Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer Excursion

Has anyone taken the 7 hour "Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer" excursion thru HAL...DID YOU FEEL IT WAS WORTH THE $259. each?

Has anyone taken the 7 hour "Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer" excursion thru HAL...DID YOU FEEL IT WAS WORTH THE $259. each?

I have not yet but will be doing so in two weeks. You can expect me to be posting my impressions probably the same evening here on the HAL Forum.

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GREAT, I look forward to hearing what you have to say!

Thanks!

That was my most favorite excursion ever. Worth every penny. I would do it again without hesitation.

It often sells out before the ship sails.

The perspective of seeing the glaciers from the smaller boat that is closer to the water line...

(I'm kind of sad actually that on my cruise in July a separate Tracy Arm excursion is not offered.)

We're also doing that excursion this June - sounds like a great one!

Has anyone taken the 7 hour "Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer" excursion thru HAL...DID YOU FEEL IT WAS WORTH THE $259. each?

This is the one that is round trip from Juneau, right? As opposed to the shorter excursion from the mouth of Tracy Arm? If so, yes, I've done it. I'm glad I did it but I have no desire to do it again. Was it worth the money? It's not a horrible price for a long tour, particularly when one considers much shorter tours that cost a lot more. If budget is a concern, I would consider other tours, but that is my opinion only, and not popular opinion.

My experience was a little different than the norm. We were on the 14 day cruise. The Amsterdam did a full transit of TA the day before arriving in Juneau. We got VERY close to the glacier at the end, within a mile or less. Conditions were very good. The next day we had arranged to join the 7 hour tour to TA because it's supposedly so much better in a small boat. It takes about an hour and a half to get to the mouth of TA from Juneau, so that takes a total of three hours of the seven, leaving four hours in TA. Ours was the first small boat excursion of the season; it was mid May. The tide was going out, pulling the ice away from the glacier, down into the fjord. The amount of bergie bits was astounding. The small boat could not get close to the south glacier at all. We were then taken to the north glacier, down a more narrow fjord off of the main fjord. That was different in that the glacier has retreated so much, it wasn't as impressive as what we experienced the day prior. But a ship like the Amsterdam would not have been able to go down to this glacier so I was glad we were able to see something different. I had almost been hoping to go down the alternate route of Endicott Arm to experience something different, anyway.

So, what we experienced on the Amsterdam was far more impressive to me than the small boat tour. I really didn't get the whole "it's better to see from a small boat" view point, and I still don't after experiencing both within two days, plus two prior transits of TA. We were really spoiled with what we saw from the Amsterdam, I hadn't ever gotten that close to the south glacier before on the prior two transits.If your itinerary includes a full transit of TA, you might want to think twice about the small boat tour. But if you do book it, I don't think you'll be disappointed with it.

As an aside, if they see whales to/from TA, they will stop for a few minutes but it's just for a few minutes as that's all the one they can spare.

I've taken the catamaran tour that boards directly from the cruise ship at the mouth of the fjord, then returns you to the ship docked in Juneau. As a matter of fact, I booked a specific Alaska cruise just for the opportunity to take this shore excursion! I thought it quite worth whatever I paid for it.

I had already been through Tracy Arm a few times on the larger cruise ship; each time had been a little different due to weather and ice conditions.

The weather on catamaran day was somewhat disappointing, with low clouds, some drizzle, and cold. But the perspective of Tracy Arm from a lower level was totally different than the one from the cruise ship.

Then, the catamaran got so much closer to the north glacier than I had ever gotten to either of them before. THAT was worth everything.

I would absolutely do this excursion again, given the opportunity.

I was with Alberta Quilter (Hi Clipper!) when she did the TA small boat excursion off the Amsterdam, and I totally agree with her comments. It was almost disappointing after the previous day's sailing up the Arm the day before. I've sailed to TA many times on a HAL ship and we never once got as close as we did that day on the Amsterdam. It was truly spectacular! While AQ and I had a great time on the TA excursion, I have no desire to do it again either. We're probably in the minority, Katherine, but after our magical experience on the Amsterdam the day before, it would be pretty hard to top, don't you think?

We had it booked months in advance, but the morning we went to join the tour, we found out it was cancelled due to weather. Be aware that it is often cancelled due to weather and have a backup plan ready, just in case.

I hope when I am on Amsterdam in July that we have a similar experience to others replying to this post.:D

My previous Tracy Arm excursion on a small boat was off the ship (like a tender) & the only Tracy Arm option on that particular cruise.

I was with Alberta Quilter (Hi Clipper!) when she did the TA small boat excursion off the Amsterdam, and I totally agree with her comments. It was almost disappointing after the previous day's sailing up the Arm the day before. I've sailed to TA many times on a HAL ship and we never once got as close as we did that day on the Amsterdam. It was truly spectacular! While AQ and I had a great time on the TA excursion, I have no desire to do it again either. We're probably in the minority, Katherine, but after our magical experience on the Amsterdam the day before, it would be pretty hard to top, don't you think?

