Hubbard Glacier vs. Glacier Bay: which glacier is best to see on a cruise?

Selecting an Alaska cruise itinerary doesn’t boil down to only cruise ports. You’ll additionally need to contemplate which of Alaska’s colossal, majestic glaciers you’d like to go to.

Two of probably the most beloved locations visited on an Alaska cruise are Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay Nationwide Park. Whereas visiting both location affords the prospect to see a number of the most spectacular surroundings in Alaska up shut, they every supply totally different experiences, professionals, and cons.

Let’s check out what every glacier expertise has to supply so you’ll be able to determine which glacier you need to go to in your Alaska cruise.

Hubbard Glacier

Think about standing straight in entrance of a 30-story constructing manufactured from ice. That’s what you’ll expertise from a cruise ship visiting Hubbard Glacier, and also you’re certain to be awe-inspired.

Hubbard Glacier is situated in Wrangell-St.Elias Nationwide Park and Protect. It begins in Canada’s Yukon Territory at Mt. Logan, the second tallest peak in North America at 19,850 ft. The glacier flows over 75 miles to achieve Disenchantment Bay in southeast Alaska.

At 400 ft tall and 6 miles vast the place it meets the ocean, Hubbard Glacier is the most important tidewater glacier in North America. In contrast to many different glaciers in Alaska, Hubbard Glacier is quickly advancing at round 80 ft per 12 months.

Resulting from its speedy progress, Hubbard Glacier has been nicknamed the Galloping Glacier. Its quick development ends in frequent calving as chunks of ice break off the glacier.

Visiting Hubbard Glacier is a multi-hour expertise, with ships crusing first into Yakutat Bay adopted by Disenchantment Bay en path to the glacier. Sightseeing happens for about three hours because the ship makes a 360 flip in entrance of the glacier, permitting friends to view its magnificent face from anyplace onboard.

Glacier Bay Nationwide Park

Glacier Bay Nationwide Park is the sixth largest nationwide park in the US. At over 3 million acres, the nationwide park is roughly the dimensions of Connecticut!

There are a whopping 1,045 glaciers situated in Glacier Bay Nationwide Park. Whereas most glaciers are situated far into the mountains, cruise itineraries can go to as much as 6 glaciers in someday within the park.

Listed here are the glaciers mostly visited on a scenic cruising day in Glacier Bay:

• Margerie Glacier
• Grand Pacific Glacier
• Purple Glacier
• Lamplugh Glacier
• Johns Hopkins Glacier
• Gilman Glacier

The longest glacier in Glacier Bay Nationwide Park is the Grand Pacific Glacier at 40 miles lengthy. The quickest is Johns Hopkins Glacier, which might advance as much as 15 ft per day.

If you go to Glacier Bay, park rangers will board the ship to supply data on the park’s surroundings and wildlife.

Relying on the cruise line, this may embody formal displays in onboard lounges, commentary on the loudspeakers, a kids’s academic program, and an informational desk you’ll be able to entry all through the day.

Itineraries to Glacier Bay embody a full day of sightseeing within the Nationwide Park. Ships sometimes enter the bay within the early morning, cruising slowly for 2 hours earlier than reaching the glaciers.

As soon as on the glaciers, cruise ships spend round 4 to 5 hours exploring the surroundings earlier than turning round and making the 2 hour journey again into the open ocean.

Does Royal Caribbean supply cruises to Glacier Bay?

Royal Caribbean doesn’t at present supply cruise itineraries to Glacier Bay Nationwide Park. Whereas the cruise line was provided an settlement with the park to supply Glacier Bay itineraries from 2019 – 2029, Royal Caribbean didn’t signal the settlement.

That being stated, you could possibly guide a flightseeing shore tour to Glacier Bay. These excursions sometimes depart from Icy Strait Level and fly over the park.

Associated: How to decide on the fitting Alaska cruise itinerary

There are various different glaciers you’ll be able to go to on a Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska, nevertheless, together with Hubbard Glacier, Dawes Glacier, and the dual Sawyer Glaciers. There’s additionally the prospect to go to different glaciers whereas in port, such because the well-known Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau.

Which glacier is best for wildlife?

