Tracy Arm?

[williamsk]

Hi everyone,

We are booked for the Saphire Princess in July. The cruise goes to Tracy Arm. My understanding was that you would still get to see glaciers (Seward)? Is this correct?

 

Beginning to wonder if I made a mistake not booking a different trip to Glacier Bay.

 

We are also planning on taking a float plane or a helicopter to go sightseeing. Will we still get our fill of glaciers?

 

Thanks!

[cruisebum50]

We were suppose to go to Tracy Arm on our cruise two years ago and didn't make it to the glaciers due to too much ice in the water. We ended up in Endicott Arm and though the scenery was beautiful we only saw one glacier from a great distance away. Out day in Glacier Bay was awesome with close ups of the glaciers and lots of calving. If it were me, I would book a Glacier Bay trip over a Tracy Arm trip.

[vbmom87]

Tracy Arm is a beautiful fjord. However, if you are after glacier viewing, you did not choose the best option out there. Depending who you booked through, you might be able to cancel your cruise without penalty and book something more to your liking.

 

As already mentioned, the cruiseships often do not get close to the glaciers in Tracy Arm Fjord. The local expert on this board (BQ) often states that about 25% of the cruises going into Tracy Arm actually get to see the Sawyer Glaciers.

 

If glaciers are a priority, I would consider the HAL roundtrip out of Vancouver that goes to both Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay. If you are after a one way cruise, I would look at the Southbound one way cruises that Princess is offering which go to both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier.

[vbmom87]

Seward is not the place for glaciers. If you take a Kenai Fjords boat tour, you will make a stop at a glacier. However, the glacier is nothing like you would see in Glacier Bay, College Fjords or Hubbard. You can get a better view of glaciers by taking a boat tour out of Whittier. That would be a good option if you can't cancel your original trip.

[Budget Queen]

Tracy Arm is a fjord, 30 miles long with the twin Sawyer's at the end. Most ships do not make the full transit. Other ships, may get within "view" of the South Sawyer, but that can be a very small distant view. There is a sample in my Tracy Arm section, if you care to look. This isn't the area, if you have a glacier priority.

 

A flightseeing is a great way to glacier view, especially a glacier helicopter landing. The Taku Lodge is a nice floatplane glacier view trip to also consider.

 

You list being on Princess, Princess goes to Whittier, not Seward. They most all go to College Fjords, Glacier Bay, or some combo. You have nothing else with just Tracy Arm??? Whittier, is superior all the way around for glacier viewing. I suggest you book a PWS boat tour, and then just take the Alaska RR to Anchorage. Fits in nicely.

[Budget Queen]

http://community.webshots.com/user/budgetqueen

 

Here is the Tracy Arm photo sample. The ship view, was the closest it got, and first time full transit, third week of July that season.

[apollobeach]

We were on RCCL's Serenade of the Seas Sept. 19th Vancouver to

San Diego repro cruise. On this cruise we spent a day cruising the

Tracy Arm Fjord.

 

Rick/John

[MercedMike]

Tracy Arm is a beautiful deep fjord with wonderful scenery during the whole trip. The water is frequently filled with beautiful deep blue glacier life. Wildlife sightings (small and far off) are fairly common. BUT -- the glaciers at the end can be an anticlimax. They have receded quite a bit in recent years. Last summer our ship got very close to the end of the Arm, and the North Sawyer was not even visible and South Sawyer was way back up its ravine. So if glacier viewing is a priority, Tracy Arm is not the best.

 

For a review of a trip which went to both Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay, Check out our review and pics at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/alaskaZ.html

 

For our most recent trip to Tracy Arm, Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/ct.html

 

 

For Hubbard Glacier, Check out our review and pics at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/volendam.html

 

In Juneau it is possible to visit Mendenhall Glacier, which has also receded and is not as spectacular as it once was. The first link above shows that also.

 

There are tours in Seward that go to a lot of glaciers. However you will pretty much have to plan to spend the night in Seward if you do that, as I don't think it is possible to do the glacier boat and still make the ship's transfers. Maybe you could do it and catch the train but you would have to be on top of the logistics.

 

You have to consider the entire itinerary. Tracy Arm is beautiful scenery. But if glaciers are a big item you may need to choose a different cruise.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[Budget Queen]

 

 

 

There are tours in Seward that go to a lot of glaciers. However you will pretty much have to plan to spend the night in Seward if you do that, as I don't think it is possible to do the glacier boat and still make the ship's transfers. Maybe you could do it and catch the train but you would have to be on top of the logistics.

 

QUOTE]

 

There aren't "glacier tours" via boat out of Seward, and they do not go to "a lot of glaciers". Those are out of Whittier, and it is simple to take them, and get back to Anchorage in time for overnight flights home. There is Exit Glacier, which has guided options for an all day climb, or Exit can be viewed by a short walk up. Ranger walking tours, available a couple times per day.

 

Kenai Fjords is about varied wildlife, WITH a small portion of the overall trip, parked out in front of one of three glaciers, depending on the boat tour company and routing. You most certainly can get yourself back to Anchorage the same day from Seward and do NOT have to overnight there. It appears you have not done any of this?

 

For clarification, none of these can make any "ship" transfers, as they all leave within a few hours of disembarkment. But there are several easy, independent transfers to consider.

[vbmom87]

 

 

There are tours in Seward that go to a lot of glaciers. However you will pretty much have to plan to spend the night in Seward if you do that, as I don't think it is possible to do the glacier boat and still make the ship's transfers. Maybe you could do it and catch the train but you would have to be on top of the logistics.

 

 

The OP is on Princess round trip out of Seattle so no opportunity to visit Seward or Whittier. As already mentioned, Seward is not the place for glaciers, other than the hike to Exit Glacier. The boat tours are likely to provide anti-climatic experiences just like you referred to in Tracy Arm. My cruise went to Glacier Bay and College Fjords. After those beautiful views of glaciers, the Northwestern Glacier we saw on our Kenai FJords Boat tour was nothing in comparison. Actually it was a big disappointment in terms of glaciers. The boat ride was nice for the natural beauty of the area, but as already stated, these boat tours are mostly for wildlife. WHittier would be the choice for a glacier tour.

[NancyIL]

I was on the Golden Princess the last week of May, and we didn't get all the way down Tracy Arm Fjord to see the Sawyer glaciers at the end.

 

In 2010, the Golden Princess will alternate between Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay. For a first time visit to Alaska, I would change your cruise to one of the Golden's GB sailings.