Alaska Saltwater Lodge - Seward

A bit late in giving the review: my group went on this tour in late August. We had an absolutely amazing time! Jim Kathy were phenomenal hosts and tour guides: most of the whales had moved on for the winter, but we did manage to see a few tails! Lots of other amazing sights, though, and we seriously lucked out with the weather. The glacier was spectacular and we even did a little ice fishing! 10/10 would go again. It was an amazing day and an amazing experience. If you're able, I HIGHLY recommend going with Alaska Saltwater over some of the bigger whale tours. It's more expensive, bit 110% worth it. We would pass by these bigger boats that had a lot of people who looked like they were struggling to see the wildlife because the decks were so packed. We didn't struggle with that at all and it was a much more relaxed and enjoyable experience.

In planning with my niece our family of 9 Alaska vacation we knew we wanted to see whales and glaciers. We were so turned off by all the tour boats that hold 100 or more people. We all wanted a small to private boat especially since my niece had 3 younger kids, age 5, 8 and 9. We knew they would get tired on an all day cruise in the Kenai Fjord National Park. Jim and Kathleen seemed to have the perfect solution so I emailed with probably 10 questions from my niece about a place for the kids to get out of the cold, life jackets etc. Kathleen and Jim were very gracious and gave us a decent price for a private tour for our family. They explained all details including the food they would serve us on board, where to meet, what to wear etc. They totally put us at ease. The night before they called to see if another couple good join us which we all agreed to since the boat can handle up to 16. We had Stan as our captain and Kathy his wife as his first mate. They were retired school teachers and were the nicest couple who took great care of us and made sure we saw Orcas, Humpbacks, loads of sea lions, bald eagles and our timing was great in seeing Holgate Glacier calve. Even though that was very exciting at the time we realized our climate warmer is not remarkable. The boat was very nice with high railing so the kids could be outside, had a toilet with a door for privacy, had plenty of seating inside the cab for all of us and places you could seat outside. And the food was excellent. They had muffins on the table in the am from a local bakery then turkey sandwiches with a cranberry sauce from the Safeway, variety of chips. Then Kathleen, owner, had made us mint chocolate chip cookies, brownies and rice crispy treats with a bit of caramel, all delicious.Toward the end of the trip Kathy (not the same women), brought out sausage, cheese and crackers. You will not go hungry. There was plenty of coffee, hot water for hot chocolate and tea bags plus a cooler of pop (soda), bottled water. There also was storage for our pack backs that had kids toys, extra clothing etc. I can't thank Jim and Kathleen and Stan and Kathy for this remarkable fun filled awesome day. Also because they added the 2 other adults Kathleen refunded us some money that would have been the regular price from our private tour price. Again you can't go wrong with this company.

Stan and Kathy were beyond amazing!! Best experience I've had on a charter fishing boat. We had some serious swells and bad weather but still got the whole experience in and got to catch our limit of salmon for the day. Felt as though we were fishing with friends. I can't say enough nice things about them. They were such awesome people. Kathleen and Jim were great hosts too! Can't forget about them! Our room was large and very comfortable. Kathleen took time out of her day to chat with us and ensure we had everything we needed for our stay. And wildlife!! A whale was so close to our boat I felt like I could reach out and touch him. And he kept circling us and showing off for what seemed like a half hour. It was the coolest thing... not to mention the sea lions, seals, puffins, sea otters, jelly fish, etc. And the fish!! We caught some beauties. I love that they were as excited about our catch as we were. The whole day was so much fun. Highlight of our trip. Book with them. Seriously. You won't regret it.

This was an incredible all day wildlife boat tour through the Kenai Fjords. We saw orcas, sea otters, sea lions, seals, puffins, and even a humpback whale spout. The captain, Tanya, and first mate, Callie, were excellent guides; very professional and friendly and were really committed to making sure we had an amazing time. Having a small tour of only 11 made this a way better option than a big crowded boat. They also provide hot drinks, snacks, and lunch. Loved it!

Update: Alaska Saltwater Lodge made it right, so I'm updating to 5 stars. Nice crew, bad weather unfortunately, I would not recommend Saltwater Lodge boat tours for two reasons. First, the customer service is very poor. The inclement weather forced our tour to return to the dock 3.5 hours early of an 8.5 hour tour). No problem; the crew said my wife and I could inquire with the owner about a partial refund of our $540 payment. I called the owner, Jim, and without any explanation he said he would refund $40/person $80 total). I explained how I felt we deserved a much larger refund $200) since we missed 40% of our tour. Jim was very dismissive of my opinion, and said the best he could do was $50/person. Second, the smaller boat Saltwater Lodge uses does not allow them to get to the glacier during high swell days. The larger boats made it to the glacier on the day we had to turn around. Overall, a very disappointing experience.