Tracy Arm vs. Glacier Bay

For those of you who have been to both places, what would you say is the better place to see by ship? I have only been to Glacier Bay and it was foggy so saw nothing....:(

Phil

While I have never been, our TA strongly recommended Glacier Bay over Tracy Arm. I also have seen overwhelming support for this recommendation here on the forum. From what I have read, ships are more frequently unable to make it to Tracy Arm due to weather conditions.

Sounds like you made the right call the first time choosing Glacier Bay, but just didn't get lucky.

I can't say I am an expert because I had only been to each place once but my opinion might be different from the mainstream. Both places were magnificent but for different reasons. Of course alot has to do with the weather you have but here is what I thought.

Tracy Arm - The fjord itself is breathtaking. I felt the scenry is spectacular and the cliffs and mountains are right in front of you. Made for a very dramatic transit of the fjord. We did get to within sight of South Sawyer Glacier and this was early June but still we were too far away. Since that was my first glacier up "close" I was dissapointed. But the fjord was spectacular.

Glacier Bay - I went on a cloudy rainy day but it was still spectacular. I could see the size of it all is just incredible but scenery is much farther away and to me less dramatic though there was one area that we pulled into that was breathtaking. Also coming around to see Marjorie Glacier up close to see how enormous this glacier is was also breathtaking.

So in my trips to each I felt Glacier Bay was nice but it only had a couple areas that I felt took my breath away. The entire transit of Tracy Arm I felt was stunning but of course the glacier was not so stunning being so far away.

For me if it was a life or death decision I had to make I would choose Tracy Arm but it is close and I would not be upset going to either place. Both has it's positives but if it is glaciers you want to see then Glacier Bay is a no brainer but for just dramatic up close scenery it is hard to beat Tracy Arm. And for Tracy Arm if I were on a ship that had the add on Tracy Arm small boat tour then there would be no question I'd rather do that then go to Glacier Bay.

In June I will be doing the HAL Amsterdam 14 day trip so I can compare Hubbard as well but as others have said you can get completely different experiences each time you go as the weather changes and just how and where your ship can go in a particular area at that particular time.

Nobby

I can't say I am an expert because I had only been to each place once but my opinion might be different from the mainstream. Both places were magnificent but for different reasons. Of course alot has to do with the weather you have but here is what I thought.

 

Tracy Arm - The fjord itself is breathtaking. I felt the scenry is spectacular and the cliffs and mountains are right in front of you. Made for a very dramatic transit of the fjord. We did get to within sight of South Sawyer Glacier and this was early June but still we were too far away. Since that was my first glacier up "close" I was dissapointed. But the fjord was spectacular.

 

Glacier Bay - I went on a cloudy rainy day but it was still spectacular. I could see the size of it all is just incredible but scenery is much farther away and to me less dramatic though there was one area that we pulled into that was breathtaking. Also coming around to see Marjorie Glacier up close to see how enormous this glacier is was also breathtaking.

 

So in my trips to each I felt Glacier Bay was nice but it only had a couple areas that I felt took my breath away. The entire transit of Tracy Arm I felt was stunning but of course the glacier was not so stunning being so far away.

 

For me if it was a life or death decision I had to make I would choose Tracy Arm but it is close and I would not be upset going to either place. Both has it's positives but if it is glaciers you want to see then Glacier Bay is a no brainer but for just dramatic up close scenery it is hard to beat Tracy Arm. And for Tracy Arm if I were on a ship that had the add on Tracy Arm small boat tour then there would be no question I'd rather do that then go to Glacier Bay.

Nobby

I couldn't have said it better myself! The only difference from my experience is that we had a clear, sunny day in GB and cloudy/rainy in Tracy Arm, yet I echo your thoughts on both of them.

OP - it's too bad you were fogged out in GB; I haven't read about that happening very often there. If you are able and interested, HAL has a RT Vancouver that does both. Otherwise, if it were me having to decide between the two I would choose GB if going earlier in the season and Tracy Arm later, after things have warmed up a bit (so the waterfalls are flowing and maybe less ice to get in the fjord further).

I have to been Tracy Arm twice, once on a lovely day with transit via a cruiseship and once on a cold, raw, rainy day from a small boat (Adventure Bound out of Juneau). I have been to Glacier Bay once on a gorgeous, blue sky, sunshiny day!!!

I found them to both be majestic settings with many breathtaking views. As mentioned above they are both very different experiences. We found our Tracy Arm Excursion in the small boat to be our favorite Alaska excursion after two cruises and one land trip. Glacier Bay was our favorite cruise ship scenic sailing day.

The biggest problem with Tracy Arm is the possibility of it being too icy for the cruiseship to allow it to get to the glaciers at the end of the fjord. We did get far enough to see the glacier from the cruiseship, but not very up close and personal. That is a chance you take. We did get up close and personal to one of the two Sawyer Glaciers on our Adventure Bound tour in mid-June 2008 and saw some spectacular calving. To me, the highlight of Tracy Arm is the fjord itself and not the glaciers. If it is too icy the cruiseships will detour to Endicott Arm, which I have not been to, but have read it is pretty. Just no idea how to compare it. If you choose an itinerary with Tracy Arm you have to be prepared for either going to Endicott Arm, or not seeing the Sawyer Glaciers. Although you mentioned that you had a foggy day at Glacier Bay, this does not seem to happen very often. I have been reading these boards for over 4 years now, and that is only the second time I have read that someone had trouble viewing Glacier Bay. I read of it often for both Tracy Arm and Hubbard Glacier.

My favorite: Glacier Bay. There was just something special about that all day transit in the wilderness of Alaska. Having a gorgeous sunny day probably helped immensely in our opinion of the area. I have been to Hubbard also, and did get fairly close. It is truly one massive glacier that is worth seeing. However, Glacier Bay is my favorite.

I have been to both several times. For Tracy Arm, my preference is always off the cruise ship on a boat tour.

Which ever one you choose, you are missing the other, unless you consider HAL's excellent round trip Vancouver itinerary. :)

Both certainly are very worthwhile transits, that will offer unique scenery.

Glacier Bay all things being equal, there is a reason one is a National Park!

Now does that mean Tracy Arm isn't nice, no, but no comparison.

I've been to both twice and, as luck would have it, had glorious blue skies once at each.

I marveled at how the giant cruise ship could maneuver through the twists and turns as we made our way through Tracy Arm. Once, we got all the way to Sawyer Glacier and turned around on a dime while there. Tracy Arm is absolutely magnificent!

Glacier Bay is simply spectacular and the beauty just seems to go on and on and on forever. It is truly a majestical place.

Why don't you book your cruise on the Zuiderdam (HAL) out of Vancouver and get both of these places in one 7-day cruise?