Endicott Arm Fjord and Glacier Explorer Excursion

[ChanaC]

Has anyone done this excursion and can give me some info about the timing? We are supposed to sail through the Endicott Arm and to the Dawes Glacier from 6:30-11:00am (or 5:00-10:00am depending which part of the website you are looking at), and later in the day we dock in Juneau at either 2:00pm or 1:00pm. We booked the Glacier Explorer excursion hoping to get closer to the glacier and maybe see some wildlife on the way. From my understanding of the excursion, at 7:00am we'll board a smaller boat, sail though the fjord, observe the glacier, and get back on the ship before we sail into Juneau. 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. Is this true? We booked an independent whale watch excursion at 2:30 and we're hoping to have a few hours on the ship to eat lunch, maybe change into some lighter clothes, and just sit down and relax a little. Now I'm worried we'll be hopping right from one excursion to the other, and possibly be late for the whale watch if the smaller boat gets delayed for any reason. The RC website says the glacier excursion is 5 hours long and the last sentence in the description is "Enjoy a variety of complimentary snacks and beverages served by your friendly Alaskan crew as you trace the rugged shores of Stephens Passage on the cruise north to Juneau" but doesn't really provide any information besides that. 

[AshleyDillo]

I haven't done this excursion but from the research that I had done when I was looking into this, it does appear that you board the small craft from the cruise ship and then you meet back up with the ship in Juneau.  My research led me to Allen Marine Tours (https://allenmarinetours.com/) as the vendor so you may want to reach out to them directly, confirm they are the vendor and ask them this question specifically.

[ChanaC]

21 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

I haven't done this excursion but from the research that I had done when I was looking into this, it does appear that you board the small craft from the cruise ship and then you meet back up with the ship in Juneau.  My research led me to Allen Marine Tours (https://allenmarinetours.com/) as the vendor so you may want to reach out to them directly, confirm they are the vendor and ask them this question specifically.

Thank you! I also just found the RC excursion email and sent them an email as well! 

[Pebbles]

With NCL you actually meet up with the cruise ship at sea while they are stopped at the glacier (picture ops for guests). RC might do the same.

[ChanaC]

I finally got an email back from the shore excursions team. The email still didn’t 100% answer my question (I was looking for a solid yes or no about getting back on the ship before sailing to Juneau) but based on the chart it does appear that we sail to Juneau in the small tour boat. I’m still a little confused though, because if we get on the tour boat at 7:00 that means 5 hours later it will be 12:00, but we don’t get into Juneau until 1:00 or 2:00. So maybe we get back on the ship enroute? I did respond to the email for some more clarification. 
 

Hopefully this is helpful for anyone else who has the same questions I do or are looking to book this excursion. 

[ChanaC]

If anyone is still following along, it looks like I got confirmation that we DON’T sail in the tour boat all the way to Juneau. At some point we do meet up with the ship and get back on (probably around 12:00) before we sail into Juneau. 

 

[AngieRo]

Chana

We are sailing ovation 6/17 and booked the endicott arms and fjord explorer excursion 7-12 as well. Then,  we also booked the Alaska whales, glaciers and rainforest trails from 130-630.  I worry that the whale portion will be a bit redundant as both excursions sail in Stephens passage.

When are you sailing? I would love to hear your experience.

There are some YouTube videos about the fjord explorer excursion (one posted from a disney cruiser). 

[ChanaC]

1 hour ago, AngieRo said:

Chana

We are sailing ovation 6/17 and booked the endicott arms and fjord explorer excursion 7-12 as well. Then,  we also booked the Alaska whales, glaciers and rainforest trails from 130-630.  I worry that the whale portion will be a bit redundant as both excursions sail in Stephens passage.

When are you sailing? I would love to hear your experience.

There are some YouTube videos about the fjord explorer excursion (one posted from a disney cruiser). 

We're sailing on May 23rd, in Juneau on the 27th. I'm not too worried about the whales being redundant, because I think the Endicott Arm excursion wouldn't be as focused on the whales, they may only point them out if they are nearby. And there is no guarantee to see the whales on it. Plus, I love whales so the more the merrier for me. They could always be out doing different things too.

