Has Anyone Been Close to Hubbard in 2007?

[chewap]

I was there last July, got within 1/4 mile of the glaciers, One 3 mile long glacier to the north and the 8 mile wide glacier to the east. Seen well over 100 clavings in a 3 hour period. Clear and 70 degrees and no wind. Hubbard glacier moves 2 and a half feet or more per hour so there is alot of calving, I would think that by the end of July, the crusie ships can get in close. I have been to the Sayer glacier 3 times and never got to see it as the ice bergs blocked the narrow passages, but Tracy Arm is still well worth it with the, glaciers, waterfalls and narrow channels.

[a&w]

We will be cruising to Hubbard Glacier at the end of August...does anyone know/think the ice situation will have changed by then. I am really hoping to see some calving, but am so excited about Alaska itself, that it will not make or break our cruise. I am just curious.

 

What is your favorite spot on the ship to view the glacier from? We are going to have our first balcony and look forward to using it for viewing, but also want to enjoy the whole experience (oohing and ahhing with everyon else on deck!).

[Coral]

Glad you enjoyed the cruise, sorry about the food. Looking forward to your review - WHERE will you be posting it?

 

I will probably put it on the river boat section of this website but may include a link in my signature.

[fcorey]

We will be cruising to Hubbard Glacier at the end of August...does anyone know/think the ice situation will have changed by then. I am really hoping to see some calving, but am so excited about Alaska itself, that it will not make or break our cruise. I am just curious.

 

What is your favorite spot on the ship to view the glacier from? We are going to have our first balcony and look forward to using it for viewing, but also want to enjoy the whole experience (oohing and ahhing with everyon else on deck!).

 

I sent the HM on Oosterdam an email last week to ask how it had been. He felt that it would improve over July and into August based on previous years. We leave 9/1 so hopefully it will have cleared some but it wont ruin our trip if it hasnt

[HALNEWBY]

I was there this last May. 4 miles out...zero calving. Talked to a naturalist on board and she told me the best months for calving are July and August. Makes sense because usually these months are hotter. Also price on cruising these months are significantly higher than earlier months. But don't fret, the sight is still worth it. I just wish TA would be more honest about this...especially for people that usually make this trip once in their lifetime...:o

[Yukon]

I just wish TA would be more honest about this...especially for people that usually make this trip once in their lifetime...:o

 

To be fair to the TA, nobody could have forecast what's happening this year. Normally the ships all get right up to the glacier all summer. Some years we get hot and dry weather that results in so many forest fires that the visibility sucks for much of the summer - you just never know what Mother Nature is going to do.

 

Murray

[tapia]

Murray, thanks for all the intel. I know you guys had a real late winter this year, I'm just hoping the ships can get close enough during my sailing (see below).

 

Do you know if the fish are running yet? King Salmon? Up in Anchorage? Brooks Falls?

 

Thanks!

[Yukon]

Do you know if the fish are running yet? King Salmon? Up in Anchorage? Brooks Falls?

 

We were down to Skagway for a Glacier Bay flight yesterday, and it's still Deep Winter in the White Pass - frozen lakes and feet of snow! :(

 

Yes, the Kings are running pretty much everywhere now (Skagway is one of the last places they reach, and they arrived about 2 weeks ago). Nobody seems to be betting on what sort of year it will be yet, though - results have been erratic.

 

Murray

[tapia]

Wow, that's crazy. Thanks for the info! You've been a great source of information here!

 

I'm just going to start crossing my fingers!

[mbmadeline]

Are there any helicopter tours that go to Hubbard...it seems that there are only helicopter tours in Ketchikan or Juneau.... is that right?

[Yukon]

Are there any helicopter tours that go to Hubbard...it seems that there are only helicopter tours in Ketchikan or Juneau.... is that right?

 

No there aren't any to Hubbard - it's a long way from anywhere except the little village of Yakutat. There are flightseeing trips (helicopter and fixed-wing) out of all ports, though - including Glacier Bay flights from Skagway, Haines and Hoonah.

[tapia]

If I want to see any calfing I think my only open port at this point is Juneau. So, I'm looking to go for a Tracy Arm thing--but, I can't find anything available the times I'm in port. There are other ways to see calfing, you just have to find them. Sadly, I don't think I'll be able to get something before I leave....

