Do You Get Seasick on a Glacier Cruise? Prince William Sound Conditions

Most people do not get seasick on a Prince William Sound glacier cruise. The day cruises from Whittier stay inside a sound sheltered by islands and fjord walls, and they never cross the open Gulf of Alaska. That is the main difference from the glacier cruises out of Seward. No boat trip can promise flat water, though, and wind can raise a chop anywhere on the Sound. The rest of this guide covers which boats and routes are gentlest, how the Phillips guarantee works, and what to do if you are prone to motion sickness.

Quick answer

If you are worried about seasickness, book a large catamaran from Whittier. Phillips Cruises, which runs the 26 Glacier Cruise and Glacier Quest, backs its sailings with a no-seasickness guarantee: a trip without seasickness or your money back. Glacier Quest is the shorter and gentler of the two, at four hours and about 45 miles round trip. If you know you get sick on boats, take a motion-sickness remedy before you board, sit in the middle of the boat and keep your eyes on the horizon.

Key facts to know

Prince William Sound is sheltered water. Montague and Hinchinbrook islands stand across its main entrance from the Gulf of Alaska, and the Whittier routes run up long, narrow fjords.
Large catamarans are steadier than small boats. Phillips’ Klondike Express is 137 feet long and carries up to 332 passengers; its twin hulls are what the operator credits for the ride.
Nothing is guaranteed flat. Coastal Alaska gets sudden wind squalls, and the Coast Guard can advise operators to cancel in bad weather.
Shorter, protected-water routes are the usual choice for motion-sensitive travellers, and that is also the advice of operators outside the Sound.

How rough is Prince William Sound?

On a typical summer day, not very. The Sound is a large body of water, but the parts the day cruises use are its most enclosed corners. From Whittier the boats run out through Passage Canal, a narrow fjord, and then either turn into Blackstone Bay or head north through Port Wells and Esther Passage to College Fjord. Phillips describes this area as protected by a series of barrier islands and long, narrow fjords, with seas that are generally calm, and the small-boat operator in Whittier says the Sound’s glaciers are the only tidewater glaciers in this part of Alaska that can be reached without passing through open water.

That does not mean it is always smooth. NOAA’s sailing directions for the Sound warn that sudden wind squalls and thick fog are common, and that off Whittier a south wind can blow down from Whittier Glacier at 30 to 40 mph for long spells. Phillips itself tells passengers that the weather will change once the boat leaves Passage Canal. What wind does inside the Sound is raise a short chop, which is uncomfortable for some people but a very different thing from the long ocean swell outside it.

For the season as a whole, NOAA notes that April to June is often the driest period, September and October are often the rainiest months, and gales are most likely in early winter, after the cruise season has ended. Rain on its own does not make the water rougher, but a stormy late-season day is more likely than one in June.

To check the day before you sail, the National Weather Service issues marine forecasts for Passage Canal (zone PKZ723) and Northwest Prince William Sound (PKZ724), with wind speed and wave height.

Large catamaran vs small boat

Within Whittier, the boat matters more than the route. The Phillips fleet is made up of high-speed catamarans: the Klondike Express (137 feet, 332 passengers, two enclosed and heated decks) and the Bravest (127 feet) on the 26 Glacier Cruise, and the Glacier Quest (78 feet, about 148 passengers) on the Blackstone Bay run. A catamaran’s two hulls resist rolling from side to side, which is the motion most people find hardest to cope with, and Phillips credits that design for its guarantee.

The small-group Blackstone Bay cruise sails with Lazy Otter Charters, whose largest boat is a 46-foot landing-craft catamaran for 27 passengers, alongside smaller 40-foot and 31-foot vessels. A smaller, lighter boat moves more in the same chop, and you feel it more. The trade-off is the reason people choose it: a landing on a remote beach, a naturalist you can talk to, and a boat that can get closer to the shore. Lazy Otter’s own advice is that seasickness is far less likely on the Sound than on open water, but that high winds can still change the plan.

Our small-boat vs large-catamaran guide goes through the rest of that trade-off. If motion sickness is your main concern, the big catamaran wins.

