Cruising Tracy Arm

I see we are in Tracy Arm for 5 hours on our Alaskan cruise this August. Can anyone who has been on this cruise tell me how it goes? Such as I heard they spin around so all sides of the boat are able to see everything. How long does it take and how far do we travel inside the Arm? Thinking 5 hours is a long time or not enough time to see everything. Thank you for your input!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

If you splurge on any excursions, do the small boat excursion in Tracy Arm if it is offered! You board the small boat in the middle of the fjord and you get much closer to the glacier, pulling right up to icebergs and quite often they chip off pieces and offer (for purchase) glacertinis. You then cruise back, often seeing many whales on your way back to join the ship in port. This excursion often sells out since these are small boats. Ours was the overflow and only had about 40 passengers!

I see we are in Tracy Arm for 5 hours on our Alaskan cruise this August. Can anyone who has been on this cruise tell me how it goes? Such as I heard they spin around so all sides of the boat are able to see everything. How long does it take and how far do we travel inside the Arm? Thinking 5 hours is a long time or not enough time to see everything. Thank you for your input!

You sail through the relatively narrow fjord which I thought was quite scenic although we only had a distant view of the glacier.

You'll slowly sail to the end but do not always get a close view of the glacier and then reverse direction to exit the fjord. We passed another Princess ship sailing in the opposite direction but as I recall the ship sailed very slowly.

I see we are in Tracy Arm for 5 hours on our Alaskan cruise this August. Can anyone who has been on this cruise tell me how it goes? Such as I heard they spin around so all sides of the boat are able to see everything. How long does it take and how far do we travel inside the Arm? Thinking 5 hours is a long time or not enough time to see everything. Thank you for your input!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

A quick search yielded many threads on this question.

Here is a recent one.....

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2368587&highlight=tracy+arm

Does the ship spin around in the Arm? Not just to turn around

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Does the ship spin around in the Arm? Not just to turn around

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I was on the Star Princess and it spins totally around. All the outside cabins get a great look at the glacier.

Tony

So it only spins once? Someone told me that it spins slowly several times at the end near the fjord. Is that not true?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

So it only spins once? Someone told me that it spins slowly several times at the end near the fjord. Is that not true?

The one time we got close to the glacier, we sat with one side facing the glacier for about half an hour, then the ship turned to the other side for about half an hour, then we left. It does not spin several times. I would find that very irritating, since you wouldn't be able to just pick a spot and stay there, but would have to be constantly moving around.

The times we haven't gotten close to the glacier, we just went as far as we could, paused briefly, then turned around and left.

The one time we got close to the glacier, we sat with one side facing the glacier for about half an hour, then the ship turned to the other side for about half an hour, then we left. It does not spin several times. I would find that very irritating, since you wouldn't be able to just pick a spot and stay there, but would have to be constantly moving around.

 

The times we haven't gotten close to the glacier, we just went as far as we could, paused briefly, then turned around and left.

This is my recollection as well.

OP, and anyone else of course, if you'd like, go to http://www.treven.smugmug.com. Then click on Browse, then scroll down to the Tracy Arm gallery. Actually feel free to check out all the Alaska/Victoria galleries.

You will either get up near the glacier for a great look or else see it "in the distance" due to too much ice. Obviously the time of year and the ice pack decide how close you get. Some have said it was great and others have said they were disappointed not to get near the glacier. However, pretty much every post I have seen said the approach was fantastic for viewing.

We were on the Grand Princess last week and were scheduled to go to Tracy Arm. Prior to arriving our Captain decided not to to take the ship there due to floating ice and went up Endicott Arm to Dawes glacier instead. We cruised up the arm, made a u-turn and left. No extended turning of the ship for viewing. Those in cabins on the port side never saw the glacier unless they were up on deck at the time. Fortunately we were on our aft balcony and had a great view!

Gorgeous scenery all the way. We went in as far as the captain felt it safe, did a turn around, and exited--no "spinning" other than the turn to exit. And of course the speech that "This is the farthest in we've been able to cruise all season." DUH, the season is summer and the ice is melting...so logically, each week they can get a little farther in than the week before.

We are going up the first week in August. Hopefully if we do the Endicott Arm we will get to see the glacier. Thank you for the information everyone. I know it's all up to the captain and the weather on where we go. I'll just be happy to be seeing a Fjord up in Alaska!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We have been to Tracy Arm twice. The ships both got to about the same spot, but the difference was that the glacier is retreating. We did not get as good a view on the second cruise. A study by the University of Alaska Fairbanks said that there's been a sharp decrease in the surface elevation at the terminus from 2000 to 2009. I'm sure it's been going on since then as well.

We went early September and it was a massive disappointment, never saw a glacier or a whale just loads of dead smelly salmon, thought the Norwegian fjords far more spectacular and the glaciers in South America wonderful still it makes you realise that research is important

Todays Grand Princess Bridge Cam shows they are in Endicott Arms.

We went 3 years ago, mid June. It was a great day. The scenery floating down the fjord was beautiful and we got quite close up, close enough to see and hear the pieces falling off the glacier. Then the ship turned slowly and sailed back down.

We were on the May 21 Grand to Alaska and we were sent to Endicott Arms. Seems that Tracy Arms is too full of floating ice for a safe transit. Endicott Arms is a straight shot in and much wider than Tracy Arms. Tracy Arms is receding too much.

We cruised the Ruby to Endicott Arm last week (Tracy had too much ice). We were there from 5-9 am. We got pretty close to the glacier, the ship spun once and then we sailed out. I was up at 5, but my husband and kids slept in until I woke them once we got to the glacier. We were on the port side and the ship spun counterclockwise so the starboard side got to see the glacier first. We only had it in our view on the port side for 10-15 mins, glad I woke them when I did! I also expected more than 1 spin and a little more time at the glacier, maybe a half hour? Sadly we had a very foggy day, lots of fog at the start of the journey in and then once again on the way out. We saw very little wildlife. At one point the naturalist said "There are over 300 species of birds in Alaska and I don't see a single one." I did see a seal, we listened to the naturalist over the loudspeaker the entire 4 hours and I think she mentioned wildlife to be seen maybe 4-5 times.