Each Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay supply the prospect to identify wildlife together with harbor seals, humpback whales, and seabirds. Whereas wildlife sighting is rarely assured, you have got the prospect to identify wildlife whereas visiting both glacier.

Associated: What’s the greatest time of 12 months to see wildlife in Alaska?

A plus of visiting Hubbard Glacier is the prospect to guide the “Hubbard Glacier Wilderness Explorer” tour. This tour brings passengers aboard a small tour boat, permitting friends to journey nearer to the glacier whereas recognizing wildlife. A information is onboard to supply perception on the area’s ecology and wildlife calling the area residence.

If we have to select one of the best glacier for wildlife viewing, although, it might be Glacier Bay. As cruise ships spend extra time in Glacier Bay than at Hubbard Glacier, you have got extra time (and probabilities) to identify wildlife.

Which glacier ought to I choose for my Alaska cruise?

Deciding between Glacier Bay Nationwide Park or Hubbard Glacier comes down to some fundamental issues.

The primary determination you’ll must make in case you’re a loyal Royal Caribbean cruiser is whether or not or not you might be open to crusing on one other cruise line. As a result of Royal Caribbean doesn’t sail to Glacier Bay, you’ll must sail on a cruise line like Princess, Holland America, or Norwegian.

Glacier Bay is undoubtedly spectacular, nevertheless, and if visiting the park is in your bucket checklist, it’s value crusing on a cruise line apart from Royal Caribbean.

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Hubbard Glacier, alternatively, can nonetheless make for a wonderful addition to an Alaska cruise itinerary. Whereas just one glacier as a substitute of a number of glaciers, Hubbard Glacier dominates the panorama extra dramatically than any glacier at Glacier Bay.

Plus, whereas Hubbard Glacier might supply shorter sightseeing occasions in comparison with a day in Glacier Bay, this may be excellent for households. Days at Glacier Bay are lengthy, typically beginning within the early morning and lasting till dinnertime. Children might not need to spend the entire day trying on the surroundings, so Hubbard Glacier could be a extra condensed but nonetheless lovely expertise.

Whereas there’s no ‘greatest’ Alaska cruise itinerary, you’ll be able to’t go fallacious visiting both glacier. The truth is, you could even have the ability to discover itineraries visiting each glaciers in a single cruise!

Suggestions for visiting glaciers on an Alaska cruise

Irrespective of which glacier you go to on an Alaska cruise, you’ll need to be sure to’re ready so that you’ve one of the best viewing expertise attainable. Listed here are our prime ideas & methods for viewing glaciers on an Alaska cruise.

Discover one of the best spot to look at the surroundings

Whether or not visiting Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay, or any of Alaska’s different magnificent glaciers, remember to discover one of the best spot to look at the surroundings.

You possibly can view the surroundings out of your balcony, the pool deck, Promenade deck, the helicopter pad, or some other place onboard with home windows.

Previous to your itinerary’s scenic glacier viewing day, scout out just a few of one of the best locations to view the glacier. When you might choose to view glaciers out of your balcony, you would possibly need to contemplate someplace onboard with extra panoramic views, such because the pool deck or helicopter pad.

Be versatile

Nothing is assured when cruising, and it’s all the time necessary to be versatile to make sure you don’t find yourself disenchanted.

Alaska’s climate is unpredictable, and it’s not fully unusual for cruise ships to cancel or modify glacier viewing occasions as a way to preserve friends, crew, and the ship protected.

Whereas ships efficiently go to glaciers as a rule, there’s all the time the prospect your glacier viewing day might not happen.

Bundle up

Packing for an Alaska cruise means layers, layers, and extra layers.

When making ready to view a glacier on an Alaska cruise, remember to bundle up to make sure you don’t get too chilly whereas viewing the glacier.

Associated: Alaska cruise packing checklist: What to pack to your crusing

Our recommendation is to put on pants (leggings or denims), a base layer (long-sleeve shirt or sweater), a rain jacket, and a hat. It’s all the time higher to put on greater than you want and take layers off relatively than be too chilly whereas viewing the glacier.

Most significantly, don’t neglect your digital camera!

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