Major Marine Tours in Seward Alaska (My Honest Review After 3 Cruises)

Major Marine Tours was the first wildlife and glacier cruise I experienced in Alaska, and since then I've gone back out on tours with them 2 more times. I've experienced their 4 Hour Kenai Fjords Wildlife Cruise, their 7.5 Hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise, and their 8.5 Hour Northwestern Fjord Cruise. I can 100% recommend Major Marine based on my experiences with them, and can confidently say this is one cruise you won't want to miss out on during your trip to Alaska - and the longer cruise you can fit into your itinerary the better. Below I share what you can expect from your cruise, and my complete, in depth review.

​My Essential Alaska Travel Resources :
There are a lot of travel companies out there, but some are better than others. These are my favorite websites and resources to help plan an incredible trip to the 49th State.

For flights, I recommend using WayAway or Hopper to compare the cheapest dates to travel to Alaska.

Car rentals, arguably the best way to see Alaska, are best through Discover Cars!

I always use AGODA for hotels. They have an easy-to-use platform where you can compare the best rates.

To keep cell phone service if you're traveling internationally, I always use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required), and always use NordVPN to stay safe while connecting to different wifis.

For fun things to do, I recommend Viator to find the best tours in the area, otherwise Klook also does the trick.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my Alaska packing list for your travels to the Last Frontier.

Which Cruise to Choose in Seward

Major Marine Tours has a couple different tour options, all based out of Seward. They also have a private charter option on their website. If you're visiting Seward and just have time for one cruise, then you might be having a hard time deciding which one of their cruises to choose. Below I've listed a few key differences in each of their cruises.

• Spring Wildlife Cruise - This special spring wildlife cruises allows guests a chance to see the great migration of whales from Baja to the Bering and Chukchi Seas (over 10,000 miles).
• Orca Quest Cruise - This unique 4 hour cruise follows the daily movement patterns of orcas in the area, and although chances are you'll see other wildlife as well - the main focus of this cruise is a chance to see these beautiful "killer whales" in the waters of Resurrection Bay.
• 4 Hour Kenai Fjords Wildlife Cruise - A narrated cruise staying in the area of Resurrection Bay, typically having calmer waters for those that tend to get sea sick more easily, depending on weather you may be able to see a few glaciers on your tour as well.
• 6 Hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise - A narrated cruise including one deli lunch, binoculars, and a stop at one glacier for a chance to see calving.
• 7.5 Hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise - A narrated cruise including one deli lunch, binoculars, and a stop at two glaciers for a better chance to see calving.
• 8.5 Hour Northwest Fjords Cruise - A narrated cruise including one deli lunch, binoculars, and a stop at three glaciers for your best chance to see wildlife and a calving glacier, this tour goes the furthest into the Kenai Fjords National Park.

In the past I've done their 4 hour cruise, their 7.5 hour cruise, and their 8.5 hour cruise, and although they're all different they all also have some similarities! You'll begin by checking in at their office at the Harbor 360 Hotel right downtown Seward before boarding your boat and heading out into Resurrection Bay.

From here, it depends on how long of a tour you've booked that determines how far into the Kenai Fjords National Park you'll venture and whether or not you'll be given a lunch during your trip. Either way, the staff is very friendly and professional, the boats are some of the best and cleanest in Alaska, and they have binoculars on board for guests to use as well. Even if you just explore Resurrection Bay, during your narrated tour you'll have the chance to see orcas, humpbacks, porpoises, sea lions, seals, puffins, sea otters and eagles!

The exact cruise I recommend :
- Full Day Kenai Fjords Cruise

My Honest Review of Major Marine

To be honest, I truly believe this is one tour that you have to do while in Alaska, especially if you're already planning to visit Seward. Not only have I had some of my best marine wildlife encounters while on this cruise, but the sheer amount of wildlife I've seen on this cruise truly just doesn't compare to any other cruise options in the area.

Even though they have many different versions of cruises, I would recommend booking the 7.5 hour or 8.5 hour cruise - these maximize your time out on the water and allows you to have the best chance of seeing incredible wildlife or even a possible glacier calving. If you do decide to book these longer tours I would also recommend taking dramamine beforehand - once you get out of Resurrection Bay the waters can sometimes get a bit choppy so it's better to be safe than sorry. I would also recommend bringing extra dramamine with you just in case.

During the 7.5 hour tour the staff even brought in a glacier chunk that was floating and made special cocktails with them! It's definitely not every day that you get to drink a bit of a glacier. Overall, I would say this is one of the best tours in Alaska, especially if you're looking to see some marine wildlife during your trip - and I would highly encourage you to book a tour if you're planning to visit the Seward area!

Want to try a glacier & wildlife cruise but not visiting Seward? My second favorite is Stan Stephens Tours in Valdez!

Watch my Major Marines Adventures here!

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Other Alaska blog posts you might be interested in : 
-> 15 Easiest Alaska Glaciers to Visit
-> Whitewater Rafting in Hope, Alaska
-> 7 Best Tours in Alaska

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