Travels with Mickey Cruises Disney Planning & Packing About Cruises Disney Planning & Packing About More than 2 results are available in the PRO version (This notice is only visible to admin users) Hubbard Glacier vs. Glacier Bay vs. Dawes Glacier: Pros and Cons of Each Cruise Experience This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you. I only share products I personally use, genuinely recommend, or believe will help make your cruise travel easier and more enjoyable. Thank you for supporting Travels With Mickey! 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.IfContinueContinue reading “Pros and Cons of Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm Fjord and Endicott Arm Fjord”