If you're considering taking a cruise to Alaska, you are probably dreaming of the beautiful scenery. During your cruise, it is likely that your ship will enter a watery culdesac that's frequented mainly by birds and sea creatures, with a massive glacier awaiting in icy splendor.
Passengers will race to the top deck to watch chunks of ice break off and crash into the water with a thunderous sound or pull out binoculars to spot otters and eagles.
Most cruise ships will cruise up and down the Inside Passage to get from port to port, but which glacier-lined scenic waterway they pull into for photo ops varies by line and sailing. Popular spots include Glacier Bay National Park, Hubbard Glacier, Tracy Arm, and Endicott Arm.
Does it matter which scenic cruising spot is on your itinerary? Should you choose a cruise based on which glacier it’s planning to see?
If you’ve never been to Alaska, you’ll likely be wowed by all of the glacial hotspots, but here’s what you should know about each of the key scenic cruising spots.
Glacier Bay National Park
Glacier Bay National Park is the mack daddy of all the scenic cruising sites, so much so that cruise lines need to submit applications in advance and compete to garner the coveted use-day spots. Holland America and Princess have historical rights to nearly half the spots, and cruise lines that fail to secure access can only try again every ten years.
At over 3 million acres, it is the 6th biggest national park in the United States. Ships that visit Glacier Bay will spend approximately nine hours in the park, entering the bay from Icy Strait and sailing to one of 1,045 different glaciers! The most commonly visited ones include Margerie Glacier, Grand Pacific Glacier, Red Glacier, Lamplugh Glacier, Johns Hopkins Glacier, and Gilman Glacier.
Park rangers join each cruise ship from the park headquarters near Glacier Bay’s entrance and offer live narration about the park and its sights, as well as answer questions.
Keep your binoculars at the ready and scan the sea, sky, and slopes for bears, mountain goats, bald eagles, sea lions, seals, and sea otters. Even if you don’t spot any wildlife, your time on deck will be rewarded when the ship cuts its engines and slowly revolves, so everyone can ogle at the gigantic ice-blue glaciers that run down to the sea.
Glacier Bay National Park is located northwest of Juneau and diagonally across the channel from Icy Strait Point.
Read more: Glacier Bay cruise: 16 ways to make the most of your day in the park
Tracy Arm and Sawyer Glacier
South of Juneau and down the Inside Passage, Tracy Arm and its Sawyer Glacier is a popular scenic cruising spot for cruise ships not visiting Glacier Bay. When considering Glacier Bay vs. Tracy Arm, know that Glacier Bay is a sure win
Tracy Arm stands out because the fjord is narrower than Glacier Bay with high, craggy rock walls on either side. Your scenic cruise in and out of Tracy Arm will be marked by stunning waterfalls; you’ll also be in a better position to spot wildlife on land than in the wider Glacier Bay.
The turn-around spot is Sawyer Glacier (technically two glaciers: North Sawyer and South Sawyer), but large cruise ships can’t get as close to the ice as they can in Glacier Bay. Some lines do offer excursions to get into a small boat and get closer; small adventure cruise ships may be able to get a better view, as well.
Scenic cruising down Tracy Arm is easily canceled if the number of icebergs floating in the fjord deems it too dangerous for ships. Some ships might make it partway down the waterway but have to turn around before reaching the glaciers at the end.
Read more: I tried a Holland America cruise to Alaska. Here's what it's like to sail on this cruise line
Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier
Tracy Arm branches to the north from Holkham Bay, while Endicott Arm is the more southerly branch. Some cruises schedule scenic cruising in Endicott Arm to Dawes Glacier; others use it as a backup option if Tracy Arm is too icy for ships.
Endicott is straighter than the twisting Tracy Arm, but they otherwise offer similar views of waterfalls, wildlife, and glaciers. Cruise ships can get somewhat closer to the Dawes Glacier in Endicott Arm than they can to the Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm.
Don’t be disappointed if your cruise ship reroutes to Endicott Arm. You will still have an amazing day of scenic cruising with plenty of beautiful natural sights to view and photograph.
Read more: Should I cruise on Princess to Alaska? I booked a sailing to see for myself
Hubbard Glacier
Hubbard Glacier is the northernmost of all the scenic cruising spots offered on weeklong cruises, It's located in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve and flows over 75 miles to reach Disenchantment Bay in southeast Alaska.
Due to its location, mainly one-way cruises sailing to/from the Seward and Whittier homeports in Alaska stop at this scenic site.
Hubbard Glacier is impressive! It’s the largest tidewater glacier in North America and is advancing rather than retreating, lengthening by up to seven feet each day. Its terminal face is approximately 350 feet above the water line, dwarfing visiting cruise ships. Your jaw will drop when chunks of ice break off the towering face and plunge into the bay several stories below. The accompanying boom can be deafening.
As with Alaska’s other scenic cruising spots, early- and late-season ice in Disenchantment Bay can prevent cruise ships from approaching Hubbard Glacier. Cruisers have the chance to look for wildlife (keep an eye out for seals chilling on the icebergs floating in the bay), but won’t get as long of a scenic approach as they would sailing into Glacier Bay or Tracy Arm.
Read more: 20 Alaska cruise must-do excursions
Tips for visiting glaciers on an Alaska cruise
No matter which glacier you end up getting to visit on your Alaska cruise, you will want to make sure that you are prepared. You don't want anything to ruin the glacier viewing experience.
Get comfortable in a good viewing area onboard
When you are sailing past a glacier, you don't want to be inside the ship in a venue with no or very few windows.
Bundle up in your warmest clothing and sit outside on your balcony. If you don't have a balcony stateroom, you can also view the scenery from the lido deck or any other outdoor space.
If you're heading up top, you'll want to get outside early, as there will be tons of other people trying to do the same thing as you!
Be flexible
Regardless of whether you're cruising to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Alaska, or elsewhere, nothing is guaranteed. Choppy waters might prevent your ship from docking, causing you to have another day at sea than you originally planned. It's always important to board a cruise with flexibility in mind, so you don’t end up disappointed.
Alaska’s weather is unpredictable; it’s not uncommon for cruise ships to have to cancel or modify glacier viewing times! Plus, there's always a chance that the glacier viewing may not occur at all, especially if you are cruising at the beginning or end of the season.
Erica Silverstein
Erica Silverstein is a cruise and family travel expert, who has been covering the industry for more than 15 years. Her articles have appeared on Cruise Critic, Porthole, TravelAge West, and USA Today. A staunch advocate of cruising as an ideal family vacation, she has, on occasion, banned her own children from cruising with her.
