TRACY ARM FJORD & GLACIER EXPLORER - Catamaran

[Hotspring]

Signed up for this excursion assuming that the departure time of 1:15PM was in error. The Bliss is scheduled to leave Juneau at 1:30PM. Then I reread the description and it suggested that the catamaran may dock with the Bliss in open water 4 hours later.

 

Is that departure time a possibility and that it is not an error?

 

As a backup we also booked a 4 hour Whale Watch and Wildlife excursion starting at 9:00AM.

Now we have to worry if we are going to be able to make both.

 

We also were hoping to see some of glaciers from the Bliss's observation decks and our balcony.

We know sunset is about 8PM, will we be able to do so?

 

Not sure if we should do both excursions or cancel one.

[RD29P5]

I think your best bet is to call NCL shore excursion desk. While it is entirely possible for the sight seeing boat to meet up with the ship, I don't see that happening. Transferring passenger's while underway would be a tricky operation for any elderly passenger's. Not to mention a huge liability issue for the tour operator and NCL. Never mind that it is entirely possible for the tour to have passenger's from other cruise lines on board.

[don't-use-real-name]

The only advantage the catamaran or other smaller vessel would have is getting a bit closer to the

Sawyer glacier.

I was on the SUN a few years back and we did not get to a point to see the glacier but met a lot

of ice flow that perhaps was the reason for not venturing further as the ship needs to use the thrusters

to pivot and turn in the narrow Tracy Arm channel. The thrusters do not handle ice very well.

The BLISS being a bit longer would have the same problem but still would be able to venture the same

distance up the channel.

 

Note the first half of the cruise season the BLISS cruises Glacier Bay - the second half cruises Tracy Arm

Sawyer glacier. It appears that it is one or the other but not both ???

 

Best recheck with NCL about the shore excursions doing Tracy Arm/Sawyer.

If late in the cruise season why take an excursion by outside vendor when the BLISS is going to go there.

 

For the most part I believe that the Tracy Arm/Sawyer excursions depart and end at Juneau.

 

Schedules; ports of call; shore excursions etc. are always subject to change modification.

[Epic_Bear]

We did this excursion in 2011. You take a small boat out to the Tracy Arm, get super close to it, and then you meet up with the ship by the glacier to get back on. Highly recommended to do this excursion, as you get much closer to the glacier and see a ton of scenery and wildlife!

[pizzalady1]

We did this excursion in 2011. You take a small boat out to the Tracy Arm, get super close to it, and then you meet up with the ship by the glacier to get back on. Highly recommended to do this excursion, as you get much closer to the glacier and see a ton of scenery and wildlife!

 

I agree. When we did this add-on, the ship stopped at 3 miles from the glacier and the small boat got to 1/2 mile from the glacier. We got to see a calving and we felt the waves generated on the small boat. Pretty cool. Also, if bears or whales were discovered, we stopped to watch. The ship won't do this.

[SeahawkSiren]

We did this excursion in 2011. You take a small boat out to the Tracy Arm, get super close to it, and then you meet up with the ship by the glacier to get back on. Highly recommended to do this excursion, as you get much closer to the glacier and see a ton of scenery and wildlife!

 

I agree. When we did this add-on, the ship stopped at 3 miles from the glacier and the small boat got to 1/2 mile from the glacier. We got to see a calving and we felt the waves generated on the small boat. Pretty cool. Also, if bears or whales were discovered, we stopped to watch. The ship won't do this.

 

We are on the Bliss in June and have this excursion booked (only a month to go now)! The things you mention are some of the reasons we booked this in the first place. Very excited! I hope it will be one of the highlights of the entire trip!

[beach Friday]

We booked this excursion in late July.. i spoke with Norwegian because I was confused as well about 1:15 departure time. The excursion does meet back up with Bliss 5 hours later and it is a gangplank they said, since we have a person with walking problems. They said it would not be a problem. Since the excursions are very expensive i asked if could only pick one what would you do... this was his favorite. So excited.....We did book a whale watch for the AM and it will work we will have time for quick lunch and back out.

[BirdTravels]

I think your best bet is to call NCL shore excursion desk. While it is entirely possible for the sight seeing boat to meet up with the ship, I don't see that happening. Transferring passenger's while underway would be a tricky operation for any elderly passenger's. Not to mention a huge liability issue for the tour operator and NCL. Never mind that it is entirely possible for the tour to have passenger's from other cruise lines on board.

This is exactly what the glacier watching excursions do. You travel to the glacier independently, get up nice and close, then return and board the ship before she leaves.

[beach Friday]

This trip a little different excursion leaves at 1:15pm and Bliss leaves port at 1:30. So meet up at sea not at port.

[mikaula]

We did this tour a few years ago. It was one of my favorite tours. We left the port an hour before the ship and met up with them in the evening. The ship was stopped for the most part and we went up beside it and got in on the door the open when you tender. Lots of people on the ship were disappointed because they didn’t get to see the glacier because of ice flow, the ship had to stop only a couple ,Ike’s in to Tracy Arm. Do the tour if you can.

[Hotspring]

Really appreciate everyone's insight and actual experience. We have done Alaska twice and always wished we could be in those boat that got so much closer to the glaciers. The price was not that much more than the morning whale watch and wildlife excursion (which we cancel and replaced with Mt. Roberts to hike in the snow while in Alaska in the summer). We are so excited now. Thank you!