Hubbard Glacier in May

I am planning to take my teens/twenties nieces on an Alaska cruise in May 2017. I am considering some itineraries with Hubbard Glacier and some with Glacier Bay. I have been to both. I found Hubbard Glacier as magnificent as Glacier Bay. I am inclined to weight the glaciers equally and let other factors control.

Both times I was at Hubbard Glacier, though, it was late August or early September. I was on the then Celebrity Galaxy, a smaller ship than what's sailing now. We got very close to the face of the glacier.

My question is what is your experience with Hubbard Glacier sailings in May? Did you get close or was it a white dot in the distance? I don't know how big a difference the time of year makes.

Thanks.

Vicki

I too happen to like the Hubbard Glacier as much as Glacier Bay, however there is an increased risk of ice and fog in May that could prevent your ship from getting anywhere close to the Hubbard.

We've done the Hubbard Glacier in both mid and late May..very lucky each time and got pretty darn close. This is actually our favorite time to cruise Alaska.

We did the Hubbard Glacier last May and got as close as would be possible for any time. We were on the Regatta

We did a b2b last May on Radiance. On the southbound leg we got in to see Hubbard and it was a great experience. On the northbound leg we hit very bad weather and listed badly at 3am on our way in to Hubbard. The Captain took us back out to sea so no visit on that leg. In short Alaska is a very random place weather wise. All you can do is book your trip based on what you and your travel party wants to see and hope for the best!

Glacier Bay is a guarantee. Hubbard is a flip of a coin. I have missed Hubbard 2x in May and first of June.

My first visit to Hubbard Glacier was at the end of July, and we didn't get very close due to the ice.