Question about Cruising Glacier Bay on the Pearl

[Akkadian01]

At what time has the ship been arriving at Glacier Bay?

[Toyz711]

since the pearl is doing the exact same route we did, last year, on the star. we got to glacier bay around 6am, the park ranger met up with the ship and climbed aboard. by 8am you are starting to cruise through the park. about 10am the park rangers start their talk over the loud speakers (also on the tv). they point out everything you are seeing on the port side. all the main views are on the port/left side of the ship. since i was there in mid sept, we did 1 more glacier then the ship normally does. (after sept 1st, the ships can cruise up john hopkins inlet...othewise it's a protected area for seal pups/wildlife) by 2pm we were cruising out and into icy straits.

be sure to look for whales/wildlife in the area (icy straits). if it's light early, be out with binoculars.

[Akkadian01]

wow thats early !

 

thanks

[pianoplayerla]

But, so worth it!!! I was up and ready at 6:00 a.m. the day we were there and it was extremely foggy. I almost had a fit, because I thought it would be that way all day. But, by the time room service delivered breakfast and we were through eating, the fog had started to lift and it was our favorite day of the cruise. :)

[Toyz711]

it was the 1 day we didn't have fog/low clouds or rain. the day was beautiful. i am not a early riser, but i was up by 5am..glad i was. getting those early morning pictures, got one of the ranger climbing the ladder up the side of the ship. (they enter by a doorway on the 4th deck).

we got a couple of plates of food from the buffet, got FIL from across the room and had a nice morning. by 8am he went with his daughter to the lounge to view from there. i stay on our balcony, the hubby was in the lounge with his dad and out on deck in time to see the calving.

the best day!!! just outstanding views.

don't miss a moment, by 2pm the ship will be on it's way to ketchikan.

keep your eyes open as you cruise out of the bay, we saw sea otters (not up close, but we knew what they were) saw some spouts from whales, but didn't get a close look at those early. but it's good wildlife viewing area.

[steveknj]

it was the 1 day we didn't have fog/low clouds or rain. the day was beautiful. i am not a early riser, but i was up by 5am..glad i was. getting those early morning pictures, got one of the ranger climbing the ladder up the side of the ship. (they enter by a doorway on the 4th deck).

we got a couple of plates of food from the buffet, got FIL from across the room and had a nice morning. by 8am he went with his daughter to the lounge to view from there. i stay on our balcony, the hubby was in the lounge with his dad and out on deck in time to see the calving.

the best day!!! just outstanding views.

don't miss a moment, by 2pm the ship will be on it's way to ketchikan.

keep your eyes open as you cruise out of the bay, we saw sea otters (not up close, but we knew what they were) saw some spouts from whales, but didn't get a close look at those early. but it's good wildlife viewing area.

 

I was on the Pearl first week of June and that was our schedule, with the exception of Johns Hopkins as you mentioned. It certainly is a truly amazing site to see Marjorie Glacier calving. And I definitely want to reiterate that once the ship begins to leave the bay, keep watching. We say a LOT of whales. Even had a dolphin jump up outside our cabin window, with a fish in it's mouth!!

[Don Haynes]

Keep in mind during the summer months there is much more daylight and far less nighlight in Alaska. Above the Artic Circle there is no night and during the winter there is no day....

 

On my July Alaskan cruise the night was only about five hours in the panhandle.

[Akkadian01]

I cant wait !!!!!!!! Was it hard to get a spot up on deck?

[Toyz711]

i am jealous...really a dolphin so close you could see the fish in it's mouth?

we had a couple of small whales right under our balcony, but that was on "sea day" before getting to jueanu. leaving glacier bay we saw a area where to currents were coming together. you could see the "junk" that was caught there...tree limbs and ocean trash. suddenly one of these pieces of trash went under the water and popped up a few yards away.

we realized that some of those black dots of trash were sea otters..hundreds of them. never got to see them up close, but it was fun to how close they let the ship come.

we did see a water spout (from a humpback), but it was in the distance.

didn't see any critters in glacier bay...just a lot of ice. did get a video of the ice in john hopkins inlet, it was crunching under the ship.

 

it's been reported that the pearl has tall wind panels..it's hard to get a clear view through them. you may want to explore up there in the days before you get to glacier bay. find someplace up high enough to see over everything.