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Juneau excursion-Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Explorer


Fairlynew

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This excursion looks interesting but very long.  Has anyone done this one?  If so, did you enjoy it?  My fear is spending 7 miserable hours if it is a poorly run excursion.

Here is the description:

Breathe in Alaska's wild essence while on a seven-hour jetboat adventure that traces the length of Tracy Arm fjord to offer up-close views of the twin Sawyer Glaciers, plus wildlife sightings and lunch on board. Relax in the warm, spacious cabin or on the top observation deck of a deluxe jetboat, with an experienced captain at the helm. An onboard naturalist guide shares all about the ecosystem of Tongass National Forest, as towering ice-carved cliffs covered in dense evergreens surround you along the shore of Tracy Arm fjord. You'll enjoy the rare chance to see both the South and North Sawyer Glaciers, two massive tidewater icecaps — one of which is only accessible by small expedition boat — that extend more than a half-mile wide and are known for their spectacular calving ice displays. Feast your eyes on bright-blue ice backdropped by sky-piercing mountain peaks — and keep your eyes peeled for local wildlife, as black bears, bald eagles, harbor seals, mountain goats and whales are often seen in these remote parts. On the return cruise through Stephens Passage you'll savor a picnic-style meal featuring Alaskan smoked salmon served with more eye-catching wilderness scenery throughout the Alexander Archipelago. 

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28 minutes ago, Fairlynew said:

We are sailing August 27, 2021, and there are very few excursions at any port and some are sold out.

There are at least 20 on my sailing. Too many to choose from lol. Did you check Trip Advisor for reviews? 

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@Fairlynewcurious on what others have booked on this cruise for excursions since it is so limited. 

Juneau we have the Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Explorer

Skagway we have WHITE PASS SCENIC RAILWAY (we are booked at 8am, trying to decide to keep it or change to 12 noon)

Sitka we have Sea Otters, Raptors and Bears Oh My 

These are not set in stone and all are thru RC.  I don't mind booking outside of the cruise line for excursions but with how crazy everything is I like the safety of RC excursions.

 

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  • 3 months later...
On 6/24/2021 at 7:55 AM, Fairlynew said:

This excursion looks interesting but very long.  Has anyone done this one?  If so, did you enjoy it?  My fear is spending 7 miserable hours if it is a poorly run excursion.

Here is the description:

Breathe in Alaska's wild essence while on a seven-hour jetboat adventure that traces the length of Tracy Arm fjord to offer up-close views of the twin Sawyer Glaciers, plus wildlife sightings and lunch on board. Relax in the warm, spacious cabin or on the top observation deck of a deluxe jetboat, with an experienced captain at the helm. An onboard naturalist guide shares all about the ecosystem of Tongass National Forest, as towering ice-carved cliffs covered in dense evergreens surround you along the shore of Tracy Arm fjord. You'll enjoy the rare chance to see both the South and North Sawyer Glaciers, two massive tidewater icecaps — one of which is only accessible by small expedition boat — that extend more than a half-mile wide and are known for their spectacular calving ice displays. Feast your eyes on bright-blue ice backdropped by sky-piercing mountain peaks — and keep your eyes peeled for local wildlife, as black bears, bald eagles, harbor seals, mountain goats and whales are often seen in these remote parts. On the return cruise through Stephens Passage you'll savor a picnic-style meal featuring Alaskan smoked salmon served with more eye-catching wilderness scenery throughout the Alexander Archipelago. 

Did you end up doing this tour? If so how was it? 

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That excursion got cancelled when they changed our port time in Juneau.  Our group ended up booking a white water rafting trip that got close to the glacier.  Unfortunately, i tripped and fell in Seattle the evening before we boarded.  I fractured and dislocated my shoulder.  After spending most of the evening in the ER, I boarded the ship the next day.  I was traveling with friends and decided that they, along with the ship's staff, would take better care of me than my husband.  I was right.  I was going to be in pain anyway; the beautiful scenery made it much more tolerable.  I did not however think that white water rafting was the best thing for me to do, so I stayed on the ship that day.  My friends thoroughly enjoyed it, though.

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2 hours ago, Fairlynew said:

That excursion got cancelled when they changed our port time in Juneau.  Our group ended up booking a white water rafting trip that got close to the glacier.  Unfortunately, i tripped and fell in Seattle the evening before we boarded.  I fractured and dislocated my shoulder.  After spending most of the evening in the ER, I boarded the ship the next day.  I was traveling with friends and decided that they, along with the ship's staff, would take better care of me than my husband.  I was right.  I was going to be in pain anyway; the beautiful scenery made it much more tolerable.  I did not however think that white water rafting was the best thing for me to do, so I stayed on the ship that day.  My friends thoroughly enjoyed it, though.

Awwww sorry to hear you got hurt. 

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  • 1 year later...
On 7/4/2023 at 11:30 AM, Laura L M said:

Did you end up going on this excursion and if so, was it really 7 hrs long? Would you recommend?. TIA for any help!

I’m not the original poster but I did go on this excursion early June. It actually ended up being about 8-9 hours! The boat lost an engine so we had to go quite slow and we were two+ hours late getting to Juneau. We spent quite a long time at the glacier and there was some calving, so I would’ve happily stayed longer. We saw seals and a few pups, but no whales even on our lengthy boat ride into Juneau. One big thing to know is there are ONLY snacks for sale, like goldfish and fruit snacks. No actual lunch items like sandwiches and no free water so bring water bottles. Imagine how famished we felt upon arriving to Juneau at 4pm. At some point I really thought maybe they’d start handing out free food and drinks due to the significant delay but nope. A few people missed out on helicopter and whale excursions in Juneau due to the boat arriving late. So if your trip is soon just make sure they’ve fixed the boat! It’s through allen marine tours. Despite the few issues, being that close to the glacier was incredible and I do highly recommend it. 

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