Tracy Arm vs. Glaciar Bay

[navybaby1113]

If you had the choice, which of the following would you prefer?

 

- Sail to Glacier Bay and stay on the ship to see the glaciers.

- Sail to Tracy Arm Fjord and take an excursion to get onto a smaller boat and takes you close to the Sawyer Glacier (or in the result of icy conditions, takes you to Endicott Fjord)

[Fog123]

Our itinerary does both. We are paying for the smaller boat as an add on excursion. We chose the route because of Glacier Bay at the suggestion of others here, but I found myself feeling like I would be missing something if we didn't do Tracy Arm. Once I booked Tracy Arm I felt like the cruise was complete.

 

But your mileage may vary.

 

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[utahtea]

If you had the choice, which of the following would you prefer?

 

- Sail to Glacier Bay and stay on the ship to see the glaciers.

- Sail to Tracy Arm Fjord and take an excursion to get onto a smaller boat and takes you close to the Sawyer Glacier (or in the result of icy conditions, takes you to Endicott Fjord)

 

That's a hard one. We have done both Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm by excursion right off the ship. Both were FANTASTIC so you really can't go wrong! You will see more different glaciers in Glacier Bay and will spend longer in Glacier Bay than Tracy Arm. How about a cruise that does both...that's what we did :) We haven't been to Endicott Fjords so can't comment.

 

Utahtea

Edited May 22, 2014 by utahtea

[navybaby1113]

I can't seem to find a cruise in our budget that goes to both. Would love to do that though! So as of right now, it's one or the other.

[Fog123]

Bummer, navybaby. I thought the Holland prices were reasonable of you were willing to not have a balcony?

 

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[Fog123]

Oops, hit return too soon. I meant to finish with, but I haven't looked at costs for other cruises, and I know we all have our own logistics that we have to work with. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you find something perfect.

 

Actually, what gave me comfort when I was trying to decide was that most people were adamant that Alaska is beautiful and you can't really go wrong with any of the itineraries.

 

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[navybaby1113]

Bummer, navybaby. I thought the Holland prices were reasonable of you were willing to not have a balcony?

 

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Not willing to forgo a balcony this trip.

[Eaglecw]

We've both of them. If I was on budget and could only do one I'd go to Glacier Bay. Last in early June it was 69 degrees, not a cloud in the sky when we cruised Glacier Bay. It was unbelievable, in 8 cruises we've been up to Alaska it was the best day.

[BCRose]

Can you cruise Glacier Bay and take an excurion to Tracy arm fjord on a different day?

 

A friend who has cruised Alaska 5 times said Hubbard Glacier and Tracy Arm fjords were not to be missed. So we booked a cruise to Hubbard bay, and the one excursion we booked immediately was Tracy arm fjord out of Juneau.

[Fog123]

Yeah, I hear you, the balcony was the start of the trip for us, non-negotiable.

 

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[navybaby1113]

Can you cruise Glacier Bay and take an excurion to Tracy arm fjord on a different day?

 

A friend who has cruised Alaska 5 times said Hubbard Glacier and Tracy Arm fjords were not to be missed. So we booked a cruise to Hubbard bay, and the one excursion we booked immediately was Tracy arm fjord out of Juneau.

 

Not likely. If we cruise to Glacier Bay, our money for excursions will be a little less and an excursion to Tracy Arm is kind of pricey.

[Lisichka]

I am a huge balcony fan cruiser, but on my Alaska cruise I chose an ocean view. I spent hours and hours reading reviews on various cabin types on Alaska cruises, and most said that while they LOVED the cabin with the balcony, they spent more time on top because you need to be able to see BOTH sides of the ship. Scenery and wildlife just don't conveniently only appear right by your balcony. The captain will yell "look on starboard for a whale", etc etc. So in the end most cruisers end up on deck to see it all.

 

Now a balcony is nice to drink coffee in the morning, etc. But for the views....you need to be on deck. And for the price difference, you can buy a better tour or a better itinerary.

Edited May 22, 2014 by Lisichka

[fishin' musician]

I've done both; a spectacular bluebird day at Glacier Bay last year (sunscreen required), and in 2010, an ominous, drizzley, dark morning in Tracy Arm / Sawyer Glaciers. I thoroughly enjoyed both experiences, but will give a slight preference to Tracy Arm. We did not do an excursion and were fortunate to see both glaciers. However, it wasn't so much the glaciers, but the rising walls of the fjord, waterfalls, and counless seals on little iceburgs that really enthralled me.

