Alaskan cruise without Glacier Bay

[Lane412000]

I looked at the Celebrity Alaskan offerings for 2021 but noticed the ships do not visit Glacier Bay.  Does the ship sail near any glaciers or would we need to take an excursion from a port like Juneau?

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Royal Caribbean (parent company of Celebrity) chose not to bid for Glacier Bay permits for the 2021 season. This was the first time in many, many years they had the opportunity to do so. Therefore they visit other Glacier areas.

 

In general:

• Solstice will cruise Endicott arm with scenic viewing of Dawes Glacier
• Eclipse and Millennium cruise to Yakutat Bay with scenic cruising of Hubbard Glacier

Some early or late season cruises may vary and visit Tracy Arm Fjord for Sawyer Glacier. 

Edited January 8, 2020 by AtlantaCruiser72

[alcpa1]

You should be going to Hubbard Glacier. It is awesome. 

You will sail through a fjordlike passage and enter the bay where the ship will turn 360 degrees and rest as you get very close to the walls of the glacier as you glide through mini icebergs.

Enjoy!

[Lane412000]

Thanks for this information as I was concerned that the ships would cruise through the narrow passageway but would not enter waters where glaciers would be seen and heard.  Appreciate the responses.

[Pushka]

We did an Alaska cruise with Viking that did not go to Glacier Bay. We did go to Hubbard Glacier which is amazing. And in Seward we completed an excursion of that Bay which was just stunning. I guess it’s a case of not missing what you don’t know. We didn’t miss not seeing Glacier Bay at all. 

[K.T.B.]

I've done 3 Alaskan cruises and each one visited different glaciers.  So while Glacier Bay is indeed gorgeous, so is Hubbard Glacier and Sawyer Glacier (Tracy Arm Fjords).  And when you're in Juneau, I wholeheartedly recommend flying out to Mendenhall Glacier if you get the chance.  It's one of the best experiences I've ever had.

Edited January 8, 2020 by K.T.B.

[4774Papa]

8 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

Royal Caribbean (parent company of Celebrity) chose not to bid for Glacier Bay permits for the 2021 season. This was the first time in many, many years they had the opportunity to do so. Therefore they visit other Glacier areas.

 

In general:

• Solstice will cruise Endicott arm with scenic viewing of Dawes Glacier
• Eclipse and Millennium cruise to Yakutat Bay with scenic cruising of Hubbard Glacier

Some early or late season cruises may vary and visit Tracy Arm Fjord for Sawyer Glacier. 

We didn't cruise Alaska with our favorite, Celebrity, because they don't visit Glacier Bay.  The reviews on Glacier Bay were amazing.   We did NCL and it was the best cruise we have had on NCL.  Glacier Bay was fantastic.  DO NOT MISS IT.  The ship spends almost a full day there (daylight day).  You see much wildlife and the glacier is amazing.

 

Yes, we also visited the Hubbard Glacier, as does Celebrity.  Hubbard was great, but we spent way less time there.  Glacier Bay was the number one highlight of our Alaska cruise, even topping our Skagway rail trip and rain forest hike.

[Bo1953]

8 hours ago, alcpa1 said:

You should be going to Hubbard Glacier. It is awesome. 

You will sail through a fjordlike passage and enter the bay where the ship will turn 360 degrees and rest as you get very close to the walls of the glacier as you glide through mini icebergs.

Enjoy!

We were in Hubbard on The Millennium with that 360, it was magnificent, to say the least.

 

We were also fortunate enough to have been invited to the Helipad for this... along with glasses of Champagne, there was no better way, IMO to experience this.

 

Also, in one of our ports, friends were able to kayak out to a glacier and if interested I can ask them which one and the details. Yet at the time they raved about the experience.

 

Yet, I do not think there is really no poor vantage point for this other than an inside cabin and even then it might be broadcasted on the TV....

