Alaska - Glacier Bay or not?

We are planning a cruise to Alaska on Holland America. Never been on this cruise line and have never been to Alaska. I want to know if going to Glacier Bay is worth the extra $200 - $300 per person? If we didn't go to Glacier Bay, would we see glaciers anyway? Thanks.:p

We are planning a cruise to Alaska on Holland America. Never been on this cruise line and have never been to Alaska. I want to know if going to Glacier Bay is worth the extra $200 - $300 per person? If we didn't go to Glacier Bay, would we see glaciers anyway? Thanks.:p

Glacier bay is spectacular. We've seen it a few times and it doesn't disappoint. In our part of the country we can drive 2 hours (whistler) and see a glacier, but Glacier Bay is so much more. If you are coming all the way from Texas to go to Alaska, pay the extra for sure.

What are the alternative itineraries to Glacier Bay?

Glacier Bay itself, if it's a pretty day, is gorgeous! Hubbard Glacier, on a pretty day, has Glacier Bay beat by far.

Either one is an excellent choice.

Do any itineraries still go to College Fjord? That's another area for seeing glaciers, but is not nearly as spectacular as Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier, imo.

Tracy Arm is a very pretty ride, but it's a ride for the scenery, and not the limited view of the glacier at the end.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Alaska is all about the glaciers and scenery.

I would definitely choose a cruise that goes to either Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier. Too often we missed Tracy Arm so I would not choose a cruise that goes there.

Yes you can go out to Mendenhal Glacier on your own in Juneau -- Blue Bus -- $8 per person each way -- but it is not as beautiful as Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier -- JMO.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Alaska is all about the glaciers and scenery.

I would definitely choose a cruise that goes to either Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier. Too often we missed Tracy Arm so I would not choose a cruise that goes there.

Yes you can go out to Mendenhal Glacier on your own in Juneau -- Blue Bus -- $8 per person each way -- but it is not as beautiful as Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier -- JMO.

Agree with KK 100%. You need to do one or the other.

Plus, if you want a real experience that you will never forget, while in Juneau do a helicopter landing on Mendenhal glacier.

DaveOKC

Thank you all so much for the info on Glacier Bay.

We are planning a cruise to Alaska on Holland America. Never been on this cruise line and have never been to Alaska. I want to know if going to Glacier Bay is worth the extra $200 - $300 per person? If we didn't go to Glacier Bay, would we see glaciers anyway? Thanks.:p

Glacier Bay is beautiful to see from a cruise ship. But if you take a cruise that does not go to Glacier Bay, with the money you save you can take a flightseeing tour over Glacier Bay that shows you much more of Glacier Bay than what can be seen from a cruise ship.

Many passengers choose a ship that goes to Hubbard Glacier and book a flight excursion over Glacier Bay from one of the nearby ports in order to get the best of both.

Hubbard Glacier is larger and more spectacular than any of the glaciers in Glacier Bay. It puts on an amazing show, complete with full booming sound effects, if you hit it on a day when it is actively calving and you have a captain who brings you in close so you get the full show. But it can be very disappointing if you happen to go there on a ship that does not get you close to the glacier.

The most common reason given for a ship turning around without coming close to the glacier is ice in the water. However, even on the same day one cruise ship will go all the way in close to the glacier while another will stop and turn around while miles away.

Glacier Bay is an all day event -- do you get bored easy? Been there, done that?! Do you like to do activities on the ship or just sit and watch? I much preferred Hubbard Glacier for 2 hours and our favorite tour ever was Taku Glacier Lodge -- a seaplane flight seeing over the glaciers with a stop at a Lodge for a salmon dinner -- pricey, but worth it and much more exciting than Glacier Bay. Vicki:)

Glacier Bay is absolutely worth the extra cruise fare! It is incredible. We were there in July on the Zuiderdam. The photos from GB are here, if you'd like to have a look:

Whether or not you'd see glaciers anyway depends on the itinerary you choose. If there's no scenic cruising of a fjord or another glacier listed, then you'll have to pick an excursion that will take you to the glaciers in order to see them. The easiest one to get to is Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau.

