Best Boat Tour Companies In Kenai Fjords

Kenai Fjords National Park is a beautiful but isolated and hard-to-reach destination in Alaska. Luckily, there are several cruise companies offering a variety of cruise routes and itineraries to help you get there. Kenai Fjords Tours and Major Marine Tours are the two major cruise providers in Seward, with Kenai Fjords Tours being the original and most experienced operator in the area. Northern Latitude Adventures, Seacor Tours, and Seward Ocean Excursions are smaller cruise operators that provide more intimate experiences on their smaller ships. When choosing the best company for a Kenai Fjords boat tour, it's important to consider factors such as price, duration, itinerary, boat size and comfort, and the chances of spotting wildlife and glaciers.

Kenai Fjords Tours

They offer a variety of cruise options, including half-day, full-day, and specialised tours. The half-day Resurrection Bay Tour is a great option for those short on time or travelling with young children. This tour includes magnificent views of the Bear Glacier and offers opportunities for whale watching and wildlife viewing.

For those looking to visit the tidewater glaciers, the full-day National Park Tour is a popular choice, with departures ranging from 6 to 8 hours. This tour takes you deeper into the National Park and includes a visit to either the Holgate or Aialik Glacier.

If you're looking for a more intimate experience, Kenai Fjords Tours also offers the Northwestern Fjord Tour, which takes you to three tidewater glaciers. This tour is fully narrated and provides ample opportunities for wildlife viewing.

For a unique dining experience, the Glacier Dinner Cruise takes you to the Kenai Fjords National Park for a multi-course dinner on board while you enjoy the surrounding scenery.

In addition to these options, Kenai Fjords Tours also offers spring cruises, specialised whale-watching tours, and combinations with other activities like kayaking. Their fleet includes smooth catamarans that provide both indoor and outdoor viewing areas, ensuring a comfortable journey for all passengers.

Northern Latitude Adventures

The company offers a range of tours, from half-day trips to full-day excursions. Half-day tours include the Resurrection Bay Tour and Whale Watch, which are great for whale watching, wildlife viewing and taking in the scenery. These tours do not, however, go all the way to the calving tidewater glaciers.

If you want to see the glaciers, you will need to opt for one of the full-day tours. Northern Latitude Adventures offers three different park tours: the six-hour Tidewater Glacier Express, the 7.5-hour Kenai Fjords Glacier Odyssey, and the nine-hour Kenai Fjords Ultimate Adventure.

The Tidewater Glacier Express is a faster-paced tour, ideal for families with small children or those with tight schedules. This tour visits the Holgate Glacier, which calves ice into the ocean daily.

The Kenai Fjords Glacier Odyssey is a more relaxed tour, with more time at each stop. This cruise includes a visit to the Aialik Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in the area, which is also the most active. Lunch is provided on this trip, and you can enjoy your meal with a view of the glacier.

The Kenai Fjords Ultimate Adventure is the longest tour, offering more time to explore the National Park. This option is ideal for photographers, birdwatchers, and anyone who wants to see as much of the park as possible. This tour goes deeper into the park, visiting secluded coves and areas that most people never see. It also includes visits to multiple tidewater glaciers and provides ample time for wildlife viewing.

Major Marine Tours

If you're looking for an intimate experience on a smaller boat, Northern Latitude Adventures is worth considering. However, their tours are substantially more expensive. Kenai Fjords Tours is another major cruise provider in the area, but their boats are not as new as Major Marine Tours'.

Seacor Tours

The company runs tours seven days a week, departing from Seward Small Boat Harbor at 9 am and returning at 3:30 pm. The tour lasts 6.5 hours and includes a sandwich and chips lunch, as well as drinks and snacks. The cost is $289 per person, plus taxes and port fees.

During the tour, passengers will head into Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park, where they will have the opportunity to view a variety of wildlife, including humpback whales, sea otters, Steller sea lions, puffins, and mountain goats. The tour will also take passengers to one of the most active and impressive tidewater glaciers in the area, where they can witness the powerful sight and sound of ice calving and crashing into the ocean.

Depending on the weather and wildlife sightings, the tour may also visit the Chiswell Islands, a National Wildlife Refuge and Bird Sanctuary, and Cape Resurrection, one of the largest black-legged kittiwake rookeries in Alaska.

Seward Ocean Excursions

One reviewer on Reddit said:

> "If you can handle a small boat though, my friend, Bixler (Seward native) owns Seward Ocean Excursions and that’s the best choice imo. They have 4 boats, a little more pricey, but they only seat 6 people, so it’s way more intimate and can get closer to things. Best for photographers for sure."

Another reviewer added:

> "I have a coworker who took one of the Ocean Excursion cruises a few weeks ago. He had a very good time and would recommend it to anyone."

> "Our mission is to provide you with an unforgettable experience on the water. We offer a variety of tours that will allow you to see the beauty of Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park. Our captains are experienced and knowledgeable, and they will make sure you have a safe and enjoyable time."

Their 3.5-hour cruise takes in Resurrection Bay and its glaciers, wildlife, and scenery. The 6-hour tour goes deeper into Kenai Fjords National Park and Aialik Bay.

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