cruise tracy arm fjord

[bingomamma19]

We are going on a 10 day from san francisco to alaska on August 22.   One of the days is to cruise tracy arm fjord.   There is one excursion that you can take a smaller boat so you can get closer to the glaciers.  Its 200 per person.   Would you say this is worth it, or is it just as good to stay on the ship and watch from there?

 

Thanks

[JT1962]

33 minutes ago, bingomamma19 said:

We are going on a 10 day from san francisco to alaska on August 22.   One of the days is to cruise tracy arm fjord.   There is one excursion that you can take a smaller boat so you can get closer to the glaciers.  Its 200 per person.   Would you say this is worth it, or is it just as good to stay on the ship and watch from there?

 

Thanks

I took the excursion in May and thought it was worth the cost. It gets you much closer to the glaciers and you get a completely different perspective of the scenery, the glaciers and the wildlife from being near the water level rather than 10 stories up. There are several videos on YouTube that you can watch and make a determination as to whether you think it is worth it.

 

That said, if it means giving up another excursion such as whale watching, the train in Skagway, or something else you really want to do, I probably would skip this one. While it is excellent, you can still see most of the scenery from the ship whereas the other excursions you may give up you would not be able to experience anything similar by just staying in port. 

Edited July 28, 2022 by JT1962

[Dancing Shoes]

I remember doing this back in 75 on a very small ship.  I wanted to see it again, and have my husband see it too.  We took this excursion back in 2018 from HAL.  It was worth it to us. We went in mid August and had sun!!  It can be cold, bring a hat.

[ABQrobin]

WORTH EVERY PENNY....  here is my video from 2016.  My hubby and I still talk about how much we loved it.  We couldn't do Tracy Arm so had to do Endicott closeby (due to so many icebergs in June).

 

[Sailin Gal]

We did the small boat excursion in Endicott Arm to the glacier and it was absolutley worth it to us.  It was a thrill to us to feel the boat rocking in the waves created when the glacier calved, and to get so close to that incredibly blue ice. JT1962’s recommendation above is spot on - look at videos on YT of the excursion, as well as other excursions you’re considering, especially if its a matter of having to choose between one excursion or another.  

[JasperCruiser]

I just got back from a cruise on Splendor and did the $200 ship tour to the glacier. I found out that the ship can sometimes get close to the glacier and sometimes it can't even make the corner to catch a glimpse. It really depends on a lot of factors that are unpredictable from sailing to sailing. If it's anywhere near your budget I would suggest doing the tour. I didn't regret it and saw it as a one in a lifetime experience. 

[bingomamma19]

thanks everyone....i did book it for us!!   I want to experience all these 10 days have to offer at its finest...so i bit the bullet

[kona_wahine]

We went june 29th carnival spirit and the ship couldn’t get very close but I’ve read since it has gotten closer. Even so I’d take it. We also went to the other glacier, and saw many waterfalls, whales, and even stop and watched a bear for a bit. Amazing, beautiful place!