Glacier Bay (Alaska)

Glacier Bay is located on the coast of southeastern Alaska, approx 160 km (100 mi) northwest of Juneau. Glacier Bay has length of nearly 80 km (50 mi) and is noted for the unique display of 16 active glaciers descending from the ice-draped St Elias Mountain Range (to the east) and Fairweather Mountain Range (to the west).

Cruise ships are required to pick up a Park Ranger from Galcier Bay's entrance and proceed under his direction. Most vessels proceed down the bay's northwest arm to Tarr Inlet, Margerie and Grand Pacific glaciers. Chances to view calving of ice into the sea are very good there.

Nearby is Johns Hopkins inlet that contains 9 separate glaciers including the advancing John Hopkins Glacier. Glacier Bay's northeastern arm is Muir Inlet. It leads to 2-mile wide retreating Muir Glacier. The landscape ranges from lush forests of hemlock and spruce to rocky ice-swept terrain. Wildlife includes the mountain goat, black and brown bear, seal, sea lion, puffin, whale, cormorant and eagle. The entrance to the bay is good for whale spotting.

Starting season 2019, the cruise ship passenger fee for Glacier Bay was increased from USD 5 to USD 8,28 per person. With these fees are charged Alaska-based cruise companies accessing Glacier Bay National Park. The new contracts also govern the number of vessels entering the park per year. Each of the contract bidders are asked detailed questions about how their shipping operations affect the park's ecosystem. In 2017, Glacier Bay was visited by around 550,000 tourists, of whom over 330,000 were cruisers.

On March 22, 2019, the US National Park Service announced a new concession plan allowing only 7 major cruise companies to be able to visit the National Park and Preserve in the period 2020-2030. Glacier Bay's daily limit is 2 liners. Cruise ship tourists spent ~8 hours inside the waterway. The 2020-2030 concessions plan includes NCL-Norwegian Cruise Line, the Carnival Corporation-owned companies Holland America and Princess, also Viking Ocean, Seabourn and Royal Caribbean. Annually are scheduled no more than 153 ship calls.

In 2019, RCI-Royal Caribbean received permission its vessels to navigate Glacier Bay NP. Following the permission, in 2020 Radiance OTS became the first RCI liner to visit Glacier Bay. Ship's 7-day Alaskan cruise (itinerary May 15-22, 2020) was revised with Juneau and Skagway replaced by Glacier Bay NP.

Popular for cruising destinations in Glacier Bay NP include LeConte Glacier, Taylor Bay, Dundas Bay, Tidal Inlet, Tarr Inlet, Bartlett Cove.

Glacier Bay cruise terminal