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Twenty Six Glacier Cruise
To find this cruise you must go to Whittier, Alaska. As of 1999 there
was no way to drive to Whittier. The best one could When you arrive in Whittier you will be in one of the smallest town in the
U.S. As the If you prefer to take the Alaska Railroad, there is service between Anchorage and Whittier. Click here for information on rail service on the Alaska Railroad. The Klondike Express has three decks. The bottom deck has a large cabin area, the galley, restrooms and a small gift shop. The middle deck has a smaller cabin area, a few more restrooms and a viewing deck in the rear. The top deck is completely open air. The cruise costs $119 per person and includes lunch. The cruise is limited to the summer season and runs from early to mid May until the end near the end of September. Advance reservations are necessary as this cruise is often filled to capacity. For information and reservation contact numbers, click here.
And of course we made some new friends! John and Anne were kind enough to allow us to photograph them on adventure. This lovely couple had come up from Alabama and were taking this trip to celebrate their 30 year anniversary. Talk about Romancing Alaska! Click here for contact information on the Twenty Six Glacier Cruise.
Last visited: August 2000
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This is the most luxurious day cruise we have found so far. The three
deck catamaran is built for speed and comfort. And since the distance the
boat travels is great, the tour requires speed to make the destinations in one
day. Bottom line...hold onto your hats! We saw three people lose
theirs when stepping out onto the decks. Despite the speed, the tour
guarantees no seasickness, or your money back. The boat is so big and runs
so smooth on the protected waters that it is unlikely one would feel any wave
action. 
do would be to drive
to a train station near Portage, and then load the car onto the train. In
the summer of 2000 the Alaska Department of Transportation finished the Whittier
tunnel. What this meant was to place a drivable surface on the railway
that runs underneath Maynard Mountain. To find the tunnel, drive South
from Anchorage, and turn left on Portage Glacier Road
When Portage Glacier
road forks, head left through the first short tunnel. The Whittier
tunnel is a toll tunnel. They let people use the tunnel for free during
the summer of 2000, but intend to begin charging in 2001. Also, the tunnel is one way. So cars stage on both sides,
waiting for the controller to allow them through. Prices and the schedule
are to be posted at 
area of
Whittier is limited by steep mountains and Passage
Canal, there is not much land available for building. So all of the
residents of Whittier live in two large apartment type buildings.
Parking is also in rather short supply, but the Cruise has a section reserved
for it. After crossing the bridge over Whittier Creek, turn right onto
Whittier street. On the right side of Whittier Street shortly after the turnoff
there will be a parking lot for 26 Glacier Cruise passengers on the
right. A shuttle will come by to pick up passengers and deliver them to
the dock where the Klondike Express awaits. Or, if you have time, like we did,
before the cruise leaves, take that time to walk to the boat.
There are a number of small shops where you can pick up a role of film if you
need to, maps, souvenirs and such. 
The catamaran flies through the water at 40 knots (48 m.p.h.).
Waterfalls cascaded down mountainsides from glaciers melting on the tops.
We pulled in close to several tidewater glaciers and watched them calving off
huge chunks of ice. Thousands of seals were sunning themselves on the
icebergs in front of the larger glaciers. They are protected here from
Orcas (Killer Whales) that cannot navigate through waters filled with
icebergs. We also passed rafts of sea otters and had some great
opportunities to
photograph them. As we toured along the 135 mile trip,
the guide talked about the history, biota and geology of the northwest portion
of Prince William Sound.
