curtdesilets Posted February 23, 2018 #1 Share Posted February 23, 2018 (edited) According to Captain Albert, The larger Sawyer glacier was pretty much unapproachable last season due to so much calving, ice everywhere and the glacier has RETREATED about a half mile and thus the new water left behind is impossible to navigate as they had no way to know what lied underneath. Just wondering if any of you had enough good luck to get close to the glacier face, as you usually do at Hubbard Glacier? Captain Alberts blog on this last summer: https://www.hollandamerica.com/blog/excluderecent/14-september-2017-tracy-arm-alaska-sort-off/ As a side note, we were on a smaller ship a few years ago (Oceania Regatta) that had the same issue. The Captain actually steered into another inlet off of Tracy Arm and got us really close to a smaller lesser known glacier, just to "save face" . ;) Edited February 23, 2018 by curtdesilets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 3rdGenCunarder Posted February 23, 2018 #2 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Yes, we did get a look at the glacier in Tracy Arm, but it was 8 years ago. Also, it was late in the season, so less ice in the water. Last year, we sailed up Endicott Arm instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtdesilets Posted February 23, 2018 Author #3 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Yes, we did get a look at the glacier in Tracy Arm, but it was 8 years ago. Also, it was late in the season, so less ice in the water. Last year, we sailed up Endicott Arm instead. That detour to Endicott Arm seems to be the game plan. Looks like Amsterdam did this as well according to Captain Albert's blog. I do not think however the larger ships like Celebrity Solstice can not go up to Endicott Arm. That according to some officers on Regatta, perhaps. Wonder if that's true. Actually, come to think about it, Solstice did not attempt it when we were on her and we had th same Ice issue. Perhaps caught a glimpse of Sawyer from a binocular distance for a nanosecond or two! . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alberta Quilter Posted February 23, 2018 #4 Share Posted February 23, 2018 We got within a quarter mile of the South Sawyer Glacier on the Amsterdam in May, 2014. The next day, I did a small boat tour to Tracy Arm, from Juneau, and we couldn't get close to the South Sawyer and went to the North Sawyer Glacier instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 3rdGenCunarder Posted February 23, 2018 #5 Share Posted February 23, 2018 That detour to Endicott Arm seems to be the game plan. Looks like Amsterdam did this as well according to Captain Albert's blog. I do not think however the larger ships like Celebrity Solstice can not go up to Endicott Arm. That according to some officers on Regatta, perhaps. Wonder if that's true. Actually, come to think about it, Solstice did not attempt it when we were on her and we had th same Ice issue. Perhaps caught a glimpse of Sawyer from a binocular distance for a nanosecond or two! . We were on Amsterdam in September when we went up Endicott Arm. It was just us and a small tour boat. HAL did not offer a small boat excursion, probably because we were able to get to the glacier at that time of year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VennDiagram Posted February 23, 2018 #6 Share Posted February 23, 2018 I've seen it twice. Once in mid-May, once in early September. Never really close though compared to Glacier Bay glaciers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katrina915 Posted February 23, 2018 #7 Share Posted February 23, 2018 That detour to Endicott Arm seems to be the game plan. Looks like Amsterdam did this as well according to Captain Albert's blog. I do not think however the larger ships like Celebrity Solstice can not go up to Endicott Arm. That according to some officers on Regatta, perhaps. Wonder if that's true. Actually, come to think about it, Solstice did not attempt it when we were on her and we had th same Ice issue. Perhaps caught a glimpse of Sawyer from a binocular distance for a nanosecond or two! . On the Celebrity Solstice mid July last year, we went within 1/4 mile of Endicott. Very visible and scenic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted February 23, 2018 #8 Share Posted February 23, 2018 On our first Alaskan cruises many years ago, we were not even able to get close to Tracy Arm because of all the ice flows. In 2011 and 2012 we were very fortunate to get very close to the glacier -- cruises were the end of June and early July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oaktreerb Posted February 23, 2018 #9 Share Posted February 23, 2018 (edited) We have gotten close to South Sawyer on mid-size HAL ships in the past but on our small boat excursion last year in late June even the small boat excursion could not go to South Sawyer so it went to North Sawyer which I was happy about because I had been close to South Sawyer several times. Alaska is an ever changing landscape....always something new to see. There was still a lot of ice to navigate. Edited February 23, 2018 by oaktreerb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjcox9 Posted February 23, 2018 #10 Share Posted February 23, 2018 In 2010, we were fortunate enough to get relatively close to Sawyer Glacier. However, it was when Princess still had the three small ships and one was doing 14 day Alaska cruises yearly. It was a really gorgeous day with a few small pieces of ice in the water. I was just looking