 

bon voyage

[bEwAbG]

I chose HAL to go to Glacier Bay after reading that access to Hubbard can be limited due to ice at certain times, especially early in the season (I was going in May).  You also see multiple glaciers in Glacier Bay versus just the one.    

[Alsmez]

We are sailing Solstice to Alaska this May and are planning a flightseeing trip from Skagway to see Glacier Bay. We considered sailing Princess since their itineraries include it, but Celebrity was a much better value (and is our preferred line anyway), so even adding the somewhat expensive excursion to Glacier Bay, Celebrity ended up being less expensive overall AND we got to sail the line and ship we prefer!

[hiccups]

31 minutes ago, Alsmez said:

We are sailing Solstice to Alaska this May and are planning a flightseeing trip from Skagway to see Glacier Bay. We considered sailing Princess since their itineraries include it, but Celebrity was a much better value (and is our preferred line anyway), so even adding the somewhat expensive excursion to Glacier Bay, Celebrity ended up being less expensive overall AND we got to sail the line and ship we prefer!

Was that trip to Glacier Bay one of the Celebrity excursions, or did you book it independently?  I'd like to see Glacier Bay, but our one cruise on HAL was meh, and people I know that have sailed Princess weren't enthusiastic about it, either.

 

[Alsmez]

3 minutes ago, hiccups said:

Was that trip to Glacier Bay one of the Celebrity excursions, or did you book it independently?  I'd like to see Glacier Bay, but our one cruise on HAL was meh, and people I know that have sailed Princess weren't enthusiastic about it, either.

 

 

We booked independently, with a company called Fly Drake. I hear Mountain Flying Service does a similar excursion and gets great reviews.

[kathynorth]

We've been to Hubbard via the Millenium. Sawyer via a private tour on Adventure Bound during our stop in Juneau. Cruised Glacier Bay on a HA ship. Took a tour out of Seward to see the Kenai Peninsula glaciers. Hubbard is the only advancing glacier in this region. It was also the largest and most active of all the glaciers we've seen. 

 

We've also taken helicopter flights to land on glaciers out of Skagway and Juneau. Walking on a glacier was an awesome experience. 

[mahdnc]

1 hour ago, Alsmez said:

We are sailing Solstice to Alaska this May and are planning a flightseeing trip from Skagway to see Glacier Bay. We considered sailing Princess since their itineraries include it, but Celebrity was a much better value (and is our preferred line anyway), so even adding the somewhat expensive excursion to Glacier Bay, Celebrity ended up being less expensive overall AND we got to sail the line and ship we prefer!

 

We did the same thing:

 

Back in 2000, we sailed the Inside Passage on Galaxy.  Unfortunately for us, it was the first year that Celebrity stopped going to Glacier Bay.  So we booked a somewhat expensive floatplane trip during our port day at Juneau to get there.  The floatplane gave us the added advantage of walking around Glacier Bay.

 

Glacier Bay on Father's Day! (Reid Glacier and Reid Inlet, Jun 18 2000)

Edited January 8, 2020 by mahdnc

[keesar]

16 hours ago, Lane412000 said:

I looked at the Celebrity Alaskan offerings for 2021 but noticed the ships do not visit Glacier Bay.  Does the ship sail near any glaciers or would we need to take an excursion from a port like Juneau?

 

Celebrity won't be cruising to Glacier Bay until at least 2029.  The parent company pulled out of the bidding process  in 2019.  10 year permits were issued.

[gotcha3]

Does anyone have experience with this excursion from Celebrity?

