Mendenhall tour or Tracy Arm Tour from Juneau

Ship is in Juneau for 13 hours. Tracy Arm tour is a 7 hour tour. Not yet sure what time it will be. Early planning stage. I'd like to see both but I may need to choose only one. Which tour would you guys pick?

Tracy Arm!

Tracy Arm! You'll have the opportunity for a two-hour nap on the boat ride back to Juneau (or some snoozing on the way out, if you so desire), so you can recharge a bit for more things in Juneau afterward.

Expect some VERY light snacks for free, but be ready to buy lunch on the tour boat.

Ship is in Juneau for 13 hours. Tracy Arm tour is a 7 hour tour. Not yet sure what time it will be. Early planning stage. I'd like to see both but I may need to choose only one. Which tour would you guys pick?

• which ship and sailing are you on? Some ships offer a mid-cruise cruise transfer into Tracy Arm to maximize your Juneau time for a Mendenhall visit.
  
• If you want to see a glacier.... Mendenhall. If you haven't seen enough mountains and water on your 7 day cruise.... Tracy Arm.
  
• some months are bad for Tracy Arm... there's too much ice congestion to reach the 31 mile end. Note you need to add 50 miles from Juneau to Tracy Arm's entrance.
  

Would you rather be out walking/hiking or sitting on a boat?

Looking at Holland 14day great land explorer. It does not offer mid cruise tour. We were in Glacier Bay last year and have seen a lot of glaciers on past trips.

I would rather be sitting, but my hubby would rather be hiking. Also, we have never been to Juneau before.

Looking at Holland 14day great land explorer. It does not offer mid cruise tour. We were in Glacier Bay last year and have seen a lot of glaciers on past trips.

http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/CruiseDetails.action?destCode=A&flexibleMonths=false&noOfFlexibleMonths=1&pageNumber=0&voyageCode=M663&directionCode=L&tabName=ItineraryDetails&fromSearchVacation=true

As it's an all day trip.... I wonder if it goes 31 miles up the Fjord to meet Sawyer. I wonder if anyone can confirm.

If Day 4 is a full day at the Fjord... you might want to look at Mendenhall or a Mendenhall whale watch combo for Juneau.

I would rather be sitting, but my hubby would rather be hiking. Also, we have never been to Juneau before.

Even though Tracy Arm is my favorite thing in an Alaskan cruise, you may enjoy a city tour of Juneau and a different bus to Mendenhall glacier. Mendenhall glacier is a beautiful area and there are easy hikes there. Should your husband want to hike more than you, he can do that and you can hang out in the visitor center.

Thanks for very one'so advice. There are no excursions listed on day 4 at Tracy Arm. So assuming they do not offer it for that cruise.

Thanks for very one'so advice. There are no excursions listed on day 4 at Tracy Arm. So assuming they do not offer it for that cruise.

That's because your ship will spend hours cruising the fjord, ice conditions permitting. So if you want to see the fjord from both the ship, AND from a smaller boat, you will need to book the small boat trip that leaves from Juneau. Maybe someone else can weigh in on whether you would have enough time to go to Mendenhall as well.

If you are in Tracy Arm for 7 hrs and then have 6 hrs in Juneau that's plenty of time to get a city bus to Mendenhall glacier and do a bit of hiking, just depends on the timing. Our cruise lists afternoon tours obviously timed to coincide with those wanting to do sequential tours.

Having said that, someone reported here that their cat was late getting back and everyone missed their afternoon tours. If they were booked on the ship, they should have gotten refunds.

Thanks for very one'so advice. There are no excursions listed on day 4 at Tracy Arm. So assuming they do not offer it for that cruise.

Because the itinerary is ONLY Tracy Arm that day, there's no easy way for the small-boat tour to rejoin the cruise (aside from the fact that the ship will be putt-putting its way from TAF to JNU, with 15 hours to make a voyage that most ships do in 2, and the small boat could presumably meet partway). Regardless, because the itinerary says CO (cruising only) and doesn't say SC (service call), there's no opportunity to pick up the small-boat tour while enroute.

Further, because the itinerary says JNU 0800-2200, that's just a hair too late for Adventure Bound's small-boat tours, as they're almost all scheduled for 0730 or 0745. You MIGHT be able to contact them and request a special accommodation as long as you get your butt in line by 0715 to ensure you're one of the first off (and I wouldn't be surprised if you're in JNU early). You could contact Allen Marine as well, to see if they're offering a TAF small-boat run from Juneau that day.

However, if the ship has already been to TAF the day before, I personally would have a hard time forgoing what JNU has to offer just to go BACK to where I was yesterday for a closer view that's still not on dry land. TAF is fantastic and I'm a huge fan of the small-boat tour, but even with the calm pace and fresh sights of a 14-day great explorer, you wouldn't catch me trying to run back for a second day.

Further, because the itinerary says JNU 0800-2200, that's just a hair too late for Adventure Bound's small-boat tours, as they're almost all scheduled for 0730 or 0745. You MIGHT be able to contact them and request a special accommodation as long as you get your butt in line by 0715 to ensure you're one of the first off (and I wouldn't be surprised if you're in JNU early). You could contact Allen Marine as well, to see if they're offering a TAF small-boat run from Juneau that day.

 

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Adventure Bound will work with this time frame. They will often pick people up at the parking lot of the pier. This has been mentioned many times on this forum. You just need to tell them the ship you are on and your time.

Thanks for very one'so advice. There are no excursions listed on day 4 at Tracy Arm. So assuming they do not offer it for that cruise.

The Maasdam will be scheduled to be in Tracy Arm this this Thursday afternoon. Check back throughout the afternoon to see how deep into the fjord the Maasdam travels.

As the Maasdam is a full day in Tracy Arm (Juneau is the next day), there is little need for a second full day trip into Tracy Arm from Juneau the next day. A full day in Tracy Arm, means the cruise ship can travel deeper into the arm.... Likely to see Sawyer.

Then again... we are still in May. Not sure how much ice congestion there is in May.... preventing a deep trip into the arm. I see the Explorer of the Seas is heading up Endicott Arm right now.

I recommend looking at one of those cruise position sites on Thursday afternoon. http://www.marinetraffic.com

 

The Maasdam will be scheduled to be in Tracy Arm this this Thursday afternoon. Check back throughout the afternoon to see how deep into the fjord the Maasdam travels.

 

As the Maasdam is a full day in Tracy Arm (Juneau is the next day), there is little need for a second full day trip into Tracy Arm from Juneau the next day. A full day in Tracy Arm, means the cruise ship can travel deeper into the arm.... Likely to see Sawyer.

 

Then again... we are still in May. Not sure how much ice congestion there is in May.... preventing a deep trip into the arm. I see the Explorer of the Seas is heading up Endicott Arm right now.

Have you actually spent any time in Tracy Arm? Either on a ship or with the small-boat tour?

I was on the Disney Wonder in August 2014. The Wonder was a day trip into the Arm and got to see Sawyer.

I assume the Maasdam will do the same route (distance up the arm). Subject to ice congestion and wildlife on the ice.

Looking at marinetraffic.com tonight. I can see the Maasdam travelled up 17 miles into Tracy Arm... did a U-turn before heading to the end of Endicott Arm.

I wonder if it's ice congestion that prevented a meet up with Sawyer, so they went looking for another glacier.