The final destination on my recent 7-night Alaska cruise was Seward, Alaska. Named after former Secretary of State William Henry Seward, the population struggles to hit 3,000.
to the Alaska interior, with mile 0 of the trail marked on
the shoreline at the southern end of Seward.
 |
| Iditarod Trail Seward to Nome |
The Norwegian Jewel docked in Seward at 5am on Monday, September 2, 2019. The Seward Cruise Port is the start or the end for more than a
half of all cruise passengers in Alaska.
 |
| The Norwegian Jewel docked in Seward - photo taken from Harbot 360 Hotel |
 |
| Train from Seward to Anchorage |
 |
| Train Anchorage to Seward |
If you prefer to rent a car, you can rent from Hertz,
located at the end of the docks, and drive 127 miles along the Seward Highway.
My confirmation email from Major Marine Tours instructed me to arrive at the check-in point for the Kenai
Fjord Boat trip by 10:30am. My departure from Seward was set for 11:30am.
The cruise terminal is located about a half mile from the the
Harbor 360 Hotel. As you disembark the ship and head to the terminal exit you
will see a Hertz counter on your right hand side. This same counter is also where you can
check-in or get information about Major Marine Tours, the tour operators for the
Kenai Fjords shore excursion.
 |
| Seward Cruise Port Terminal |
Staff is very helpful and friendly and I was pleased to
discover that my name was on the list.
You are escorted out of the terminal to the waiting van for the short
drive over to Hotel 360. The vans are
white and have “Major Marine Tours”, “Harbor Hotel 360” and "Hertz”
printed on the side.
 |
| Shuttle bus from cruise terminal to the Harbor 360 Hotel for check-in |
The van will make 1 stop at the Hertz rental car location
and still be at Harbor Hotel 360 within 5 minutes. As
you walk into the hotel you will see the Major Marine Tours check-in desk located just to your right. This was the check-in
point for my Kenai Fjords shore excursion.
 |
| Major Marine Tours check-in desk inside the Harbor 360 Hotel |
Check-in here was also quick and efficient, taking just a couple of
minutes. There is a small shopping area inside the hotel along with a waiting area providing free breakfast and coffee.
 |
| Shopping area inside Harbor 360 Hotel |
 |
| Handicap waiting area for boarding boats |
I checked on hotel rates while waiting to board. The rates run $349/nt for high season. On 9/1/2019 the rate will drop to $209/nt and then on 10/1/2019 it will drop to $99/nt.
 |
| Harbor 360 Hotel Registration Desk |
 |
| Harbor 360 Hotel waiting area |
 |
| Harbor 360 Hotel breakfast area |
 |
| Harbor 360 Hotel breakfast area |
 |
| Harbor 360 Hotel breakfast area |
It was finally time for boarding.
The boat holds a maximum of 180 but on the day of my tour we were only
130 strong.
 |
| Heading to boarding area |
I am often leary of using the bathroom on a small boat and
was pleasantly surprised at both the size and cleanliness of the one on the Spirit of Adventure. I was also impressed that it contained
a changing table.
 |
| Seating inside top deck of the Spirit of Adventure |
The trip was listed as a “6-hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise”. The boat itself was the Spirit of Adventure and is one of their
fastest catamarans. A uniformed National
Park Ranger boards the boat and provides a full narration of the journey,
pointing out sights and providing information on the areas ecology history and
geology.
 |
| Spirit of Adventure boarding area |
 |
| Spirit of Adventure |
 |
| Spirit of Adventure |
If you are arriving into Anchorage and cruising southbound
out of Seward, you can train to Seward and arrive at 11:05am. This will give you ample time to make the
11:30am departure. You will simply walk
from the train over to the check-in counter at Harbor 360 Hotel, about a 4
minute walk from the Alaska Railroad Depot.
 |
| Seward Train Depot |
If you are arriving into Seward and planning on training to
Anchorage you still have time to take the Kenai Fjords shore excursion. The boat will arrive back at the dock at
5:30pm, giving you plenty of time to walk the 4 minutes to the depot and board the train before the 6:00pm departure.
 |
| Walking map from Seward Train Depot to Harbor 360 Hotel |
During our tour Captain Kaylean steered us next to Three Hole Point for a great view
of that area.
 |
| Map showing Seward, Three Hole Point and Ailak Glacier |
 |
| Passing by Three Point Hole |
Lunch consisted of an all-you-can-eat Alaska salmon and prime rib buffet. The buffet is NOT included in your ticket price and is an
additional $24 per adult. The buffet includes Alaska Copper river salmon, prime rib, rice pilaf, green salad, hot sourdough bread and complimentary soft drinks,
coffee, tea and water. Dessert included cheesecake, brownies and fruit salad. Special dietary restrictions can be
accommodated but require advance notification.
 |
| Salmon/Prime Rib main buffet sample | |
 |
| Desserts offered onboard |
I could certainly feel the chill in the air as I stood on the deck
viewing Ailak Glacier. Captain Kaylean slowly
rotated the catamaran 360 degrees for perfect viewing from all vantage
points. After several minutes on the open deck it was
time to head down for a hot drink.
 |
| Mike and I on the outside deck of Spirit of Adventure at Ailak Glacier |
I opted to try the “Hot Otter”. This drink is a blend of Kahlua, Irish Cream,
Peppermint Schnopps, Hot Cocoa and Whipped Cream. The cost was $8 but was oh so good and so warm
going down.
The boat encountered some severe seas on the day of my tour and climbing up and down the stairs was a bit tricky. All seats are assigned and after boarding I discovered that my seat was facing to the rear of
the boat. With plenty of spaces available I simply moved to one of the seats
facing forward.
I had anticipated seeing more wildlife but by September most
of the whales have gone south. I did view puffins, sea otters, seals, stellar sea
lions, harbor seals and bald eagles. One
whale spout was said to have appeared. I didn't see it and it was never seen again.
The only glacier we viewed for the day was
Aialic Glacier, a tide water
glacier and the largest in Aialik Bay, located in Kenai Fjords National Park.
While fairly stable, the glacier calves most actively in May and June. Some calving occurred during our 20 minute stay but photographing it seemed to illude me.
 |
| Approaching Ailak Glacier |
 |
| Ailak Glacier |
 |
| Ailak Glacier size comparison |
I read you might be able to see
bears on the beach but none were spotted on the day of my tour.
The list price for the 6 Hour Kenai Fjords National Park
Cruise is $159 per adult and $79.50 per child. The seasonal operation for 2019 was May
3rd to September 22.
Unfortunately I would not be willing to take this trip again. Commanding a hefty price of $159 per person I felt the cost was
excessive considering we viewed only one glacier and saw limited wildlife and no whales. I am fully aware that my trip was at the end of the season and that whales have typically all headed south by the middle of August.
Perhaps having the buffet lunch included would have made the trip a bit more palatable to me. A price of $159 represents one of the more expensive shore excursions that I have ever taken. Add to that another $24 for the buffet lunch and I just don't feel this is a good value for
money spent.
