Cruising Glaciers in Prince William Sound on the 26 Glacier Cruise

Scott and Tom from Phillips Cruises & Tours join Jennie to talk about getting your fill of glaciers - if that’s possible - on a day trip out of Whittier on the 26 Glacier cruise. A personal favorite of Jennie’s!

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Music credits:  Largo Montebello, by Domenico Mannelli, CC.

Transcript

Jennie Flaming: 0:04

Welcome to the Alaska uncovered podcast with me, your host, Jennie Thwing Flaming, my occasional co host and full time husband, Jay and I bring you accurate, helpful and entertaining information about Alaska, travel and life in Alaska, before we start the episode, we would like to thank our Patreon members for making this podcast possible. You can join them at the link in the show notes. We are so grateful for your support of independent podcasts. Enjoy the show. Welcome everyone back to the Alaska uncovered podcast today, we are talking about the 26 glaciers cruise in Whittier. And if you are looking for a great glacier activity that you can get to easily from Anchorage where you're not gonna get seasick, this is a pretty amazing choice. So it is wonderful to have Scott and Tom from Phillips cruises and tours here today. Welcome guys. Thanks for being here.

Unknown: 1:09

Happy to be here. Good morning. Oh yeah, no, super excited.

Jennie Flaming: 1:12

Yeah, I'm so and by the way, we are recording this episode in person, which if you listen to this podcast regularly, you know that most of the time we record on Zoom. So thanks to visit anchorage for letting us use their little studio here. Okay, so let's see Scott. Let's start with you. How did you get to Alaska?

Unknown: 1:36

Yeah, so I went to college in Utah, University of Utah, and I was roommates with a buddy who was from Anchorage, Alaska and had the idea to help out with marine debris recycling after the Japanese tsunami of 2011 Oh, wow, yeah. So we had an idea. A gentleman up here was writing grants. We were all helping with that, and we were able to get funding to come up to Alaska, buy a couple boats, live out in Prince William Sound and just start picking up plastics in the ocean. That's awesome. Yeah, I did that for six years. It kind of grew into something a lot bigger, and then funding game became harder and harder to get, and that allowed me to get my captain's license, which then allowed me to still work in Prince William Sound, and just became near and dear to my heart, and so now I oversee things from a desk, but it's a nice transition, because I'm still in the industry. Yeah, yeah, yeah, awesome.

Jennie Flaming: 2:31

Okay, Tom, how about you

Unknown: 2:33

the gold rush? Yeah, I was seeking gold. It was 1948 I was really excited. No,

Jennie Flaming: 2:38

you look really young for your age. Well, I

Unknown: 2:41

was eight when I did it. No, yeah, actually grew up in Oklahoma until, like, really grew up until I was eight. And then my dad, after the Exxon Valdez spilled aliex pipeline, a lot of the, you know, RDC resource development industry needed to rewrite all their safety manuals, pretty much. And so my dad applied for a job, and that brought us from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Anchorage, Alaska in 1990 so been here ever since. Yeah, awesome.

Jennie Flaming: 3:09

Cool. Okay, so today we're talking about Phillips cruises and tours, which is where both of you work. I love to also hear I know Scott, you already talked about, kind of how you came to that, which was through working in Prince William Sound and then transitioning to tours for sure. Tom, how did you find your way into this business? Yeah,

Unknown: 3:31

no. So I, I was always in sales and marketing and whatnot. And then in 2010 I started up with a online only news organization, Alaska dispatch and and really got into the tourism industry. That was kind of my first Well, growing up here, you're always in the tourism industry, working in hospitality, or I worked nights on the in the rail yard, like stocking railroad cars and everything. Not like following them around creepily, but like loading them with things. But and so then, but I got really into digital media and marketing and things like that. And so I was on the board of his anchorage for 10 plus years, and in a little stint where I was just kind of, you know, traveling for work, contract work, a friend offered to send my resume over to Phillips cruises and tours. And I was like, Yeah, please do and, and, oh, man, it's been, it's been awesome ever since. So

Jennie Flaming: 4:26

that's so cool. Well, I'm really excited to talk about this today. People who get my email newsletter or have read my website for a while also know that I'm a big fan of this tour. So full disclosure, if you're listening this, this really is I'm really excited that we're doing this episode. Okay, so, Scott, can you tell us where this tour operates from? For sure, where is it relative to Anchorage? Let's start with that, and then we'll talk about some of the practical details.

Unknown: 4:59

Definitely, it's. So Whittier, Alaska, it's about an hour and 15 minute drive from Anchorage. What's great about it is that it is the closest port in Prince William Sound to Anchorage. So therefore everyone that comes through Anchorage, you have to basically drive past Whittier in order to get anywhere. And so it's a good stepping stone for going to see Prince William Sound. What we love about it is that it is, it's more protected waters than other ports around the Kenai Peninsula and stuff like that. Yeah. There. It isn't large, but we are so appreciative to be there and help out the community as well as just allow people to experience like what we love, Prince William. Sound is gorgeous. There's something for everyone there, and we just want to be able to share that opportunity with everybody. Love it.

Jennie Flaming: 5:48

Okay? So tell me a little bit about the different options, because there's a couple different lengths of tours that you all do. So tell us a little bit about that

Unknown: 6:01

for sure. So coming into 2025 we have, we still have two tours that are available every single day throughout the season. I guess the shorter cruise that we offer is a little bit of a shorter season. But overall, we have two tours that we offer. We offer a 26 glacier cruise, which is our bread and butter tour, yeah, it's, it has been just under a six hour tour. We are shortening it to five hours and 15 minutes for 2025 okay? Our other tour is the glacier quest cruise. It is considered more family friendly, three hours and 45 minutes, leaving at one o'clock, getting back to dock at 445 Yeah, you're seeing kind of a shortened version of the 26 glacier cruise. Yes, you're still getting up close and personal with tidewater glaciers. You are seeing other alpine glaciers, which are glaciers that are not touching the ocean, kind of more up in the mountains have receded a bit, but it is a very similar experience. It's just on a smaller vessel, like I said, more family friendly, just because it's not as long, yeah, but all the amenities are very some similar between the two tours. Yep, great.