Glacier Quest conditions

Glacier Quest is the gentlest option on this site. It spends four hours on the water and covers about 45 miles round trip, out along Passage Canal and into Blackstone Bay, a narrow fjord with two tidewater glaciers at its head. NOAA’s sailing directions note that ice in Blackstone Bay stays inside the bay, which is a good sign of how enclosed it is. The boat is a 78-foot catamaran, smaller than the 26 Glacier Cruise’s main vessel, but the route is shorter and more sheltered, and the same guarantee applies. A Forest Service ranger narrates, and a hot meal is included. See our Glacier Quest breakdown for the full itinerary.

26 Glacier Cruise conditions

The 26 Glacier Cruise covers much more ground: about 120 miles round trip in five and a quarter hours, from Passage Canal through Port Wells and Esther Passage into College Fjord. Port Wells is the widest water on the route, so on a windy day it is the stretch where you are likeliest to feel some movement. Esther Passage and College Fjord are narrow and sheltered again. The boat is one of Phillips’ two largest catamarans, the biggest boats on any cruise on this site, and the guarantee covers this route too.

The longer day is the main thing a motion-sensitive traveller should weigh. A mild queasy feeling is easier to manage over four hours than over five and a quarter. If you have coped with ferries and harbour cruises before, the 26 Glacier Cruise is very unlikely to be a problem. Our 26 Glacier Cruise breakdown covers the route in detail.

The two Valdez cruises run on Stan Stephens’ 82- and 90-foot aluminium catamarans, each carrying up to 149 passengers. The operator does not offer a seasickness guarantee or publish advice on it. One of its captains describes the water in Unakwik Inlet, on the Meares Glacier route, as exceedingly calm. Our Whittier vs Valdez comparison covers the other differences between the two ports.

Who is most at risk

Anyone who has been seasick before. Past experience is the best predictor, so if ferries or small boats have made you ill, plan ahead instead of hoping.
Children aged about 7 to 12. The CDC notes that motion sickness is rare under two and peaks in this age range.
Readers and screen-watchers. Looking down at a book, a phone or a camera screen for long spells makes symptoms more likely. So does sitting where you cannot see out.
People who drink. Alcohol makes motion sickness worse, and the bar is open on the big catamarans.
Passengers at the front of the boat. The CDC advises staying away from the bow, and the middle of the boat is steadier.

Practical prevention

Take any medicine before you sail, not once you feel ill. The National Park Service puts it plainly for Alaska boat tours: if you wait until you feel sick, it is too late. The common over-the-counter options are meclizine (sold as Bonine or Dramamine Less Drowsy) and dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), which take about two hours to work, and a prescription scopolamine patch, worn behind the ear, which needs several hours to take effect. All of them can cause drowsiness, and the patch is not recommended for children. Ask a pharmacist or doctor which suits you, especially if you take other medication.

On board, the CDC and NHS advice comes down to a few habits:

Sit near the middle of the boat, where the motion is smallest.
Look at the horizon or a fixed point on land.
Get fresh air on deck when you start to feel unwell.
Avoid reading and screens, and keep head movements to a minimum.
Skip alcohol and a heavy meal before and during the cruise.

Ginger and wristbands are popular, and harmless to try, but the CDC rates the evidence for ginger as weak and finds acupressure bands no more effective than a placebo.

If you do feel unwell on a Phillips cruise, tell a crew member. That is the only step the operator publishes for its guarantee.

Whittier vs Seward

Between ports, the difference is bigger than between boats. Glacier cruises from Seward, into Kenai Fjords National Park, start in Resurrection Bay, which is protected, but the longer ones continue out into the open Gulf of Alaska. Major Marine, one of the main Seward operators, says its six-hour cruise crosses the Gulf for a short time, where there is a higher chance of seasickness, and it does not recommend its 8.5-hour Northwestern Fjord cruise to anyone prone to seasickness. Its half-day cruises stay in protected water. The National Park Service gives the same advice: choose a shorter trip within Resurrection Bay if you are prone to seasickness.

