WackyCactus

Close is relative.  The Tracy Arm Glacier is huge, and I thought we were quite close.  The ship, Explorer, stayed on scene with a great view, and spun cookies in place, so everybody on the ship had absolutely great views of the glacier, and of the entire area, start to finish.   I do not believe there is any bad choice.🤩

Wow, thank you all for these amazing responses and pictures.  It sounds like Endicott is the place to go if I want to get closer to the glacier for pictures and viewing.  Thank you, again!!!

This is a two-part question. 
Are there times when the weather prevents getting close to the Tracy Arm glacier?  Oh, I imagine bad weather could prevent just about anything, regardless of the time of year.  We did it in July and it was marvelous.
An excursion, off the ship?  This area is rugged.  Maybe some ships have tenders that they could run to the glacier, but this is hard for me to imagine. It certainly was not offered on Explorer of the Seas.
 
 

We went through the Tracy Arm Fjord on Brilliance in May, and on the loud speaker when we got to the glacier we were told that was the closest they were able to get to the glacier in 2 years.  Whoever it was on the loudspeaker (maybe the captain?) made it out to be a pretty big deal.   So I think it is all luck as stated above.  We had an amazing view of the glacier, but Brilliance is also a smaller ship.  There was no excursion to get off the ship at the glacier.  The ship just goes through the fjord then makes a turn and goes back out.  It was a wonderful morning just being out on our balcony though!

Not really. The beginning and ending parts to the Alaska season can be blocked completely with ice and the middle part of the season can have too many broken off iceberg due to the warmer temps. Its dumb luck either way

There isn't a time of year that's better or worse. It's all luck.

We did the excursion at Endicott Arm in August. I can't speak for Tracy but I'd imagine they are similar. Although I have heard Tracy can be much too icy for the ship to get close enough and the excursion gets cancelled. In our Endicott experience, the smaller boat used for the excusrsion easily maneuvered around the ice. Ovation stayed maybe a mile or so back. Hope this helps because it is a fantastic excursion. Wouldn't have even noticed it on the CP if we hadn't seen it mentioned here at RCB. 

I hope they really are taking a dip.  If this is just about hogging the chair when they are away, it's really shameful.  
Us humans are a strange breed.  One of the first things we teach our children is how to share, but as we age into adulthood, as a society, it becomes clear we were only faking it the entire time.

GTY has often been unavailable for solo cruisers.  That goes back years.  Sometimes you could call and they would waive the 2 person requirement.  Sometimes a GTY is flagged for use by solos and you can just book it.  More recently with an emphasis on revenue and cruise fares going way up they seem to be offering GTY to solo less frequently.  
Sometimes booking GTY on a ship that has solo "studio" cabins will result in being assigned a studio cabin.  In these cases they let you book the GTY.   
The practice of booking a ghost cabin mate still seems to work but that leads to the new or more recent points problem.
In the olden days it was common practice for a no-show cabin mate to yield double points for the guest that sailed.  This wasn't written policy but it was practiced and what most people experienced.
Over the last year or so they have been denying double points in no-show scenarios more frequently.  They aren't perfect and some people still end up with the extra points from a no-show but there is now policy in writing that states you shouldn't.  
I was recently in a position for a short notice cruise booked after final payment due date where I could book GTY as a solo.  The ship had available studio cabins.  I knew if i booked the GTY I was probably get a studio cabin and single points.  For a hundred or so more I was able to book a regular double occupancy cabin so that's what I did.  I picked my actual cabin and I will get extra points for being solo since I booked a double occupancy cabin paying the single supplement.  My cabin is actually meant to hold 4 guests.  I called and received permission to be solo in a quad cabin so that revenue management wouldn't try to move me to a studio cabin.  
In my case the single supplement is less painful because I have over 340 points which is the threshold for reduced single supplements on select sailings.   This D+ perk has been a huge money saver for me.  Yes it took a while of paying 200% to get to 340 points but it's been great ever since.  

I’m sorry to hear they are doing that to solo cruisers. I’ve enjoyed the double points as a solo in a room designed for 2 and have been able to move up the tiers quickly because of it.   if you can book cheaper in a cabin for 2 you can put any name and no show them and get port fees/taxes back.   if you are considering paying that 400%, and I doubt you are, then maybe it’s worth looking at a junior suite and you’d get double points with 2 booked, even with  the made up person. 

You can get the GTY cabin, but you have to call in.  I check the price for 2 people and if there is a GTY cabin I like I call in and can get that price minus the taxes and port fees.  I have done it multiple times in the past two years.

