Question: Which is
the best KenaiFjordsNational
Park tour?
We intend to spend two
nights in or near Seward so as to use the intervening day for a boat
trip to
Kenai Fjords park. The Frommer guide leads me to believe that we should
choose
our boat trip company with care. Will you make a recommendation ?
Answer:
I don't
think there
are bad operators doing tours in Kenai Fjords, but you should be
certain to
figure out what you want and pick the right outfit. I like Major Marine
because
they have rangers on board doing the commentary, and that's the most
imporant
thing to me (they serve good food, too). Mariah has small boats that go
further; it's more intimate. Kenai Fjords Tours has big boats with lots
of
people; they give you option of landing on an island for a meal, which
is pleasant.
The thing is to make sure you go far enough to actually get into the
fjords.
Companies sell "Kenai Fjord Tours" that don't actually go into the
fjords. Verify that you will go at least as far as
Question: Is
Major Marine or Kenai Fjords Cruises more
informative?
Charles,
we are
planning a trip to Alaska in
summer 2003. We
have studied your Frommer's Guide extensively, and are very excited
about the
places we plan to visit, including Seward. In your opinion, which of
the
cruises to
AialikBay is the
most
informative, the Kenai Fjords Cruise company or Major Marine?
Answer:
I think
both are good,
but my preference is Major Marine because they always have a ranger on
board
doing the commentary. (Kenai Fjords has rangers on some sailings.) I
also think
the experience is a little more intimate because the boat is smaller
and the
seating is around tables rather than in rows.
Question:
Should we take a Kenai Fjords or Prince
William Sound boat
tour?
We're
planning a trip
in late June for five adults (including one fit 80-year-old) and two
nature-loving children (8 and 12). We want to see the glaciers and as
much
sealife as possible, but can afford to do only one. We can't decide if
we
should go out of
Whittier for
Prince William
Sound or Seward for Kenai Fjords--and what boat tour to go on. (We're
also
going to be in Valdez, but it
doesn't sound
as if it's the right place compared to the other two.) Help! What do
you
recommend?
Answer:
If you
can handle the
risk of seasickness, and you can afford two days (one for travel, one
for the
boat ride) or even three to have time for bad weather, then the Kenai
Fjords
trip is the better choice. More animals and the scenery is steeper and
wilder.
More glaciers in
Prince
William Sound, but I'd
still go with
Kenai Fjords, on balance--how many glaciers do you really need? The
boat you
choose depends on your preferences. Kenai Fjords Tours lets you get off
for a
meal, which lets the kids stretch their legs. Major Marine has assigned
seating
and park rangers on board, which means it is more comfortable on board
and you
get better commentary. Mariah Tours (part of Kenai Fjords) uses small
boats,
offers longer tours, and is more spontaneous.
