Glacier viewing in Alaska - Mendenhall Glacier tour vs. viewing from ship in Glacier Bay

[jillhavens]

I am going on an Alaska cruise on the Eurodam in June. One of our days will be spent sailing through Glacier Bay.  Another day we will be in Juneau and there are shore excursion options that visit the Mendenhall glacier - some by car, some by boat and some by kayak. It doesn't look like you get terribly close to the glacier on any of those.  My question is: Since we will be sailing through Glacier Bay the following day, and presumably the ship will get semi-near the glaciers, does doing a tour to the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau let us experience glaciers in a much better. deeper, closer or richer way than we will from the ship?  If not, then I will pick an excursion that doesn't involve the Mendenhall Glacier.

 

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with this?

 

Thanks!

[luvteaching]

The two are somewhat different. In Juneau Mendenhall is a major draw. You don't get as close as you once did due to the glacier receding but you can walk the Nugget Falls train and get fairly close to the glacier relatively speaking. There is also a very nice visitors center. 

In Glacier Bay I believe the National Park Service Rangers will be on-board to narrate and have a table of things to purchase as well as the stamp for your National Park passport. You do get somewhat close to the glaciers (and Pea soup is served on the decks). Last year I did the small boat tour at Hubbard and it was worth every penny I spent. If you want to get closer then, if that's offered, it might be worth it to you. We got quite a bit closer to the glacier than the ship did. 

 

Karen

[The4OfUs]

We did this in Sept - and I found the two vastly different. It was really cool to be able to walk to a giant waterfall at the base of the Mendenhall Glacier - but it was very far away - the zoom on my camera was appreciated. (That being said, the waterfall was awesome!)

 

Glacier Bay was breathtaking for us - I took so many videos and photos to share with folks back home, but honestly until you're floating on a beautiful ship in front of a giant glacer SO close - allowed on the bow to view, or on our balcony as they swing the ship around so both sides get a long view - you won't really understand the awe of it all. It's one of my favorite places on earth now and I want to go back.  🙂  

 

Either way you will have a wonderful time!  🙂  

[Crew News]

Viewing miles-wide glaciers is an awesome experience but walking on a glacier lets you feel a part of a glacier.  One of my favorite excursions in Juneau has been walking on Mendenhall Glacier after a helicopter landing.  Wearing crampons to maintain footing in the constant flowing water on top of the ice was interesting and filling a small cup to taste with the flowing water was a highlight.

 

The views of the deep blue crevasses were awesome and quite different from looking at the glacier faces in Glacier Bay.

 

 

 

[Ottawa traveller]

On my cruise in 2022, I booked the Mendenhall Glacier tour. Unfortunately, Juneau had terrible weather as an atmoshpheric river settled over the area. It was virutally impossible to see the glacier in the distance. Of course you can't predict the weather but if it is bad, you might have the same experience that I did.

[crystalspin]

2 hours ago, jillhavens said:

does doing a tour to the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau let us experience glaciers in a much better. deeper, closer or richer way than we will from the ship?  If not, then I will pick an excursion that doesn't involve the Mendenhall Glacier.

I allow that landing and walking on Mendenhall would be a prime experience, but if you are talking about a tour to the visitor center and a walk to the view point or trek to the waterfall, it is pretty disappointing even in OK weather. This is what you could see in 2016:

People for scale:

 

If you are not hiring the helicopter, the day in Juneau is better spent on a whale watch! In my not humble opinion.

[julia]

@crystalspin... is one of those happy ladies you?!⬆️

 

OP:  Glacier Bay is awesome, Mendenhall is nice, but not particularly exciting.

[crystalspin]

2 minutes ago, julia said:

@crystalspin... is one of those happy ladies you?

Yes, I am the big girl in the middle! The taller companion (camera left) is my mom, the other her sister, my aunt! Obviously we were having a great time!

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

Yes, I am the big girl in the middle! The taller companion (camera left) is my mom, the other her sister, my aunt! Obviously we were having a great time!

Now I have a face to the name!  
 

also it should be mentioned geologically they are two different type of glaciers.  Actually more as in glacier bay there are at least two kinds😉

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

If you have never been to Glacier Bay, it is an experience not to be missed. So, if you are picking one or the other, I would choose Glacier Bay. As others have said, Mendenhall Glacier is different. If there is no other excursion in Juneau that you want to do, I would visit Mendenhall. You could wait until you get to Juneau to decide as there are local busses that will take you there.

 

Personally, I like the Hubbard Glacier the best so if you ever get a chance to see it, do so.