A person can only be listed on the ships manifest once. As the sailing date gets closer and the manifest becomes really important, trust me; even though Royal's IT Dept leaves a lot to be desired there are many checks and balances that will discover that one person is listed more than once. A big one would be when the manifest is submitted to the State Department.
The best way to take advantage lower cost rooms as a solo traveler is to book earlier; as in, when new sailings are first released. 
 
Finally, a bit of advice; chase experiences, don't chase points. 

Good info above.
We spent 10 days on land in 2018 before cruising from Seward to Vancouver. Flew into Fairbanks (farther from Seward than Anchorage) and took the train the entire way from Fairbanks to Seward (with many stops along the way). The train is great and the land portion was the highlight moreso than the cruise portion (not that we didn't love the cruise portion as well).

Here is the train link.  https://www.alaskarailroad.com/  Last year we did the Seward to Anchorage leg in Goldstar service and it was really excellent overall (though the dining was poor, likely due to early in season/startup).  The outdoor viewing platform was awesome.  I would expect the Anchorage to Seward trip is also very good, but if I were going to do it, I'd try to go early and spend a couple days in Seward pre-cruise.  

This website is helpful for breaking down the options (bus, train, rental car): https://www.alaskatravel.com/transportation/anchorage-seward/
We took the train (adventure class) and would highly recommend it.

You will have to go back and forth as it’s two different excursions, not one mega one

I feel I need to come bunk with some of you all 🙂

Thank you so much for letting me know this. Appreciate everyone's quick response!

It was fantastic and worth every penny!! So when we got off the ship we had to get on a ferry to Playa del Carmen. If you get the least bit sea sick, take something before you get on!! So many people (including my hubby) lost or almost tossed their cookies on the way over! The staff even has little green barf bags in their pockets and were handing them out like candy lol
Then you meet up with your group and take a 15 min walk to where the buses are lined up and another 15 min ride to the park. We got off the boat at 8:30am and didn't walk into the park until 10:30am, but we got to stay until 4pm (ship time) and back on a ferry by 5pm, at the port by 5:45 and back on board by 6:15, just in time for 6:30 sail away
So the tour guides were great and they have a recommended order that you do the activities, but you are free to go on your own as long as you are back on the bus on time. Definitely go with them to the ziplines first because you get to cut most of the line. There are 2 sets of lines and they will take you to both if you want. 1 set was enough for us and took a good hour to get through. The towers are VERY tall so there's a lot of walking uphill and my lazy 14 year old couldn't cut it anymore lol so she didn't want to do the second line, but there was time. 
So we wandered from the group and went to the amphibious cars which was a blast! My husband thought he was a race car driver lol. Other than wearing your helmet and seat belt there are no restrictions. You drive through water, bridges and caves! We did 2 tracks which took about 20-25min each. Then we went to go eat and when I say that was the best food we had all trip I mean it!! Huge selection, fresh, tasty! Plus they have another bar set for just fresh juices and smoothies. 
By the time we finished eating, we saw the rest of our group walk in. We then went to do the cave swimming-do the long track which takes about 30 minutes to swim through-its worth it! We skipped the rafting because we I've heard from others including our tour guides that its very physically difficult to do and if the person in front of you doesn't know what they are doing, you're stuck and can't move around them. We had just enough time to lay out in some hammocks for a few minutes, get some smoothies and mozy on over to the lockers to clean up and change before having to be back with the group. I think if we had stayed with them, we would have gotten in 2 ziplines, 1 car, and the short cave swim only. 
We  had so much fun were already talking about bringing other family members back with us. Enjoy!

Let me chime in on this.

I had the biggest social anxiety fears when I went solo back in January.  I was asking everyone on here for advice, and they were quite helpful.
As a side note, I also went solo in March.
But, to get to your question.  I had the best cruises of my life going solo.  I answered to NO ONE.  If I wanted to do something, I did it when I wanted to.  I've always been coupled up on a cruise and beholden to the other persons whims.  Let's go do this instead of what I wanted to, etc.
I climbed the rock wall, that was a new adventure for me, and I LOVED IT!!  I went to the ice skating show on my own, AND LOVED IT!!!  I saw Grease in the theater and, ohhh... I LOVED IT!!!  I went to every specialty restaurant on the ship on my own.  I LOVED IT!!  I think the only one I didn't enjoy was Izumi, that's because they sat me in the back corner by the kitchen and it was noisy, and HOT as a mug!
I did excursions on my own.  I was a CocoCay on my own, and I enjoy water slides, and I did all those with me, myself, and I.  I LOVED IT!!!!  There was an excursion on speed boats in Cozumel.  I got to drive the boat, with no one else in there.  JUST ME!!!  It was by far the best excursion I have been on.
If I had known how much fun I have doing things with just me, I would have done this a long time ago.
Like I said, I have a fair bought of social anxiety.  Solo cruising kicked that to the curb.  It makes you meet and chat with people.  Anyone and everyone.
I would also recommend joining the Facebook related to your ship and cruising date.  This is a MUST do.  I met several people that way 😛 
You'll have a blast, just have the expectation that you WILL be comfortable with yourself, and that you are an amazing person and kick ass!!  You'll have a blast!!!!
 
