Thursday, April 11, 2024

Drive Phillips Cruises Alaska Glacier Tours Whittier Prince William Sound

whittier glacier cruise

We work with agents and advisors to provide the best Alaska experience for your clients. Observe abundant wildlife and get close to magnificent Glaciers. But really, you don’t need to see 26 glaciers in order for the tour to be worth it. There are more than 26 glaciers mapped out, and I am not sure which of the glaciers you can actually see from the water, and which glaciers we actually did see. But on the day I did the cruise, I was quite excited about what we saw in terms of wildlife.

Whittier vs. Seward & Day Cruise Options

The boat comes within a 1/4 mile, close enough to hear the glaciers move as well as see the brilliant blues in the ice. Because the glaciers are so huge—some go 18 miles back and a mile across—however, it will seem like you're even closer. Our cruise experts are enthusiastic and ready to talk about Alaska with you. Call us or send an email if you are currently in a different time zone. During the season, from May to September, we are here seven days a week. The M/V Klondike Express is the fastest and most luxurious catamaran in Alaska.

A Local's Guide to Whittier - Travel Alaska

A Local's Guide to Whittier.

Posted: Thu, 17 Feb 2022 00:45:29 GMT [source]

How to do the 26 glacier tour

Riviera to explore Alaska in 2025 - TTR Weekly

Riviera to explore Alaska in 2025.

Posted: Thu, 12 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Arrive on the half-hour for access through the tunnel going to Whittier. In the end, there’s no right answer to whether you should visit Whittier or Seward – on a day cruise or as a cruise port. Both Seward and Whittier have other activities in town, but the reality is that Seward is better if you want to enjoy other activities in addition to a glacier viewing/whale-watching cruise. For seeing glaciers to your heart’s content, book a day cruise from Whittier. At my last count, there are 17 day cruises from Seward and only two from Whittier.

Great experiences from the great land

While Kenai Fjords (Seward) has some glaciers – including tidewater glaciers –, there are far more visible and easily accessible tidewater glaciers (by boat anyway!) in Prince William Sound (Whittier). Specifically, there are 38 glaciers in Kenai Fjords and over 100 in Prince William Sound. This means your chance of seeing a glacier is just way higher if you cruise from Whittier. But glaciers are not common elsewhere, even in places meant to protect them – like Glacier National Park. So for many people – and perhaps you, dear reader – seeing glaciers is super high on their Alaska bucket list. In that case, Whittier is the best place to book a glacier viewing day cruise.

The white spray of glistening waterfalls cascading down to the sea from glaciers perched on the mountain peaks catches the light creating a stunning contrast against the dark gray shale and graywacke rocks. Keep an eye out for sea otters, Steller sea lions, bears, mountain goats, whales and more! Get an up close view of a kittiwake bird rookery inhabited by more than 10,000 birds nesting on the rocky cliffs in Passage Canal. Prince William Sound is arguably the best place in Alaska to see spectacular coastal scenery and tidewater glaciers calving into the ocean.

As your Captain departs the Cliffside Marina, look back towards town to see Whittier glacier. More glaciers will come into view as you cruise down Passage Canal. Learn about the Native Alaskans who first settled in this region of Prince William Sound and how the military built the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel connecting Whittier to Interior Alaska. Our Princess fleet includes ships that range from our smaller vessels to large ships. From a balcony stateroom, marvel at the glaciers passing by before enjoying local seafood in one of our many eateries during your Voyage of the Glaciers cruise. The Harriman Expedition discovered College Fjord in 1899 and named the towering glaciers after the great East Coast universities of the United States, like the Harvard Glacier.

whittier glacier cruise

On our Voyage of the Glaciers cruise, encounter unique ports of call that are rich in history, culture and natural beauty. Guests who opt for the added bus transfer will be picked up at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage and the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood. Return service is available to the Anchorage airport upon request. These high-speed catamarans provide excellent stability and can usually accommodate guests who require the use of a wheelchair during the cruise.

Every cruise includes a hot meal featuring wild Alaska smoked salmon chowder served shortly after the cruise departures. Due to our remote location, vegetarian or kids’ meals must be requested at least 48 hours prior to cruise departure. Complimentary coffee, tea, and ice water are available throughout the cruise.

When stopped, the crew actually scoops glacier ice over the side and brings it up for you to touch. It's a rare day when you don't see some kind of calving activity, anything from little snowballs to a big sheet of ice. View animals by either driving, walking the 1.5-mile loop encircling the center, or booking a tour with one of the staff naturalists.

Guests cruise aboard either the M/V Klondike Express or M/V Bravest. Both are modern, high-speed catamarans with two indoor cabin decks, large picture windows, and outdoor viewing areas. All passengers are assigned indoor cabin seats around tables with USB ports. Expe­ri­ence the awe of Prince William Sound with Sound Adven­ture Char­ters. Get up close to stun­ning glac­i­ers, spot wildlife, and enjoy a cus­tomized meal aboard the cozy Veron­i­ca Mae. Led by pas­sion­ate experts, these inti­mate tours offer unfor­get­table adven­tures in Alaska’s pris­tine wilderness.

Seeing glaciers is one of the top things to do in Alaska, and draws many visitors there each year. This is where the Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise can be the perfect option; as the name suggests, it’s a cruise focused on seeing the many glaciers visible in Alaska’s Prince William Sound. In this post, I’ll share my Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise review from our 2021 trip to Alaska. When I arrived, the wildlife that was seen in the past week included breaching whales, dall’s porpoises, sea otters, sea lions, mountain goats, bears, and bald eagles. Families with younger children often choose the 3.75-hour Glacier Quest Cruise to see the glaciers in a shorter time frame.

We encourage our self-drive guests to visit the local coffee shops, browse for gift items or make plans to dine in Whittier after the cruise at one of the restaurants along the harbor. Use the underground pedestrian tunnel to visit the Prince William Sound Museum located on the other side of the railroad tracks. You will find the town is very walkable and most of the main attractions are within half a mile from our dock.

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