Whittier Glacier Tours Best Scenic Tours

Table Of Content

• Tour Summary
• Navigating Between Anchorage and Whittier
• Ships on this itinerary
• Alaska Cruise Experience
• Outstanding Service – Extraordinary Setting
• One of the biggest reasons people visit

49th State Brewing is an excellent option for trying local beer and picking up a souvenir. During your voyage, you may dock at other ports, like Seward Cruise Ship Terminal, Juneau Cruise Port, Ketchikan Port, or Skagway Port. Each port will offer its own unique attractions, from picturesque fjords and glaciers to historic Alaskan landmarks.

Tour Summary

Go with Whit­ti­er-based Glac­i­er Jet Ski Adven­tures and you’ll be tak­ing your machine out on the water to explore the stun­ning glac­i­ers and wildlife of Black­stone Bay. All equip­ment is pro­vid­ed and no expe­ri­ence is nec­es­sary on this unique 4.5‑hour journey. 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. With the largest collection of tidewater glaciers in the world, your scenic Alaska cruise through the fjord will make a lasting memory. On a cruise to Alaska, live a nature lover's dream in the land where guests can catch postcard-worthy sights. Sail 500 miles deeper into the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound on our top-rated Voyage of the Glaciers cruise.

Navigating Between Anchorage and Whittier

Or visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and see brown bears, moose and bison living in a protected habitat that perfectly emulates the wild. Our smooth cruising, high-speed catamarans are designed to safely and comfortably bring you close to nature on the calm waters of Prince William Sound. From Whittier, the area we cruise is protected by a series of barrier islands and long narrow fjords that help reduce the marine currents.

Ships on this itinerary

Secondly, Whittier is located much further inland, about 75 nautical miles from the ocean, where whales enter Prince William Sound. Seward, on the other hand, is less than 20 nautical miles from the open ocean. 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).

HAL touts glaciers, wildlife as 2025 Alaska sales open - Seatrade Cruise News

HAL touts glaciers, wildlife as 2025 Alaska sales open.

Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Alaska Cruise Experience

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. Another draw of Alaskan cruises is the abundance of excursion providers and activities that take advantage of Alaska’s unique outdoor wilderness.

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. 👆 As you are starting the 26 glacier cruise, you will sail right by the cruise ship docked at Whittier cruise port. Faster than a kayak and more inti­mate than a day cruise, the Jet Ski is a great way to get up close and per­son­al with Alaska’s gor­geous scenery.

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All cruises are backed by their exclusive “No-Seasickness guarantee” — or the price paid for the cruise will be refunded. The Klondike Express is the fastest, largest, and most luxurious high-speed catamaran in Alaska. The Bravest arrived in 2019 after serving as a fast ferry in New York and playing an instrumental role during 911 to transport people from Manhattan Island to safer ports.

Discover Alaska with Princess in 2023-2024

Before returning to Whittier, you'll visit a bird rookery home to thousands of kittiwakes. There are also plenty of outdoor adventure activities, including kayaking, jet skiing, and hiking. The Chugach National Forest encompasses nearly 3500 miles of shoreline where 3-5 thousand bald eagles soar and five species of salmon flourish.

If you are going to Glacier Bay National Park on a cruise ship, you will become familiar with the term “calving.” This is when huge chunks of ice fall off the glacier and into the water. The 26 glacier tour starts at the small boat harbor right next to the cruise ship! The largest tidewater glacier in North America, Hubbard Glacier has been moving its mass towards the ocean at a rate faster than most of its kind. Towering above the water over 30 stories, the glacier often calves 100-foot chunks of ice into the ocean.

For those booking cruise itineraries that make stops in various Alaskan ports, transferring between ports will be handled for you. When booking your cruise, you will discover this is a relatively common occurrence on an Alaskan cruise. We’re going to take an in-depth look at the popular Alaskan port. While less common, it is possible to spot moose and bear near the shorelines too, but very rare. If you have your heart set on seeing these animals, be sure to plan a trip to Denali National Park to spot Alaska’s Big Five (including moose and bear).

When you cruise to Alaska with Princess, sail through one of the most iconic locations in the Great Land — Glacier Bay National Park. Listen to Margerie Glacier’s signature crack and boom rumble across the waves. Bring binoculars and scan both the shore and the waves for wildlife like brown bears and migrating whales while Park Rangers teach you the history and geology of the park. An added bus transfer from Anchorage or Girdwood makes this popular day cruise out of Whittier a perfect fit for independent travelers who'd rather not rent a car. Guests are dropped at the Cliffside Marina to catch the 26 Glacier Cruise.

Tour­ing the spec­tac­u­lar tide­wa­ter glac­i­ers of Prince William Sound is even more excit­ing when you do it on a Jet Ski. Go with Alas­ka Wild Guides out of Whit­ti­er to expe­ri­ence the area’s unique sights and sounds while skim­ming across the top of the water on your own per­son­al watercraft. We work with agents and advisors to provide the best Alaska experience for your clients.

The Complete Seward City Guide gives you all the info you need to plan your time in Seward, in one convenient place. However, if whale-watching is one of your Alaska must-dos, Seward is a better option. The M/V Glacier Quest is an 80-foot high-speed catamaran with large picture windows, comfortable upholstered booths with tables for up to 149 passengers on two heated decks. The third deck is an outside observation deck on the upper level of the boat. A saloon, snack bar, small selection of gifts, and an ADA-accessible restroom with a baby changing table add to the comfortable amenities on board. The Alaskan food to eat during the cruise is the wild Alaskan smoked salmon chowder.

In 2024, the M/V Chugach Express will be completed and join the fleet. College Fjord offers a panoramic view of the glaciers named during the Harriman Expedition after the Ivy League Colleges on the East Coast. On the way to Harvard Glacier, the Captain will plot a path through the ice-filled waters up to the front of the glacier to get an up-close view while watching for massive chunks of ice calve into the sea. The 26 Glacier Cruise departs from Whittier to explore the calm waters and wild sights of Alaska’s Prince William Sound.