and marine life, geology, World War II history, glaciers and local life…always informative, but never sounding scripted;) The highlights were extraordinary: getting close to Aialik Glacier and witnessing a sudden, spectacular calving, as well as seeing fin whales along the way. Moments that made the wildness and scale of Alaska feel very real. A fantastic crew throughout, and a special thank you to the wonderful Kilia for making the experience even more memorable.
It was a beautiful experience. Crew was very attentive. Sandwiches were good-cold but good. Overall I think you get to see gaciars and wildlife that otherwise you would never see.
Our 7.5 hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise with Major Marine was the highlight of our 2 weeks in Alaska. The day started cloudy but turned into the perfect weather, clear and sunny. The meeting location was easy to find and Captain Marcelle kept us informed about where we were going, how rough the seas would be, and ensured everyone on board had a chance to view the wildlife. The entire staff was friendly, gracious, accommodating, and was continually checking on passengers that were experiencing some sea sickness. We saw a variety of animals: otters, seals, sea lions, puffins, sea gulls, jelly fish, a humpback whale, and a very large pod of fin whales. The Kenai Fjords scenery is stunning, the glaciers are massive, and while wildlife can be elusive, the crew did everything possible to ensure we saw the most wildlife. While there are other vendors who provide Kenai Fjords tours, I'm so glad I chose this company for our boat tour. If in Alaska again, we would return to Seward just to repeat this boat tour. It was really that good!
It was excellent. All Cruise staff were highly professional.
We took the cruise on a rainy, cloudy, & windy day and knew it might be cut short if it was too choppy to go out into the open ocean. We decided to go ahead anyway. The crew were all great and did everything to make the trip memorable. They made sure we saw wildlife - we saw harbor seals, bald eagles, a humpback whale, sea otters, and puffins. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate and we got the shortened cruise and got credited an amount for the difference. The crew deserves extra credit for their efforts and for taking care of the passengers who got seasick with sympathy and a smile. Kudos for making the best out of the situation.
We had an absolutely incredible experience with Major Marine Tours! The two adults and our 6-year-old had the BEST time, and we saw everything we had hoped for—and more: orcas, puffins, porpoises, mountain goats, eagles, and even a fin whale! 🐋🦅 The glacier was absolutely breathtaking, and we loved the fun opportunity to have a cocktail (or soda!) made with glacial ice. Such a memorable touch! The entire crew was fantastic—so knowledgeable, friendly, and genuinely excited to share the experience with us. Captain Nicole was amazing at explaining everything we were seeing and giving us a heads-up about what we were about to do, which made the whole trip even more engaging. Maizey was wonderful with the Junior Rangers and really made the experience extra special for the kids. Anna and the rest of the crew were incredibly friendly and helpful throughout the trip. The drinks and snacks were great, too, and we really appreciated the complimentary seasickness relief when the seas got rough. From the incredible wildlife to the glacier to the outstanding crew, this was truly a highlight of our trip. We couldn’t recommend Major Marine Tours more highly—an unforgettable experience for our whole family! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a great experience. We saw so much wildlife, the staff was fantastic, and the captain (Wallace I think) was engaging and interesting. Some of the wildlife we saw including a whale breaching, harbor seals, rafts of otters and a black bear. Thanks so much!
We saw puffins, sea otters, sea lions, seals, himpback whale, fin whales and amazing glaciers. It was amazing. Food wasn’t bad either. Kudos to whoever made the brownies. A must if in Seward
My family, grandparents to kids had a really nice time. We had great guides!
Today was my first experience with this tour and without doubt it was an unforgettable experience. The time was perfect for all the spots which were covered along the way and very informative. The caption and the staff were friendly and professional. I will definitely recommend this to all my friends and family planning to visit.