Hubbard Glacier Wilderness Exploration

$289.00 USD Adult

260.10 USD Child

Add To Cart

• Duration

  2 hours 30 minutes

• Activity Level

  Mild

• Restrictions

  none

•  

Overview

Your journey into wild Alaska begins the moment you board the tour vessel. Relax in the warm, comfortable cabin, surrounded by large windows, as an onboard naturalist provides compelling narration about the wildlife, geography and glaciers of the area. The waters and wilderness of this region are home to an abundance of wildlife and feature breathtaking scenery. The maneuverable, shallow-draft tour vessel provides a chance for up-close encounters and best photo opportunities of the area's animal species, in addition to exploration of the shoreline and islands. Throughout your tour, enjoy the dramatic vistas of rocky coastlines shaped by the mighty Pacific Ocean, and endless expanses of rainforest and snow-capped mountains. As you approach Hubbard Glacier, the experience captain will weave your tour vessel through a maze of icebergs, some multiple stories tall, making for amazing photos. The Hubbard Glacier is often very active, and dramatic displays of calving – one of Mother Nature's most impressive shows – can occur at any time. All in all, this tour makes for an unforgettable experience, and quite possibly, the wildlife encounter of a lifetime. HG02

 

[Pushka]

Our highlight was kayaking amongst the glaciers in Valdez, helicopter to visit the dog camp on Medenhall Glacier (booked direct and not with the cruiseline) and the day spent on a boat in Seward. We spent all up an hour in Hubbard and came very close. And the sail in has icebergs a plenty in and out. An hour was plenty for us in May as it was very cold. We also saw many glaciers on the boat trip in Seward. That for me is the must do. Glaciers and Orcas and Hump Backs in one day. Perfect. 

 

 

 

Edited January 8, 2020 by Pushka

[terrydtx]

We cruised last July with HAL and Glacier Bay was one of the highlights of the cruise. I have heard that Hubbard and Tracy Arm are also spectacular. My suggestion is choose the cruise line you like best and go with them to one of the available mega glacier locations. If this is your first Alaska cruise it will be spectacular no matter where you visit.

[PhillyTravelBug]

We did Glacier Bay on NCL last August.  You can only enter via ship.  It was one of the most scenic sights!! A must see if you are only visiting Alaska once in your life.

[lovecruzin]

If you cruise Solstice, I highly recommend the ship excursion where you disembark the ship and board a smaller vessel that will get you as close as possible to the glacier. Conditions permitting, you can get much closer to see calving. On the trip back you may see whales and will get right near waterfalls. It’s  a bit pricey and is only offered by the cruiseline. 

Edited January 9, 2020 by lovecruzin

[Gimpy McFarlan]

20 hours ago, Lane412000 said:

Does the ship sail near any glaciers or would we need to take an excursion from a port like Juneau?

Yes, these were taken from our veranda on the Millenium last year. We we able to get within half a mile of the Hubbard glacier. If you want to see Glacier Bay it would best to see it from the air.

 

 

[Gimpy McFarlan]

5 hours ago, Alsmez said:

We are sailing Solstice to Alaska this May and are planning a flightseeing trip from Skagway to see Glacier Bay.

Check out Ward Air (www.wardair.com) based out of Juneau. The tour the cruise line arranged was cancelled at the last minute so we were left scrambling for an alternative.  We had an amazing flightseeing tour of Glacier Bay with Ward Air.

 

 

[cruznjan]

22 hours ago, alcpa1 said:

You should be going to Hubbard Glacier. It is awesome. 

You will sail through a fjordlike passage and enter the bay where the ship will turn 360 degrees and rest as you get very close to the walls of the glacier as you glide through mini icebergs.

Enjoy!

Yes! Awesome!

[K.T.B.]

2 hours ago, Gimpy McFarlan said:

Check out Ward Air (www.wardair.com) based out of Juneau. The tour the cruise line arranged was cancelled at the last minute so we were left scrambling for an alternative.  We had an amazing flightseeing tour of Glacier Bay with Ward Air.

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, excursions do get cancelled quite often, especially if there's flying involved.  Usually they're early morning excursions though and it's generally because of heavy fog.  We had our helicopter excursion cancelled on us in 2012.  We were finally able to take in 2016, but then I had booked an afternoon excursion for it!  

[K.T.B.]

By the way, here are my Sawyer Glacier pics (since people are sharing!):

 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2020 by K.T.B.