Alaska Glacier Question

[Rambler5678]

Going on the 9 night cruise which visits both Hubbard Glacier and Tracy Fjord. Would you pay extra and do the small boat cruise at Tract Fjord or just view both from the ship?

 

[Aby]

We took the Tracy Arm Explorer excursion (although we ended up doing Endicott arm instead since the other was closed all season) and it was one of our best excursions we've ever done in Alaska. It was an amazing experience with gorgeous views and photo ops. We got within 1/4 mile of the glacier and felt the cost was totally worth it. We went on the 12pm excursions and still had time to enjoy the views from the ship and the sail out of the fjord.

Aby

 

[khsu]

We also did the excursion last year in mid-August. We loved getting close up, particularly views of animals that would otherwise be just "moving dots" from the cruise ship. We went on the 3 pm excursion. We returned in time for main seating (we may have been 10 minutes late, but we gave our servers a heads up the day before).

karen

 

[amberwc]

Going on the 9 night cruise which visits both Hubbard Glacier and Tracy Fjord. Would you pay extra and do the small boat cruise at Tract Fjord or just view both from the ship?

I wouldn't spend the extra. I enjoyed the view from the ship just fine. It depends on you and your interests. If you are really into photography, it would probably be good for you.

 

[saxmangeoff]

I would probably do it, just for the different views. Getting close to the icebergs and seals is something I really wished I could have done last time. (In 2014 they didn't have the small boat excursion, but there were other small boats in Tracy Arm, and I was really envious of the views I was sure they were getting. I'm taking the excursion this summer.)

One thing to consider, since the excursion is one-way, you'll also have one way on the ship. The decks are crowded on the way in, but once they've seen the glacier, most people go inside. So if you do the early excursion you can have the small boat going in, and the decks of the ship to yourself on the way out.