Which ship for best viewing of glaciers

We are planning a cruise with a group of friends for next summer. Which ports/areas are the closest to the glaciers, (have the best view from the ship). Some couples do not have a lot of extra money for shore trips. A couple we know just returned from an Alaskan cruise on the Sapphire Princess and they said they did not get close to the glaciers at all. Also, what is the best cruiseline/boat for an Alaskan cruise? It is a mixture of people, some who have cruised and some who haven't. The ages are mostly in their 40s and 50s. Only one couple in their 30s. Thank you. Debby

We ( a group of 8 in early 50's) were very happy with the Vision of the Sea. Great Captain, he got us very close to the Glacier. You can also view from inside the cafeteria, it sits on the front of the ship, wide open view. I'm sure all ships turn to view from the balconys on each side.

Most of us stayed in inside cabins, this is a big savings. We were never in our rooms anyhow, only to change and sleep.

We picked this ship for its stops. Going North to South or South to North, lets you see much more of Alaska. Going out of Seward and taking the Kenai Fjords boat trip is well worth the $110.00 dollars, you see alot of wildlife.

You can save at Skagway by renting a van, and driving to Emerald Lake. It was under $90.

In Juneau, just take the Tram and hike. $25. It's right next to dock.

Icy Strait is nice place just to walk the beach and the park area right from the dock. We also saw whales, right from the dock. You can get a cab or bus to town for a few bucks.

Ketchikan-Budget Queen gave details on walking the town.

We are planning a cruise with a group of friends for next summer. Which ports/areas are the closest to the glaciers, (have the best view from the ship). Some couples do not have a lot of extra money for shore trips. A couple we know just returned from an Alaskan cruise on the Sapphire Princess and they said they did not get close to the glaciers at all. Also, what is the best cruiseline/boat for an Alaskan cruise? It is a mixture of people, some who have cruised and some who haven't. The ages are mostly in their 40s and 50s. Only one couple in their 30s. Thank you. Debby

If you want to see a lot of glaciers, make sure you take a cruise that goes to Glacier Bay. Check out my pictures from Glacier Bay--fantastic scenery and we got close to several glaciers. We were on the NCL Star.

Second Glacier Bay for incredible viewing..Hubbard is impressive but IMHO only, if they want glaciers to the max on that itinerary, Glacier Bay is "it"..

A one way cruise can offer 2 glacier viewing days, and some HAL round trip Vancouver sailings offer both Tracy Arm and glacier bay. But way superior if going one way are the boat tours out of Whittier. Close up extended views just not possible from cruise ships. Be prepared for "ice outs" in Hubbard and Tracy Arm. I've never had this happen in Glacier Bay. :) Sept. Glacier Bay trips also may get up to the Hopkins Glaicer for an added look.

Also agree with Glacier Bay...the most incredible place on earth! And the Whales....WOW!

We only saw two glaciers in Glacier Bay, Lamplugh and Marjorie. Grand Pacific just looks like dirt. The majority of time is spent in front of Marjorie only.

College Fjord offers 16 glaciers.

So perhaps the best is one of the ships that cover both Glacier Bay and College Fjord.

But I adored Hubbard too. Its sheer massiveness is a spectacle you won't ever see again.

Ice can prohibit ships from getting close to any of them. We were locked out of John Hopkins inlet and glacier in Glacier Bay by calving--but of the sea lion type. People this year have reported limited viewing of Tracy Arm's Sawyer glaciers due to too much ice.

So far, I haven't heard of College Fjord being missed due to ice.

Although I haven't seen Tracy Arm's Sawyer glaciers, I can say without doubt that the other three, Glacier Bay, College Fjord, and Hubbard were all spectacular in different ways, with an edge to College Fjord and Hubbard, probably because Glacier Bay was so over-hyped for the amount of actual glacier viewing. It's a very lovely bay, but... the glacier viewing wasn't spectacular.

We only saw two glaciers in Glacier Bay, Lamplugh and Marjorie. Grand Pacific just looks like dirt. The majority of time is spent in front of Marjorie only.

 

College Fjord offers 16 glaciers.

 

So perhaps the best is one of the ships that cover both Glacier Bay and College Fjord.

 

But I adored Hubbard too. Its sheer massiveness is a spectacle you won't ever see again.

 

Ice can prohibit ships from getting close to any of them. We were locked out of John Hopkins inlet and glacier in Glacier Bay by calving--but of the sea lion type. People this year have reported limited viewing of Tracy Arm's Sawyer glaciers due to too much ice.

 

So far, I haven't heard of College Fjord being missed due to ice.

 

Although I haven't seen Tracy Arm's Sawyer glaciers, I can say without doubt that the other three, Glacier Bay, College Fjord, and Hubbard were all spectacular in different ways, with an edge to College Fjord and Hubbard, probably because Glacier Bay was so over-hyped for the amount of actual glacier viewing. It's a very lovely bay, but... the glacier viewing wasn't spectacular.

