Glacier Bay or Tracy Arm, YOU decide! :)

[BugsyCruiser]

We got home from our third Alaskan cruise on the Ruby. This trip took us to Tracy Arm. Though it was beautiful, we could barely see the glacier and that was a disappointment. We have already seen Glacier Bay and Hubbard. We are going back the end of July or within the first two weeks of August with two other couples. My recommendation to them will be either Glacer Bay or Hubbard, since one of the couples have never been to Alaska.

 

Hi Jody! Looks like from the voting and what people are telling me on here Glacier Bay will be the way to go :)

[Coral]

I'm going towards the end of August. Is this a better chance to get up close?

 

Probably. One thing to know about Alaska is that it is unpredictable! Hope for the best and do try to get in the small boat excursion if you can.

[BugsyCruiser]

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback and voted! Based on the overwhelming percentage of votes for it, I will indeed be booking the Glacier Bay itinerary aboard Crown Princess! I did forget to mention that this cruise will be next year but that gives me plenty of time to prepare for it! :) Right now I am looking at going on the 9/03 sailing next year

[InTheWASide]

 

Go to Glacier Bay - it is never missed!

 

 

Having been there 4 times I agree with this. Even if conditions may not allow for one or two of the glaciers the chance of missing all of them is, I would say, less than 1%.

 

Tracy Arm is beautiful and you can see lots of animals, just last Spring on Celebrity Solstice we saw two bear cubs playing right by the water (but we did miss the glacier as it was the first week of May)

 

OP, my answer would be based on 2 things:

 

1) Does anything about one of the ships appeal to you more than the other - Pricing, amenities, etc

 

2) Do you plan on going to Alaska again down the road (and I realize you may not know as you haven't been there before)

 

If you only plan to go once, absolutely, 1000000% Glacier Bay.

 

If you plan to go multiple times, then it doesn't really matter because you can explore "the other one" next time.

 

I change something up each time I go. Ship, itinerary, something with a new port or glacier, best price so a category I usually wouldn't book... SOMETHING.

 

Have an amazing time!

[smellycruzer]

GB is the right choice! Enjoy!

[lakemurraykid]

Hi Jody! Looks like from the voting and what people are telling me on here Glacier Bay will be the way to go :)

Hi Chris. How are you doing?

 

I have not written a review as of yet because Jack and I came home quite sick. He has pneumonia and I have bronchitis...I've been running a high fever for three days now.

 

Now for our trip. The Ruby is a beautiful ship, but she really needs to go in drydock at least for cosmetic changes, i.e., cushions on chairs in Horizon Court are badly splitting, handrails in elevators are all scratched up, full size sofa in our mini-suite looked dirty and the cushions were hard as rocks.

 

Overall though, it was a really good cruise. We thought the Horizon Court (Lido) where the food is located was cramped and not well organized, but yet the food was tasty. They had really good desserts. LOL Some of the cocktails I ordered were awful, i.e., bloody mary, chocolate martini, bahama mama. It was like the bartenders didn't know how to make them. The bloody mary tasted like straight tomato juice with a little vodka. To get good bloody you have to go to the Red Onion Saloon in Skagway. The bloodys there are AWESOME. We didn't go the the Red Dog Saloon in Juneau because there were four other ships in port and people were saying it took them two and one-half hours to get in. Since we've been there two other times, we skipped it.

 

Tracy Arm is beautiful but we didn't see any wildlife and the glacier was so far away that I could barely get a picture of it. That was really disappointing. I am recommending to our friends that we go to Glacier Bay. It is huge.

 

I am so glad to hear that you're going to Alaska. You can't go wrong. Message me about a couple of excursions we have taken. One was from a previous cruise and then the one we took this time. I will be glad to give you all the information. :D

[Putterdude]

Tracy Arm is a lovely experience but it really can't compare with the grandeur of Glacier Bay. I would also put the Hubbard glacier ahead of Tracey Arm and while IMO the Hubbard is at par with Glacier Bay there are differences that set them apart from one another.

[MicCanberra]

Glacier bay, add my vote, it was spectacular.:D

[lovevacadays]

Thank you for posting your thread. Very timely for me.:):) I was just looking at Alaska cruises for 2016 and didn't know which would be best: between the two you listed. Looks like Glacier Bay might be the one I'll book.

[Astro Flyer]

Thank you for posting your thread. Very timely for me.:):) I was just looking at Alaska cruises for 2016 and didn't know which would be best: between the two you listed. Looks like Glacier Bay might be the one I'll book.

 

Michelle...don't delay booking because Princess might read this thread & decide to charge a higher price for the more popular Crown Princess to Glacier Bay. ;)

 

You must have a FCC deposit available, right? :)

Edited May 29, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[MicCanberra]

I am sure someone at Princess reads the threads, not sure if it raises prices though.;)

[bachcruise]

Tracy Arm is a lovely experience but it really can't compare with the grandeur of Glacier Bay. I would also put the Hubbard glacier ahead of Tracey Arm and while IMO the Hubbard is at par with Glacier Bay there are differences that set them apart from one another.

 

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Astro Flyer]

Michelle...don't delay booking because Princess might read this thread & decide to charge a higher price for the more popular Crown Princess to Glacier Bay. ;)

 

You must have a FCC deposit available, right? :)

 

I am sure someone at Princess reads the threads, not sure if it raises prices though.;)

I've met Michelle & just trying to gently encourage her to take the cruise. ;)

[MicCanberra]

I've met Michelle & just trying to gently encourage her to take the cruise. ;)

 

Fair enough, it may spur her on to book it.:D

[Shyle]

Crown and glacier! :) Favourite ship, so far and LOVED Glacier bay day on my cruise to Alaska.