Tracy's Arm 2016

[xlxo]

My wife thinks I'm weird to watch marinetraffic.com, but I think it's fun!

 

Glad to have someone else in the club. Weirdos unite!

You can even pay for the app to have on your phone.... not there yet.

[twins_to_alaska]

Did anyone happen to see yesterday for Carnival legend?

 

This 'live' report said Endicott.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2372912

[mara93]

I just got off the Legend this week. We did not make it into Tracy Arm. We went to Endicott Arm instead. They say this year is very unusual. Several huge ice burgs are continuously breaking off the glacier causing too much congestion to enter, but Endicott Arm is beautiful, so don't be disappointed if you end up going there. Our day was gorgeous, complete sunshine for the entire day! We did the small boat excursion, and I would pay the money to do it again. It was very much worth it.

 

Thanks for posting, we'll be boarding the Legend Tuesday & hope we can get in.

[sherryf]

Tracy Arm is 31 miles long, with the Sawyer Glacier at the end and Holkham Bay at the beginning.

 

The ship was able to travel 17 miles in Tracy Arm before turning back to Holkham and going to Endicott instead. This happened in late May. Depending on conditions.... ice congestion can improve or get worse day to day.

 

The thing that confuses me about this is the time. I think the ship in questions (was it Ruby?) is only at Tracy Arm for 4 hours. I don't see how they would have time to go 17 miles into Tracy, back out, and then still have time for a full transit of Endicott.

[saxmangeoff]

You can even pay for the app to have on your phone.... not there yet.

 

LOL. Yeah.

 

I also haven't pulled the (fairly expensive) trigger for satellite data to cover when ships are out of AIS range.

 

It may be an obsession, but so far, all I've been willing to spend on it is time. :D

[xlxo]

The thing that confuses me about this is the time. I think the ship in questions (was it Ruby?) is only at Tracy Arm for 4 hours. I don't see how they would have time to go 17 miles into Tracy, back out, and then still have time for a full transit of Endicott.

i'm starting wonder about that too as the Ruby normally does Juneau in the afternoon. I think I have it confused for another ship when I was checking for another cruiser in the forum.

 

Anyhow.... Best that we monitor marinetraffic.com to see how far the ships and excursion boats go.

Edited July 1, 2016 by xlxo

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Thanks for posting, we'll be boarding the Legend Tuesday & hope we can get in.

 

You are going to have an amazing time!

[asubaru]

True! It's right up there with "You guys are the best crowd we've had all tour" and "No, that dress doesn't make you look fat." :D

 

 

LOL...thanks for the giggles! Thanks also for keeping tabs on TA. Please keep us updated; I'm on an excursion in about 10 days with allen marine tours and am hopeful to go to Sawyer.

[birdie2]

How calm are the waters for the small Allen Marine boat in Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm? And, what about on the way back to Juneau?

[jmacway]

Why are the ships not going to Tracys Arm? Is it because of iceburgs?

[Budget Queen]

Why are the ships not going to Tracys Arm? Is it because of iceburgs?

 

the tight time frames of cruise ship schedules. Ice does slow down the transit and people "expect" to see glaciers, so some cruise ships opt to sail, the more open and straight sailing area of Endicott Arm. TIME is the main reason. Of course- the announcement- about "safety" etc etc is mentioned- that "sounds" good and is readily accepted, but totally false. Think about- IF there was a "safety" issue, do you really think cruise ships would be sailing there? And when was the last time, you heard about a ship sinking/in trouble due to ice???

[karen_g]

Just got off the Ruby Princess this morning. We missed Tracy Arm also, but went to Endicott Arm instead (very beautiful). We did the small boat excursion and I **thought** I heard one of the workers (on the small boat) say that they had not gone to Tracy Arm yet this season.

 

 

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[xlxo]

In addition to ice.... Is there anything on the ice? Often there is wildlife on the ice.... especially closer to Sawyer.

[karen_g]

In Endicott Arm, there were some harbor seals and birds on some of the ice floes.

 

 

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[clearwaters]

June 14-21st on the Carnival Legend...

 

we did Endicott instead, it was fabulous! We arrived there in a complete fog... we were so disappointed, then all of a sudden the fog lifted and the ship went in. We took the small boat excursion and it was FANTASTIC. Highly recommend it.

 

here is my video:

 

 

Thank you for the video

[CanuckonaBoat]

june 27 sailing of Disney Wonder did NOT go to tracy arm - we went to Endicott instead.