[YourWorldWithBill]

We also experienced both, and I would agree with @Crew News: walking on the glacier was worth every bit of the expense, but it is expensive. In fact, we found just the helicopter tide getting to, around and from the Mendenhall pretty spectacular, also. A once-in-a-lifetime experience. Perhaps because of the time of year and weather, Glacier Bay, although nice, was not the highlight of our cruise. But we didn't go to Hubbard Glacier.

 

Obviously I can't comment on other viewing of the glacier. 

[cattman]

Great responses, all.. 

Nothing quite compares to Glacier Bay(except maybe College Fjord or Hubbard). And while I heartily recommend a whale watch tour or heli landing while in Juneau- we have done both - there are a few reasons besides the glacier to visit Mendenhall. Besides the aforementioned waterfall walk, we have found that some of the best wildlfe viewing on our many visits to Alaska has been in the Mendenhall area. Call us very lucky, but every time we have visited we have seen bears - sometimes extremely close-up.

There is also a fantastic trail if you like to hike - the East Glacier/Trail of Time that is very worthwhile, with amazing views, old mining relics and wildlife. We often see mountain goats and bears along this trail, once happening on a mother with her two cubs

While i will admit if you are making this cruise for the first time, the heli and whale tours should make the top of the list, as a repeat visitor we find the trip is also one of the most cost-effective excursions in Juneau, esp. for families

[PSR]

7 hours ago, crystalspin said:

I allow that landing and walking on Mendenhall would be a prime experience, but if you are talking about a tour to the visitor center and a walk to the view point or trek to the waterfall, it is pretty disappointing even in OK weather. This is what you could see in 2016:

People for scale:

 

If you are not hiring the helicopter, the day in Juneau is better spent on a whale watch! In my not humble opinion.

In this picture it looks like the glacier had an earlier flooding incident. This happens occasially when melting water builds up behind the glacier front and suddenly breaks through the ice and floods the lake below. It happened right before one of our visits and the trail to the waterfall (behind the person on the right) was closed. Normally you can walk all the way to the waterfall; it is about 1 mile to the falls. Worth it if the trail is open.

Edited April 23 by PSR

[81Zoomie]

Glacier Bay is awesome!  Some of the best viewing if the weather and ice conditions cooperate.  Mendenhall is a very nice walk and the waterfall is great too.  I second the public bus recommendation.  It’s very easy to locate when you get off the ship and is an inexpensive way to get to the park.  Setting foot on a glacier is a great, yet pricey experience.  If you are lucky enough to sail up Tracey’s Arm, the small boat excursion is wonderful for close up glacier and waterfall viewing.  Hope you love AK as much as we did ❤️.

 

[turbulentwaters]

I agree that if you want to see glaciers, Glacier Bay will be much better.  Mendenhall is nice if you are in Juneau and don't want to spend a lot of money and you want do do some walking.  However, going on a helicopter trip and walking on a glacier can be quite spectacular, weather permitting.  Personally, I would really recommend a trip to the Taku lodge. I did that years ago and loved it, and the salmon bake portion of it was I think the best salmon I have ever had.  But the journey is the really spectacular part, flying in a float plane over five glaciers and a sense of the size of the ice field, and that gives you an entirely different perspective than what you see from the ship in Glacier Bay.  The combination of both Glacier Bay from the ship and Taku Lodge and the 5 glaciers from above is a great experience.  

[rj59]

The best way to see Mendenhall is to buy a ticket for the Blue Bus when you get off the ship, where there are tour kiosks. It will take you to a park where you can go on a short hike to see Mendenhall, as well as a waterfall. Mendenhall is at the end of a lake and is receding quite a bit, so the best option, I'd say, is to just visit the park and see it that way, with the added beauty of the lake in front of it and the waterfall and hiking in the woods. The advantage of the Blue Bus is that it runs every 15 minutes or so, so you can just return when you want and not be tied to a schedule. They also have a tourist center in the park, different offshoots of the trail to get different views, and if it's later in the summer, there's a creek by the parking lot where you can see salmon returning. 

[SightCRR]

Find some photos of the glacier from 2023. I think that it has receded in a major way since 2016. It won't be long in glacier years until you will not be able to see it from the visitor center much like Portage Glacier.   

[cruiserdotcom]

What do folks suggest for optimum viewing of Glacier Bay if you are solo and cannot afford a balcony or suite cabin.  Ocean view would be affordable but the defects and dirt on the glass might be unfortunate.  I presume the open decks are crowded.  Are there any other secluded but open places where one can stand for a good view, depending on the ship, however.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jillhavens]

Thank you everybody for all this advice. I think I will not do a Mendenhall glacier excursion and just get my glacier fix via glacier Bay!

