No Glacier Bay?

[Cruise Junky]

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.

 

Ships wouldn't pay and line up for the licenses for Glacier Bay if they didn't think it was worth it. RCL and Celebrity had to find an alternative, otherwise they'd be in Glacier Bay too.

[edgee]

About 10 years ago we were on a Crystal cruise that visited both Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay. Both are impressive but Glacier Bay is absolutely not to be missed.

[Christine Frances]

They are both beautiful!

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=hubbard+glacier+images&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=fjh&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=K78lUMaeKqq7igL3woCwCQ&ved=0CEIQsAQ&biw=2144&bih=1121

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=glacier+bay+images&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=0P2&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ar8lUPiAF4S7igKw04GgCQ&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQsAQ&biw=2144&bih=1121

 

Hubbard Glacier from the Mercury!

[satchiesmom]

We have been presented with another option today - staying with the brother of friends who lives in Anchorage for 2 weeks and doing a lot of touring by car. That sounds like an awesome alternative to me, but I sure would miss being on a cruise ship. We do have to make choices carefully here because we are now on a retirement budget. Sigh.

[mahdnc]

For what it is worth: during the peak months of Jun, Jul, and Aug, there are 153 cruise ship entry permits for Glacier Bay that are awarded. The 153 permits are broken down like this:

 

65 for HAL (39 of the permits were awarded under historical rights which I mentioned in an earlier post)

58 for Princess (32 of them were awarded under historical rights)

22 for NCL

8 for Cruise West

 

In addition, Cruise West was granted permits for their smaller vessels for 105 entries during the peak months.

 

Again this is for the peak season months for each year between 2010-2019.

 

There are no such permits issued for ships to enter Yakutat Bay and Disenchantment Bay to see Hubbard Glacier. For one reason, the bays are not in National Park Service jurisdiction (although Hubbard Glacier itself is inside Wrangell-St. Elias National Park).

[mahdnc]

We have been presented with another option today - staying with the brother of friends who lives in Anchorage for 2 weeks and doing a lot of touring by car. That sounds like an awesome alternative to me, but I sure would miss being on a cruise ship. We do have to make choices carefully here because we are now on a retirement budget. Sigh.

 

Yes, its a bummer not to be on a cruise ship, but it sounds like a nice option, indeed. I would think that you would see much more wild life that way....