HAL Tracy Arm vs Juneau query

[Delbankin]

We are booked on Zuiderdam to Alaska in May and are wondering about doing the Tracy Arm and Glacier Explorer tour which departs direct from the ship to smaller boat for an up close glacier experience. It is quite expensive but the reviews seem quite positive.

 

If we did this we would miss out on spending a lot of time in Juneau. The ship carries on to Juneau and from what I can understand our small boat returns us to Juneau after our tour. We should be back in town about 4pm and as the ship doesn't depart until 10pm we should by my reckoning have enough time to sample what the town has to offer.

 

Any views from past experience that might be of assistance would be appreciated.

[EagleRocker]

Have you confirmed that the Tracy Arm and Glacier Explorer tour actually will be available to you? Often it is not in May, due to problems accessing the Tracy Arm Fjord early in the season. I have learned from experience, unfortunately, that you cannot count on being able to take this excursion even when it is listed on HAL's site as an option. If the excursion is available to you, the late afternoon until the evening in Juneau will give you plenty of time to walk around the town. I don't think you will be able to go out to Mendenhall Glacier, as return bus service stops fairly early (if I am wrong, I hope others will correct me).

[mskaufman]

Depends what else you want to do in Juneau. If you want to walk around town or if it is clear go up on Mt. Roberts, you will have time. If you wanted to go to the Mendenhall Glacier, that would be tougher.

[Delbankin]

Thanks for the replies. I made the assumption, and hence the reason for thinking about the small boat excursion, that if the cruise ship was not able to access Tracy Arm due to ice, the small boat would still be able to rendezvous with our ship and we could proceed to view Tracy Arm glacier close up. Is this a mistaken assumption ie if there is significant ice in Tracy Arm the rendezvous with the small boat will not happen?

[Delbankin]

One other thing of note perhaps is that our itinerary identified Tracy Arm as Service Call with 10am arrival and 10.30am departure. I made the assumption this was to connect with the small boat tour. There is no suggestion of scenic cruising in Tracy Arm hence our idea to take a tour that would allow us to experience close up what the glacier has to offer.

[zqvol]

We are booked on Zuiderdam to Alaska in May and are wondering about doing the Tracy Arm and Glacier Explorer tour which departs direct from the ship to smaller boat for an up close glacier experience. It is quite expensive but the reviews seem quite positive.

 

If we did this we would miss out on spending a lot of time in Juneau. The ship carries on to Juneau and from what I can understand our small boat returns us to Juneau after our tour. We should be back in town about 4pm and as the ship doesn't depart until 10pm we should by my reckoning have enough time to sample what the town has to offer.

 

Any views from past experience that might be of assistance would be appreciated.

 

We have done this before. IT was approximately 6 hours from when we got on the excursion boat, until we got back to Juneau. Hopefully this will give you some help.

[epixx]

I made the assumption, and hence the reason for thinking about the small boat excursion, that if the cruise ship was not able to access Tracy Arm due to ice, the small boat would still be able to rendezvous with our ship and we could proceed to view Tracy Arm glacier close up.

 

I would not make that assumption. Especially early in the season like May, if the captain deems it prudent due to ice conditions, the cruise ship might not enter Tracy Arm and might divert to Endicott Arm instead. In this case, the small boat most likely would travel to Dawes Glacier, not the Sawyer Glaciers.

[Coral]

I would not make that assumption. Especially early in the season like May, if the captain deems it prudent due to ice conditions, the cruise ship might not enter Tracy Arm and might divert to Endicott Arm instead. In this case, the small boat most likely would travel to Dawes Glacier, not the Sawyer Glaciers.

 

I agree with you. There is no guarantee that the small ship will get into Tracy Arm. I had a July cruise where the cruise ship went to Endicott Arm instead.

[Budget Queen]

One other thing of note perhaps is that our itinerary identified Tracy Arm as Service Call with 10am arrival and 10.30am departure. I made the assumption this was to connect with the small boat tour. There is no suggestion of scenic cruising in Tracy Arm hence our idea to take a tour that would allow us to experience close up what the glacier has to offer.

 

this is a tougher decision, because without selecting the add on tour, you won't get ANYTHING involved in Tracy Arm. With this particular itinerary, I find the add on tour, "necessary" in my opinion. Even if you don't get all the way up to the Sawyer glaciers, this transit is spectacular and to miss it entirely, wouldn't be an option for me.

 

It DOES depend when your trip is, the access usually doesn't open up- likely until the third week of May, it may be as late as June- up to within glacier viewing. So your assumptions are not accurate.

 

You are going to have to determine YOUR priority for how you wish you use your short time.