Chenega

Princess has canceled all Alaska cruises for the 2020 season: https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2020/05/06/princess-and-holland-america-cancel-remaining-2020-alaska-cruises/

FYI - Major Marine, one of the other tour operators in Whittier, has moved their entire operation to Seward for Kenai Fjords trips.

Actually we live just north of Anchorage in southcentral Alaska, Theoretically, you could see them here IF we had a solar eclipse but that's pretty slim odds since no eclipse is in the forecast.

The aurora forecast from the Geophysical Institute does a year round report on a daily basis. It does not take into account the amount of interference from sunlight. Besides, it is overcast right now.

I guess you can believe what you want to believe but it is simply too light to see them at this time of year.

FYI - Humpy's and affiliated companies just declared chapter 11 bankruptcy.

https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2018/02/27/company-that-owns-humpys-and-other-anchorage-bars-files-for-bankruptcy/

Matanuska is not a town; it appears you are referring to cabins near the Matanuska Glacier which is around 2 hours from Anchorage on the Glenn Highway.

As a forty-five year resident of Alaska and a geography teacher as well, I've done both and would recommend the trip into Kenai Fjords National Park. The trick is you must go on the longer trips that actually take you into the park (either Aialik Bay or Northwestern Fjords). We saw lots of wildlife this summer on our early June Northwestern Fjords trip including humpback whales and a large pod of orca. The viewing in Northwestern Fjord including lots of calving at the Northwestern Glacier.

A warning. The seas in open water can be rough and often windy so dress warmly and take some precautions for seasickness if you are prone to it. To compliment the boat trip, pay a visit to the excellent Alaska Sealife Center which is a research center dedicated to the area.

Uncruise is wonderful. We have taken three Alaska trips with them and enjoyed them all. Have also gone on several Royal Caribbean cruises (we worked as naturalists) but they are basically day stops in Alaskan ports for excursions and shopping. Uncruise loves to take you to the nooks and crannies the big ships don't see. We spent an entire day in Misty Fjords near Ketchikan and Dawes Glacier/Endicott Arm near Juneau. Had one evening where we were "surrounded" by several pods of orca and many humpback whales.

Our ship on all three trips was the Safari Endeavor which held about eighty people. The costs are higher but the route, ships, and crew more than make up the difference. No bingo games, casinos, or shopping tour pitches either. American Dream Cruises and Lindblad would offer a similar experience with Lindblad's focus being more educational (it's the tie-in with National Geographic).

If it is Hertz, it is walking distance to the cruise ship dock.

From the Anchorage Dispatch News: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/aviation/2017/06/19/7-swim-ashore-after-floatplane-crashes-on-takeoff-near-ketchikan/

If you are in Seward, a boat trip to Kenai Fjords National Park is fantastic. Wildlife and glaciers!

They're alreay out in our neighborhood in Anchorage. Got two welts mowing the lawn yesterday.;)

That 6:45pm departure is the regularly scheduled train. The cruise lines always have special charter trains in the morniing from Whittier. Same applies for Seward arrivals.

Yes, you will spend the night on the ship before leaving Whittier when the tunnel opens in the morning.

I've been to both and would easily do a 6-8 hour Kenai Fjords tour with glaciers, whales, puffins, etc. vs. an aerial flight that lasts two hours. I spent a day in Misty Fjords on a small boat when gave the area the time it deserves. FYI - there are no glaciers in Misty Fjords either.

The 7pm to 2am timeframe is the busiest time at the Anchorage Airport. If you have TSA Precheck, you can breeze right through. If not, expect lines that can last up to 45 minutes.

Being you need to return a rental car, give yourself at least 2.5 hours. If you are using AVIS, the rental car return at the airport is right next to the main terminal. People watching at the airport can be fun;)

I'm with Budget Queen on the KFT chicken wraps. Not very good but I'm sure they are economical for the company. We've taken to picking up snacks either in Anchorage or the Carrs/Safeway in Seward and then saving our dining for Rays after the boat trip. The cedar planked salmon is awesome!