Our whale watch is at 2:30, so depending on when we actually get into Juneau I may email them and see if we can move to a 1:30 tour, since that was an option. We do have a combo whale watch and glacier tour, so I was considering canceling the combo tour and just the whale watch, since Mendenhall Glacier does seem a little redundant. Plus we are a little worried about the time, as a five hour total tour would end at 7:30, and since all aboard is 8:00 we might be cutting it close. Plus if we start the first tour at 7:00am, it will just be a really long day. I think when we get on the ship we'll check with the excursion desk and confirm everything about the Endicott Arm and then see how we are with timing.

[twangster]

Several years ago I had booked one of these where the excursion boat meets the ship and you embark the smaller excursion boat for a closer look at a glacier.  Then a few weeks before the cruise the excursion was cancelled without explanation.  It was never offered again for any of my past Alaska cruises and isn't offered for any of my 2022 cruises so I am more than a little jealous you folks have the opportunity to try it!  Enjoy!

 

[Retired at Sea]

Thank you for the info on the Endicott Arm Fjord and Glacier Explorer excursion. We had the same questions. Do you think this excursion is suitable for 2 seniors?

 Thanks

[ChanaC]

Okay everyone, just got back from the Quantum and I thought I would fill everyone in on what the excursion was like since I had a lot of questions about it, and it looks like others do too.

We met up in the Music Hall and got on the smaller tour boat at 7:00am. Much to my surprise, when we stepped out onto the small boat we were already at the glacier and the ship's aft (rear) was facing the glacier. We ate breakfast in the Windjammer and didn't notice the glacier then, so maybe in the time we were sitting downstairs we got close and then turned around? I'm not really sure. 

There is a small gangway to get from the ship to the tour boat, and it's pretty narrow and steep, but it's pretty easy to get on and only took a few steps. There were some crew members there who were helping though. For people with mobility issues it might be an issue, and there were only stairs to get to the top two decks with outdoor viewing platforms. The views from the boat were incredible! Being so close to the water you could see how crystal clear it was, and you could really see the chunks of ice up close. We even saw some seals and a bald eagle on the ice. It was also just so serene and quiet. The boat zig zagged through the ice, both avoiding it and getting us some cool views. There was also a naturalist on board who spoke on a mic about some things we were seeing and some science facts, and she was around to answer any questions. She is a student at the University of Alaska Southeast studying marine biology!

At some point we saw that the Quantum was no longer near us. 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. Spoiler alert, that was the last we saw of it until Juneau.

We got much, much closer to the glacier than the Quantum, but we still couldn't get too close because of the ice. I was hoping to see a calving which unfortunately didn't happen. Still, we definitely got a much better view than the people who stayed on the Quantum, and we didn't have to fight for space on the deck to view it. 

After the Endicott Arm we made our way to Juneau on the boat. 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). They did say they were keeping an eye out for whales but none made an appearance. All in all we were on the boat closer to six hours and we approached the Quantum in Juneau right as it was docking at 1:00. 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. 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. In fact, we had a 2:30 whale watch booked and ended up moving it to 3:30 to be safe.

It's also worth mentioning that the staff on the boat were great, and they had some nice heated indoor areas. There was also a snack bar/gift shop. They gave out complementary tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and donut holes, and you could buy some other generic snack bar stuff like soda, beer, chips, and candy, along with some unique things like local salmon and caribou jerky. They also sold a few souvenir stuff like local chocolate bars, smoked and canned salmon, hot sauces, jams, seasonings, and some stuffed animals. Prices weren't bad, which was good because I think everyone ended up buying something as we were on the boat for a while. The last hour and a half or so we were basically just speeding along to Juneau, and I saw quiet a few people snoozing or closing their eyes. It was a long excursion especially considering how early it started. Major props though to the crew, who said they set sail from Juneau at 2:30 to meet us at 7:00, only to not get back until 1:00. 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. They had a tip jar and we were more than happy to give them a few bucks for all they did.

Hope this helps people out there, and let me know if you have any questions!

[Queen]

Thank you so much for the review. I have definitely been wondering as well. Maybe I should move my Juneau excursion...according to the excursion we should end at noon, dock in Juneau at 1, and next excursion at 2...