Jennie Flaming: 7:07

Um, so what would you, would you say the main difference in choosing between them is, like, how much time you want to spend?

Unknown: 7:16

Yeah, I would definitely say that the vessels that we use for our longer cruise go faster. Yeah, we have high speed jet powered catamarans. Our largest one holds over 300 people. Our smallest one holds just shy of 150 Yep, so it does get out to places a lot quicker than our vessel for our shorter glacier quest cruise, yep, so it's a very comfy ride. We pride ourselves on the no sea sickness guarantee, just because we are in protected waters, we have very sound worthy vessels. And yeah, it's a phenomenal

Jennie Flaming: 7:47

experience. Yeah, I agree that like because I've been on many wonderful boat tours all over Alaska, almost all of them are awesome, and that is a huge benefit of yours is the calmer water than, say, Seward or Homer especially.

Unknown: 8:06

And all the boats have the same amenities. So, like, if you're going on the glacier quest cruise, it's not like, oh, the larger boats have these. Like, all of our boats are fitted with full galleys, you know, free meals included. Every Cruise has a US, Forest National, you know, excuse me, US force Ranger, you know, narrating it along with the captain. So there really isn't it really, truly is just pretty much where you go and the length of time that you're on the water. Yeah,

Jennie Flaming: 8:31

cool. Okay, so, um, what and what season like? When do you start your tours and when do you end for the season.

Unknown: 8:41

They vary every year by a couple days, but like next year will be May 5 to September 3. Or is it may 3 to September? May 3 to October? 5?

Jennie Flaming: 8:53

Wow, got it. Basically, I'm

Unknown: 8:57

glad that this I was like, Really, our full 26 glaciers, May 3, October 5, next year, and then the glacier quest, as you mentioned, is a little bit short of a season. It's September 14 to or, sorry, I just did may 14. Now I'm gonna, now, I'm gonna flip on May 14 to September, 17. Or is it May 17? I think it's May, 17 to September, 14, May 17. Okay, that was a great chime in sorry, thank you.

Jennie Flaming: 9:30

And by the way, I would always recommend checking schedules for anything on the website, because sometimes things change.

Unknown: 9:38

In our defense, yeah, we just we solidified for next year. I expecting you

Jennie Flaming: 9:44

to say something like, oh, it's basically May through September. I didn't know you would have, like, your exact days. We did,

Unknown: 9:50

and of course, we got them wrong, right off the gate. I have a sticky note that I just put on the bottom part of my teeth, like as I'm updating everything. Yeah, come. Like this year, our final tour is september 30, and so it kind of varies every year. And we look at schedule, we look at kind of all of these little different parameters, yep, yep. Cool,

Jennie Flaming: 10:10

by the way. When we were talking about the location, just for listeners, if you are taking a one way Alaska cruise, there's a possibility that you are either getting on or off the ship in Whittier. It might also be Seward. It depends on what cruise ship you're on. But if it's Holland America or princess or now Norwegian, right, it's gonna be Whittier. It

Unknown: 10:33

is gonna be Whittier. There's a lot of factors with that kind of question or that kind of comment. We work with Princess Holland America specific days throughout the year we have, we have the opportunity to sell our tour on their boat when they are underway, yep. And so people will email us, and we will be able to and happy to take people from the cruise ship itself. And people can direct, like our book, directly with us, yeah, if the timing works out. Norwegian coming in this year. There are still some factors that we are trying to figure out to try and get involved

Jennie Flaming: 11:06

with that. Yeah. So Right. So you don't, yeah, that makes sense. So you could book it through Holland, America or princess, yes, yeah. And then one other question, oh, one question I have about that. Um, so if I'm, if I'm on a ship, let's say, and I'm disembarking and Whittier, and I want to do this, let's say I'm not flying out till late, or I'm staying overnight in Anchorage, something like that. Um, can I bring if I, if you book it through a cruise line, then they take care of your luggage. But if not, if can, isn't it? Do you have a place people can put their bags, or can they bring it on the boat? Um, yeah. And can they still buy that transportation back to Anchorage through you, if they didn't buy it through the

Unknown: 11:51

ship, for sure? So yeah, on all cruise ship days, we have an extra coach bus that is like, primarily for cruise ship guests to get to either the Captain Cook hotel or the airport. Yeah. And that's specified in the manifest that that we receive. Right? We also at the top of our dock, right at our check in kiosk, there, we have a Conex that is meant to store luggage during our cruise. Sweet, yep. And so people that'll come down from Whittier, but also leave on the same coach. They can leave their stuff on the coach if that need be, but we always have a place to store everybody's luggage just right on the dock as soon as, like, right before you get on the boat, yeah,

Jennie Flaming: 12:24

because that, as you know, that's a big challenge for people. Like, I want to do something fun on embarkation day, or does embarkation day, but I've got like, 900 bags. And

Unknown: 12:33

that is, I was just gonna say that we are, like, two things. We are a recognized excursion by them, since, you know, you can book it through the cruise ship. So the one thing that we always reassure folks is, like, if something does happen, you know, where it's delayed, like we come in a little bit late, or anything like that, it's not like a It's not like the gentleman. And it was like, Hey, go on a hike with me. And then he gets lost, and then your cruise ship leaves you, right? So like, we're in good, you know, we have a great partnership with them. And then the other thing too, is we have a lot of reviews of folks who, when they are debarking from Whittier right, like they're heading out. They'll book the train, or they'll book, you know, the motor coach, and then everything's taken care of for them. So, yeah,

Jennie Flaming: 13:09

yeah. So that's a nice segue, actually, into, I want to come back to, like, some questions about the boat specifically, but getting to and from Whittier. So whether someone is doing this associated with getting on or off a cruise ship, or if they're just on their own and they're in Anchorage for a few days, in my opinion, this is a fantastic day trip from Anchorage. One of the reasons is you can do it without a car, yay. So can you talk through like the different options people have for getting from Anchorage to Whittier to do one of your tours