Thanks Chenega. When I e-mailed Lazy Otter we could do a 4.5 hour blackstone glacier tour leaving at 9 AM and returning approximately 1:30. Was thinking if we did that, we could grab a late lunch and make the 3:00 tunnel????? That would leave us very little stopping time on the way to Anchorage - it definitely leaves out Aleyeska, the zoo or Portage Glacier.

 

As long as there is a place for them to sit they are OK, they are not on walkers or wheelchairs.

If they would do that, it would be great. The owners of Lazy Otter really know Prince William Sound. Hopefully you'll have some of their salmon and cream cheese spread on a bagel. You'd probably go on the smaller boat, the Explorer, and Blackstone Bay is an excellent trip with over ten visible glaciers. The seating is like a table and bench in a Dennys. There's also room on the back deck and they often put out outside chairs. If you sit outside, dress warmly because it does get windy.

Time permitting, have lunch at Varley's Swiftwater Cafe after your trip. Outstanding fish and chips!

The picture below is one of the glaciers in Blackstone Bay. Great trip.

My wife works for Lazy Otter and they run excellent tours. However, their boats are not good for people with limited mobility. In fact, any of the tour operators in Whittier would get you back around 5:00pm which is cutting it too close for your flight.

Perhaps a leisurely drive back to the Anchorage airport would be more appropriate. You could stop at the Begich-Boggs Visitor Center, perhaps take the MV Ptarmigan cruise on Portage Lake (their boat is handicap accessible), go to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, and have a nice meal in Girdwood before heading into Anchorage.

Your odds of getting to the Sawyer Glaciers is really dependent on what the glacier is doing and how much calving is going on. No way to really tell.

A google search of the internet produced this article on the Inside Passage:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Passage

From Skagway to Ketchikan, all of Southeast Alaska is part of the Inside Passage.

Sorry but there's no UBER in Anchorage. The assembly has been talking about it but nothing has happened.

It's 40 miles to Alyeska which is why the fare is high.

There are several options to get to Fairbanks from Vancouver. Air Canada offers a one-a-day flight from Vancouver to Anchorage; you can then connect to either Alaska Airlines (http://www.alaskaair.com) or the commuter airline Ravn (http://www.flyravn.com). Both Alaska and Ravn offer multiple flights between Alaska's two largest cities every day.

Another option is a Vancouver-Seattle-Fairbanks route with Alaska Airlines; you can also pursue the Vancouver-Seattle-Anchorage-Fairbanks option that uses a combination of Alaska Airlines and their subsidiary, Horizon Airlines.

Any of them are excellent. The Whittier-based cruises will take you to the face of several glaciers while the Valdez trip will take you into the ice-filled bay of Columbia Glacier. Columbia has been rapidly retreating for many years and you really can't get close to the face while the Whittier cruises emphasize glaciers. I like the longer ones that go to Surprise Glacier but the Blackstone Bay trips are also excellent. The picture below was taken on a Blackstone Bay trip in fact.

If you really want to see glaciers, an cruise line that goes to Glacier Bay is a must. However, since you also prefer Celebrity Cruises, you might consider a one-way trip from Vancouver to Seward. In Seward, you can book a Kenai Fjords trip to either Aialik or Holgate Glacier through Kenai Fjords Tours (www.kenaifjords.com) or Major Marine Cruises (www.majormarine.com). Both outfits get very close to these glaciers and Kenai Fjords is also known for great marine wildlife.

Since you will fly into or out of Anchorage for Seward, another option is a day trip to the glaciers of Prince William Sound from Whittier. Check out http://www.26glaciers.com or http://www.majormarine.com. Both offer trips to Blackstone Bay (a shorter tour) or Surprise Glacier in Harriman Fjord. FYI - the waters in Prince William Sound are usually calmer than Kenai Fjords but both trips are excellent.

The glacier picture below is Northland Glacier in Blackstone Bay.

We've been on three Uncruise trips and all cabins had an individual ventilation system you can control.