Hi AIP! Long time, no talk!! Hope you're doing well. Yes, we did have a magnificent day in TA on the Amsterdam. And, yes, I agree that we are in the minority regarding our opinion of the small boat tour. When are you going back?!

We didn't this excursion on Princess. The small boat met the ship in Tracey's arm. We got off and the cruise ship turned around and left. It was a nice day. We saw lots of calving, waterfalls, and whales. The crew brought some glacial ice on board that we could see and touch. It was a nice relaxing excursion and we saw a lot. It did sell out before we sailed. We were glad we did this excursion!

Based on what posters have said, I went ahead and booked this excursion for our July Volendam Alaska Cruise...thanks for the heads up about the possibility of it being sold out! We have been into the Tracy Arm twice and this will offer a different perspective.

Karen

If you don’t book this small boat excursion, can you still see the glacier from the ship? I will be on Emerald Princess in June 2018. We will be in a balcony room on the Aloha deck. Can we see everything from there? Thank you for sharing your experience!!

If you don’t book this small boat excursion, can you still see the glacier from the ship? I will be on Emerald Princess in June 2018. We will be in a balcony room on the Aloha deck. Can we see everything from there? Thank you for sharing your experience!!

Welcome to Cruise Critic. This is an old thread. From what I have researched, there is no way to tell at this point what the ice will be like in the fjord. You are sailing early in the season, and that is a disadvantage to you. If the ship can't make it up Tracy Arm, there is Endicott Arm. The other alternative, is to book a excursion from Juneau if you arrive there early and are there long enough.

Welcome to Cruise Critic. This is an old thread. From what I have researched, there is no way to tell at this point what the ice will be like in the fjord. You are sailing early in the season, and that is a disadvantage to you. If the ship can't make it up Tracy Arm, there is Endicott Arm. The other alternative, is to book a excursion from Juneau if you arrive there early and are there long enough.

Thank you. Sorry, I wouldn't have thought that last summer would be considered an old thread. Plus, I would imagine that summer after summer it would be the same view from the balcony of the cruise ship going through the fjord. I was just worried I had misunderstood from reading a review about the Small Boat Excursion when your cruise ship in cruising the fjord. I was confused that we HAD to take the excursion to see. But my travel agent has assured me that we will be able to see the glacier just fine from the ship. Hopefully we will be lucky and will have no problems entering the fjord and not be at a disadvantage. Fingers crossed.

Thank you. Sorry, I wouldn't have thought that last summer would be considered an old thread. Plus, I would imagine that summer after summer it would be the same view from the balcony of the cruise ship going through the fjord. I was just worried I had misunderstood from reading a review about the Small Boat Excursion when your cruise ship in cruising the fjord. I was confused that we HAD to take the excursion to see. But my travel agent has assured me that we will be able to see the glacier just fine from the ship. Hopefully we will be lucky and will have no problems entering the fjord and not be at a disadvantage. Fingers crossed.

Others may have more current information, but I believe your travel agent gave you questionable information. The cruise ships rarely, if ever, make it all the way to the North and South Sawyer glaciers in Tracy Arm. This is due not only to potential ice, but the distance up the Fjord to the glaciers (approx 30 miles) and the narrowing of the Fjord as you get closer to the end. The small boat excursions are your best bet for getting close to the glaciers there. The travel agent may be thinking of Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier.

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Others may have more current information, but I believe your travel agent gave you questionable information. The cruise ships rarely, if ever, make it all the way to the North and South Sawyer glaciers in Tracy Arm. This is due not only to potential ice, but the distance up the Fjord to the glaciers (approx 30 miles) and the narrowing of the Fjord as you get closer to the end. The small boat excursions are your best bet for getting close to the glaciers there. The travel agent may be thinking of Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier.

 

 

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It’s my understanding that the Emerald Princess will enter Tracy Arm Fjord, cruise a certain distance, actually turn around and slowly go back out. And during that time, people on the ship are able to see the glaciers.

It’s my understanding that the Emerald Princess will enter Tracy Arm Fjord, cruise a certain distance, actually turn around and slowly go back out. And during that time, people on the ship are able to see the glaciers.

We took the small boat excursion from Juneau to Tracy Arm in late June 2017. We went to North Sawyer glacier. We not only got close to the calving glacier we saw two bears along the shore on the way in (two sightings) and seven mountain goats high up on the side of the mountain as we sat watching the glacier. On the way back to Juneau we had a couple of whale sightings. Not to mention several huge chunks of ice at the entrance to Tracy Arm. While you are in Tracy Arm you will hear the smaller pieces hitting against the side of the boat. I have been in Tracy Arm on a midsize ship several times and viewed South Sawyer glacier. It is still an amazing experience but you will experience so much more if you are out and about on the ship...the balcony is wonderful but limited viewing.