Moot point. HAL doesn't go to Hubbard Glacier anymore.

igraf

....Hubbard Glacier is larger and more spectacular than any of the glaciers in Glacier Bay. It puts on an amazing show, complete with full booming sound effects, if you hit it on a day when it is actively calving and you have a captain who brings you in close so you get the full show. But it can be very disappointing if you happen to go there on a ship that does not get you close to the glacier.

 

 

 

What are the alternative itineraries to Glacier Bay?

 

Glacier Bay itself, if it's a pretty day, is gorgeous! Hubbard Glacier, on a pretty day, has Glacier Bay beat by far.

Either one is an excellent choice.

I understand that there are a number of people who agree with you, but there are also many others who feel the opposite. Those that seem to prefer Hubbard enjoy seeing such a massive glacier, and it is indeed Massive. I have read what you see from the cruise ship is about 5 miles wide but the glacier turns and goes on for another couple of miles. It is truly an impressive glacier. However, for us, Glacier Bay wins hands down. We much preferred the all day scenic cruising in Glacier Bay that to us was like being in Paradise!!! You won't see a large glacier like Hubbard, but the experience is one we will never forget. We spent most of the day out on deck, taking a quick time-out for lunch. I was simply magnificent. Hubbard was massive, but did not do for us what Glacier Bay did.

On my first cruise to AK, my priority was glacier viewing. Since Hubbard can get iced and fogged out, we decided to choose Glacier Bay and have more of a guarentee of a scenic glacier saiing day. What a fine and memorable experience we had!!!! Now, if they had the itinerary that exists today that goes to both Hubbard and Glacier Bay, that would have been my choice. Unfortunately that itinerary did not exist in 2008. :( Even now it is not offered by Holland America. You have to go to Princess or NCL.

What are the alternative itineraries to Glacier Bay?

 

Glacier Bay itself, if it's a pretty day, is gorgeous! Hubbard Glacier, on a pretty day, has Glacier Bay beat by far.

Either one is an excellent choice.

Do any itineraries still go to College Fjord? That's another area for seeing glaciers, but is not nearly as spectacular as Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier, imo.

 

Tracy Arm is a very pretty ride, but it's a ride for the scenery, and not the limited view of the glacier at the end.

Glacier Bay is an all day event -- do you get bored easy? Been there, done that?! Do you like to do activities on the ship or just sit and watch? I much preferred Hubbard Glacier for 2 hours and our favorite tour ever was Taku Glacier Lodge -- a seaplane flight seeing over the glaciers with a stop at a Lodge for a salmon dinner -- pricey, but worth it and much more exciting than Glacier Bay. Vicki:)

Although I swear I have adult ADD, Glacier Bay never bored me!!! I think you made some good points. What people will like and enjoy does depend a lot on what kind of person they are. My husband and I have never been bored by scenery. We can't get enough of it. Living in the mid-west we don't have the mountains/glaciers you have in Alaska and Canada. We simply can't get enough. In fact, since our first AK cruise was in June, we didn't even get to any shows on the ship. Our entertainment was what was outside the ship where darkness did not happen until past bedtime. We spent as much time as possible out on deck or in the Crow's Nest lounge with its magnificent panoramic views!! We were not going to miss what was outside the ship!

Although it has been several years since we cruised Glacier Bay it is still one of the most incredible days I can remember. I still am in awe when I look at the pictures and remember the sights and sounds. Since that cruise we have been to some fabulous places but Glacier Bay remains in my top 5. Have a great time, Cherie (We were cruising with our three very active young children, our 18 year old niece, and my 80+ year old mother, and not one of us said "I'm bored")

I think Glacier Bay is definitely worth the money!

If you're interested, I did a trip report of Alaska with lots of pics here - post #41 starts the review of Glacier Bay with pics

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1705322

and a review of the Westerdam here

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1704697

I wanted to make an additional point. Some people are recommending alternatives and excursions instead of Glacier Bay. Be aware that weather is often a factor for the alternatives and you may miss them altogether. We had a Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Explorer excursion booked through the ship, roundtrip out of Juneau. We were supposed to get up close and personal with the Twin Sawyer Glaciers in Tracy Arm from a jetboat. It was cancelled due to weather. It's not uncommon for the cruise ships to skip Tracy Arm altogether if the weather is bad. The flight-seeing excursions out of Juneau and Taku Lodge were also cancelled.