As a side note.  I forgot to put this in here... Get a balcony room.  I loved hanging out on the balcony.

Let me chime in on this.

I had the biggest social anxiety fears when I went solo back in January.  I was asking everyone on here for advice, and they were quite helpful.
As a side note, I also went solo in March.
But, to get to your question.  I had the best cruises of my life going solo.  I answered to NO ONE.  If I wanted to do something, I did it when I wanted to.  I've always been coupled up on a cruise and beholden to the other persons whims.  Let's go do this instead of what I wanted to, etc.
I climbed the rock wall, that was a new adventure for me, and I LOVED IT!!  I went to the ice skating show on my own, AND LOVED IT!!!  I saw Grease in the theater and, ohhh... I LOVED IT!!!  I went to every specialty restaurant on the ship on my own.  I LOVED IT!!  I think the only one I didn't enjoy was Izumi, that's because they sat me in the back corner by the kitchen and it was noisy, and HOT as a mug!
I did excursions on my own.  I was a CocoCay on my own, and I enjoy water slides, and I did all those with me, myself, and I.  I LOVED IT!!!!  There was an excursion on speed boats in Cozumel.  I got to drive the boat, with no one else in there.  JUST ME!!!  It was by far the best excursion I have been on.
If I had known how much fun I have doing things with just me, I would have done this a long time ago.
Like I said, I have a fair bought of social anxiety.  Solo cruising kicked that to the curb.  It makes you meet and chat with people.  Anyone and everyone.
I would also recommend joining the Facebook related to your ship and cruising date.  This is a MUST do.  I met several people that way 😛 
You'll have a blast, just have the expectation that you WILL be comfortable with yourself, and that you are an amazing person and kick ass!!  You'll have a blast!!!!
 
As a side note.  I forgot to put this in here... Get a balcony room.  I loved hanging out on the balcony.

Let me chime in on this.

I had the biggest social anxiety fears when I went solo back in January.  I was asking everyone on here for advice, and they were quite helpful.
As a side note, I also went solo in March.
But, to get to your question.  I had the best cruises of my life going solo.  I answered to NO ONE.  If I wanted to do something, I did it when I wanted to.  I've always been coupled up on a cruise and beholden to the other persons whims.  Let's go do this instead of what I wanted to, etc.
I climbed the rock wall, that was a new adventure for me, and I LOVED IT!!  I went to the ice skating show on my own, AND LOVED IT!!!  I saw Grease in the theater and, ohhh... I LOVED IT!!!  I went to every specialty restaurant on the ship on my own.  I LOVED IT!!  I think the only one I didn't enjoy was Izumi, that's because they sat me in the back corner by the kitchen and it was noisy, and HOT as a mug!
I did excursions on my own.  I was a CocoCay on my own, and I enjoy water slides, and I did all those with me, myself, and I.  I LOVED IT!!!!  There was an excursion on speed boats in Cozumel.  I got to drive the boat, with no one else in there.  JUST ME!!!  It was by far the best excursion I have been on.
If I had known how much fun I have doing things with just me, I would have done this a long time ago.
Like I said, I have a fair bought of social anxiety.  Solo cruising kicked that to the curb.  It makes you meet and chat with people.  Anyone and everyone.
I would also recommend joining the Facebook related to your ship and cruising date.  This is a MUST do.  I met several people that way 😛 
You'll have a blast, just have the expectation that you WILL be comfortable with yourself, and that you are an amazing person and kick ass!!  You'll have a blast!!!!
 
As a side note.  I forgot to put this in here... Get a balcony room.  I loved hanging out on the balcony.

Let me chime in on this.

