Question about Dawes Glacier Port in Alaska

[FireflyTrance]

We booked a cruise for next June to Alaska. When I booked it I thought there were 4 ports. But I am reading it over again and it seems like Dawes Glacier is not an actual a port where you can get off the ship? Is this simply sight-seeing on the ship for a day, or basically another day at sea? It seems like it shouldn't be called a port if you can't leave the ship?

 

[MomOTwins]

You technically can leave the ship (there is a boat tour excursion available through DCL), but otherwise you have to stay onboard. As the name indicates, it's a glacier.

 

[tankin]

@FireflyTrance I would say its a hybrid really... Our Glacier day wasn't a normal day at sea. Lots more going on and as already mentioned there are excursions....

 

[FireflyTrance]

Thanks for the input. The boat tour excursion sounds like it might be fun.

 

[Geomom]

It is sightseeing on the ship, usually around 4-5 hours in the afternoon. You cruise into the fjord (Endicott Arm) to view the glacier. There will be a naturalist narrating the journey until the ship reaches the 'quiet zone' close to the glacier. The characters will all be in their Alaskan clothing to take pics with during the day. Disney also brings a chunk of glacial ice on board that you can touch.

As others have said, there is a 'glacier exploration' excursion that is a smaller boat that gets closer to the glacier than the Disney Wonder can get. It was over $200 for that excursion back in 2016, so we had no interest in paying that amount/person just to get a little closer than the Wonder got.

August 2016: "Glacier Day" pics:

 

[KMack]

I just got off the Wonder yesterday. Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier was beautiful. We did not have the opportunity to disembark to go to the glacier because we were quite fogbound which caused a significant delay to us entering the arm. (Can’t sail in iceberg infested waters with zero visibility!). All excursions were cancelled but honestly no one complained. It was just that beautiful we all felt lucky to see it!

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

It is a glacier-viewing day rather than a port. Some people do an excursion in which a little boat meets the ship, they get on it & go closer to the glacier. Most people stay on board. It's very scenic & a highlight of the cruise.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Take the excursion...

 

[KantLose]

The pics of the glaciers are beautiful! My kids have been asking to go on the Alaska cruise - may need to keep an eye out for the 2021 date release!

 

[anjuan]

Another thing that I thought I'd mention is that out on deck they have staff walking around handing out bread bowls with split pea soup and hot chocolate. It really is a fun environment. We were blessed with an amazingly sunny warm day for the end of May!