Unknown: 13:47

for sure. Yeah. So you know, if you have a rental car, if you have your own car, you can always drive down there. Whittier is on a tunnel system, which we can talk about in detail, but it is basically a tunnel through the mountain into Whittier that is only open on the half hours to go into Whittier, and it opens at the top of the hour to leave Whittier. So in order to drive down there yourself, it's all about timing. Yes, we lay that out in our confirmation emails that we send everyone once they book, but it's something to really kind of focus and pay attention to, because you can miss tunnels. And we try to set everyone up for success by getting like, an earlier tunnel than they may need be by an hour, yes, so if they miss it, that opportunity is still there to take our cruise. Yeah, right. So self drive always an option. We also offer a coach bus service every single day of the season to and from the Captain Cook Hotel in downtown Anchorage. That is not our only stop, but that is where it begins. It's at 915, in the morning. And then you can also pick it up at the alieska Hotel in Girdwood. Yeah, cool. And so people staying down there, that option is there to get picked up by our coach bus every single day. And then at the end of the day, we can drop people off at the alieska Hotel. We can drop people off at. The Captain Cook hotel, and then our final stop, if need be, is we can drop people off at the airport. It's always part of our itinerary if people need it, and we're happy to do that. And you know, a handful of people take us up on that. Oh, yeah, definitely, yeah.

Jennie Flaming: 15:15

And that would be really sweet if you were, like, if you weren't doing a cruise, but you were in Alaska, you were traveling on your own, and you're flying out late, which a lot of people are from Anchorage, then you could totally do that. You could bring your bags and take them with you to Whittier, and then go to the airport for sure, to the day that's

Unknown: 15:33

pretty soon, and especially if it's like one of the ports that we have, you know, the three, I think five nights this year, we had three boats in and five total nights. But like, if you're heading in Anchorage too, and you're spending a day, yep, and then flying out on your own, you kind of, you know, they drop you off, you're like, God speed, yes, it's a great way to spend your day as well. Totally,

Jennie Flaming: 15:50

Yep, absolutely. Okay,

Unknown: 15:52

cool. Our final one is the rail package. Things are a little different for next year based on our timing for our 26th glacier cruise, changing so our 26th glacier cruise will leave the dock by noon every day. Get back at 515 our rail package won't allow us to take the rail down for our 26 glacier cruise, so therefore we still offer a round trip rail package, but it's just solely for the glacier quest cruise our shorter tour. Gotcha, people can buy a combo fair, though, for our 26 glaciers, okay, only with Coach down to Whittier, yep, with the railroad on the way home. Okay, all right. And that is a that is one of our big changes for 2025 coming

Jennie Flaming: 16:35

out. Yeah, that's actually kind of sweet, because then you can get there faster, going one way and, like, see something slightly different. That's definitely cool. Yeah, it's

Unknown: 16:44

definitely two different experiences which we're kind of excited for, like, guests to be able to have. Because, you know, like we said, like you said, the motor coach is much more, let's just say timely. So, you know, it gets them there, gets through the tunnel, they they're, they're definitely getting on the boat, and then on the way back, they get to enjoy the very kind of just, you know, wonderful experience that is the railroad, yeah. Now, yeah. And just kind of that laid back movement is as the cars that took you there are whizzing by, you're you're getting enjoy the turn again arm and that nice, slow railroad pace, yes.

Jennie Flaming: 17:15

And who doesn't love a train? It's pretty awesome. Yeah, it is awesome. Yeah, for sure. The other thing too, and I know you were talking about timing, is the train that goes to what your season is longer than theirs. Yes, it is. So I know there's a time where it's only self driving coach at the beginning and end. Those are the only options, because that portion of the Alaska railroad is not running yet. Yes,

Unknown: 17:37

that is correct. It's kind of some random days at the end of May, yeah, and then consistent all the way to September 15, give or take, yep, and that's all explained on our website. And even if you tried to book the rail on our website, it won't allow you to if it's not available.

Jennie Flaming: 17:52

Yeah. And I will also just say, as someone who doesn't work for your company, like if you're sometimes people think it's gonna be better to book all this stuff separately. And I would just really encourage people listening like book it through the tour, and don't make it harder for yourself and confusing. It doesn't cost more. And I think sometimes people think it does cost more, but that's not what a packet. I mean in a package. The whole point is that it doesn't cost more and it's easier, yeah,

Unknown: 18:23

and for your listeners too, like, if you call our numbers, we have an 800 number, and we also have, like, a local 907 number. You'll be speaking with reservation staff that are literally on Fourth Avenue in downtown Anchorage, and are huge proponents of of all travel, and can answer your questions, but they can lay out your entire thing and answer all your questions. So yeah, if you're not confident, you know booking online and you don't have a travel agent, you're not working like our staff is just absolutely amazing. And during the season, we're open from 7am we'll take calls from 7am to 7pm Monday through Sunday, and then in the winter, we're nine to five Monday through Friday, but we will always call you right back and and we can just help answer questions and get everything booked for you and take payment everything. So, yep.

Jennie Flaming: 19:11

Okay, so while we're talking about like booking and stuff, how far ahead would you recommend somebody book? And let's just say they want to do it in the middle of July, on, like, the busiest day of the year, and they only have one day they can do it. Like, how far ahead would you say you need to book to be safe? Safe?

Unknown: 19:35

I mean, that's a tough one to answer, yeah, because we noticed a lot this year of like, last minute bookings, kind of filling up our boats a lot this year. Yeah. What I always tell people is that the earlier the better, yeah, all right, you're on the top of our list as far as bookings for that day. If you're booking it in advance, yeah, you can create your own itinerary, because it is a full day, yeah, whether you're driving yourself or taking our transportation, it is a pretty full day with us, or 100 Yeah. And we also assign seats on the boat. Yeah, and the earlier you book gets you opportunity for knock on wood, hopefully, um, window seats, yeah, all of our boat, all of our boats are equipped with tons of booths. However, some of them are not directly against the windows. Yeah, and we do our best to make sure that everyone's got the best view possible. But sometimes on those busier days, it's better to book in advance. Yeah, that's a

Jennie Flaming: 20:24

real I hadn't thought about that angle, about seating. So, yeah, thank you for that.

