July 2017 Tracy Arm & Endicott Arm

The feeling is that the ship won't be able to get into either Tracy or Endicott arm. We ended up getting into Juneau about 2 1/2 hrs early because of the situation. We just added another excursion and has a great time!

More port time is always a good thing 😊

More port time is always a good thing 😊

I wouldn't want it at the expense of missing a glacier.

I wouldn't want it at the expense of missing a glacier.

Especially if that is your only glacier viewing opportunity. (Before anyone piles on, I have not researched & do not know if there are any itineraries where this is the only scenic sailing/glacier viewing opportunity... I search for what I want, not what I don't want.)

Especially if that is your only glacier viewing opportunity. (Before anyone piles on, I have not researched & do not know if there are any itineraries where this is the only scenic sailing/glacier viewing opportunity... I search for what I want, not what I don't want.)

Many itineraries have just Tracy Arm as their only glacier opportunity.

This is why I often stress Glacier Bay as it always seems accessible and not only that, I stress 2 glacier days, in case one is missed.

My first (and what I thought would be my only trip) was to Hubbard Glacier. It was missed most of the summer, if not the entire summer. Even though I had never been to a glacier, I was really disappointed. When I did go back, I realized how much I missed on my first cruise!

Last year, Tracy Arm was missed by large ships until around August.

I have had a ton of people email me that they wished they had taken my advise as they never got close to their glacier or missed it entirely. These people will not make it back to Alaska as it was their trip of a life time.

The people who booked the Tracy Arm excursion were able to get into Endicott Arm even though our ship couldn't make it. I would definately book that excursion if seeing a glacier up close is a top priority. We ended up taking a helicopter tour and walk on Mendenhall Glacier as well as a whale watching excursion.

Thanks for that news. I'll be tracking the availability of that excursion week by week.

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If Tracy Arm is a priority. I recommend finding an itinerary that is in Juneau from at least 8:00 AM until 7:00 PM and book the trip with Adventure Bound. We went with them in May and were able to get to both North and South Sawyer Glacier. They have smaller boats and are usually able to get into places the ships or even ship excursion boats aren't able to get to.

That being said, the conditions change daily and even hourly, so there are no guarantees.

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If Tracy Arm is a priority. I recommend finding an itinerary that is in Juneau from at least 8:00 AM until 7:00 PM and book the trip with Adventure Bound. We went with them in May and were able to get to both North and South Sawyer Glacier. They have smaller boats and are usually able to get into places the ships or even ship excursion boats aren't able to get to.

 

That being said, the conditions change daily and even hourly, so there are no guarantees.

 

 

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As you said - conditions change daily. I have gone with Adventure Bound 2x in May. First time we went to Tracy Arm, we didn't get to the glacier due to ice. It wasn't a safety issue, but a time issue. Two of us had to catch a cruise ship that evening. Second time, we went to Endicott Arm.

Both trips were still amazing but neither trip allowed me to see the Sawyer glaciers.

Thanks, we are scheduled to try on the 20th (the whole ship). I'll mention it here either way.

I sure hope they weren't going to try to send the left half of the ship to Endicott and the right half to Tracy Arm... ;)

Looking at the captain's Instagram videos, I see that Solstice made it all the way up Endicott Arm to the glacier this week... one week after it was full of ice.

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Looking at the captain's Instagram videos, I see that Solstice made it all the way up Endicott Arm to the glacier this week... one week after it was full of ice.

 

 

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That makes me hopeful.

Any word on what Solstice did today?

Tracy Arm, Endicott, or neither.

I'm interested in hearing about any ship in the last few days......

I'm interested in hearing about any ship in the last few days......

We are on HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam this week and were just told by the concierge that the Tracy Arm catamaran excursion yesterday morning was cancelled as well as a few of the Skagway helicopter tours today.

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We are on HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam this week and were just told by the concierge that the Tracy Arm catamaran excursion yesterday morning was cancelled as well as a few of the Skagway helicopter tours today.

 

 

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Aww that stinks!

I am suprised they are not taking you to the alternate route to see the other glacier. Conditions must be bad :o

I am suprised they are not taking you to the alternate route to see the other glacier. Conditions must be bad :o

Ya that's what I thought, apparently the Emerald Princess made it in last week. I'm surprised they would even have to cancel the small boat tours at this point in the season

I just looked at the Marine Tracker web site and it looks like the Emerald bypassed both Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm and it now pulling into Juneau at 07:30 local time. The weather looks absolutely terrible, 53 deg. light rain and foggy. It's been sunny and 80 in Seattle the last couple weeks.

I just looked at the Marine Tracker web site and it looks like the Emerald bypassed both Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm and it now pulling into Juneau at 07:30 local time. The weather looks absolutely terrible, 53 deg. light rain and foggy. It's been sunny and 80 in Seattle the last couple weeks.

Emerald passed by as there was suspicious death onboard

http://www.ktva.com/suspicious-death-aboard-cruise-ship-off-alaska-investigation-927/

Looking at the captain's Instagram videos, I see that Solstice made it all the way up Endicott Arm to the glacier this week... one week after it was full of ice.

 

 

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I was on the July 7th sailing of the Solstice, so this should have been us. We went to within about 1/2 mile of Endicott and was clear but the small boat excursion was cancelled. Lucky, we were able to quickly get on deck since they waited awhile to cancel the small boat excursion.

Wow! That explains it now. That is horrible :(

I was on the July 7th sailing of the Solstice, so this should have been us. We went to within about 1/2 mile of Endicott and was clear but the small boat excursion was cancelled. Lucky, we were able to quickly get on deck since they waited awhile to cancel the small boat excursion.

Why did they cancel the small boat excursion?

There was a death. See the post above for the article.

There was a death. See the post above for the article.

Yes I know, I posted the link.... I'm asking the other poster about her comments about a July 7th sailing

Why did they cancel the small boat excursion?

They only said it was due to safety reasons and that Allen Marine cancelled it. Sorry, I didn't stick around since we were already close to glacier and had to run to other location to get view.