I had the biggest social anxiety fears when I went solo back in January.  I was asking everyone on here for advice, and they were quite helpful.
As a side note, I also went solo in March.
But, to get to your question.  I had the best cruises of my life going solo.  I answered to NO ONE.  If I wanted to do something, I did it when I wanted to.  I've always been coupled up on a cruise and beholden to the other persons whims.  Let's go do this instead of what I wanted to, etc.
I climbed the rock wall, that was a new adventure for me, and I LOVED IT!!  I went to the ice skating show on my own, AND LOVED IT!!!  I saw Grease in the theater and, ohhh... I LOVED IT!!!  I went to every specialty restaurant on the ship on my own.  I LOVED IT!!  I think the only one I didn't enjoy was Izumi, that's because they sat me in the back corner by the kitchen and it was noisy, and HOT as a mug!
I did excursions on my own.  I was a CocoCay on my own, and I enjoy water slides, and I did all those with me, myself, and I.  I LOVED IT!!!!  There was an excursion on speed boats in Cozumel.  I got to drive the boat, with no one else in there.  JUST ME!!!  It was by far the best excursion I have been on.
If I had known how much fun I have doing things with just me, I would have done this a long time ago.
Like I said, I have a fair bought of social anxiety.  Solo cruising kicked that to the curb.  It makes you meet and chat with people.  Anyone and everyone.
I would also recommend joining the Facebook related to your ship and cruising date.  This is a MUST do.  I met several people that way 😛 
You'll have a blast, just have the expectation that you WILL be comfortable with yourself, and that you are an amazing person and kick ass!!  You'll have a blast!!!!
 
As a side note.  I forgot to put this in here... Get a balcony room.  I loved hanging out on the balcony.

Let me chime in on this.

I had the biggest social anxiety fears when I went solo back in January.  I was asking everyone on here for advice, and they were quite helpful.
As a side note, I also went solo in March.
But, to get to your question.  I had the best cruises of my life going solo.  I answered to NO ONE.  If I wanted to do something, I did it when I wanted to.  I've always been coupled up on a cruise and beholden to the other persons whims.  Let's go do this instead of what I wanted to, etc.
I climbed the rock wall, that was a new adventure for me, and I LOVED IT!!  I went to the ice skating show on my own, AND LOVED IT!!!  I saw Grease in the theater and, ohhh... I LOVED IT!!!  I went to every specialty restaurant on the ship on my own.  I LOVED IT!!  I think the only one I didn't enjoy was Izumi, that's because they sat me in the back corner by the kitchen and it was noisy, and HOT as a mug!
I did excursions on my own.  I was a CocoCay on my own, and I enjoy water slides, and I did all those with me, myself, and I.  I LOVED IT!!!!  There was an excursion on speed boats in Cozumel.  I got to drive the boat, with no one else in there.  JUST ME!!!  It was by far the best excursion I have been on.
If I had known how much fun I have doing things with just me, I would have done this a long time ago.
Like I said, I have a fair bought of social anxiety.  Solo cruising kicked that to the curb.  It makes you meet and chat with people.  Anyone and everyone.
I would also recommend joining the Facebook related to your ship and cruising date.  This is a MUST do.  I met several people that way 😛 
You'll have a blast, just have the expectation that you WILL be comfortable with yourself, and that you are an amazing person and kick ass!!  You'll have a blast!!!!
 
As a side note.  I forgot to put this in here... Get a balcony room.  I loved hanging out on the balcony.

Let me chime in on this.

I had the biggest social anxiety fears when I went solo back in January.  I was asking everyone on here for advice, and they were quite helpful.
As a side note, I also went solo in March.
But, to get to your question.  I had the best cruises of my life going solo.  I answered to NO ONE.  If I wanted to do something, I did it when I wanted to.  I've always been coupled up on a cruise and beholden to the other persons whims.  Let's go do this instead of what I wanted to, etc.
I climbed the rock wall, that was a new adventure for me, and I LOVED IT!!  I went to the ice skating show on my own, AND LOVED IT!!!  I saw Grease in the theater and, ohhh... I LOVED IT!!!  I went to every specialty restaurant on the ship on my own.  I LOVED IT!!  I think the only one I didn't enjoy was Izumi, that's because they sat me in the back corner by the kitchen and it was noisy, and HOT as a mug!
I did excursions on my own.  I was a CocoCay on my own, and I enjoy water slides, and I did all those with me, myself, and I.  I LOVED IT!!!!  There was an excursion on speed boats in Cozumel.  I got to drive the boat, with no one else in there.  JUST ME!!!  It was by far the best excursion I have been on.
If I had known how much fun I have doing things with just me, I would have done this a long time ago.
Like I said, I have a fair bought of social anxiety.  Solo cruising kicked that to the curb.  It makes you meet and chat with people.  Anyone and everyone.
I would also recommend joining the Facebook related to your ship and cruising date.  This is a MUST do.  I met several people that way 😛 
You'll have a blast, just have the expectation that you WILL be comfortable with yourself, and that you are an amazing person and kick ass!!  You'll have a blast!!!!
 
As a side note.  I forgot to put this in here... Get a balcony room.  I loved hanging out on the balcony.