Unknown: 20:28

There's also not a bad seat on our boat. So like, in the truth of the matter is, a lot of people think, like, as far as you know, you go on, like, a river boat tour, like, like you do in Chicago or something, like, you're kind of in that seat. You're not getting up and around, yeah, really, other than enjoying the very delicious meal that is included in your ticket and everything, you're going to be out of your seat walking around going, we have all amazing viewing decks on on the stern, you know, on all sides of the boat, on the bow, of course. And so it's really just kind of like a place for you to rest, you know, if you want to sit down for a moment and everything. So it is. It truly is. And we have large panoramic windows, you know, wrapping around each deck. So, I mean, it's not there are really great things and, and, but we also just say, like, you know, always check with us. Like, even if you're like, you mentioned earlier, like a red eye flight and you're like, Oh man, I like, something got canceled. Like, tours get, like, not like, I think we had one due to weather, like we did, yeah, but, but, I mean, other things happen in Alaska, right? Weather,

Jennie Flaming: 21:27

for your flights leaving tomorrow or whatever, like,

Unknown: 21:31

heaven forbid, Alaska is very exciting. I call it, but, you know, forest fires, whatever it may be, yeah, and your plans change. You can call us, and we always save a little bit of room for last minute, you know, and all that and and, you know, the day is what you make it. You know, you're in Prince William Sound. It is absolutely stunning. You know, it's not so much about the seat as it is the boat captain and what you're seeing and just being up and about and enjoying your day. Yep, totally agree with that. And also the sign seating. We're one of the few people who do that. I don't know of anyone else that does and bless you. And what it is for folks is, is, if you've ever not been on one, it's very like, everyone gets in line, everyone rushes on the boat, then you're dealing much like a big movie theater. Can everyone please, like, move in, you know, and like, put your coats on your lap. And you're dealing with people like, taking up large spaces with photo books. So to be able to assign seats, it's like picking a seat at a movie. You can, like, breathe heavily, yard, breathe lightly, you know, heavily, sorry, like I'm doing right now. You can breathe easy, because you know what your seat is. You it's about boarding and being in the moment and enjoying it and and that's like, a very important part of our brand and our experience is like, you're here to enjoy it, not be rushed around and chaotic. So, yes,

Jennie Flaming: 22:45

yes, I can tell you, from like a tour director standpoint, anytime that there's a sign seating for anything, it's so dreamy, because then, you know, I have to deal with the, you know, lining up an hour early. Because, anyway, yes, it's wonderful. All right, we're gonna take a short break, and when we come back, we're gonna hear a little more from Scott and Tom about what to expect on the tour and some other things about Anchorage and Whittier. So we'll be right back. Hey, everyone. Jennie, here happy fall. This is the perfect time to get started planning your Alaska trip for next year. Most people wait until January, and then it's more stressful and harder. So you can do it then. But I just want to really encourage you to take some of those steps to get started with your plan for next summer, this fall, before the wild, busy holiday season and all that. So if you want some help, sign up for one of my planning sessions. They're $47 they're really fun. I get to know you and give you personalized advice for how to plan your trip in the perfect itinerary for you. So sign up for one today. The link is in the show notes. And by the way, if you're planning a winter trip, you really need to get on that, and I can help you with that too. So hope to see you over there. Now, back to the show. Okay, and we are back with Scott and Tom from Phillips cruises and tours. And we're talking about the tours that they offer in Prince William Sound Out of Whittier. So, um, I would love to ask you a little more about what to expect. So we talked about different links, and there's food and there's a galley that there's assigned seats, lots of indoor and outdoor space. Um, one thing people always want to know about, we. Boat tours, or any tours, or anything ever is, what are the restrooms like? Do you have restrooms?

Unknown: 25:08

Um, yes, we do. We do have restrooms. And actually, one of the unique things is it's not as, like, I don't know if you've been on a lot of day cruises, or just cruises the boat, like a, what would you call it, a marine boat, or like a marine head, yeah. Like we actually have, we actually have, like, standard bathrooms, like standard toilets. We also, all of our boats have ADA compliant wheelchair access bathrooms, as well as changing stations in all those bathrooms. And it just ranges on the size of boat, like our true guts Express has three restrooms in it, one of which being an ADA, whereas in, you know, our bravest has, pretty much, gosh, I want to say six on the main deck, and then or seven on the main deck, I believe, with an ADA included, and then two on the SEC and on the on the upper deck. So yeah, pretty much you won't be waiting in line for a restroom. They are very spacious. I spoke, of course, ADA as well, but that's actually a lot of feedback that we get, that people really enjoy, is that it's like a standard restroom, and there's ample amounts on every boat. So

Jennie Flaming: 26:15

yes, and that is not something that's always available on a boat. Yeah,

Unknown: 26:20

and they're very narrow, like, a lot of times, sometimes they'll feel like you're in a motor home, not ours, like, very you know, the sink isn't, like, right on you. It has water, the standard water, everything, yep. I do want to just say that our glacier quest vessel on our shorter tour is not as Ada, like, set up as our larger tour vessels,

Jennie Flaming: 26:41

okay, yeah, say a little bit more about that, of course, for so

Unknown: 26:45

Braves are Klondike and the Chugach Express. Those are three names over three of our larger vessels. Those are all ADA compliant. We have the ability to take seats out at certain tables so a full someone in a full wheelchair can just slide right in and be very comfortable the entire day. Our glacier quest boat is not a jet powered catamaran, it is a propeller. You do need to walk upstairs at this point to get onto the vessel, yeah. So therefore we specify that on our website, and we are able to help out and accommodate people that can walk short distances, can be transferred stuff like that. Yep. But as far as full AD to ADA compliant, yeah, we always push our larger or longer tour. Yes, it's a larger, more spacious boat. Yeah, we we can fully accommodate anyone. Yep, as well as the train and our coach busses are all ADA with lifts, yep, from Captain Cook, from the rail station, we can get anybody on our on our coaches, and have them enjoy their day.