It sounds like it was amazing and I can not wait to go in September!

[ChanaC]

On 6/4/2022 at 12:35 PM, Queen said:

Thank you so much for the review. I have definitely been wondering as well. Maybe I should move my Juneau excursion...according to the excursion we should end at noon, dock in Juneau at 1, and next excursion at 2...

It sounds like it was amazing and I can not wait to go in September!

I wouldn't trust what it says about it ending at noon, on our excursion we docked with the ship at 1. In some ways, I'm glad we moved our whale watch to 3:30. 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. We wouldn't have had time for a sit down lunch if we kept the 2:30 excursion. It doesn't sound important, but after being up early and on the tour boat for 5.5 hours I think everyone was hungry and a little tired. However, our whale watch felt really rushed. 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. I just wish the ship was in Juneau for longer, there seems like so much to do and you only get half a day.

[SueB]

Thanks for the update!  I'm happy I booked this excursion.  I had a whale watch for Juneau and cancelled and booked this one.  We are planning on having leisure afternoon at Mendenhall Glasier.  Just go at our own pace!

[Avi]

We're scheduled for the Quantum in late August.  I have made reservations to canoe in the afternoon to the Mendenhall glacier in Juneau.  Given the length of the small boat excursion at Dawes, the added cost, and the seemingly repetitive nature of the activities and sights, would we be missing a great opportunity by staying onboard the Quantum in the AM? 

[ChanaC]

8 hours ago, Avi said:

We're scheduled for the Quantum in late August.  I have made reservations to canoe in the afternoon to the Mendenhall glacier in Juneau.  Given the length of the small boat excursion at Dawes, the added cost, and the seemingly repetitive nature of the activities and sights, would we be missing a great opportunity by staying onboard the Quantum in the AM? 

Yes and no. 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. From what I've seen, I think the Dawes glacier and it's fjord is prettier and it was cool getting up close to it, and being basically at sea level with the floating ice. We also got to see seals on the ice by Dawes and they were small and camouflaged so I'm not sure we would have been able to see them from the ship, and I don't think they are in the Mendenhall lake (I think it's a freshwater body of water enclosed by land, vs the salt/brackish water connected to the rest of the ocean/inside passage). 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. I think you might see bears and mountain goats, and certainly bald eagles from Mendenhall. They brought us to an area they knew sea lions hung out, which was really cool, and they kept an eye out for whales but unfortunately none of them popped up. From the ship you probably wouldn't have passed by the sea lions (they were hanging out in what the crew called an island but was more like a large floating rock), and you might see whales but the ship wouldn't stop or point them out. 

So the pros of doing Dawes is a closer, but different view and a potential to see a lot more wildlife. But like you said, canoeing by Mendenhall glacier also means an up close view, and I'm sure your guide will point animals out, but you aren't going to get whales, seals, or sea lions, and I don't think there is that much floating ice. 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. I guess in the end it's hard to compare the experiences, and it's all up to what you want to do. And despite them both being glaciers, they are different.

[Luly]

I just posted this question as a separate thing on the excursions forum, but maybe you can help @ChanaC. How far before your cruise did the excursion show on the cruise planner? I'm about 10 weeks out and it's not an option yet.

[Sea Squirrel]

We did this excursion on Ovation in August last year and it was as fantastic as everyone has said already. @ChanaC gave a great description which pretty much mirrored our Ovation experience. We did leave late and arrived after Ovation had docked. 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. 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. We were fortunate enough to see 2 whales very close to the boat so we spent a bit of time whale watching. That might have been why we were late getting into Juneau. Anyways, enjoy your excursion. Here’s a few pics from ours:

 

[ChanaC]

On 3/15/2023 at 10:31 AM, Luly said:

I just posted this question as a separate thing on the excursions forum, but maybe you can help @ChanaC. How far before your cruise did the excursion show on the cruise planner? I'm about 10 weeks out and it's not an option yet.