at the pictures and found that we have two pictures of the Volendam going past the entrance to Sawyer Glacier. We've been there a couple of times with HAL and no attempt has ever been made. It could have been the smaller size of the Princess Ship (old Royal Princess) or problems with ice. I know we were expecting the same experience later on other ships, but not to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Crew News Posted February 23, 2018 #11 Share Posted February 23, 2018 In June 2017 saw both glaciers but got very close to South Sawyer Glacier on a HAL small boat excursion. Lots of huge ice flows would have been too dangerous for cruise ship to go very deep into Tracy Arm. Ice flow larger than a house: North Sawyer Glacier: South Sawyer Glacier up close: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted February 24, 2018 #12 Share Posted February 24, 2018 July, 2017 on the Amsterdam: Yes, we visited the Glacier. A great day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDC1 Posted February 24, 2018 #13 Share Posted February 24, 2018 About 8 years ago did a small ship excursion from a HAL ship that went to both North and South Sawyer, was close enough to the glaciers that when the glacier calved larger than normal, it really rocked the boat. The cruise ship itself did not enter the fjord. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navybankerteacher Posted February 24, 2018 #14 Share Posted February 24, 2018 In mid-June 2016. It was obvious then that the glaciers were withdrawing just from comparing with pictures taken in earlier years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT1962 Posted February 24, 2018 #15 Share Posted February 24, 2018 We got very close to both North and South Sawyer Glaciers last May with Adventure Bound. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted February 24, 2018 #16 Share Posted February 24, 2018 On one trip up on the cruise ship we got within sight of North Sawyer Glacier, but it was a long way away, around a bend, and we had to twist and strain to see it. No big deal. On another trip the cruise ship got reasonably close to South Sawyer Glacier, and it was a nice view, but nothing compared to Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier. On still another trip I took the HAL shore excursion where you transfer to a catamaran near the entrance. We got very close to North Sawyer Glacier, and saw it from an entirely different perspective. We were close to the water, and could see another tour boat, plus some individual boats, near the face. It made the glacier look so much bigger than the view from the cruise ship did. The cruise up Tracy Arm is a lovely scenic cruise up a fjord, and oh, there's a glacier at the end. Glacier Bay is a day filled with glacier viewing, and oh, there's plenty of scenic cruising, too. The purpose of the two days is very different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liketraveling Posted February 24, 2018 #17 Share Posted February 24, 2018 In May 2014 saw it on the Amsterdam. In August 2016 Endocott glacier was substituted. I am going on the Zaandam first 14 day cruise out of Seattle. This is early May so probably won’t see it then. I have never sailed to Alaska in early May. I have always sailed late May, late August or Early September. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtdesilets Posted February 24, 2018 Author #18 Share Posted February 24, 2018 OP Curt here. Thanks for all of the responses. I think we have done Tracy 3 times in the past and never saw Sawyer, so I am just curious. Looks like some of you had some better luck! Thanks for those beautiful pictures!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajkr74 Posted February 24, 2018 #19 Share Posted February 24, 2018 June 29, 2014, lots ice trying to get as close as the captain could on the Amsterdam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtdesilets Posted February 24, 2018 Author #20 Share Posted February 24, 2018 June 29, 2014, lots ice trying to get as close as the captain could on the Amsterdam. Wow! That picture really captures the BLUE ice! Outstanding. Glaciers are so cool, literally and figuratively that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisyloo Posted February 24, 2018 #21 Share Posted February 24, 2018 In July 2014 on the Zaandam we got quite close to the glacier. The captain said we were his first cruise that season to get that close. It was a wonderful day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie68 Posted February 24, 2018 #22 Share Posted February 24, 2018 We have seen the glaciers a couple of times, but we always cruise later in the season - August/September. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruizer Bill Posted February 24, 2018 #23 Share Posted February 24, 2018 Go later in the year to increase your chances. We have seen the glaciers in July. Another trip we were sent up Endicott Arm instead of Tracy Arm and it was very nice as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankc98376 Posted February 25, 2018 #24 Share Posted February 25, 2018 We went up Endicott one year on Oosterdam due to ice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utahtea Posted February 25, 2018 #25 Share Posted February 25, 2018 June 29, 2014, lots ice trying to get as close as the captain could on the Amsterdam. We were on that same cruise and that sure was a BEAUTIFUL day! Utahtea waves to Rick & Joyce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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