The Whittier cruises reach tidewater glaciers without leaving sheltered water at all. For a traveller who knows boats make them ill but wants to see glaciers calving into the sea, that is the strongest argument for Prince William Sound. Our comparison of glacier tours from Anchorage covers the land-based alternatives if you would rather not go on the water at all.

Who this guide is most useful for

Travellers who get seasick and want to know whether a glacier cruise is realistic
Families with children in the 7 to 12 age range
Anyone choosing between Whittier and Seward for an Alaska glacier day
First-time Alaska visitors choosing between a large catamaran and a small boat
Cruise-ship passengers who have felt the Gulf of Alaska and want a calmer day

Practical planning checklist

Book a large catamaran from Whittier if seasickness is a real concern.
Choose Glacier Quest over the 26 Glacier Cruise if you want the shortest day on the water.
Check the marine forecast for Passage Canal and Northwest Prince William Sound the day before.
Take any motion-sickness medicine a couple of hours before departure, after checking with a pharmacist.
Pick a seat near the middle of the boat, away from the bow.
Bring a warm, waterproof layer so you can stand on deck in the fresh air if you need to.
Keep the evening free; a long day on the water and the tunnel queue can be tiring.

Frequently asked questions

Do you get seasick on a Prince William Sound cruise?

Most people do not. The Whittier cruises stay in sheltered fjords and never cross the open Gulf of Alaska, and the large catamarans are steady boats. Wind can still raise a chop, so anyone who is very prone to motion sickness should take a remedy before boarding.

What is the Phillips no-seasickness guarantee?

Phillips Cruises, which runs the 26 Glacier Cruise and Glacier Quest from Whittier, guarantees a trip without seasickness or your money back. It credits its stable catamarans and the calm, protected water of the Sound. If you feel unwell on board, tell a crew member.

Which Prince William Sound cruise is best if I get seasick?

Glacier Quest: four hours, about 45 miles round trip, on a catamaran into sheltered Blackstone Bay, and covered by the Phillips guarantee. The 26 Glacier Cruise is also sheltered and covered, but at five and a quarter hours it is a longer day on the water.

Is Prince William Sound calmer than Kenai Fjords?

Generally, yes. The Whittier cruises reach tidewater glaciers without leaving protected water, while the longer Kenai Fjords cruises from Seward cross part of the open Gulf of Alaska. Seward operators themselves advise motion-sensitive travellers to choose the shorter, protected-water trips.

Are small boats worse for seasickness?

Usually. A smaller, lighter boat moves more in the same chop than a large catamaran. The small-group Blackstone Bay trip still stays in sheltered water, but if motion sickness is your main worry, a Phillips catamaran is the safer choice.

Is the water rougher in September?

It can be wetter. NOAA’s sailing directions for the Sound describe September and October as often the rainiest months and April to June as often the driest, and the strongest gales tend to come in early winter, after the cruise season. Rain alone does not make the water rougher, so check the marine forecast for your date either way.

Can children take motion-sickness medicine?

Some can, at children’s doses, but the scopolamine patch is not recommended for children. Ask a pharmacist or doctor before the trip. The CDC notes that motion sickness is rare in children under two and most common between about 7 and 12.

Is a longer cruise always better?

Not if you are prone to motion sickness. A longer route covers more glaciers, but a mild queasy feeling is easier to manage over four hours than over five and a quarter. Glacier Quest reaches two tidewater glaciers in Blackstone Bay with less time on the water than the 26 Glacier Cruise.

What should I wear if I might need to stand on deck?

Layers, with a waterproof and windproof shell, a hat and gloves. Fresh air on deck is one of the best remedies for queasiness, and the air near the glaciers is much colder than in Whittier. Our guide to what to expect on the day covers clothing in more detail.

Final take

Seasickness is a smaller risk in Prince William Sound than on almost any other Alaska glacier cruise, because the Whittier routes never leave sheltered water. If you are prone to it, choose a large Phillips catamaran, prefer the shorter Glacier Quest, take a remedy before you board and sit in the middle of the boat. Then spend the day looking at the glaciers, which is also the best thing you can do for your stomach.

Do You Get Seasick on a Prince William Sound Glacier Cruise?