sawyer glacier

[jerseymermaid]

Going on cruise in August on NCL jewel. We leave Juneau and go to sawyer glacier, is this anything like glacier bay?

[Eaglecw]

No, Sawyer Glacier is part of the Tracy Arm Fjord http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracy_Arm#Sawyer_Glacier

[frugaltravel]

Going on cruise in August on NCL jewel. We leave Juneau and go to sawyer glacier, is this anything like glacier bay?

 

"Like glacier bay"? In what regard? Yes in that there are glaciers there. No in that it is not a national park and is nowhere near as dramatic. Also, unless you take the small boat optional excursion with NCL, you won't get very close to (or maybe not even see at all) the Sawyer glaciers. Definitely take advantage of the small boat tour if it is available.

[bonvoyagie]

Having seen both GB and TA/SG they are both must sees but for different reasons. GB has more glaciers and is larger and way more open than Tracy Arm. The rangers do an excellent job of telling the history of the bay as well as explain the geology and geography of it all. In GB your cruise ship will sit in front of one or two large glaciers and usually do a slow spin so that both sides can enjoy the view - they sometimes spend the better part of an hour in front of one glacier.

 

Tracy Arm is narrow (by comparison) with steep walls and lots of twists and turns that look too tight for the cruise ship to fit through. At the end of this 30 mi fjord is South Sawyer glacier, a glacier in retreat that keeps receding back into the cliffs around it. The bay in front of the glacier is too small for the cruise ships to enter - they sometimes can get close enough to allow you to see a good part of the glacier. However there can be problems with ice floes as well as the seal pups that float on them that will keep the cruise ship at bay - usually in May the arm is not passable so ships either divert to Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier (which is considered an equal, but is not) or they attempt to transit Tracy Arm and turn around well before the glacier. On my first trip to Tracy Arm we got close enough to see the top part of the glacier (this was mid June) so the captain sent the ships photographer out in a boat to get some photos - he caught the glacier calving as well as some nice shots of the ship floating in the bergs (this was in 02). When we went back in 2012 we took the small boat tour and saw the fjord and glacier from water level - wonderful. In those 10 years the North Sawyer glacier had retreated to the point where you could not see it from the main channel - our guide pointed out how much it had retreated since 05 - let alone 02. South Sawyer had not retreated as much and was still as I remember it.

 

If you are on the Jewel I would highly recommend springing for the Tracy Arm Explorer excursion (only available through NCL). You will board the small boat in Juneau and go ahead of the cruise ship, you will then wind your way up the fjord and visit the glaciers, finally when the cruise ship approaches the glacier, you will transfer back to her and leave Tracy Arm aboard the Jewel - so you get to see the fjord from both perspectives.

[JoJo427]

What is the cost of the excursion for the small boat to the Sawyer Glacier? We are going on NCL Jewel.

[pizzalady1]

What is the cost of the excursion for the small boat to the Sawyer Glacier? We are going on NCL Jewel.

 

$199--check your shore excursions.

[DarceyJK]

We will be on the Jewel embarking June 29th. I read a review of the Tracy Arm Fjord excursion that said it was from 1pm till after 6pm till you get to your ship. Is that accurate?? I would love to book this, but I'm not sure if we want to be on the catamaran that long.

[chipmaster]

IMHO no comparison, but don't fret, I took my parents on their once in a lifetime and they thoroughly enjoyed it. It is no glacier bay though, one is a national park the other just another scenic fjord.

 

Going on cruise in August on NCL jewel. We leave Juneau and go to sawyer glacier, is this anything like glacier bay?

 

The excursion is a long one but the views / propsective are well worth it. IMHO the lighting sets late so getting into Juneau at 6pm still is enough time to rent a car and get up to do a few other things. OTH if you are going to see another glacier I'd not waste the time and just enjoy Juneau.

 

We will be on the Jewel embarking June 29th. I read a review of the Tracy Arm Fjord excursion that said it was from 1pm till after 6pm till you get to your ship. Is that accurate?? I would love to book this, but I'm not sure if we want to be on the catamaran that long.

[DarceyJK]

The excursion is a long one but the views / propsective are well worth it. IMHO the lighting sets late so getting into Juneau at 6pm still is enough time to rent a car and get up to do a few other things. OTH if you are going to see another glacier I'd not waste the time and just enjoy Juneau.

 

We arrive in Juneau early that morning (7:30ish) and have a helicopter glacier excursion booked. We leave Juneau at 1:30. Hmmm.. I will have to look into it a little more! Thanks so much for the information!! Much appreciated!!