Stan Stephens Wildlife & Glacier Cruises

What Stan Stephens Wildlife & Glacier Cruises does

Stan Stephens Wildlife & Glacier Cruises, operating legally as Stan Stephens Cruises, Inc., is a family-owned Alaska tour operator headquartered at 112 North Harbor Drive, Valdez. Founded in 1971 by Stan and Mary Helen Stephens as North Star Marine Charters, the company was renamed Stan Stephens Charters Inc. in 1978 and rebranded to its current name in 2003. The business runs scheduled glacier and wildlife cruises out of Valdez across Prince William Sound, offering a 7.5-hour Meares Glacier Excursion ($193 adult / $96.50 child) operating June through August and a 6-hour Columbia Glacier Cruise ($173 adult / $86.50 child) operating mid-May through mid-September, plus custom charters for weddings, corporate events, conventions, and film productions connecting Valdez, Whittier, and Cordova.

The operational backbone is a two-vessel fleet of custom-built aluminum catamarans: the 82-foot Valdez Spirit (built 2005 by All American Marine, 149-passenger capacity) and the 90-foot Glacier Spirit (built 2017 by Mavrik Marine, 149-passenger capacity). Both vessels feature heated cabins, accessible outer decks, large viewing windows, US Coast Guard inspection certification, and Tier III engines, supporting an aggregate capacity of 298 passengers per trip. Revenue is generated via one-time ticket sales paid in full at booking, supplement fees (Valdez Harbor Fee plus fuel fee of $6 per person), charter/event fees, and cash-only onboard merchandise (souvenirs, apparel, snacks, beverages). Distribution combines a Starboard Suite online booking portal, toll-free and local phone reservations, a walk-in harbor-front office, and a direct travel-trade sales channel personally led by President Colleen Stephens offering a 10% minimum commission.

The company serves a hybrid mix of individual leisure travelers and families, group and event organizers (weddings, corporate meetings, film productions), and travel trade partners (agents, tour operators, cruise lines). It holds Whale Sense, Adventure Green Alaska, and Green WATERS sustainability certifications, and maintains mutually supportive partnerships with regional conservation and research bodies including the Prince William Sound Science Center, Alaska SeaLife Center, NOAA, North Gulf Oceanic Society, and Happy Whale. The company is privately held within the Stephens family, with no external investors, parent company, subsidiaries, or funding rounds disclosed; ownership and operational leadership span three generations.

Name

Stan Stephens Wildlife & Glacier Cruises

Legal name

Stan Stephens Cruises, Inc.

Website

https://stephenscruises.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stan Stephens Wildlife & Glacier Cruises is a family-owned Alaska tour operator running glacier and wildlife cruises in Prince William Sound from Valdez, serving individual leisure travelers, groups, and travel trade via two custom aluminum catamarans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Valdez

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Glacier and Wildlife Cruise Tickets: Ticket sales for two primary tour products: Meares Glacier Excursion ($193 adult, $96.50 child) and Columbia Glacier Cruise ($173 adult, $86.50 child), with additional $6 per person fees. Full payment required at time of booking.
2. Custom Charters and Private Events: Customized charter services for film productions, meeting space, weddings, receptions, and inter-community tours between Valdez, Whittier, and Cordova.
3. Onboard Merchandise and Snacks: Cash-only onboard sales including souvenirs, gift items, t-shirts, hoodies, coats, hats, snacks, sodas, and hot chocolate.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stan Stephens Wildlife & Glacier Cruises operates guided day cruises in Prince William Sound from Valdez, Alaska, using two custom-built aluminum catamaran vessels to take passengers to Meares Glacier and Columbia Glacier for wildlife viewing (whales, orcas, seals, sea lions, puffins, eagles) and glacial experiences. The company also provides customized private charters for weddings, corporate meetings, film productions, and inter-community travel between Valdez, Whittier, and Cordova.

