No Glacier Bay?

[satchiesmom]

Would anyone know why Celebrity doesn't go to Glacier Bay on any of their Alaska cruises? We really want to sail Celebrity but also have been advised to include Glacier Bay on our itinerary. Any thoughts on this?

[Cruise Junky]

They haven't been granted the licences in years.

[mahdnc]

Neither Celebrity nor Royal Caribbean were awarded any permits from the National Park Service to enter Glacier Bay during the peak months for the cruising season period encompassing 2010-2019. I think the NPS quota during those months was 2 cruise ships per day. Holland America and Princess received the lion's share of the permits.......

 

The last time Celebrity sailed to Glacier Bay was in 1999. Hubbard Glacier (located in Wrangell-St Elias National Park) was substituted in 2000--the year we cruised to Alaska with Celebrity. We ended up booking a private seaplane out of Juneau to take us to see Glacier Bay--ended up doing three water landings including a stop at Reid Inlet where we went ashore to see Reid Glacier.

[satchiesmom]

Thanks for the info. I'm disappointed but guess I'll have to go with HAL then, because we really don't want to miss Glacier Bay.

[Bobbye]

Royal Caribbean lost their permits a number of years ago because of pollution accidents.

[Redtravel]

It is now a restricted area. Only a limited number of small ships are allowed. Alaska cruise is fabulous. There are so many other places that are gorgeous. I liked the misty fjords more than glacier bay.

[Host Anne]

Princess has been sailing to Alaska for a long time and with the limited number of ships now allowed in Glacier Bay, my understanding is Princess and their sister line HAL have the lions share of the permits.

 

We have and are sailing with Princess to Alaska because of their Glacier Bay itineraries. We have gone with Celebrity and Hubbard cannot compare to Glacier Bay in my opinion. Alaska is very much about the scenery and shore excursions and far less about the ship.

 

I agree, Satchiesmom, but i don't think it's going to change anytime soon.

[Cruise Junky]

It is now a restricted area. Only a limited number of small ships are allowed. Alaska cruise is fabulous. There are so many other places that are gorgeous. I liked the misty fjords more than glacier bay.

 

Diamond Princess is not small ;)

[A Sixth?]

Royal Caribbean lost their permits a number of years ago because of pollution accidents.

 

What happened? :confused:

 

News link?

[Cruise Junky]

What happened? :confused:

 

News link?

 

Google "Royal Caribbean Dumping Glacier Bay" and you'll get lots of info

[mahdnc]

Royal Caribbean lost their permits a number of years ago because of pollution accidents.

 

Royal Caribbean was charged with several large environmental infractions in 1998, 1999 (a really bad year) and 2000. I am sure that this did not help them in the permit application process. Also the permit process heavily favors HAL and Princess because they both are considered historical operators by law with the right to continue the same level of service they had been providing before the permit /quota system for Glacier Bay was instituted.

[A Sixth?]

Google "Royal Caribbean Dumping Glacier Bay" and you'll get lots of info

 

This is it?

 

 

The fines stem from Royal Caribbean's settlement of federal criminal charges that it polluted various waters in the mid-1990s. Charges included dumping oily bilge water in Lynn Canal and toxic chemicals in Gastineau Channel.

 

The cruise line paid $18 million in federal fines, including $2 million to the nonprofit National Park Foundation.

 

The foundation recently agreed to a Park Service plan to spend the fine:

 

$1 million for an endowment for future research.

 

$270,000 to complete coastal resource inventories in Glacier Bay National Park and three other Alaska national parks.

 

$520,000 to begin such inventories in seven Alaska national parks.

 

$210,000 to study the impact on Tanner crabs of recent commercial fishing closures in parts of Glacier Bay.

 

The Park Service wanted to address a broad spectrum of needs in Alaska, said Mary Beth Moss, the chief of resource management at Glacier Bay National Park.

[mahdnc]

Try this link:

 

http://www.cruisejunkie.com/enviro-RCCL.html

[Northern Aurora]

As someone who lives in Alaska I am always rather mystified by the fascination of tourists with Glacier Bay. Just an observation, but Hubbard is one of the few glaciers advancing and not retreating.

[Jenna109]

We went on the Diamond Princess last September and had a fantastic cruise. I know many will not agree with this but I can only give my opinion:D. Glacier Bay is no really big deal. To be honest I was a little disappointed. I decided that I must be a little spoilt regarding seeing glaciers as we have skiid on them in Canada, Europe and new Zealand. However, WOW was I amazed when we reached College Fjord. Our captain took us right to the end and even managed to turn the ship 360 deg. One, of the many, glaciers began cracking - that was loud! Then the front of the glacier would drop into the water. It was magnificent:eek: that really made our trip worthwhile. We stayed on deck until it was dark and it was an evening we will always remember.