Sorry for the delay, I don't go on this site a lot! To be honest I really don't remember. We booked the cruise fairly last minute - in February for a May cruise. I ended up booking the excursion in April. I don't remember if it was always there or not. 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. Our ship visits Hubbard Glacier and there normally seems to be a glacier excursion for this day, but it never got listed. Someone found out that because we're going so early in the season the excursion company isn't up and running yet. It's disappointing, but it makes sense. They may predict there is too much ice, or they get college students as seasonal employees but the students aren't available yet. Are you also going early in the season? 

[ChanaC]

Also just for fun, I thought I would also post some pictures from my excursion!

 

[Sea Squirrel]

Great pics @ChanaC   You’re camera blows my IPhone out of the water; pun intended, lol. Thanks for sharing. 

[Pam Gannon]

We just got back from our 7 night Royal Caribbean cruise.  We chose the Dawes Glacier Excursion as one of our tours.  We off-loaded to a smaller boat and our tour guide took us about 1/4 mile from the glacier.  It was incredible!  I highly recommend this Excursion!  It was well worth it. 

[Tormania]

On 8/28/2023 at 11:34 AM, Pam Gannon said:

We just got back from our 7 night Royal Caribbean cruise.  We chose the Dawes Glacier Excursion as one of our tours.  We off-loaded to a smaller boat and our tour guide took us about 1/4 mile from the glacier.  It was incredible!  I highly recommend this Excursion!  It was well worth it. 

Hi there, I was curious as to when this excursion appeared so you could book it?  We are scheduled on the Quantum of the Seas for July 15-22 2024 and I am very much looking forward to this particular excursion, but being 10+ months out this excursion is not showing yet.

Thanks!!

[Luly]

For me it showed up less than two weeks before our cruise. 

[Tormania]

16 hours ago, Luly said:

For me it showed up less than two weeks before our cruise. 

Wow, talk about short notice.  Thanks for that info.  The one good thing is because of how this excursion is done, it doesn't really directly conflict with any other ones, as long as it doesn't run too late back to the docks.

[Luly]

On 9/12/2023 at 10:39 AM, Tormania said:

Wow, talk about short notice.  Thanks for that info.  The one good thing is because of how this excursion is done, it doesn't really directly conflict with any other ones, as long as it doesn't run too late back to the docks.

Yes this is all true. However, we were a rare occasion where one of the engines went out and we were moving at a snails pace and were 2-3 hours late arriving in Juneau. One woman missed her dream helicopter excursion, another family missed, but was luckily able to rebook their whale watching excursion. Those were just a few people standing close enough I could hear them. They also don’t provide free water or any substantial food besides snacks such as goldfish and fruit snacks (also not free) so were all famished by 4pm since we had to meet at 8am. I had 4 kids with me. It was rough. My experience was unusual, but just know it has happened at least once and maybe plan for an excursion in Juneau later than 3, possibly 4. 

[Cruiserookie]

Is it possible to do the small boat excursion to Dawes glacier from ovation of the seas if Juneau is on Day 3 and Dawes is on Day 5. This jun 21st rnd trip from Seattle. 
 

most of the posts mention rejoining at Juneau which is the alternate route for the same ship where Dawes and Juneau are on the same day, eg those departing on 14th or 28th June.

[Tormania]

On 9/15/2023 at 9:34 PM, Luly said:

Yes this is all true. However, we were a rare occasion where one of the engines went out and we were moving at a snails pace and were 2-3 hours late arriving in Juneau. One woman missed her dream helicopter excursion, another family missed, but was luckily able to rebook their whale watching excursion. Those were just a few people standing close enough I could hear them. They also don’t provide free water or any substantial food besides snacks such as goldfish and fruit snacks (also not free) so were all famished by 4pm since we had to meet at 8am. I had 4 kids with me. It was rough. My experience was unusual, but just know it has happened at least once and maybe plan for an excursion in Juneau later than 3, possibly 4. 

Yeah that is a potential risk and would be a major bummer.  I too am wanting to do a helicopter tour but don't want to risk something like this so right now thinking of just doing whale watching / Mendenhall Glacier out of Juneau in the afternoon and thinking of doing a helicopter tour out of Skagway instead (Along with the train, one in the morning, one in the afternoon) since we have more time there than in Juneau.

Thanks for sharing your experience.