Whatever you book, be aware that in Alaska, weather can always mess with your best laid plans. Be prepared to roll with it! We switched to a whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier excursion and had a great time anyway.

I understand that there are a number of people who agree with you, but there are also many others who feel the opposite. Those that seem to prefer Hubbard enjoy seeing such a massive glacier, and it is indeed Massive. I have read what you see from the cruise ship is about 5 miles wide but the glacier turns and goes on for another couple of miles. It is truly an impressive glacier. However, for us, Glacier Bay wins hands down. We much preferred the all day scenic cruising in Glacier Bay that to us was like being in Paradise!!!

Hubbard Glacier is pretty much all day scenic cruising, too. The sail in, then back out, Yakutat Bay is one of the prettiest rides in the world. The Elias range is the highest coastal mountain range in the world, and to see it encased in snow and ice, with the sun shining on it, makes it sparkle like diamonds. I've seen the baby seals as if they were at play, sliding off the ice floes, then trying their darnest to climb back up---to do it again!

For me, Hubbard Glacier day is about 8 hours sitting outside taking it all in. Glacier Bay is about the same length of time.

My choice would be Glacier Bay. More to the point is where do you want to sail from? Vancouver you get more of the inside passage. Seattle your more out to sea. Vancouver a lovely city but more expensive to fly into and you have to go thru customs at the airport. Seattle easier to fly into and no customs at the airport.

To the OP -- as you can see, some prefer Hubbard and some prefer Glacier Bay, so it looks like you should see both and decide for yourself. :)

But someone really can't judge fairly based on only a single experience. One trip you may have a better experience at one, and the next time the other one can be much better.

Then there is also Tracy Arm, where you may get iced out, or you may have a wonderful day.

The only solution is to keep going back to Alaska again and again, as so many of us have discovered. :D

Here's a small taste:

Heading into Glacier Bay:

Marjorie Glacier, in Glacier Bay:

Here's a small taste:

 

Heading into Glacier Bay:

[ATTACH]247077[/ATTACH]

 

 

Marjorie Glacier, in Glacier Bay:

[ATTACH]247076[/ATTACH]

And just for comparison, here are a couple of videos some people posted from recent cruises to Hubbard Glacier.

As I keep saying, go see them both!

 

For me, Hubbard Glacier day is about 8 hours sitting outside taking it all in. Glacier Bay is about the same length of time.

On our cruises the Glacier Day cruising time was double the time of the Hubbard Day cruising. We liked our 1/2 day in Hubbard...we stayed outside both going in and out of the bay. However for us, Glacier Bay was simply a more awe-inspiring event. I understand where people in general will all react differently to the same experience. It is good for posters to read how different people think and then they can make a decision that is hopefully good for them. I still think the Princess and NCL itineraries that go to both are jackpot cruises, especially for those who may only be going to AK once in a lifetime.

Thinking about Alaskan cruise in June going from Vancouver on Celebrity Century. Only ever done one cruise before so relatively new to cruising. Some questions -

Is port or starboard better going from Vancouver or does it not matter?

Appreciate the weather is cold ( we come from Scotland so used to that) but what is it like on the ship e.g. dining at night etc. Do you need warmer clothes?

Thinking about Alaskan cruise in June going from Vancouver on Celebrity Century.

 

...what is it like on the ship e.g. dining at night etc. Do you need warmer clothes?

Since you plan to sail Celebrity, you might be better off posting your questions on that board. You'll be able to post follow-up questions to the same people who really have the answers for that line.

But since you're here, let me say that you have chosen a beautiful desitnation!

And yes, it is cold outside, anyway. Warm clothes are the rule, but there very well may be some warm---even hot!---days.

Go see a glacier. You won't forget it. They are beautiful.

Dh and I went to Glacier Bay. I will never forget it. It isn't just a visual memory, because the sounds are awesome.

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