Jennie Flaming: 27:46

That's awesome. And I really appreciate you explaining that, Scott, because that isn't always true, especially on boats with those like lips the doors and or even if it's just you, you one time have to step over one thing you know, that still doesn't work if you're a full time wheelchair user. So, um, that is awesome, and thanks for explaining that. Yeah, you're

Unknown: 28:09

welcome. So I'm sorry. I was just gonna say, and also just things on wheels and things like that. Is a like, if you, if you do have a small child, and you have a stroller we have, like, it would be stored in the conics, you can bring the child on board, like, all that good stuff. But that's, that's one thing, even though they are, like, able to bring a wheelchair on everything we do have anything like, you know, roller luggage, things like that, as we mentioned before. But also strollers, you can bring it so you have it in Whittier, and you will store it and keep it safe. But then, yeah, you know, you can bring the baby on that way, right? That's also really, and they're free to two two and under are free on the boat,

Jennie Flaming: 28:43

free little little ones under two,

Unknown: 28:45

not two and under. Apologize. Someone will hear this, I promise, and be

Jennie Flaming: 28:53

like, yeah. All right, cool. So, um, you know some of the things about the tour we talked about already, but I would love to talk a little more about wildlife viewing, because that is not, I know, you know, it's a glacier cruise. But also, um, as a bonus, I have seen wildlife every time I've been on one of your tours. So could you talk a little bit about what type of wildlife you see? If there's anything that improves your chances of seeing wildlife looking out the window, definitely.

Unknown: 29:31

Yeah. You know, when I was a captain, and I know artists do something similar, but, you know, they're one set of eyes, yeah. So we all, I always pushed and just told everyone on the boat to, you know, keep your eyes out. And if you see something, say something, you know, and that in that kind of situation where, yeah, let them know that you saw wildlife, because we were not always looking. We don't always see everything. Yeah, when you're out in Prince William Sound, you would see, you know, a variety of different wildlife, as small as sea otters, sea Ryan, seals, stuff. Like that, where we have seen orcas, we have seen humpback whales, bears, doll porpoise which look like small orcas. They're in the dolphin family. Yeah, yeah. As well as mountain goats up on the hills, we go to a bird rookery. So we see 1000s of Kitty wakes that are up on the rocks that make themselves their home, right across the bay from Whittier. That's kind of how we set it off. You'll just see them flying everywhere. It's pretty crazy. Yeah, we are always hoping to see everything every single day. Sometimes wildlife tends to be a bit elusive. We know the glaciers are going to be there. Yes, that is where we end, our furthest out point of where we just hang out. And it's always such a bonus to see all the wildlife that I just explained.

Jennie Flaming: 30:49

Yeah, yeah, I totally agree about that. And you know, related to that, let's talk a little bit about weather. Because one thing that I think is awesome about a glacier Cruise is that it really doesn't matter what the weather is like you're sometimes it'll be, I've been on boats, you know, like with guests who are like, it's raining. Are we gonna see the glacier and be like, for sure, you know? Or, um, like, I know both of you have talked about how beautiful Prince William Sound is, and it really is kind of no matter what the weather is doing, and wildlife doesn't care if it's raining. But I would love to know, given the fact that weather in south central Alaska is pretty unpredictable. So if it like says it's gonna be sunny, you could be like, oh, we'll see. Yeah,

Unknown: 31:37

wait 10 minutes and look again. Yeah. Classic line is, you know, you don't know what it's gonna be like until you're there. Yeah,

Jennie Flaming: 31:44

so I'm just thinking. And, you know, we've talked about how everybody's gonna have a seat indoors, but, you know, I complete, one of you said something about like, you want you can and you want to be getting up, or

Unknown: 31:57

your seat should be, like, kind of your like, I don't know, base camp, like it should be where, like, if you want to get off your feet and you want to drink, yeah, a little bit of water and just hang out and talk, or, or, you know, whatever you need to do for a moment, but really, yeah, you should be up and out and moving around, enjoying it. Yeah. So

Jennie Flaming: 32:14

what do you recommend people wear or bring in order to be able to take advantage of the time that they can be outside no matter what's going on with the weather. I always

Unknown: 32:24

like to tell people, plan for the worst, hope for the best. Yeah, right, it's always good to have an extra layer. And like Tom said, your base camp, your assigned seat with the table, you can stash whatever you want there, yeah? And I always tell people, bring a rain jacket, bring an extra layer, and hopefully you just don't use it the entire time. Our our entire seating area is all indoors and heated, yeah. And you always have the opportunity at any point to go out onto our decks and enjoy the Alaskan weather, you know, the elements, yeah, so to speak, when you get closer to those glaciers, too, if there's a little bit of wind, those glaciers act like an air conditioner, yeah, so it always is a little bit colder. But you know, you don't think about that when you're out there, yeah? You just want to make sure that you're prepared for that if there is weather of any kind. And so that's what I tell people, yeah.

Jennie Flaming: 33:14

I also think one, one thing people don't think about with the rain jacket is, even if it doesn't rain, it's still fantastic wind protection. Like, if you're outside on a boat that's going 25 knots or whatever, it's going to be very windy, even on like a perfect bluebird kind of wind. And

Unknown: 33:34

that's why, too, like just thin gloves, you know, a nice hat that can cover your ears. I mean, I just always say that because, you know, there's few of us that can just stand out there and enjoy that cool air, like I run warm. So it's like, kind of refreshing to be out there, but, but if you're not someone who does that, just even just the thinness of gloves that you can put on and like something over your ears is great. Also, like, if you love to wear a brimmed hat, you know, please do. But as you mentioned, our boats kind of average, especially on the longer cruise, about 29 knots. So if you walk outside as the captain says, like, he doesn't turn around for a hat unless you're still wearing it, unless you're still in it, you know, the only way he turns around for a hat in the ocean. And so it's just, you know. And also just that windbreaker, rain, like a hood, is always nice to just, you know, because the important thing is, like, like, Scott said, It's better to have it not need it totally than than to need it not have it. And then, of course, we have all of that on board too, like at our galley, like, we have hats, gloves, ponchos, all that good stuff for you as well. In case, in case you're coming off a flight, you're like, Oh no, my baggage didn't come through, right? We can help you

