Alaska Itinerary

[MamaBear58]

I just want to make sure that i understand DCL's Alaska itinerary, because the brochure mentions Tracy Arm plus 2 sea days, but online there are 2 sea days and a day without anything noted. Is that 2nd full day the day they try to sail up Tracy Arm, to get as close as possible to Sawyer Glacier? If they can't sail up the fjord due to the weather, where does the ship go? And to confirm, if all goes according to plan, Tracy Arm day is like another sea day, because we don't dock anywhere and there aren't any excursions offered that day, correct?

Trying to compare the different lines. Hubby thinks DCL because kids (10 and 7) would be happier. But I really wanted to see a glacier, think the round trip sounds like a waste of time, want a covered pool and didn't think my kids really spent much time in the kids club anyway. Did love the service and food though!!

Thanks!!

 

[DizMagic]

There were 2 traditional sea days (1 going, 1 coming) and the day at Tracy Arm, which is like a sea day but you are so close to land, you can see everything - it truly is beautiful. the ship sails into the passage, then turns around and sails out. It was nice, because it gave you a chance to see both sides clearly. Also, there are so many activities on deck the day of Tracy Arm, that it goes by really quickly.

 

[KristiMc]

Loved our Tracy Arm day. Beautiful scenery the whole day.

 

[cruisehopeful]

There have been a couple times where they couldn't sail to Tracy Arm because of too much ice. They visited another glacier, but I cannot remember the name of that glacier.

 

[DLgeeks]

Tracey Arm day also usually has a BBQ on deck and they fish a piece of glacier ice out and bring it on deck to check out. Sounds like there are quite a few activities on board that day.
You don't get off the ship so it's sort of a sea day, but it all revolves around the glacier.

There is also the glacier in Juneau that you can get out to by bus, as well as multiple glacier helicopter excursions - I don't think you'll miss out on the glacier part of things!

 

[Jess_S]

I'm not sure if this is redundant, but I didn't see the exact schedule spelled out so:

Day 1 - Embarkation
Day 2 - Sea Day
Day 3 - Tracey Arm
Day 4- port
Day 5- port
Day 6- port
Day 7 - Sea Day

Even on the sea days, you are in the Inside Passage for most of the time so there's lots to see.

 

[RedSox68]

KristiMc -- Your pictures are gorgeous and make me want to go back to Alaska!!!!!

 

[WestFamily]

My two cents: I would go back just for the Tracy Arm day. There was something so magical and relaxing about it. It's a sea day but it's cold weather, or it was when we did it.

 

[xlxo]

Is that 2nd full day the day they try to sail up Tracy Arm, to get as close as possible to Sawyer Glacier? If they can't sail up the fjord due to the weather, where does the ship go? And to confirm, if all goes according to plan, Tracy Arm day is like another sea day, because we don't dock anywhere and there aren't any excursions offered that day, correct?

Trying to compare the different lines. Hubby thinks DCL because kids (10 and 7) would be happier. But I really wanted to see a glacier, think the round trip sounds like a waste of time, want a covered pool and didn't think my kids really spent much time in the kids club anyway. Did love the service and food though!!

Thoughts....

• on my day... the Wonder got close to the Sawyer... but seals on the ice prevented us from getting closer.
• Are you going in May when ice congestion is a higher risk.... it's been mentioned by other tours that they will go to Endicott Arm (the Arm to the South). Unless you are looking at a map.... some get the two arms confused.
• Tracy Arm is called a "scenic cruise day"
• Yep.... some HAL/Princess Glacier Bay itinerary cruises offer a Tracy Arm/Sawyer side excursion enroute to Juneau. It's a popular sellout excursion.
  http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-destinations/ExcursionDetails.action?excursionCode=100030935
  http://www.princess.com/excursion/exDetails.do?t=A&exType=S&tourCode=TA1-660
• Do a price comparison with the Wonder sailing date with HAL/Princess. There's a lot of expensive pixie dust for the kids.

 

[seacruise]

If your biggest interest is Glaciers then I would definitely look into other lines/itineraries. Tracy Arm is nice, but not the greatest for glacier viewing. Ships that don't get into Tracy Arm typically do Endicott Arm instead (which is actually better IMHO). Holland America does a round trip Vancouver itinerary that goes to both Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm, and all their ships have covered pools. By far the most spectacular glacier on a cruise itinerary is Hubbard, but it depends on how close you can get to it as well. Several of the one way itineraries on various lines will take you to Hubbard or College Fjord along with Glacier Bay. Hubbard is a single huge Glacier and in College Fjord you see several "smaller" glaciers. I would save Disney for a warm weather cruise.

 

[MamaBear58]

I appreciate all the feedback!