Hubbard Glacier vs. Glacier Bay vs. Dawes Glacier: Pros and Cons of Each Cruise Experience

Many people have questions about the differences between the three glacier experiences available on an Alaska cruise, so I thought I’d put together a quick list of the pros and cons of Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay, and Dawes Glacier.

Hubbard Glacier Pros:

Hubbard Glacier is a massive, advancing glacier reached by sailing through the beautiful Disenchantment Bay. At an incredible 76 miles long and approximately 1,200 feet deep, it is the largest tidewater glacier in North America.

One of the biggest advantages of visiting Hubbard Glacier is the opportunity to witness dramatic glacier calving—the spectacular sight and sound of huge chunks of ice breaking away from the face of the glacier. Because Hubbard is actively advancing, calving activity can be especially impressive.

The area is also rich in wildlife, both on land and in the water. It is common to spot seals lounging on ice floes, along with other Alaska wildlife. A naturalist onboard will provide information about the glacier, surrounding area, and wildlife, making the experience even more interesting.

Hubbard Glacier Cons:

There is only one active glacier at this location. There is another glacier off to the side, but it is not advancing and does not calve, so Hubbard Glacier is really the main attraction.

Another potential downside is that Hubbard Glacier can be difficult to reach during certain times of the Alaska cruise season. Earlier and later in the season, sea ice can make it challenging for ships to get close to the glacier. Depending on ice conditions, a ship may have difficulty entering Disenchantment Bay or may not be able to cruise as close to the face of Hubbard Glacier as planned.

So, while Hubbard can offer an incredible glacier experience, the viewing conditions can be somewhat unpredictable depending on the time of year and the amount of ice in the bay.

Glacier Bay Pros:

Glacier Bay National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and offers a completely different glacier-viewing experience than Hubbard Glacier. Instead of focusing on one glacier, you’ll have the opportunity to see several glaciers throughout the day.

On a typical cruise through Glacier Bay, you’ll see Margerie Glacier, Grand Pacific Glacier, and Lamplugh Glacier, with the majority of your time spent near Margerie and Grand Pacific, which sit next to each other. Margerie is the larger and more active of the two, making it a favorite for watching and listening for calving.

Grand Pacific Glacier is quite different. Much of the glacier is covered with rock debris from landslides and medial moraines, which extend across a large portion of the glacier’s face. It may not have the bright blue appearance you might expect from an Alaska glacier, but the geology makes it fascinating to see.

If ice conditions allow, the captain may also venture into Johns Hopkins Inlet, giving you a chance to see Johns Hopkins Glacier. I’ve only experienced this once, and the glacier was quite a distance away, but it was still an incredible sight.

Another major advantage of Glacier Bay is the National Park Service ranger narration. Because Glacier Bay is a national park, cruise ships are required to have a park ranger onboard while traveling through the park. The rangers provide commentary over the ship’s loudspeakers, pointing out glaciers, wildlife, geology, and the ecology of the area as you sail.

And the wildlife sightings can be just as exciting as the glaciers! We’ve watched bears walking along the beach and even saw a moose swimming across the bay while we were near Margerie Glacier.

One fun fact we learned from a park ranger: the same bear can be called a coastal brown bear when it is on the coastline and a grizzly bear when it is in the mountains. Same bear—different name depending on where it lives!

For me, the combination of multiple glaciers, wildlife, scenery, and the National Park Service narration makes Glacier Bay a very unique Alaska cruise experience.

Glacier Bay Cons:

While Glacier Bay offers an incredible variety of scenery and glaciers, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Many of the glaciers in Glacier Bay are retreating, although not all of them. Johns Hopkins Glacier, for example, is actually advancing at a rate of approximately 10 to 15 feet per day. However, because it can be difficult for cruise ships to get close to the face of Johns Hopkins Glacier, you likely won’t have the opportunity to witness calving there.

Margerie Glacier is another example. It is considered relatively stable, meaning it is neither significantly advancing nor retreating. Because of this, it is not as active as some other glaciers, and the calving can be less dramatic. Instead of huge chunks of ice crashing into the water, you may see what looks more like ice waterfalls cascading down the face of the glacier.