Jennie Flaming: 34:36

out during, like, it's July. I didn't think about gloves. And now I want. So, do you guys sell sunglasses on the boat? I can't remember. I

Unknown: 34:44

don't believe. So, I don't believe

Jennie Flaming: 34:45

so, no, so bring your sunglasses. Yep,

Unknown: 34:48

well, and also just on a you know, like, like you mentioned about the weather and stuff, you know, each day is unique. But I actually love the cloudy days, like, where it's kind of raining a little bit and everything like that. Because, one a lot of people don't realize. But because, you know, you've never been like, this is what we do every day, right? So we kind of seem like it's but on rainy days, like when the sun's not hitting the glacier, you get these amazing blues, the true color the glacier really comes out and, and, and with the rain and everything, you get a little bit more active of a glacier, because the waters, you know, makes the glacier be very like, what we say is heavy, yeah? So you can get a little bit better calving on rain days peace break, yeah. So exactly like you said, there's no like, there are amazing features and benefits to each kind of day, yeah, and our and our crew will take care of you, like, explain that in the very beginning, yeah, very hands on, they're gonna be there to answer any questions you have, help you out, make sure you're comfortable, and it's just and as you said, even on like a rainy, crazy day, it's so well protected. That's how we can do the no sea sickness guarantee, and it just hums. So

Jennie Flaming: 35:51

love it. Okay? So I know we, I think we kind of covered, kind of fitting this into your larger Alaska itinerary that like um doing one of your cruises fits really well on an embarkation or disembarkation day, um, or a day you're flying, or a day You're in Anchorage um, one other question that I had or not, not question, maybe it's more of a comment. I have a lot of people who ask me if it's worth doing a cruise like yours when they're on a cruise, and my opinion is absolutely, you know, I mean, and it doesn't matter whether it's in Whittier or Seward or Juno or Ketchikan. I mean, I feel like it's still super worth it, unless you hate boats, but probably it's not the right vacation for you if you hate boats. But I'm wondering, especially Scott, from your perspective as a captain, like, what are some of the things that make a smaller and your boats are not tiny, but a smaller boat kind of a really different experience from, say, a cruise ship or a ferry. Well, for

Unknown: 37:12

sure. I mean, it's more personable. You know what I mean? I mean, the the crew is walking around, getting to know people. You'll you'll know every crew member. By the end of our tour, we get a lot closer to the glaciers than a giant cruise ship, and get into tighter channels, corridors, fjords, where those cruise ships aren't going. You'll see those views when they're cruising by going into Whittier. You might pass something similar, but you're seeing it from 3040, 50 miles away, where we we get up to a quarter mile on those on those glaciers, and just go up close and personal. And it's just, it's a totally different experience. Yeah, yeah, the vessels a lot smaller. And sometimes those cruise ships don't even feel like a boat, yeah, they're cool. It's like, you know, everything is turn key right there for you, but they're just so large that this is, this is a totally different experience. And

Jennie Flaming: 38:01

many of the places that you go on your tour are like, I mean, I assume cruise ships can't get into, like, Blackstone Bay, no, it's way too small. Yeah, yeah. So I think like you're getting closer, but also like you were saying getting into some of these places that a larger vessel can't go, for sure, yeah, yeah, yep, cool, okay. And also, a tiny, tiny boat also has to be more careful, because, you know, you don't want to get super close to a glacier in like a kayak.

Unknown: 38:33

No, no. Glaciers tend to be pretty active. Yeah, it's very heavy ice that is above your head. And so we always make it, you know, our rule of not getting within a quarter mile to these glaciers, which sounds like a far distance, but when you're there, these walls can be upwards of seven, 800 feet tall, and it's they're enormous. And so, yeah, we always give ourselves a little bit of a cushion. We have seen vessels, you know, personal vessels, other other people that do get a little closer, yeah, sometimes that we always just try to communicate. Try to communicate how it can be looked at as unsafe, yeah, bad practice, yeah, so to speak, yep. Yeah. Cool.

Jennie Flaming: 39:09

Okay, so I would love to, is there anything else you think we should talk about related to the tour or Whittier? Oh, yes, something else about Whittier. So let's say I get that early tunnel. And if you're like, What the heck is this tunnel thing? If you look at it online, it's operated by the state of Alaska. Like, the important thing, like Scott was saying, is that you need to be there for the tunnel. You need to be on and you need to be there early. You can't just be rolling up there at like, 1029 for the 1030 tunnel. But anyway, let's see. So let's say I get over Whittier on an earlier tunnel, or I miss a tunnel coming back. What are good things to do in Whittier while you're waiting either for your tour or for the tunnel?

Unknown: 39:58

Well, Whittier is pretty. Story. Whittier is an old World War Two town, yeah. So it was built to be like the northern West most line of defense for the US, and they put it in Whittier and the Bay passage canal there is where there was aircraft carriers, destroyers, all of the ships from that era, because the weather was so unpredictable there, when planes would go by, their radars would get all jammed up and whatnot, and they weren't able to depict exactly where Whittier was on the map. So it was this little hidden spot up here to this day. There are the two original buildings of what was built back then in Whittier. There is the Begich towers and the Buckner building. One is abandoned and fenced off and full of asbestos. But it is a piece of history. It's a naval, basically living quarters for about 1500 officers. It's very stoic too. Like, it's kind of raised up on the hill, kind of at the end of the town. So, like you see it, it's kind of like got this very ominous, real cool kind of tie. Like, it makes you feel like we have history. Yeah, it's

Jennie Flaming: 41:00

like a horror movie level, for sure. Yeah,

Unknown: 41:02

yeah. And then next to it is baggage towers, which is a high rise apartment building that is still lived in to this day by probably about 90% of the Whittier population. Yeah, Whittier population, year round, is, I think, right around 200 and most of them live in that building. Yeah, it is. It is a cool piece of history. It's kind of stuck in time in a little bit in certain parts of Whittier, the thing that is cool to do, if you miss a tunnel, if you got some time in Whittier, is the museum is a really cool piece of history, where it shows the destruction of the earthquake back in 64 talks about the start of everything, how the tunnel was created, all that stuff. And then, to me, personally, with these small, little harbor towns, I love to walk the harbor, yeah, I love to see the fishing community, because it's not as large as other ports, but there is a fishing community in Whittier. It's cool to see all the different vessels. It's cool to see people's personal vessels. It's, it's a really, really neat town, and it's a cool part of history. And there's also really great shops there. Like, if you walk along the harbor and everything, there's wonderful coffee shops. There's actually a new salt company that you can go in and, like, see them. It's, there's just in. There's great. There's little restaurants. I mean, there and, and, yeah. So there's, there's, as you walk and explore the harbor, there's, there's neat things to find and see, and, and you never know there might be, there might be a sea lion that comes into the harbor, or, you know, you never know what, what might be there. And so,

Jennie Flaming: 42:33

yeah, do you do you guys know if the inn is gonna reopen?

