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Any ships going to Tracy Arm

whitedog

By whitedog,
in Alaska

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whitedog

whitedog

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Just wondering if Tracy Arm is still filled with to much ice to allow cruise ships to enter. Supposed to be going into TA on Carnival Legend Aug. 4. Hoping to be able to do TA . Taking small boat excursion off of ship. Will be content with Endicott, but from what I have read here on cc the small boat excursion in TA seems to be better than EA.

Edited by whitedog
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pizzalady1

pizzalady1

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Just wondering if Tracy Arm is still filled with to much ice to allow cruise ships to enter. Supposed to be going into TA on Carnival Legend Aug. 4. Hoping to be able to do TA . Taking small boat excursion off of ship. Will be content with Endicott, but from what I have read here on cc the small boat excursion in TA seems to be better than EA.

 

I think the amount of ice floes in Tracy Arm changes daily. :) The cruise line that was going into TA the day before us was able to get in, but we ended up having to go into Endicott as there was too much ice in TA on our day. We also took the small boat tour and we got way closer to the glacier than did the ship. Endicott was beautiful and had lots of twists and turns and waterfalls. We say bears, otters, birds, eagles, etc. So even if you do not go down TA, you will have a great time.

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kctwinmommy Great Review Rare

kctwinmommy

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I don't think I've heard any excursions from the cruise ships making it down Tracy Arm. We did Endicott and it was beautiful! We saw seals, bears, waterfalls, etc... It did not disappoint! Oh and several episodes with Dawes Glacier calving!

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whitedog

whitedog

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I think the amount of ice floes in Tracy Arm changes daily. :) The cruise line that was going into TA the day before us was able to get in, but we ended up having to go into Endicott as there was too much ice in TA on our day. We also took the small boat tour and we got way closer to the glacier than did the ship. Endicott was beautiful and had lots of twists and turns and waterfalls. We say bears, otters, birds, eagles, etc. So even if you do not go down TA, you will have a great time.

 

Glad to hear you enjoyed Endicott so much. I am sure I will be amazed at all we'll see, I hope we get a chance to see a bear. Thanks for your insight.

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snoopy5386

snoopy5386

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Our cruise was last week and we went to Endicott. It was beautiful, but we saw very little wildlife. I was up and on the open decks when we arrived at 5 am and listening to the naturalist and there was just nothing around. I saw one seal. There was maybe one bear sighting, but I couldn't find it. At one point the naturalist said "there are more than 300 species of birds in Alaska and I don't see a single one right now." That made me laugh. Was hoping for more wildlife, but oh well. Luck of the draw.

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tsg

tsg

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Does anyone know if Allen Marine has been able to do the small boats to the Sawyer Glaciers this week? We have a cruise next week that we chose in part because it has a service stop for the small boat excursion. While we will surely have a great time regardless, it will be disappointing if this is cancelled.

Edited by tsg
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Bella0714

Bella0714

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Does anyone know if Allen Marine has been able to do the small boats to the Sawyer Glaciers this week? We have a cruise next week that we chose in part because it has a service stop for the small boat excursion. While we will surely have a great time regardless, it will be disappointing if this is cancelled.

 

I contacted Allen Marine earlier in the week. They said there's more ice than usual in Tracy Arm this year due to major calving of the South Sawyer Glacier. They also said, "Our plan is to always attempt Tracy Arm, but the ice conditions are completely unpredictable. The captain can tell just by looking at the entrance to Tracy Arm if is he is going to be able to make it very far into the area...Unfortunately, there is no way to determine in advance which fjord your tour will visit."

 

So I guess it's a game-time decision.

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AAAG

AAAG

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How can we find out if any ships have made it to Tracy Arm?

I'm going on the Disney Wonder, supposed to be in Tracy Arm on Aug 17th. I want to keep checking to see if any cruise ships make it down before my departure.

Anyone know where to get that info?

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thyme2go

thyme2go

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Just posted on the other thread. I don't believe any cruise ships have gone into TA this year. We went 7/21 with Adventure Bound and made it to 1+ mile from S. Sawyer........they said that was the 7th time they'd been close enough to see the glacier this year. LOTS of surface ice and huge bergs........all seemingly from S Sawyer!! It's a day by day deal so no guarantee's even this late in the season...........

