At the end of the tour, we were asked to fill out comment cards. Prices weren't bad, which was good because I think everyone ended up buying something as we were on the boat for a while. March 29, 2022 in Shore Excursions. Loved it. It was also just so serene and quiet. That particular cruise, on the way to Juneau, "pulls over" and you can hop. The whale watching wasn't much. I didnt see it mentioned but we were required to reboard Ovation, went through security and then right back out because we had an excursion immediately after. I spoke to the company directly but you still have to book through DCL. Though - sometimes ships can't go to Tracy Arm and in that case, they will often go to Endicott Arm. Located approximately 50 miles southeast of Juneau, the Endicott Arm Fjord houses the impressive tidewater glacier, Dawes Glacier, at its head. We did leave late and arrived after Ovation had docked. Standing over 600 feet tall and a half-mile wide, this very active icecap is known for its spectacular calving displays which produce huge, chunky icebergs that float in area waters. Because we where moving, and because the size and scale of the area is just so big, it was hard to tell if we were just getting closer and it was out of view around the corner, or if it was sailing away in the other direction. We planned on doing a whale watch and a trip to Mendenhall but with the schedule switched to just the whale watch, so I didn't see Mendenhall (at least up close, we could see it from the bus on the way to the whale watch boat) so I really can't compare it. This narrow fjord is part of the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness area. But if you don't do Dawes, you will save a lot of money, you wouldn't be cooped up on a small boat for 5.5 hours, and you wouldn't be as rushed as we were once we got to Juneau. Home Page - Fit Two Travel We were able to quickly go up to the room and drop off some of our heavier jackets (the weather was warmer than expected) then get lunch at the Hanger on the Wharf. This was our first excursion on our first Cruise and we couldn't have been more pleased. read more, Really great group of crew members. The people were extremely nice and were as excited as we were to see humpback whales and orcas. We hung around the glacier for about an hour, providing plenty of photo opportunities. The boat operator positions the boat for all to see and follows the spouting whales. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. ChanaC DIS Veteran Joined Apr 25, 2014 Mar 16, 2022 #1 Has anyone booked an up close glacier tour in Alaska, on DCL or on another line? Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation! 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Application Override Active - Acting As production | Service Override Active - Acting As undefined I would recommend an Uber/Lyft to the glacier, so you can take your time. Im on the June 27th sailing and was able to get it booked with concierge. 5 hours Family Recommended Travel in comfort aboard an Alaskan-built expedition vessel to experience stunning Endicott Arm Fjord. Jun 28, 2022 | 0 comments@media(min-width:0px){#div-gpt-ad-fittwotravel_com-box-2-0-asloaded{max-width:320px!important;max-height:50px!important;}}if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'fittwotravel_com-box-2','ezslot_5',106,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-fittwotravel_com-box-2-0'); On our recent cruise to Alaska, we couldnt wait to see glaciers! This cute guy kept coming up to our boat! I have made reservations to canoe in the afternoon to the Mendenhall glacier in Juneau. There were some crew members there who were helping though. We went with a mother-daughter massage. This is an old thread, you may also want to start your own. Here's another cruise ship coming in to view the glacier, and yes the fishing boat is still in there. Its icebergs provide breeding and whelping grounds harbor seals. It looks like when the ship approaches the glacier (in this case Dawes Glacier), instead of viewing it from the ship you get in a smaller boat and get closer to it. We got pretty close actually. Its truly a once in a lifetime experience for most people! On the ship before the excursion a member of the shore excursion team told us that last week the tour boat didn't make it back until 2:30, so I'm not sure if something out of the ordinary happened or if he was just mistaken. We had the opportunity to get any and all of them if we chose to. The boat zig zagged through the ice, both avoiding it and getting us some cool views. We were hiked off in a 20 minute guided bus ride through Juneau. Thank you so much for your reply! I took the kids to see Alaska Minnie while he went on his excursion, we would have missed her if we had been on it because her line was the longest. From this boat, we spent 20-25 minutes very close to the glacier and saw it calving many times! Depending on the time of year you cruise, and how big your cruise ship is, will depend on how close you can get to the glaciers while on the cruise ship. Read our, Recommended experiences in and around Juneau, Helicopter Tours, Boat Tours, Cultural Tours, Day Trips, Nature & Wildlife Tours, Kayaking & Canoeing, Hiking & Camping Tours, Private Tours, Boat Tours, Eco Tours, Nature & Wildlife Tours, Day Trips, Kayaking & Canoeing, Boat Tours, Nature & Wildlife Tours, Dolphin & Whale Watching, Nature & Wildlife Tours, Dolphin & Whale Watching, Eco Tours. We did the early morning excursion. It was all fantastic from seeing our first glacier, to dinner with real smoked salmon. The whale watching was another LONG ride on a scary, packed boat, to see a few whales and an island of sea lions. At some point we saw that the Quantum was no longer near us. We were very lucky as we saw several humpback whales including two sets of mother and calf as well as several orcas (at least 6 total in two different groups.) What they do know about their behaviors is that if you see the tail, youre most likely not going to see that whale for at least another 10 minutes. After spending a good hour in front of Dawes Glacier, we started the journey back to Juneau. Required fields are marked *. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. I don't quite understand your last statement. Hopefully this is helpful for anyone else who has the same questions I do or are looking to book this excursion. via Holkham Bay. After the Endicott Arm we made our way to Juneau on the boat. Paste as plain text instead, Well see you on the ship! The photo safari for Juneau. Maybe when we're retired. We have done small boat excursions to several glaciers in AK. The Allen family brought one of their comfortable boats to pick us up from the Disney Wonder for a "port" excursion to Endicott Arm and more specifically the Dawes Glacier. OK, we are on the first Alaska Cruise on the Wonder, and my wife we able to book it and we are silver. And no it's not from December, my camera was in Military Date mode. The smaller boat simply has the ability to get a lot closer as the ice is going to be dispersing the further away it floats. Plus if we start the first tour at 7:00am, it will just be a really long day. Please try again. You are using an out of date browser. Insider's Tips I'm not sure why Disney can't book enough ships to meet demand for this experience. About heads at Alaska-Canada boundary, trends NW to Endicott Arm, 96 mi. {"version":"20211209","show_thumbnails":true,"show_date":false,"show_context":true,"layout":"grid","headline":"Related","items":[{"id":7345,"url":"https . We DID choose DCL to cruise the inside passage based on our love of Disney and because we ABSOLUTELY WANT to see the Disney characters dressed in their Alaskan outfits. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. It was weird, had no issues booking it and we are silver. But he loves to travel too! It would be better if you explain further what precisely, you are looking at. By Dinner is available every night but without the nursery open for my 2 yo we either take turns (we're traveling with my mom and dad as well as my sister and her hubby) or don't go so DH and I have decided not to do dinner this cruise. it was a spectacular sight seeing the glacier and the many icebergs that surrounded it up close and personal and from a water level rather than from the huge ship where it was anchored. Make sure you are on-line at midnight eastern to book it. The crew was friendly, informative and helpful. Im not a great photographer but I would like to improve, and my son is excited to see the wildlife. Very cool! And if you decide to stay on the ship this will be your view, from 2019No matter what you decide you will not be disappointed. Your previous content has been restored. I looked at booking it for my parents and I know it was available for a while after our silver booking window opened. No characters were around for pictures when we got back, sadly. Jess, Justin, Tyler and Merlin had a 6th sense for knowing where to find not just whales but sea lions and porpoises. I don't remember if it was always there or not. Now check your email to confirm your subscription. Bring a hat or wear a hooded coat/sweatshirt for viewing. This is the view from the ship once we got back onboard. Once we got back on the ship we were able to get several of the characters in their Alaskan wear, specifically Mickey Mouse on Deck 9 with the glacier in the background. You must log in or register to reply here. My Mom was able to book it and this will be her first ever cruise. It's unfortunate that you book a once in a lifetime trip without being able to know if it's available or not. Juneau, Alaska Endicott Arm & Glacier Explorer Excursion | Norwegian See the Tokyo Disneyland 40th Anniversary Treats in Japan! We didnt start boarding the smaller boat until 7:30am. Disney Announces U.S. Military Flyover at Magic Kingdom July 4. However, I'm now seeing some info online that suggests that you stay on the smaller boat and sail that into Juneau, where you then meet up with the ship at the port. I loved this tour. Thanks for sharing. Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features. Unsubscribe at any time. We got some great photos of the ship through the fjords, and we ended up arriving before she did so we got some time alone with the glacier. Problems Getting Required Disclosure Docs. I don't know how it was for the first group, but we had great weather (cold, though), saw several seals, and even saw a baby seal being born on an iceberg. We did the first excursion of the day, and missed lunch. The entrance for Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm are the same. We used Juneau Whale Watch (who where FANTASTIC about rebooking, fyi) but since everyone was worried about getting back for our all aboard time, and since the boats before us were a little delayed getting back from the previous trip, we were cut a little short. Amazing places deserve to be shared with others - why not Write a Review! NW of Sitka, Coast Mts. We even saw some seals and a bald eagle on the ice. They also caught a chunk of ice and had it set up at the snack bar so everyone could touch it and get a picture. Very cool! We had a beautiful overcast and drizzly, yet partly sunny at times day. The views from the boat were incredible! Which Dawes Glacier Excursion to book? Early or late I know characters do meet at other times, but I'm afraid if we take the later one we'll miss dinner. Anybody done this one? We were fortunate enough to see 2 whales very close to the boat so we spent a bit of time whale watching. They waited for us as it was a Royal excursion but as others have said, you might want to pad it a bit if you decide to do an excursion after. Exceptional service and an incredible experience across the board! The tour boat is decked with a bar complete with snacks, sandwiches, coffee and soft drinks. Best Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier Cruises | Celebrity Cruises From this boat, we spent 20-25 minutes very close to the glacier and saw it calving many times! Delicious dinner at orca point. 