[satchiesmom]

As someone who lives in Alaska I am always rather mystified by the fascination of tourists with Glacier Bay. Just an observation, but Hubbard is one of the few glaciers advancing and not retreating.

 

We just want to make the most of what may be our only chance to get to Alaska, and are going by advice we had received from others. I wish we could spend a month there exploring, but it's just not possible for us, so a cruise will have to do. Would you recommend seeing Hubbard then? I'd appreciate any advice.

[PiperNY]

We just want to make the most of what may be our only chance to get to Alaska, and are going by advice we had received from others. I wish we could spend a month there exploring, but it's just not possible for us, so a cruise will have to do. Would you recommend seeing Hubbard then? I'd appreciate any advice.

 

If you're only going to go to Alaska once, I think you should find a Princess itinerary that hits Glacier Bay and College Fjord (some seem to do GB only and skip CF).

[mahdnc]

Would you recommend seeing Hubbard then? I'd appreciate any advice.

 

Hubbard Glacier is very impressive.

 

Glacier Bay flightseeing is available out of Skagway/Haines and (I think) Juneau if you are determined to see it on a Celebrity cruise.

[A Sixth?]

Try this link:

 

http://www.cruisejunkie.com/enviro-RCCL.html

 

So for revenge in addition to the fines the parks kicked them out of Glacier Bay but not Hubbard? :confused:

 

I thought that it was a permit thing where Carnival ships owned the permit to one area and RCL another. That the parks limt the access to avoid over crowding/usage.

 

 

[phoenix_dream]

We just want to make the most of what may be our only chance to get to Alaska, and are going by advice we had received from others. I wish we could spend a month there exploring, but it's just not possible for us, so a cruise will have to do. Would you recommend seeing Hubbard then? I'd appreciate any advice.

I have never been to Glacier Bay, but Hubbard was beautiful and while I obviously can't compare the two I can tell you we were absolutely not disappointed in the least. Unless you are loyal to one cruiseline, I would look at the various itineraries and choose by that but which glacier I saw would not enter the equation, as long as I saw one. If all else is fairly equal, I certainly would recommend Celebrity as my favorite cruiseline for sure (I have cruised with four other major cruiselines)

[Jenbo57]

If you think this will be your one and only Alaska cruise, I would definitely recommend an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay. Yakutat Bay/Disenchantment Bay/Turner Glacier/Hubbard Glacier are all stunning, too (as is the Wrangall/St. Elias mountain range), but they don't compare to the number of glaciers you'll see in GB, the incredible scenery you're surrounded by, and the amount of wildlife you'll most likely encounter.

 

I've been to GB on both HAL and Norwegian; I'd give the edge to HAL not only because they open up the bow of the ship to passengers for GB viewing, but because the itinerary also includes Sitka, my favorite Alaska port.

 

 

[girlguide]

Definitely check out the Princess itineraries. We just did their 14 night Voyage of the Glaciers - which is really 2 - 7 night itineraries put together (northbound & southbound) Asked for & received 2 cruise credits instead of just one!

 

advantages

- Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau & Ketchikan each week with College Fjord the first week & Hubbard the second week plus Whittier on turnaround day

- started & ended in Vancouver so full Inside Passage there & back

- way, way cheaper to cruise both ways than flying in or out of Anchorage if just doing a 7 night

 

no disadvantages that we could find - Princess also dropped their prices in June for returning cruisers - that's when we booked for July - cheaper than staying home

 

We're just south of Vancouver - so no flights needed for us!

 

When it comes to cruise line loyalty you have to be realist as to who offers what you want at a price you are willing to pay.

[kelmac]

We've been to both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier, and I think Hubbard is much more impressive!

If you want to do both -- take a northbound HAL ship to Seward, and then take a Celebrity ship southbound. Best of both worlds.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[fleckle]

We've been to both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier, and I think Hubbard is much more impressive!

If you want to do both -- take a northbound HAL ship to Seward, and then take a Celebrity ship southbound. Best of both worlds.

Totally agree!

Or even better, a north/south combination embarking or disembarking at Seward in one direction and Whittier going the other way, including a Kenai Fjords tour out of Seward and a Prince William Sound glacier tour out of Whittier, with a land trip up to Denali between them.

 

To see Glacier Bay on a Celebrity cruise, one can take a flightseeing tour over Glacier Bay from one of the nearby ports that lets you see much more of Glacier Bay than can be seen from a cruise ship.

 

Lots of possibilities available using different combinations.

[Northern Aurora]

We've been to both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier, and I think Hubbard is much more impressive!

 

 

Kel:)

 

Kelmac and I are in agreement. It seems to me that some travel agents just have folks brain-washed about Glacier Bay. And, as someone who lives in Alaska, if you really want to hear my opinion about interesting glaciers, two of the most interesting ones cannot be seen from a cruise ship -- Exit Glacier out of Seward because its documented retreat is so interesting, and Ruth Glacier due to its location in Denali.