[navybaby1113]

I've done both; a spectacular bluebird day at Glacier Bay last year (sunscreen required)' date=' and in 2010, an ominous, drizzley, dark morning in Tracy Arm / Sawyer Glaciers. I thoroughly enjoyed both experiences, but will give a slight preference to Tracy Arm. We did not do an excursion and were fortunate to see both glaciers. However, it wasn't so much the glaciers, but the rising walls of the fjord, waterfalls, and counless seals on little iceburgs that really enthralled me.[/quote']

 

Seals? I love seals!

[fishin' musician]

So if a picture is worth a thousand words, here are a few thousand words from Tracy Arm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[navybaby1113]

Those pictures are gorgeous! I think I'm leaning more towards that cruise. It will save us a good bit of money too.

[Shaelyn]

Can you take a Tracy Arm tour from Juneau? I will be there in around three weeks on Celebrity. My cruise does not list Tracy Arm as a tour from the ship. We will be in Juneau from 9am to 9pm.

[DougH]

Can you take a Tracy Arm tour from Juneau? I will be there in around three weeks on Celebrity. My cruise does not list Tracy Arm as a tour from the ship. We will be in Juneau from 9am to 9pm.

 

You are in port too late to go with Adventure Bound as they sail shortly after 8am. The other option is to give Allen Marine a call and see if they have a tour that day.

[LEtue]

fishin magician, thank tou so much for posting your pictures!! I can't wait to do the add on excursion next year.

 

I love having Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier on the itinerary but I am on a solo budget next year. So, I am really looking forward to Tracy Arm :D

[utahtea]

I can't seem to find a cruise in our budget that goes to both. Would love to do that though! So as of right now, it's one or the other.

 

We waited and booked on Holland America just a month before we left in July 2010. WATCH the prices because they can drop!

 

Utahtea

Edited May 25, 2014 by utahtea

[LEtue]

We waited and booked on Holland America just a month before we left in July 2010. WATCH the prices because they can drop!

 

Utahtea

 

Yes they can and some of us have been talking about that on another thread (can't remember which one though). My one and only trip on HAL was booked in late January for a May sailing and the prices were great :)

 

The problem for me is I have to plan further out for FF seats so I am going to book to allow leaving for a Saturday or Sunday departure and keep monitoring. Solo pricing is also a problem but who knows and I love a good challenge :)

[Fog123]

Prices have dropped over $150 pp this week on balcony cabins, at least for Volendam July 2 sailing.

 

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[ikirumata]

Seals? I love seals!

 

If you go early in the season you will see pups too!

 

Harbor Seal and Baby by ikirumata, on Flickr

 

Mountain Goats are year round too!

 

Tracy Arm Mountain Goat by ikirumata, on Flickr

 

If you are lucky, a bear!

 

Bear at Tracy Arm Fjord by ikirumata, on Flickr

 

Always a ton of eagles!

 

Eagle on Iceberg by ikirumata, on Flickr

 

And, if you take a small boat, you too can get close enough to photograph them!

 

Have a great time!

[navybaby1113]

If you go early in the season you will see pups too!

 

Harbor Seal and Baby by ikirumata, on Flickr

 

Mountain Goats are year round too!

 

Tracy Arm Mountain Goat by ikirumata, on Flickr

 

If you are lucky, a bear!

 

Bear at Tracy Arm Fjord by ikirumata, on Flickr

 

Always a ton of eagles!

 

Eagle on Iceberg by ikirumata, on Flickr

 

And, if you take a small boat, you too can get close enough to photograph them!

 

Have a great time!

 

Gorgeous pictures. Thanks for sharing!

[agabbymama]

If you go early in the season you will see pups too!

 

Harbor Seal and Baby by ikirumata, on Flickr

 

Mountain Goats are year round too!

 

Tracy Arm Mountain Goat by ikirumata, on Flickr

 

If you are lucky, a bear!

 

Bear at Tracy Arm Fjord by ikirumata, on Flickr

 

Always a ton of eagles!

 

Eagle on Iceberg by ikirumata, on Flickr

 

And, if you take a small boat, you too can get close enough to photograph them!

 

Have a great time!

 

WOW - GREAT PHOTOS!

 

But don't PLAN on seeing this wildlife. We did see seagulls on the ice floats, but nothing comparable to these photos. If you take the small excursion boat maybe, but not from the cruiseship.

 

Tracy Arm is no comparison to Glacier Bay (if Glaciers are what is important). You won't see a lot of wildlife in Glacier Bay either, but you will see 4-5 glaciers. We went in early May and did not have any problems with ice in the Bay. Glacier Bay is a National Park for a reason.

 

We had a balcony cabin and was outside most of the 3 hours in Tracy Arm and for Glacier Bay we had an Ocean View so was up on open decks for the day. I had an old film camera so can't share any of my photos, but they weren't as stunning anyway.

 

OP, you will have a great trip whatever you choose. Enjoy Alaska!