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tsg

tsg

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Does anyone know if Allen Marine has been able to do the small boats to the Sawyer Glaciers this week? We have a cruise next week that we chose in part because it has a service stop for the small boat excursion. While we will surely have a great time regardless, it will be disappointing if this is cancelled.

 

Just returned from our cruise and am happy to report that we were able to make it into Tracy Arm and the North Sawyer Glacier on our Allen Marine excursion. There was too much ice to go to the South Sawyer Glacier, but the weather was beautiful and we had a great morning. We spotted five bears along the shore on our way in and out and a few whales on our way back to Juneau. This is the second time I've done this excursion and it is always a highlight of our trips.

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Bella0714

Bella0714

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Just returned from our cruise and am happy to report that we were able to make it into Tracy Arm and the North Sawyer Glacier on our Allen Marine excursion. There was too much ice to go to the South Sawyer Glacier, but the weather was beautiful and we had a great morning. We spotted five bears along the shore on our way in and out and a few whales on our way back to Juneau. This is the second time I've done this excursion and it is always a highlight of our trips.

 

tsg: You must have been on the same excursion we were on (August 1) because you had the same experience. What a great time! Also, the guides, especially the captain, were outstanding.

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tsg

tsg

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tsg: You must have been on the same excursion we were on (August 1) because you had the same experience. What a great time! Also, the guides, especially the captain, were outstanding.

 

Yes, we were. We also thought the captain and guides were great. What a fantastic day.

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mouse84

mouse84

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We just returned from our Aug 1 trip on the Disney Wonder & did not make it into Tracy Arm. I didn't hear from anyone who took a small boat tour in the area, so I'm not sure if they made it in. Endicott was beautiful. Not much wildlife; mostly seals and I was able to spot a few mountain goats.

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dotshub

dotshub

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we will be there on aug 17th. Can you tell me how cold it was. can't decide if we should take a heavy coat or just layer a couple lighter weight outer wear. will appreciate any suggestion. we are from tampa fla where the temp is almost 100 degrees so it's hard to pack a heavy coat. we are scheduled for an excursion on a smaller boat that goes closer to the glaciers than the legend. thanks for any guidance you can give me. dot

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Bella0714

Bella0714

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we will be there on aug 17th. Can you tell me how cold it was. can't decide if we should take a heavy coat or just layer a couple lighter weight outer wear. will appreciate any suggestion. we are from tampa fla where the temp is almost 100 degrees so it's hard to pack a heavy coat. we are scheduled for an excursion on a smaller boat that goes closer to the glaciers than the legend. thanks for any guidance you can give me. dot

 

Regarding when the small boat gets up to the glaciers, think "standing in front of a refrigerator for 45 minutes or an hour." We're from Fort Lauderdale, and when we were there in Tracy Arm last week, we wore two layers, a winter jacket, gloves and a hat and were still pretty cold. When you're standing outside (which you should be almost all the time) and the boat is moving, things get pretty cold.

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roquejo

roquejo

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Just returned from Carnival Legend's 8/9 sailing and Tracy Arm was still clogged with ice. The small boat tour to Endicott Arm was wonderful.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

There isn't much advantage taking the small boat tour in Endicott if you compare it with Tracy Arm. Because Endicott is pretty straight forward and the glacier is wide open. It just gets you closer.

 

Unlike Tracy Arm, the small boat takes you to North Sawyer as well, something that is rarely seen from a cruise ship. And unlike Endicott where the cruise ship will get you a full view of the glacier, sometimes cruise ship can't even get close to the Sawyer Glacier...

 

This gives the small boat tour a tremendous value of as you can see both South and North Sawyer glacier on most years except for this year's unusual ice conditions

Edited by roquejo
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Coral "Live from...." Rare

Coral

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Have you taken the small boat in Endicott Arm? We spent quite a bit of time in the Fords Terror area which was gorgeous and inaccessible to cruise ships. I'll post photos if I can.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

I saw this and it is worth seeing but the timing apparently has to be right to get in there. Don't remember specifics.

 

I did this with AdventureBound. I wasn't sure if Allen Marine was going into Ford's Terror.

Edited by Coral
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