My family visited Seward last week, and our number one experience that we were looking forward to was a Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise. We booked our tickets in February due to the fact that they sell out quickly, which meant we were unable to predict the weather at the time of booking. Unfortunately, on the day of our cruise, the weather was pretty crappy. It was very foggy, raining, and the water was pretty choppy. When we arrived at the check-in desk, we were given the option to rebook (if any open availability), a full refund if uncomfortable with the weather, or attempt to go on the cruise with the potential of turning around/partial refund if the weather got worse. My family decided to go forward with the trip since it was our only opportunity to fit in into our trip, but we appreciated having the options given to us.
The views were slightly obstructed by weather, and the water was definitely a little rougher than usual. Thankfully none of my family has problems with sea-sickness and were still able to enjoy the ride. Our captain (Cpt. Eric) and crew were great. They did their best to make the trip comfortable and gave warning when we approached rougher patches of water. They found every opportunity to point out wildlife and unique features of scenery. Even with the rough weather we saw a small pod of orcas, a humpback whale, sea otters, sea lions, harbor seals, and multiple bird species. You could tell they were trying hard to locate wildlife in order to make a good experience for guests on board.
We visited Aialik Glacier and it was beautiful. We spent an appropriate amount of time watching the glacier, with our captain giving us information on the natural history of the area. We even got to see some calving events. After the glacier, and on the return back to Seward, we were given a lunch (chicken wrap and chips) and a warm cookie. This gave a great opportunity to sit in the cabin and enjoy the scenery while warming up a bit. Masks were required while sitting inside, but not required when outside. Staff did enforce this rule to the best of their ability.
Overall, I really enjoyed our experience on Kenai Fjords Tours and would highly recommend to anyone looking to do a wildlife/glacier tour in Alaska. The crew was friendly and knowledgeable, skilled in finding wildlife, and accommodating with any concerns throughout the trip. I look forward to visiting again in the future, hopefully with better weather.