Glacier Bay National Park
A full day of tidewater glaciers, snowcapped peaks and wildlife, seen from the deck of your ship with National Park Service rangers on board. Here’s how to make the most of it.
A national park by sea
Glacier Bay sits west of Juneau, at the top of the Inside Passage, and it’s one of the few national parks you can explore without leaving your cruise ship. The bay runs about 65 miles from Icy Strait to the glaciers at its head, and it’s a young landscape: around 1750, a single wall of ice filled the whole bay. When Captain George Vancouver sailed by in 1794 the ice had already pulled back, and by the time John Muir arrived in 1879 it had retreated about 40 miles more. Today the ship sails up the West Arm past bare, freshly carved rock to glaciers that still reach the sea.
It’s also the homeland of the Huna Tlingit, whose villages stood in the lower bay before the glacier advanced. Since 2016, Xunaa Shuká Hít, the Huna Ancestors’ House at Bartlett Cove, has welcomed tribal members and visitors back to the bay. Below you’ll find which cruise lines sail here, what happens on board and how to pick the best spot on deck.
Which lines sail here
Not every Alaska cruise includes Glacier Bay. The National Park Service limits how many ships enter each day, so check your itinerary or ask your advisor.
Classic Alaska cruises
Most visits come on seven-day Inside Passage round trips from Seattle or Vancouver, or on one-way Gulf of Alaska sailings between Vancouver and Whittier or Seward. Park permits are limited, so usually no more than two large ships are in the bay on the same day, and the lines that hold them visit all season. Holland America and Princess have been sailing here for decades and include Glacier Bay on many of their Alaska itineraries.
Used by: Holland America, Princess and Norwegian.
Smaller ships, same view
Expedition-style voyages
Small expedition ships, usually 100 guests or fewer, can spend more time in quieter inlets, and some itineraries include a stop at Bartlett Cove, home of the park’s lodge and the Huna Ancestors’ House. These sailings mostly start and end in Juneau or Sitka. Itineraries vary by year, so confirm Glacier Bay is on yours.
Used by: Lindblad, UnCruise and American Cruise Lines.
On board
What a Glacier Bay day usually looks like on board. Details vary by line and ship.
- Park rangers on board. On Glacier Bay days, National Park Service rangers board your ship early in the morning and stay until the afternoon, narrating over the ship’s speakers and giving talks.
- Ranger desk & Junior Rangers. Rangers set up an information desk in a main viewing lounge, with displays, a park passport stamp and an Alaska Geographic bookstore (purchases cost extra). Kids can join a Junior Ranger program.
- Open decks & the bow. On many ships, the bow or forward decks that are usually closed open up for the day, so more guests can stand at the rail as the ship nears the glaciers.
- Warm drinks & a slow pace. Many lines bring hot drinks and soup out on deck, and the day is kept light so you can stay outside. Specialty coffees and cocktails cost extra.
Where to watch
The ship does the sailing. These are the spots and habits that make the most of it.
Head forward early
The bow and the forward decks give you the first look as the ship enters the inlets, and they fill up fast. Get there before the ship reaches the glacier and you can stay put while it holds position.
Use your balcony
At the glacier, the captain slowly turns the ship so both sides get a view. If you have a balcony, you’ll have the ice right outside your room for part of that time; listen for the narration so you know when your side is facing it.
Find a forward lounge
Observation lounges at the front of the ship have big windows, seating and warmth, and the rangers’ narration usually plays there too. It’s the easiest place to watch if you’d rather not stand outside all day.
Before the day
- Weather can change the plan. Fog, rain and wind are common here, and the captain decides the day’s route based on conditions. On a clear day you’ll see peaks over 15,000 feet; on a grey day the ice looks even bluer.
- Ice decides how close you get. Ships stop at a safe distance from the glacier face, since falling ice and floating bergs are real hazards. Some inlets are closed to cruise ships in early summer to protect harbor seal pups.
- Plenty to see indoors. If walking or standing on deck is hard, the indoor lounges at the front and along the sides of the ship have good views, and many ships show the rangers’ talks in the theater.
- Layers and binoculars. Even in July it can feel cold on deck. A waterproof jacket, hat, gloves and a pair of binoculars make the day far more comfortable, and help you spot bears and goats on the shoreline.
- Watch quietly. Glacier Bay is a protected park. Keep voices low near wildlife, and never throw anything overboard. Listen for the thunder of calving ice, which can come at any moment or not at all.
Sailing to Glacier Bay
Glacier Bay is included on many seven-day Inside Passage round trips from Seattle and Vancouver, on one-way Gulf of Alaska sailings between Vancouver and Whittier or Seward, on some longer Alaska voyages from San Francisco and on small-ship expeditions from Juneau and Sitka.Find a cruisePlan with Harr Travel
Ready to see Glacier Bay?
Glacier Bay is one of our guests’ favorite days in Alaska. We’ll match you with the right sailing, ship and stateroom so you have a great view when the ice comes into sight. There are never any booking or consultation fees.