 

Cruise directors said that just before we enter Endicott arm we would be able to see the entry of Tracy Arm and all the ice - and it was true- lots of ice.

 

I thought Endicott was really beautiful - we saw whales and eagles before heading down. And in the Arm we saw lots of waterfalls and seals on the ice near the glacier. We got really close and hung out of a while.

 

I regretted not doing the small boat excursion. It was done by Allen Tours through Disney. We did their whale excursion in juneau and loved the company.

 

I'm using our diversion to Endicott arm as an excuse to go another season to see Tracy Arm :)

[gnatz007]

We are just pulling into Juneau on the Ruby Princess. We didn't do Tracy Arm, and did Endicott instead. Saw a bear, Moose, Seal in Endicott, and a Killer Whale after leaving Endicott on the way to Juneau. Endicott was beautiful. Will post pictures later when we get back.

 

 

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[limoncello07]

We are just pulling into Juneau on the Ruby Princess. We didn't do Tracy Arm, and did Endicott instead. Saw a bear, Moose, Seal in Endicott, and a Killer Whale after leaving Endicott on the way to Juneau. Endicott was beautiful. Will post pictures later when we get back.

 

Many thank for the live report -- glad to hear the detour was a good one! I'll be going on the Ruby in a couple of weeks and am curious -- were the "scenic viewing" hours for Endicott Arm the same as those scheduled for Tracy Arm (i.e, 5-9 am)? And did you arrive in Juneau early or as scheduled?

[gnatz007]

We were there the same time 5-9, and arrived in Juneau right on schedule. It was a little cooler that early, but nothing a fleece jacket and rain shell to stop the wind couldn't overcome.

 

 

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[Budget Queen]

Many thank for the live report -- glad to hear the detour was a good one! I'll be going on the Ruby in a couple of weeks and am curious -- were the "scenic viewing" hours for Endicott Arm the same as those scheduled for Tracy Arm (i.e, 5-9 am)? And did you arrive in Juneau early or as scheduled?

 

Scenic- is BEFORE dawn, right through until you get to Juneau. :)

[Chenega]

Personally I'm a fan of the less-visited Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier. Here's a picture of Dawes taken from an Un-cruise ship in early May this year. The bottom picture was taken of a glacier in Blackstone Bay (Prince William Sound).

Edited July 7, 2016 by Chenega

[limoncello07]

We were there the same time 5-9, and arrived in Juneau right on schedule.

 

Thanks very much for reporting back -- good to know!

 

Personally I'm a fan of the less-visited Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier.

 

While reading this thread, I've been wondering why the cruise ships don't simply change their itinerary to Endicott Arm if Tracy Arm is so elusive. From the pictures I've seen, the scenery in both looks similar, but maybe someone like BudgetQueen who has seen both in person can weigh in . . . .

Edited July 7, 2016 by limoncello07

[Coral]

Personally I'm a fan of the less-visited Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier. Here's a picture of Dawes taken from an Un-cruise ship in early May this year. The bottom picture was taken of a glacier in Blackstone Bay (Prince William Sound).

 

For me, it is "more frequented Endicott Arm" as I have yet to see the glaciers at Tracy Arm and keep getting diverted to Endicott Arm.

[mickeysgal]

So do the smaller ships get into Tracy Arm? We are considering a Tracy Arm excursion from Juneau with a private company (Adventure Bound, Allen Marine, etc). It's a long day tour so want it to be worth it.

[Chenega]

So do the smaller ships get into Tracy Arm? We are considering a Tracy Arm excursion from Juneau with a private company (Adventure Bound, Allen Marine, etc). It's a long day tour so want it to be worth it.

 

The smaller ships are worth it since you get much closer. Been to Tracy Arm three times and Endicott twice, both on a smaller boat.

 

Tracy Arm and Hubbard are widely viewed by the travel industry up here as alternative destinations for large cruise lines that do not have permits from the National Park Service to sail into Glacier Bay. It's an application process and some lines simply choose not to apply since only two ships a day can enter.

 

Numerous factors affect access to Tracy Arm including ice conditions, tides, and availability and hours of the required pilots that come aboard and escort the vessel. I was a cruise ship naturalist for several years and had an experience in Tracy Arm where we had to turn due to the hours allocated to the pilot; I was told by the ship's cruise director to announce that we were turning due to the ice conditions:confused:

 

Hubbard Glacier is also weather dependent and ice can also determine how far the ship enters. Glacier Bay doesn't have these problems.