15.5K subscribers Subscribe 12K views 3 years ago DAWES GLACIER Cruising the Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier - Alaska - What to Expect In this video, You will see what our cruising experience. '&https=1' : ''); We ate a late and large breakfast and some poolside food before we left. The crew of the St John were very knowledgeable and hospitable. But if it makes a difference, we're going to Alaska again this year leaving April 30th but trying something new and sailing on Princess. So maybe we get back on the ship enroute? I imagine since the tour companies are promoted through the cruise lines websites, they don't work very hard to impress their customers. Your email address will not be published. We were incredibly lucky with the weather, we didnt need to wear as many layers as we thought, and had lots of visibility. I am going on Celebrity in July and debating when we get to Juneau - is it better to do the seaplane fly over 5 glacier trip or the Tracey Fjord 7 hour up close trip. Good luck on seeing some whales! Yes. In fact, we had a 2:30 whale watch booked and ended up moving it to 3:30 to be safe. I hope it's worth it! When we originally tried to book this excursion, it was sold out. You must log in or register to reply here. @ChanaCgave a great description which pretty much mirrored our Ovation experience. Along the way the boat's crew kept an eye out for animals, and at one point spotted a bear but it ran away when the boat got close. View FitTwoTravel15s profile on Facebook, View UCJFgE7XL6LCpAgY_zDp4axQs profile on YouTube, The Ultimate Cruise Packing List: Cruise Essentials and Packing Tips, The Top 8 Sites for Booking Cheap Flights, Cruise Port Guide: Things to do in Icy Strait Point Alaska, French Polynesia Budget: What does it cost to visit French Polynesia, Huahine Travel Guide : 5 Things to do in Huahine. Picked up next to ship and taken to boat via a very informative tour. Pics like those above are what motivated me to sign up. We got engaged in 2013 in Paris and married in Jamaica in 2014. Excellent tour. Yes, the Wonder did leave the glacier area - but, it was there for a few minutes which allowed us to get some great pictures of it. It seemed that it kind of hung out there for a few minutes because we were able to get those great photos. That particular cruise, on the way to Juneau, "pulls over" and you can hop ontoa small boat and take excursion into Tracy Arm and see Sawyer glacier up close (note: the ship, meanwhile, sails on to Juneau). Hubbard Glacier vs. Glacier Bay vs. Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier I've done both multiple times- certainly flying Alaska really shows the vastness and beauty extensively. Display as a link instead, Saw a bald eagle, 5 humpback whales and 2 orcas! Breathtaking Endicott Arm extends over 30 miles long, with nearly one-fifth of its area covered in ice. We just got back from a week long trip in New Orleans, drove down, walked everywhere (almost 30 miles in the week), saw a lot, did as much as we could. They did make some scenic detours, including a cool cascade (fun fact: they told us a waterfall has to come from a water source like a lake or river, any "waterfall" that's from melting ice is a cascade), an island with a bunch of sea lions hanging out, and a bear on a shoreline (who unfortunately ran away as we approached before anyone really got a view). This was a unique tour because we got off the cruise ship Celebrity Solstice onto this smaller (140-person) enclosed catamaran right in front of the Dawes Glacier. To do an independent add on trip of Tracy Arm- 12 hours of port time is needed. I just don't remember all that we were doing before the excursion, but I do know that we got photos at some point with the characters in their Alaskan outfits. The boat offers complimentary coffee and hot cocoa. The scenery on this excursion is just amazing! It is up to the servers if they can do it, but it may be worth asking about onboard if you would be OK with a plan B if they say no. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. This Alaska trip may be a one time thing so now I'm getting some pre-cruise FOMO! It was annoying because a lot of people, including us, didn't really know how long we were going to be on this excursion for, or if we would run late to any other excursions we booked in Juneau. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Problems Getting Required Disclosure Docs. We did this trip as a once in a lifetime thing. I had a whale watch for Juneau and cancelled and booked this one. The top level was only opened when we were stopped. We did the early excursion and thought it was amazing travelling along the fjord towards the glacier while the Wonder was doing the same. It was unclear if the issue was COVID or contract related. This pristine wilderness features glacier-carved cliffs, beautiful icebergs, and a close-up view of the Dawes Glacier. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.#cruise #dawesglacier #endicottarm But the characters in their Alaskan wear INSIDE do appear several days and times throughout the cruise.