Unknown: 42:39

Yeah, we hope it's an amazing, like, it's an amazing part of that, that community and the restaurant and the bar and the rooms, like, having stayed there for like, a conference before, like, little retreat, yep. Like it was, it is just absolutely beautiful. Yeah, and yeah, we, we hope every day, like, we haven't really heard anything official, but yeah, it will reopen. Being

Jennie Flaming: 43:01

down there. You might know more than me

Unknown: 43:03

that is a spot that we like to promote for for accommodations, for the restaurant, for the bar. It's right on the water. It's phenomenal spot. And it's been unfortunate because it, it got damaged because of pipes bursting. Yeah, and so we're, we're hoping, yeah, it opens every Yeah.

Jennie Flaming: 43:19

So if you're listening to this sometime in the future, check out the Inn at Whittier and see if it's over again.

Unknown: 43:25

Also, everything we're describing the museum might be a little bit of a walk about, like, maybe 10 minutes from where we're located in cliffside Marina, but everything that we're discussing right now is less than, like, it's five minutes like the cruise ship terminal is literally through a fenced gate, like a door right next to our like, everything is right next to each other in Whittier, and it's really lovely, like, it's a lovely town to walk around.

Jennie Flaming: 43:50

Yeah, cool. Awesome. Okay, so Anchorage, you guys both live in Anchorage, we do. So I would love to ask you the questions that I ask everybody about their spot who comes on the podcast, and I recently switched them up a little bit, but one that has not switched up is favorite restaurant. So listeners, as you know, if you listen to like every episode, you've got quite the catalog of locally recommended restaurants. So, you know, Anchorage is a pretty big town, so, you know, I'm, I'm willing to accept perhaps more than one offering, because it's hard to decide for sure.

Unknown: 44:34

Well, I mean, I've got mine, uh, Anchorage brewing, okay, right, is on the South side of town, one of the better breweries in town. They have a pop up restaurant inside that brewery that is open Thursday through Saturday. Their menu changes every week, and their only options is one meat option and one veggie option. So as an example, if they're making a cheesesteak, they'll do like a mushroom. A sandwich as well. Yep, right? And they only use the freshest ingredients. And I think it is the best food in Anchorage. It is called familia, okay, yeah, that's the name of the restaurant, yes. Okay, yep. You can look them up on Instagram, on Facebook, they'll tell you what their menu is for that weekend, yeah. But they are, they are phenomenal. And it is, it is just mostly comfort food. They've done ahi bowls, they've done cheese steaks, they've done everything, but it's only one option every weekend, right? And it's, it's awesome, it's a treat. So not

Jennie Flaming: 45:33

only is it good food, but if you're experiencing decision fatigue, because you've been choosing a meal every day for the last two weeks, you could go in there and be like, what option?

Unknown: 45:42

Yeah, do I want meat or veggie? Yes, yep, that's wonderful. And a parent hall with a good anchorage brewing beer. Yes, that's nice. Yeah. Okay, thanks, Scott. How about you? How

Jennie Flaming: 45:52

about you? Tom, oh man.

Unknown: 45:53

My Rolodex is still spinning right now. I would have to say that if I was like, so this would be my like, if I wanted to celebrate something, or if I really want to enjoy it, I'd probably say, even though, like, local folks are gonna kill me. Fiordy, Italia, okay, so this is an amazing restaurant that was actually started in a yurt by a family, and now it's grown to the building next to the yurt. They still use the yurt for like, storage and things like that in cooking and but it's been family owned, and it's right in the heart of a wonderful, like, very historical neighborhood called spinard. So it's not like on a, you know, on a street or downtown or anything like that. And it's just Ely, the bartender. He's the only partner. He makes amazing cocktails and amazing drinks, and then it's just very traditional Italian, like, it is, you know, escargot, it's, it's, but, like, when they bring out the food, like they have everything from super fancy, you know, like Tomahawk steaks that have been aged and all this. But they're very traditional dishes, you know, they come out in that porcelain, you know, like elongated bowl, like they, know, is, like, you know, has that tradition of where you feel like there's a wonderful like, grandmother cooking the food back there with like, six guys meeting around a table, making big decisions for their like, organization, you know, like, and that's not what's happening. I'm just saying it's that traditional. It's amazing, like, the family, the family has been a part of in a stable of our community in our hospitality for for 40 plus years, and it's just an amazing place and and so that that would be where I'd say it would be my go to, just because I was literally going through like breakfast, lunch, where would I go? And that's something that people don't also, if you're a foodie, anchorages food scene is probably one of the most underrated, not talked about, as Scott just shared with you. Like that pop up right? Like, there are amazing culinary folks here in town, and there's the classic ones that you hear about that have been staples, like I just mentioned. And then there are people like, we just had a group that does just started going that's doing the the whole potato spuds, aka, like, where they're doing the whole, you know, Super Potato, super Spud, like, in a bowl. So just, really, if you are a foodie, it's worth spending a day, even to, I think, in Anchorage, just doing the food. And there's great food tours that you can do if you want to be like a guided tour, there's food tours where they've had it set up with the restaurant. So you're going in just sampling. But really, I've just in visited Anchorage, actually, where we're being recorded right now, has an amazing restaurant guide and and as well as neighborhood guide. And so there's tons of tools, and you can go online and request those, and they'll mail them to you. You don't have to be a travel agent or anything like that. So get excited. Check out. Visit anchorage.net or anchorage.net sorry, and you can get all those tools. Yeah,

