Glacier Bay Cruises

Glacier Bay cruises provide the rare opportunity to see sights that are iconic Alaska. The bay itself is 65 miles long and from 3-20 miles wide, and is home to the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve as well as 16 major Alaska glaciers.

Glacier Bay cruises depart from Juneau and Ketchikan to discover the pristine wilderness of Glacier Bay and its many islands. Sightings of bald eagles, humpback whales, mountain goats, brown bears and diving seabirds are the norm, as is the thundering sound of calving ice.

Point Adolphus and Icy Strait

Icy Strait is the newest port of call for Glacier Bay cruises, and offers scenic hiking trails and other nature activities. Local shops feature Tlingit artisan crafts and good quality restaurants are available as well.

Your Glacier Bay cruise will also take you to Icy Strait, providing an excellent vantage point for viewing humpback whales at Point Adolphus, which juts out into the strait. This natural phenomenon causes an "upwelling" of nutrients from the ocean floor, creating a welcome feeding ground for humpback whales, seals, sea lions, and sea birds.

Glacier Bay’s West Arm

One of the most spectacular glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park can be found in the bay’s west arm. This vast 3.3 million acre marine park is considered one of the crowning jewels of the U.S. National Park system, and is a regular destination for most Glacier Bay cruises.

Chichagof and Baranof Islands

Chichagof and Baranof Islands are magnificent representations of Glacier Bay Alaska wilderness, with 4,000-foot glacier walls, snow covered peaks, cascading waterfalls, rich green rainforests, and expansive tidal flats. Cruisers can explore the islands with sea kayaks, fish for halibut and salmon or go on a hike to one of several lakes in the area.

Admiralty Island

Across Frederick Sound lies Admiralty Island, a National Wilderness Area that is prime humpback whale territory and home to a large population of Alaskan brown bears. Settled in a secluded cove amid evergreen-covered islands, Admiralty Island affords you the opportunity to hike, fish and kayak while enjoying the pristine wilds of Glacier Bay National Park.

Endicott / Tracy Arm Fjord

Endicott Arm is another favorite destination of Glacier Bay Alaska, and is home to a number of whale pods and other marine life. You will see massive icebergs that have survived their journey from the Dawes Glacier at the head of the fjord as well as granite cliffs that tower over the ship, with waterfalls cascading down around you.

Tarr Inlet

At the head of Glacier Bay Alaska is Tarr Inlet, home to the Grand Pacific Glacier, an active body of ice that's slowly making its way toward the Margerie Glacier, which it last touched in 1912. Here scientists have found exposed rock they believe to be more than 200 million years old.

Johns Hopkins Inlet

At the northeastern edge of the Glacier Bay National Park Fairweather Range, you'll enter the Johns Hopkins Inlet, home to nine glaciers. Framed by rocky slopes that vault more than 6,000 feet, these natural wonders are eclipsed only by the mighty Mount Fairweather itself, which at more than 15,300 feet is the highest peak in southeast Alaska.