For clairfication the John Hopkins inlet is closed June- end of August due to Harbor seals.

A one way cruise can offer 2 glacier viewing days, and some HAL round trip Vancouver sailings offer both Tracy Arm and glacier bay. But way superior if going one way are the boat tours out of Whittier. Close up extended views just not possible from cruise ships. Be prepared for "ice outs" in Hubbard and Tracy Arm. I've never had this happen in Glacier Bay. :) Sept. Glacier Bay trips also may get up to the Hopkins Glaicer for an added look.

Any experience with College Fjord glaciers?

Have sailed them several times. :) Every glacier offers something and a very nice sailing from cruise ships. But superior are the glacier tours out of Whittier, for close up extended viewing if really into glaciers. :)

You can do a webshots search for lovely pics of College Fjord.

There are 16 tidewater glaciers, among them Amherst, Baby, Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Crescent, Dartmouth, Downer, Holyoke, Smith, Vassar, Wellesley, Williams, and Yale with the highlight at the end being the giant Harvard. The ships usually cruise slowly down to Harvard and stop for a while.

We also saw a lot of otters, playing chicken with the bow of the ship. :D

The best viewing is on the port side.

We sailed the Inside Passage this past May with Princess. Although Tracy Arm was included in the itinerary, we were not able to get too far into it due to ice. We were a little disappointed, but didn't let it wreck our cruise. Needless to say, we just had to book another Alaska cruise so we could see the glaciers. Our May '06 itinerary leaves out of Whittier and includes College Fjord and Glacier Bay.

I've seen College Fjord once, Glacier Bay twice, and just returned this past weeked from a cruise where we went to Hubbard Glacier.

I will have to say that my favorite so far has been Hubbard Glacier. We had great sunny weather conditions. In fact the Captain said that it was the best conditions he's seen all season. But I will admit that Hubbard does have get iced out or fogged over often so sometimes the viewing isn't so great.

If you've never been to Alaska before though, I might suggest Glacier Bay due to the number of glaciers and the National Park area itself. The scenery is gorgeous. With Hubbard you get to Yakutat and Disenchantment Bay and there's this massive glacier, but then thats really it. College Fjord is also really nice due to the number of glaciers there, but unless you take a one way trip, you'll never see it.

If you want a great ship try Royal Caribbean's Radiance class of ships. Both Radiance of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas sail Alaska itineraries. The Radiance class has more glass on the exterior of the ship than any other class of ships out there. And the glass makes for great viewing in Alaska. Everytime you are walking around the ship there is glass everywhere, all you have to do is turn your head around and look out to see the beauty that is Alaska.

What or where is the John Hopkins inlet? Thanks for all the answers I have gotten. Debby

Johns Hopkins is at the end of the west arm of Glacier Bay. It's a haven for harbor seals to pup, mate and molt, which is why cruise ships aren't allowed in until September. The inlet is 6 miles long, steep, with 13,000 ft mountain peaks at the end along with two tidewater glaciers. On a sunny day, it's probably one of the most beautiful places on earth.

This year, the Sapphire Princess did Tracy Arm and the ship's don't get that close to the glaciers at Tracy Arm (Sawyer glaciers).

Next year, the Sapphire Princess is doing one way cruises including Glacier Bay and College Fiords. It is doing a different route then this year.

If glaciers are a priority - I would choose an itinerary with 2 days of glaciers (such as Glacier Bay and College Fiords).

If you want a great ship try Royal Caribbean's Radiance class of ships. Both Radiance of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas sail Alaska itineraries. The Radiance class has more glass on the exterior of the ship than any other class of ships out there. And the glass makes for great viewing in Alaska. Everytime you are walking around the ship there is glass everywhere, all you have to do is turn your head around and look out to see the beauty that is Alaska.

My experience is different.

Of my 6 cruises to Alaska, the Radiance was my least favorite cruise/ship in Alaska, one that I would not repeat. RCCL just didn't compare to the routes that Princess does to Alaska (Glacier Bay and College Fiords). I didn't find the glass/viewing any better on the Radiance then on the Coral Princess.

We were also very disappointed with our Royal Caribbeans cruise in Alaska. Compared to our Holland America and Princess cruises to Alaska, Royal Caribbean felt like a rookie in Alaska. While the Radiance is a pretty ship, it felt very crowded and the route in Alaska was just ok. Other ships also have good viewing opportunities.

I guess to each his own, right?

I would have to say of my 2 HAL Alaska cruises and my 1 RCI Alaska cruise, I would have to say the RCI cruise wins hands down. The ship, though it had 2300 passengers never felt crowded. I felt more like I was seeing Alaska through the ship than on either HAL's old Noordam or the Zaandam. Not to say I didn't like my HAL cruises, especially the Northbound one that included Glacier Bay and College Fjord, but as a repeat Alaska cruiser I found RCI to be more enjoyable and Hubbard to better than Glacier Bay.

But that's just my $0.02.