Jennie Flaming: 48:47

sweet. Okay, I think those are some new ones that haven't come up on the pod before. Exciting. Yeah, sure, yeah. If

Unknown: 48:56

an anchorage person hears me say that on a podcast to guests coming, yeah, just because it's Well, I mean, not mad, no, no, and I'm not scared about it. Your readers, that is, that is a that's one of those where people always say, I want to go, where the locals go? Yeah, yeah. What Scott said, and what I shared are, like, very local, like, very like, locals will be there. You won't see a guest like you won't see a fellow traveler unless they're with someone from Anchorage,

Jennie Flaming: 49:24

right? And those are both, this is probably a good time to mention both the places you mentioned are not like right downtown, no, right? So it is going to take a little more effort to get there, but that's totally worth it, if that's the kind of experience

Unknown: 49:38

you're looking for. And if you're saying when the hotels in Midtown, it's even, yep, okay, I will plug the best downtown for breakfast spot to me personally. I'll just want to say this is the biscuit club. Yeah, the biscuit club is underneath a building in a parking lot on Third Avenue. It's like hard to see, but it is. It never disappoints. Yeah, fresh biscuits every. Day, great. Coffee full, coffee bar, everything that's my go to.

Jennie Flaming: 50:04

Yes. Love it, no and probably no waiting in line for an hour,

Unknown: 50:08

no, maybe two or three people, yeah, or a dog or two, because they allow dogs

Jennie Flaming: 50:14

in there. Cool. Okay, so finally, guys, last question, if there's one, what is one thing that you wish visitors knew before coming to Alaska?

Unknown: 50:30

Be adaptable. Be flexible. Yeah. Things change up here. I feel like more than where other places I've lived mainly, maybe because of weather, because of the lack of different highways that you can drive. Just, just have some flexibility in understanding that that things change, and maybe not even for the worst, for the best. But we, you know, on a daily basis, the weather changes, like, like, like, flip of a switch. We have one option for a highway going north, going south. And so if something were to happen, you might be delayed a little bit longer than you might like, but might feel like you are down in the lower 48 anywhere. So I just have have a little adaptability and bring a positive attitude.

Jennie Flaming: 51:14

Yeah, it's a good one. How about you? Tom, we

Unknown: 51:16

don't have penguins. No, I'm just joking around. That was a college thing. Like from Alaska, I want to go see penguins. You're like, Oh, I'm gonna just break your heart. I'm

Jennie Flaming: 51:23

sorry, yeah, no, no penguins.

Unknown: 51:26

I would honestly say like to add on to what Scott said is just get excited and and I know, like, you know when you're going on Caribbean cruise, a Caribbean huh? Can't say a Caribbean cruise. The Seven Day cruises here are absolutely amazing, and book them and love them, if you're a cruiser, and everything. But really educate like, like, learn about where you're going and everything, because it's really neat, because it is an adventure, you'll understand why something might have happened, or something along those lines. Yes, really learn about them. But also highly recommend people be like, how do we do a seven day and then do, like, a land tour? That would be like, just again, everything is, like, spread out, like, knowledge, right? Like, like, like understanding that, that you're not gonna be able to see everything in one day or even maybe a week. You know, pick, pick and choose. You know, if you want to see marine wildlife and want to see, you know, just kind of like, like, wildlife returning and excitement and all that, that's May and June. If you want to see the aurora, if you want to see fall, you know, that's fall. That's, yeah, if you like, I highly recommend, like, if you want to, yeah. So just, I would just say, like, go to anchorage.net, go to Atia, Alaska's website. You know, they have wonderful tools to, like, figure out what you want to see, yeah, before you come, yeah. And then, and then play in accordingly. Like, it's not so much. I'm going to go there. Gonna go there and figure it out. Like there are great things to do in a day, like ours. Like, if you have an extra day, and maybe you didn't plan out that day, and you just want to shoot from the hip, that's great. But you should, you should have a wealth of knowledge before coming Yeah,

Jennie Flaming: 52:55

yeah. I think that is really why is I just think about what, like my clients that I help plan their plan trips. And there's often, yeah, like, people kind of want to see everything and have, like, kind of a specific idea of what things are going to be like. And I spend a lot of time being like, try to just be open to what the experience is gonna be, you know, like, like, it's not, you know, a lot of things aren't gonna go the way you expect. But, like you said, Scott, that might be something that makes it amazing, yeah,

Unknown: 53:32

yeah. You might detour it somewhere and see something that you never expected. Yeah. It's like, literally, Alaska is humbling in a beautiful way. Yeah, like, and just an example for folks, like, I've taken people out on tours where we're in Denali and it's pouring rain and culverts are failing and it's like flooding. And I and we got out of Denali and we drove two hours south to tell Kenya that hadn't seen rain in two months. Yeah, and forest fire, you know? I mean, like, it's, I'm not trying to speak like, biblical here, but like it is everything. It is an adventure. Like you're not going, you are not going on an itinerary like vacation. When you come up, here you are. You have, you have well thought out plans. You have best intentions, but you are coming to a very exciting, very wonderful, awe inspiring, life changing place, yeah, and, and it is. That's why, I kind of, like, on all of our responses, we say, like, Thank you for letting us be a part of your Alaska adventure. Yeah, because it's not, it's not a vacation. I mean, it is, but you really are going, I mean, it's a vacation, the sense that you paid for it, and you're off of work, and you're coming up here, but it's literally, you are on your you're on an adventure, and it's really exciting. Yeah,

Jennie Flaming: 54:42

I agree. Well, thank you so much to both of you for coming on today and talking about this. I'm gonna put your website in the show notes. So if you're listening and you're like, how do I book this, or how do I figure out what the dates are and the different transportation options? And how does this work with the tunnel? You can figure all of that out there. So thank you so much guys for being here. Oh,

Unknown: 55:07

thank you so much. This has been fun. Yeah, this is awesome. This is great. Yeah, you