Which Alaska cruise is better......7 day Alaska or 7 day Glacier Bay?

[bubbles1209]

Which Alaska cruise do you think is better & why? We like the idea of a cruise day or 2 thrown in so that it's not port, port, port, get off. At the same time, we want to make sure we are gonna see the glaciers, ice, snow on the mountaintops, whales, all of that good stuff. Which one is better to take and is it better to go in May/June, or Sept?

[dsb9938]

I'm planning a round trip out of Seattle next year.

 

I finally decided to go because it's round trip.

 

That's what I was waiting for.

[bubbles1209]

The round trip is a huge plus, just having a hard time choosing which one.

 

[tiggerman101]

The round trip is a huge plus, just having a hard time choosing which one.

 

 

I feel the same way. I am not to sure about the round trip from Seattle. The port times seem a little short and I have no idea if the cruising days will be scenic or not. I am really leaning towards the Glacier Bay cruise because of the Inside Passage, but Tracy Arm Fjord seems like it could be nice as well. I really haven't heard much about it though. If I do decide on the one time (in 2010) Glacier Bay cruise then I feel like I should book soon because I really want an aft balcony. I am a bit confused and would love to hear from anyone that might have some insight on this.

[wrp96]

If Glaciers are a priority then you really want to choose the cruise with Glacier Bay instead of Tracy Arm especially if you plan on going in May or June. While Tracy Arm has gorgeous scenery, the Sawyer Glaciers at the end are nowhere near as spectacular as what you will see in Glacier Bay AND early in the season ships rarely get all the way into Tracy Arm to see the Sawyers. I believe last year it was late June/July before any ships made it all the way to see the Sawyers.

[teaach]

My DH and I did the Spirit roundtrip from vancouver last May just so we could experience Glacier Bay. It was well worth it! We spent the whole day on our aft balcony while the park ranger narrated everything through the tv's speaker system all day. The whales, sea otters, eagles, dolphins were amazing. I even saw one whale breach, something I didn't see while whale watching in Juneau with Harv and Marv (amazing trip). The calfing of the glaciers, the sonic booms they make when breaking off, the amazing blue ice the glaciers are made up of from millions of years of existence,etc. I would not have missed Glacier bay for anything in the world. Also only certain ships can obtain permits to visit Glacier Bay every year and the Spirit is one of them. I believe RC, NCL and other cruise lines do not have access to the national park. Princess, HAL can also go to Glacier Bay, but be very specific about the ship and route you choose.

[bubbles1209]

My DH and I did the Spirit roundtrip from vancouver last May just so we could experience Glacier Bay. It was well worth it! We spent the whole day on our aft balcony while the park ranger narrated everything through the tv's speaker system all day. The whales, sea otters, eagles, dolphins were amazing. I even saw one whale breach, something I didn't see while whale watching in Juneau with Harv and Marv (amazing trip). The calfing of the glaciers, the sonic booms they make when breaking off, the amazing blue ice the glaciers are made up of from millions of years of existence,etc. I would not have missed Glacier bay for anything in the world. Also only certain ships can obtain permits to visit Glacier Bay every year and the Spirit is one of them. I believe RC, NCL and other cruise lines do not have access to the national park. Princess, HAL can also go to Glacier Bay, but be very specific about the ship and route you choose.

 

Thanks so very much, that's a big help! Everything you have described was my idea of what we would see in my mind. I greatly appreciate you sharing your experience!

[joanne1]

We have done both cruises and there is no comparison . . . the first year we went on the round trip out of Seattle at the end of July. We did get to the point were we could see them far off in the distance, with binoculars, but nothing exciting about the glaciers. Don't get me wrong, the scenery going in was amazing - the waterfalls coming down both sides, the amazing amounts of icebergs but . . . the next year we did the one way down from Whittier (Anchorage) to Vancouver.

 

There is nothing like seeing Glacier Bay and College Fjord - the glaciers are massive and you can see the walls of ice. We did Tracey Arm again last year at beginning of July, and never got close to the end; however, there were plenty of ice bergs in the water.

 

People think it is cheaper to do the round trip because you don't have to do the flight to meet or end the one way and it's just more convenient, but I find the actual one way cruises a little less expensive (actually a lot cheaper, this year). Having done both I would say make sure that Glacier Bay and College Fjord are on the itinerary.