Portage Glacier Cruises - Alaska on a Budget!
- Destination De Leo
- Mar 20
- 4 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
When we were planning our most recent Alaska Cruise on Celebrity Summit, one-way from Seward to Vancouver, we were posed with the question - What is the best way for us to travel from Anchorage (where we flew into) to Seward to board our ship? My dear friend Google kept recommending the scenic train ride…however we were traveling with kids, and to wake small kids up at 5:30 am to get ready to catch a train just didn’t seem feasible for us. It was an option, and for many, a great option and experience in and of itself, but for us - we wanted something a little more flexible and at our own pace. We wanted to wake up, yawn and stretch for a while, and then head down to the lobby for that iconic hotel continental breakfast before having to head out.
That’s when we decided, a one-way van rental would work! It had to be a van because we were traveling in a somewhat large party of 7. We ended up reserving a rental van that we picked up in Anchorage and dropped off right near the cruise port in Seward. It worked out perfectly!
No rushing, no stressing, just us in our little rental van in great, wild Alaska. We left Anchorage and headed down the winding, scenic Seward Highway - with two planned stops in mind - Stop # 1 Portage Glacier Cruises, and Stop # 2 Seavey’s Ididaride Wilderness Dog Sled Ride and Tour.
When we arrived at Portage Glacier Cruises (which is very easy to find from the Seward Highway), it was cold, rainy, windy and cloudy. But given that this is a normal day’s weather in Alaska, the cruise runs rain or shine. There are some instances in which they would have to cancel the cruise - anything that makes the lake rough and unsafe. Thankfully on our scheduled day - there were no cancellations and the tour was on time.
The tour boat is very spacious, the seats are not what you think - I don’t have a photo of the seats, but you can you them in our YouTube video of the tour when we board the boat. There are bathrooms onboard, the downstairs of the boat is an indoor area which is nice to escape the weather outside when you’re crossing the lake, and the tour guides and staff are extremely knowledgeable and friendly. They are truly to have you there on their tour.
The first stop on the lake is an amazingly beautiful waterfall. Cascading down from a gorgeous rocky Alaskan mountain, this waterfall looks like something out of a National Geographic documentary - I don’t know how else to describe it, but it is so pretty.
When I say they get you close to this waterfall - I mean they get you close to this waterfall. They bump the boat right up against the rock at the base - you are so close that you can feel the mist from the waterfall, and if it wasn’t prohibited, you can probably even reach out and touch it. It makes for a wonderful experience and photo op!
They keep you here at the waterfall for a little while, before leaving and heading to Portage Glacier. The entire time you are on the tour boat - the tour guides is narrating the journey - giving facts about the glacier, the lake and the surrounding area. They give a history of the glacier as well as it’s current state as of today.
The kids loved having the option of staying warm and dry on the bottom deck of the boat, but also loved adventuring to the top deck where they could take in the views and feel the weather a bit - these are Florida kids, so they do enjoy some cold weather here and there when they get the chance to experience it!
Arriving at the glacier is one of those memorable life moments that you’ll always keep with you. The Portage Glacier is not the biggest glacier in Alaska, not by a long-shot, but it is certainly something to behold, especially with how close the tour boat takes you. The boat spends time at the glacier, giving everyone the chance to take it all in, and get photos to keep in in the memory books.
For $59.00 for adults, and $49.00 for the kids, we were able to get up close to a beautiful Alaskan glacier, and have one of those a once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully more) experiences - a true bucket list experience. For us to book the excursion through our cruise ship that gets you within a half mile of Hubbard Glacier for $300 per person, we were able to get right up to Portage Glacier at a fraction of that cost. There ARE budget friendly tours and experiences in Alaska, sometimes you just have to look outside of the cruise ship excursions and book your own tours, OR compare the different options available to you - like we did - for us, getting right up close to a smaller glacier at a fraction of the cost was a better option than getting within a half mile of Hubbard Glacier at five times the cost.
After spending some time at the glacier stop, they then turn around and head back to dock. We were sad for the tour to end, but so grateful that we got to be a part of it. Alaska is so special, and everything you get to see and do there also feels incredibly special.
Check out the full Portage Glacier tour experience on our YouTube Channel:
If you would like help planning your next cruise on Royal Caribbean or Celebrity - I work closely we both cruise lines! I can help you find the best option and deal out there + you get onboard credit to spend any way you like! Fill out our Cruise Inquiry Form or email me at erin@flyingdutchmentravel.com and I will contact you with options ASAP!
Book your tour with Portage Glacier Cruises here!
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