CasinoQueen Posted December 5, 2018 #1 Share Posted December 5, 2018 Considering 2 different Princess Cruises. One is Voyage of the Glaciers with Glacier Bay (Southbound) which includes 2 scenic cruising days. Ports: Anchorage (Whittier), Alaska, United States |Hubbard Glacier (Scenic Cruising), Alaska, United States |Glacier Bay National Park (Scenic Cruising), Alaska, U.S. |Skagway, Alaska, United States |Juneau, Alaska, United States |Ketchikan, Alaska, United States |Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and the second is Voyage of the Glaciers with Glacier Bay (Northbound Ports: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |Ketchikan, Alaska, United States |Juneau, Alaska, United States |Skagway, Alaska, United States |Glacier Bay National Park (Scenic Cruising), Alaska, U.S. |College Fjord (Scenic Cruising), Alaska, United States |Anchorage (Whittier), Alaska, United States Please help me decide between these two cruises....Basically between Hubbard Glacier or College Fjord. Thanks YOU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Coral Posted December 5, 2018 #2 Share Posted December 5, 2018 I like them both but would recommend Hubbard for first trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glaciers Posted December 5, 2018 #3 Share Posted December 5, 2018 I like the Hubbard option as well although we’ve only made it to Hubbard 2 out of 4 times due to ice. We’ve done several trips to College Fjord and have always made it back to Harvard Glacier. Maybe we were lucky. If glacier viewing is a priority I’d go with College Fjord. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi13 Posted December 5, 2018 #4 Share Posted December 5, 2018 We always did B2B so saw both of them. Both are impressive, but as others mentioned Hubbard is blocked by ice at times. You are at least guaranteed glacier sightings in Glacier Bay, so unlikely you miss seeing a glacier. With respect to N'bd or S'bd, my preference is always a S'bd cruise, not because of Hubbard/College, but it provides the Inside Passage during daylight on the day before Vancouver. For Hubbard v's College, they are different experiences, but I would probably opt for Hubbard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbinMich Posted December 5, 2018 #5 Share Posted December 5, 2018 We've been to both, possibly on the same cruise (our first to Alaska in 1996). We entered CF at dawn in early June and it was magnificent in that light--mountains are impressive there as well. There are two glaciers entering CF. Hubbard IMHO is pretty ho-hum--just a big wall of snow/ice in a bay (Yukatat) that isn't very interesting (i.e. glacier is fairly close to the open ocean). However, I had done some reading on the native population living at the mouth of that bay so that made it more interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Coral Posted December 6, 2018 #6 Share Posted December 6, 2018 7 hours ago, Heidi13 said: We always did B2B so saw both of them. Both are impressive, but as others mentioned Hubbard is blocked by ice at times. You are at least guaranteed glacier sightings in Glacier Bay, so unlikely you miss seeing a glacier. With respect to N'bd or S'bd, my preference is always a S'bd cruise, not because of Hubbard/College, but it provides the Inside Passage during daylight on the day before Vancouver. For Hubbard v's College, they are different experiences, but I would probably opt for Hubbard. I prefer the NB on Princess for the longer days in Juneau and an opportunity to do Tracy Arm through AdventureBound. I have also missed Hubbard a few times. I do like College Fiords but they have retracted quite a bit while Hubbard hasn't last time I checked. I do know some who have been fogged out of College Fiords. On a beautiful day - College Fiords is stunning. On a positive note, Glacier Bay is rarely missed. Either trip will be amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gardyloo Posted December 6, 2018 #7 Share Posted December 6, 2018 If you choose the southbound cruise, just do a 26 Glacier cruise out of Whittier before you depart, and you'll see plenty of tidewater glaciers in College Inlet up close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitchens97 Posted December 6, 2018 #8 Share Posted December 6, 2018 1 hour ago, Gardyloo said: If you choose the southbound cruise, just do a 26 Glacier cruise out of Whittier before you depart, and you'll see plenty of tidewater glaciers in College Inlet up close. This is what I am choosing to do. This way I get College Fjord, Hubbard, and Glacier Bay, and Mendenhall in Juneau. I expect I'll never want to see another glacier again after.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glaciers Posted December 6, 2018 #9 Share Posted December 6, 2018 2 hours ago, Hitchens97 said: This is what I am choosing to do. This way I get College Fjord, Hubbard, and Glacier Bay, and Mendenhall in Juneau. I expect I'll never want to see another glacier again after.... Gardyloo’s suggestion is a very good one. You’ll still get a shot at seeing Hubbard if the ice is clear on the southbound and the 26 Glacier Cruise through Esther Passage and Surprise Glacier is a treat. College Fjord can be spectacular although this trip only goes to about Holyoke Glacier before turning around so your view of many of the glaciers will be from miles away. It’s still very good. Princess sails all the way to Harvard Glacier at the end of the fjord. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted December 6, 2018 #10 Share Posted December 6, 2018 I prefer Hubbard Glacier over College Fjord. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Coral Posted December 7, 2018 #11 Share Posted December 7, 2018 8 hours ago, Hitchens97 said: This is what I am choosing to do. This way I get College Fjord, Hubbard, and Glacier Bay, and Mendenhall in Juneau. I expect I'll never want to see another glacier again after.... I doubt it - I think you will want more! Maybe look into Tracy Arm in Juneau through AdventureBound Alaska. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowmc Posted December 11, 2018 #12 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Here is a good article on the different glaciers visited in Alaska: https://zest4travel.wordpress.com/2017/03/12/pros-and-cons-of-hubbard-glacier-glacier-bay-and-tracy-arm-fjord/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jjh123 Posted May 3 #13 Share Posted May 3 In June 2017 we visited College Fjord on a Princess Cruise. Arrived about 6 pm on an very peaceful, overcast night. It was magical as the Fjord was FULL of otters hanging out. There were also purse seiners (salmon fishing boats). I have never seen so many otters in my life, and they were totally unbothered by our ship cruising very slowly around the fjord for a couple hours. So, our next Alaska trip will HAVE to include College Fjord. Not many itineraries have this side trip, but I highly recommend it. Our two sons and their wives were with us and they were as spellbound as we were. BTW the Fjord itself is gorgeous with all the glaciers ringing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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