[HappyInVan]

1 hour ago, cruiserdotcom said:

What do folks suggest for optimum viewing of Glacier Bay if you are solo and cannot afford a balcony or suite cabin.  Ocean view would be affordable but the defects and dirt on the glass might be unfortunate.  I presume the open decks are crowded.  Are there any other secluded but open places where one can stand for a good view, depending on the ship, however.

 

 

There's no need for a balcony or OV. The ship will enter and leave Glacier Bay by the same (roughly) route. So, a fixed position on the sides will only have a limited view at any time.

 

The best position whilst approaching the glacier is the bow. There's the comfort of the Crows Nest, or the open decks of the Observation Deck or the bow (if access is allowed).

 

The open decks on the top of the ship allows a 360 view of you are able to walk around. One advantage is the elevated viewpoint.

 

A partially sheltered position is on Deck 10 aft (near the Tamarind restaurant) which overlooks the Sea View Pool. Should it get too cold on the deck, you can nip down to the Lido on Deck 9 where there are wall to ceiling windows. Enjoy...

 

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, cruiserdotcom said:

What do folks suggest for optimum viewing of Glacier Bay if you are solo and cannot afford a balcony or suite cabin.  Ocean view would be affordable but the defects and dirt on the glass might be unfortunate.  I presume the open decks are crowded.  Are there any other secluded but open places where one can stand for a good view, depending on the ship, however.

Open decks can get quite cold/wet/windy depending on the weather. The Crow's Nest provides great viewing, seating availability will vary throughout the day as people come and go. Servers will bring drinks so you don't lose your spot; same for Dutch Pea Soup - they bring it right to you.

Rainy day early May 2023 on the Eurodam 

 

 

 

 

[YourWorldWithBill]

18 hours ago, cattman said:

Great responses, all.. 

Nothing quite compares to Glacier Bay(except maybe College Fjord or Hubbard).

Just a note of support for the beauty of College Fjord. We walked away from our dinner to go from side to side on the ship and couldn't get enough of what we saw.

[Crew News]

3 hours ago, cruiserdotcom said:

What do folks suggest for optimum viewing of Glacier Bay if you are solo and cannot afford a balcony or suite cabin.  Ocean view would be affordable but the defects and dirt on the glass might be unfortunate.  I presume the open decks are crowded.  Are there any other secluded but open places where one can stand for a good view, depending on the ship, however.

 

I have enjoyed taking Glacier Bay photos from the Promenade Deck (Deck 3).  Surprisingly, last year there were only about 20 passengers with me for the entire length of the deck.

 

[LeDemonBlond]

12 hours ago, rj59 said:

The best way to see Mendenhall is to buy a ticket for the Blue Bus when you get off the ship, where there are tour kiosks. It will take you to a park where you can go on a short hike to see Mendenhall, as well as a waterfall. Mendenhall is at the end of a lake and is receding quite a bit, so the best option, I'd say, is to just visit the park and see it that way, with the added beauty of the lake in front of it and the waterfall and hiking in the woods. The advantage of the Blue Bus is that it runs every 15 minutes or so, so you can just return when you want and not be tied to a schedule. They also have a tourist center in the park, different offshoots of the trail to get different views, and if it's later in the summer, there's a creek by the parking lot where you can see salmon returning. 

Just so people are aware, one has to pre-book the Blue Bus now. They no longer operate the 15 minute service. Because of the issue with limited passes to the Park, they have had to go this way.  The price for this is now $79 U.S. and is the same price as the ship excursion. Only positive is you get a guaranteed seat but you have designated times for drop off and pick up. 

Edited April 23 by LeDemonBlond

[RuthC]

8 hours ago, cruiserdotcom said:

What do folks suggest for optimum viewing of Glacier Bay if you are solo and cannot afford a balcony or suite cabin. 

I've been to Glacier Bay many times over the years, and was only rained off an open outside deck once. Not that there wasn't poor weather other times, but not bad enough to stop me. Even had one day I was comfortable in a sundress, and got sunburn on my face! 

You will have plenty of time before Glacier Bay day to walk around the ship and determine what outdoor and indoor places will be good. Find several, and be ready to move around when the big day comes. 

On THE DAY, bundle up as needed, and head outdoors. Except for the Pinnacle class ships, I highly recommend the promenade deck (by whatever name is used on your particular ship) as there are places to sit, and there is some coverage from the lifeboats overhead.