Another consideration is the weather. Glacier Bay can be cold, wet, and foggy during the Alaska cruise season. The area has a cool, wet coastal temperate rainforest climate, with summer temperatures generally ranging from around 50°F to 60°F.

So, if you’re hoping for a warm, sunny day with spectacular glacier calving, Glacier Bay can be a bit unpredictable. But honestly, the weather is part of the Alaska experience—and the scenery is pretty spectacular even when it’s cold and rainy!

UPDATE: Due to ongoing safety risks following a 2025 landslide, cruise lines have removed sailings into Tracy Arm from many itineraries and have instead switched to the nearby Endicott Arm Fjord.If your itinerary originally listed Tracy Arm, be sure to check with your cruise line for the most current information, as itineraries and sailing plans can change based on safety and weather conditions.

Tracy Arm Pros:

The most common route into the Tracy Arm area is through Stephens Passage, entering Holkham Bay and then continuing into Tracy Arm or the nearby Endicott Arm.

The scenery along the way is spectacular. The fjord walls are narrow and rugged, with steep rock faces rising dramatically from the water. Along the cliffs, you’ll see numerous waterfalls cascading down the mountainsides, especially during the summer months.

As you get closer to the end of the fjord, the scenery becomes even more impressive as icebergs begin to fill the water. Many of these icebergs are an incredible shade of blue—so deep and vibrant that some almost look like glass floating in the water.

For me, one of the best things about this experience is that the journey through the fjord is just as beautiful as the glacier itself. Even when the ship can't get all the way to the glacier, the towering mountains, waterfalls, narrow fjord, and floating ice make for an incredible Alaska cruise experience.

Tracy Arm / Endicott Arm Cons

One of the biggest drawbacks is that large cruise ships cannot get close to the Sawyer Glaciers. The twin glaciers—North Sawyer and South Sawyer—are located at the end of Tracy Arm, but ice floes often prevent larger ships from getting close enough for a good view.

If seeing the Sawyer Glaciers up close is a priority, you’ll need to book an excursion, either through your cruise line or from Juneau. Smaller excursion boats can navigate through the ice and get much closer to the glaciers than a large cruise ship can.

So while the scenery sailing through the fjord is spectacular, don’t expect the same up-close glacier experience you might get at Hubbard Glacier or Margerie Glacier in Glacier Bay.

Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier Pros:

When Tracy Arm is not accessible to cruise ships, many itineraries visit Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier instead. One advantage of Endicott Arm is that it is shorter than Tracy Arm, which means the journey to the glacier is faster. The shorter fjord also allows the ship to get much closer to Dawes Glacier.

Dawes is an active tidewater glacier, making it a great option if you’re hoping to see glacier calving. It also has a prominent medial moraine, which shows where two large glaciers have come together to form Dawes Glacier.

There is even more to see along the way. A smaller glacier can be seen high on the northern side of the fjord, adding to the flow of ice above the face of Dawes. Just before reaching Dawes Glacier, you can also see another glacier with an impressive icefall tucked into a hanging valley on the north side of the fjord.

Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier Cons:

One potential drawback of Endicott Arm is the entrance to the fjord. Tidal currents can make navigating into Endicott complicated. An old terminal moraine creates a shallow bar at the entrance, and an incredible amount of water moves through this area with each tide. Because of these conditions, the ship's pilot must navigate the entrance with great care.

While Endicott Arm is not quite as narrow as Tracy Arm, the granite walls are still incredibly dramatic, soaring thousands of feet above the water.

The shorter length of Endicott Arm can be both a pro and a con. You reach Dawes Glacier more quickly, but you also have less time sailing through the fjord and taking in the scenery. If you enjoy the journey as much as the destination, this is something to consider when comparing Dawes Glacier with the other Alaska glacier experiences.

No Matter Which Alaska Glacier You Choose…

No matter which itinerary you choose, Alaska is amazing. Each glacier experience is different, but all three offer incredible scenery and the opportunity to see a side of Alaska you simply can’t experience anywhere else. Enjoy every minute of your time there!

And don’t forget to pack for the weather! A good Alaska cruise packing list is essential, especially when you’re preparing for chilly temperatures, rain, and those beautiful glacier-viewing days.For all of my packing suggestions, check out What to Pack for Alaska

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