Product overview

Stan Stephens Wildlife & Glacier Cruises operates two primary tour products: the Meares Glacier Excursion (7.5-hour tour to Meares Glacier with glacial calving views) and the Columbia Glacier Cruise (6-hour tour to Columbia Glacier featuring the glacier's documented retreat). The company also offers Custom Tours & Charters for specialized itineraries. Two aluminum catamaran vessels—Valdez Spirit (82-foot, 149 passengers) and Glacier Spirit (90-foot)—serve as the operational fleet, with both vessels featuring heated cabins, accessible outer decks, and large viewing windows.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Meares Glacier Excursion A 7.5-hour guided day cruise departing at 9:00 AM to Meares Glacier featuring wildlife viewing (seals, sea otters, sea lions, humpback whales, orcas, Dall's porpoise, bald eagles, puffins), glacial calving, onboard morning snack and lunch, and complimentary beverages. Priced at $193 Adult + $6 Fees and $96.50 Child + $6 Fees.
• Columbia Glacier Cruise A 6-hour guided cruise departing at 10:30 AM to the Columbia Glacier area to view the glacier's historic retreat, with wildlife observation including seals, sea otters, sea lions, humpback whales, orcas, Dall's porpoise, bald eagles, and puffins. Includes a light meal (clam chowder, bagel, cookies) and complimentary beverages. Priced at $173 Adult + $6 Fees and $86.50 Child + $6 Fees.
• Custom Tours and Charters Customized itineraries for tours between Valdez, Whittier, and Cordova; vessel usage for film production staging and transportation; meeting space for small groups; receptions for meetings or conventions; weddings and wedding receptions on the water.

Quantifiable outcome

• Wildlife sighting success with diverse species including orcas, humpback whales, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, puffins, bald eagles, Dall's porpoise, mountain goats, black bears, and fin whales

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Prince William Sound Science CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience center partnership supporting local and regional conservation and wildlife research. Stan Stephens Cruises provides information about animals viewed during tours and supports research initiatives.
• Alaska SeaLife CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting wildlife research and conservation efforts in Alaska. Collaboration includes information sharing and funding support for marine research.
• NOAAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participation in NOAA marine life viewing guidelines and whale conservation programs. Company follows eco-tourism guidelines outlined by NOAA for responsible wildlife viewing.
• North Gulf Oceanic SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting marine mammal research and conservation in the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound regions.
• Happy WhaleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCitizen science program for whale identification supporting sustainable tourism industry growth. Guests encouraged to participate in whale photo identification.
• Valdez BrewingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal brewery partnership. Guests encouraged to enjoy local brews at Valdez Brewing. Souvenir pint glass available at either location with token for first taste.
• Tailbone Designs (Heide Franke)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal designer creates annual crew attire and customized designs for merchandise stickers, postcards, and magnets.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Uncruise Adventures: Small-ship Alaska adventure cruise line emphasizing intimate wildlife experiences, soft adventure, and eco-tourism — overlapping with Stan Stephens' sustainability-led positioning but serving a multi-day, higher-spend traveler.

Emerging players

• Lazy Otter Charters: Smaller Prince William Sound charter operator offering customizable private cruises and wildlife tours, competing with Stan Stephens' custom charter segment in the same geographic market.
• Lu-Lew-Kai Charters: Valdez-based small charter operator providing customized Prince William Sound tours and fishing charters, overlapping with Stan Stephens' custom tour and inter-community itinerary offerings.

Direct peers

• Allen Marine Tours: Juneau-based Alaska sightseeing and glacier cruise operator with a fleet of catamaran vessels offering comparable water-based wildlife and glacier viewing experiences to the same cruise and independent traveler market.
• Kenai Fjords Tours: Major Alaska day-cruise operator running glacier and wildlife tours from Seward with comparable vessel-based sightseeing and wildlife narration product for the same Alaska visitor demographic.
• Major Marine Tours: Direct competitor also operating glacier and wildlife cruises out of Valdez into Prince William Sound, offering nearly identical day excursions to Columbia Glacier and similar itineraries at overlapping price points.
• Phillips Cruises and Tours: Alaska glacier and wildlife cruise operator based in Valdez with comparable M/V Glacier Express-style catamaran tours to Prince William Sound glaciers and similar whale/wildlife viewing product.
• Glacier Bay Lodge & Tours: Operator of day cruises and overnight packages in Glacier Bay National Park offering glacier viewing and wildlife viewing boat tours analogous to Stan Stephens' Prince William Sound product.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Princess Cruises: Major mainstream cruise line that sends thousands of Alaska visitors through Prince William Sound each season and competes indirectly for the same Alaska glacier-and-wildlife excursion dollar.

Others

• Heli-Cat Alaska: Wrangell-based heli-skiing and eco-tourism operator with a complementary high-end Alaska adventure tourism model — useful comparable for premium small-fleet, sustainability-credentialed experiential tourism operators.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StanStephensAK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/stephenscruises
• Facebookfacebook.com/StanStephensCruises
• Instagraminstagram.com/stanstephensak
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stan-stephens-cruises

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stan Stephens Wildlife & Glacier Cruises