[nowCA]

Didn't get close to Hubbard, about 5 miles out, could not see calving from that far. Took Kenai Fjords tour out of Seward and saw a bunch of claving up close, not really big falls but still great. Exit and Mendenhall glaciers were super.

 

Would not do a cruise going to Hubbard again and would not recommend it to anyone.

[tapia]

I am trying to get something from Skagway.....sadly, I'm not getting anywhere~no one's calling me back...

[SEPyle]

Well it was white and icy, so I call that similar :).

 

I'm with luvalaska, I think I would skip the Hubbard next time as well if I had other options available to me.

 

Last year we got quite close to Hubbard. I can't remember how close but my husband just said he thought we were around 1/2 mile to a mile. All I can say is that I felt like we were really close and captured super calving pics.

 

Now I will add this. I wouldn't get too disappointed yet...my daughter is based out of Anchorage (works for Princess on their dome train cars) and said it's been quite warm this last week. So it's possible the conditions have changed at Hubbard within a short period of time. So think positive and hopefully you will experience the wonder of Hubbard as we we did!

[4bythebeach]

Was at Hubbard 2 weeks ago and being as far away as we were was the biggest disappointment of the cruise, we were really looking forward to seeing calving. We also weren't there for very long.

[aliaschief]

Was there last week on the Volendam---Our Captain got us as close as we could. The water was jammed with ice. Probably by sight maybe three miles out. He did better than the X ship but still you can only go so far in dense ice. Did it ruin our trip. No way. It was still beautiful and it's so large that 3 miles away it still seemed large. The next day in Seward we took the Kenai Fjords boat tour and was able to get real close and saw calving and lots of seals. Think that every day every ship is getting closer to Hubbard. Of all our excursions though Kenai Fjords was the best.

[Chenega]

Kenai Fjords or the Prince William Sound trips are what you really want to do to get up close to glaciers. The cruise ships are simply too large to do that as well.

[OnlyMe]

We're going again this July and it never really occurred to me that we wouldn't get as close. I think we will be very dissapointed if we are as far back as 3 miles or more as last year it was awesome being right up there. The day we were there there was just one piece of claving in 3 hours and I missed it (I heard the roar though) so I was hoping that this year I'd get to see some claving.

I had planned for a 6 hour Kenai Fjords cruise rather than the 9 hour one but now I'm thinking that we might have to change this if the situation at Hubbard stays the same.... either that or book the Tracy Arm excursion out of Juneau. I'll be keeping an eye on here to see what it's like for others visiting Hubbard in July.

[gillianrose]

Our time-line beginning to end was about 2.5 hours. Plenty of time for good photos.

 

The times I have seen posted for some Celebrity itineraries (INFINITY, e.g.) are for four hours, from 2pm to 8pm. I would be disappointed to get only 2.5 hours' viewing time. We enjoy photography, but then we also like to put away the cameras and just enjoy our time outside on deck.

[Norcal Cruiser]

3 years ago in September on the Mercury we got closer than half a mile.Could see and hear the glacier calving.The Captain did say it was the closest he'd been all year.We were way closer than the previously posted pictures.Going back this September!Hoping for more of the same.Might just be the time of year.:) Kathy

[Paintguru]

The times I have seen posted for some Celebrity itineraries (INFINITY, e.g.) are for four hours, from 2pm to 8pm. I would be disappointed to get only 2.5 hours' viewing time. We enjoy photography, but then we also like to put away the cameras and just enjoy our time outside on deck.

 

Believe me 2.5 hours of viewing time is plenty....it's a glacier, it isn't going anywhere fast! :D

[dcass]

Just returned from Radiance on Saturday and we were within 1/2 mile of hubbard on Thursday. Captain said it was the closest this season so maybe that is a sign of things to get better? It was amazing to see and lots of calving also!

[OnlyMe]

Just returned from Radiance on Saturday and we were within 1/2 mile of hubbard on Thursday. Captain said it was the closest this season so maybe that is a sign of things to get better? It was amazing to see and lots of calving also!

 

Thanks for reporting! We will be there in 3.5 weeks - glad to hear that the ships are managing to get closer.

[tapia]

We were @ hubbard yeterday--it was spectacular, but we still didn't get as close as other pictures on the board & they announced this was the closes they had yet. It was gorgeous, amazing, and ice-raining--yuck, but I was still out there. Sadly, no calfing....(but, couldn't see much anyway)

 

Hope there will be less ice on the water and you'll get closer.