Alaska Tracy Arm Questions - HAL

We visited Alaska several years ago via the Amsterdam and had an amazing time. I would like to go back, but really want to see the Tracy Arm on my next trip. In this sense, is booking a cruise on a ship that has a Tracy Arm excursion safe? Or is it better to spend a week in Juneau, and book a small boat tour during the week we are there. Either way, it would be in August, and would be on one of the HAL ships with the Tracy Arm extension/small boat excursion on the itnenary. I've heard that these excursions get cancelled a lot due to weather and ice in the passage. My thought process is that a week in Juneau would allow for six or seven days to allow for the excursion to happen, as opposed to the risk of "one day or nothing risk" with a cruise ship excursion. Any thoughts? Thanks!!

We just got off the Amsterdam 14 day Alaska cruise and could not have had a better cruise experience in TA. We got very close to the Sawyer Glacier and got some great photos. I would book a cruise over spending 7 days in Juneau as that is our preference. If you choose a ship that is large I would recommend the shore excursion that will put you on a smaller boat to really explore TA. It is spendy but worth every penny.

Usually booking in August will allow Tracy Arm excursions. We have been in May and twice in Sept. Has success on taking the small boat excursion offered via HAL on one Sept. cruise. It was fantastic!

The ice in Tracy Arm should be nearly gone by August. I would recommend taking an excursion out of Juneau because the smaller boats can get very close to the glaciers. In June the ice flows can be as big as a house and not good for the large cruise ships:

I suspect you might be bored with a full week in Juneau. I've been watching the Juneau webcam almost all the season and the Volendam and Nieuw Amsterdam 7-day cruises have a tour where you transfer to a small boat at the entrance to Tracy Arm for a day tour and rejoin the ship in Juneau. I've been watching the AIS data as these ships make their way to Juneau and EVERY time I've seen the rendezvous of St. Philip or St. Peter for the excursion. I think in the instances where Tracy Arm is blocked they visit Endicott Arm which is probably just about as good.

Roy

Roy is correct. On our Alaska cruise in 2016 on HAL Maasdam we toured Endicott Arm as Tracy Arm was blocked by ice. DH and I felt that it was a better experience than TA. Dawes Glacier at the end of the arm is absolutely beautiful and we got very close.

We visited Alaska several years ago via the Amsterdam and had an amazing time. I would like to go back, but really want to see the Tracy Arm on my next trip. In this sense, is booking a cruise on a ship that has a Tracy Arm excursion safe? Or is it better to spend a week in Juneau, and book a small boat tour during the week we are there. Either way, it would be in August, and would be on one of the HAL ships with the Tracy Arm extension/small boat excursion on the itnenary. I've heard that these excursions get cancelled a lot due to weather and ice in the passage. My thought process is that a week in Juneau would allow for six or seven days to allow for the excursion to happen, as opposed to the risk of "one day or nothing risk" with a cruise ship excursion. Any thoughts? Thanks!!

Got off the 14 day this past Monday ,we had a q and a with the captain , he said we didn't do Tracy Arm as it had receded so much,he felt Endicott was better for us to see, we were not disappointed with his decision . The ports on the 14 day were outstanding .

Terri aka augie's mom

We've done both Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm. In my opinion Dawes Glacier (Endicott) is much more impressive than Sawyer Glaciers (Tracy). I think the Tracy Arm fjord is more impressive than the Endicott Arm fjord, but Tracy Arm seems to have more ice early in the season (we usually go in May, but have sailed in July also).

LilacCruiser,

Please see my response to your question that was posted on the Alaska Message Board.

We just got off the Amsterdam 14 day Alaska cruise and could not have had a better cruise experience in TA. We got very close to the Sawyer Glacier and got some great photos. I would book a cruise over spending 7 days in Juneau as that is our preference. If you choose a ship that is large I would recommend the shore excursion that will put you on a smaller boat to really explore TA. It is spendy but worth every penny.

Did you do the TA as a small boat excursion?

Did you do the TA as a small boat excursion?

We actually did the TA small boat excursion in 2015. We were on the Crown Princess for the Seahawks fans cruise. (see avatar)

We were so glad that we did it. The weather was perfect and we saw so much not to mention how close we got to Sawyer Glacier.

Our group met in the MDR and then we were escorted to a ramp outside of the ship where we boarded the small boat.

There were two times available and we took later morning.

There are two separate and distinct ways to sail up Tracy Arm with HAL.

You can book a cruise where the ship sails up, or you can book a ship that offers an excursion up via catamaran. These are very different experiences.

I had been up Tracy Arm a few times on the ship, but wanted to see it from the smaller boat, so, a few years ago I booked a cruise on the Volendam for the express purpose of taking that shore excursion. I was not disappointed.

Later in the summer you should be able to get close to the glacier(s), especially on a small boat. It is earlier in the season that the ice is breaking off, and clogging the route. August should be safe to meet your objective.

There are two separate and distinct ways to sail up Tracy Arm with HAL.

You can book a cruise where the ship sails up, or you can book a ship that offers an excursion up via catamaran. These are very different experiences.

I had been up Tracy Arm a few times on the ship, but wanted to see it from the smaller boat, so, a few years ago I booked a cruise on the Volendam for the express purpose of taking that shore excursion. I was not disappointed.

Later in the summer you should be able to get close to the glacier(s), especially on a small boat. It is earlier in the season that the ice is breaking off, and clogging the route. August should be safe to meet your objective.

Precisely what I was looking for. Thanks!

We also booked the Volendam in order to do the small boat excursion directly into Tracey Arm. We were on the July 12 cruise and it was wonderful! Our catamaran was one of the first to get to North Sawyer this season, and we got a great video of S. Sawyer calving. It was so worth it!

I had read so much about this excursion that I wanted to take it and when I booked the TA stop was listed in our itinerary but has since disappeared, there was some notice given about the expected weather being bad... maybe if I'm lucky and the weather isn't too bad they will add it back... but I'm not holding my breath.

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I had read so much about this excursion that I wanted to take it and when I booked the TA stop was listed in our itinerary but has since disappeared, there was some notice given about the expected weather being bad... maybe if I'm lucky and the weather isn't too bad they will add it back... but I'm not holding my breath.

 

 

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I'm certainly keeping my fingers crossed for you - and please do report back!!