sawyer glacier in september

[MARGINCALL]

I will be booking in one of the shoulder seasons either around Memorial day or labor day and have read that in the earlier season it is very difficult for the ships to get close to sawyer glacier
what about early september-is it better odds of seeing that then??
would love glacier bay or hubbard glacier but the prices seem to be much better on these and finances are a concern

[MercedMike]

Originally Posted by MARGINCALL

I will be booking in one of the shoulder seasons either around Memorial day or labor day and have read that in the earlier season it is very difficult for the ships to get close to sawyer glacier
what about early september-is it better odds of seeing that then??
would love glacier bay or hubbard glacier but the prices seem to be much better on these and finances are a concern

You really have to understand that Tracy Arm and the Sawyer Glaciers are a scenic cruising experience, NOT a glacier viewing experience. In no way do the Sawyer Glaciers compare with Hubbard or Glacier Bay.

Cruising Tracy Arm is beautiful. Think of Yosemite with water in the bottom. At the end of the arm are the "twin" glaciers. They were, honestly, never spectacular. In recent years they have been in retreat, and the north one is barely visible under the best of conditions. The south one can be seen from the ship but doesn't really make much of a show. I don't think time of year really matters that much. You can never get close enough to really see them unless you take a small boat excursion.

If you are on a Tracy Arm only itinerary and want to see a glacier, of course you can go to Mendenhall out of Juneau. This is a nice glacier but not the same as viewing a tidewater glacier from the ship.

This question is so often asked that I made up a page at
Alaska Glaciers
comparing glacier experiences.

Have a GREAT cruise!

[MARGINCALL]

Thanks for the explanation-and that is a great page you have on there