Alaska (Hubbard Glacier)
Trip Summary
Hubbard Glacier in the Yakutat Bay was the first stop on our summer one-way cruise from Anchorage to Vancouver on the Island Princess. One of the main reasons my husband and I booked a cruise to Alaska was to see all the glaciers before they melted too much, so it made sense to book an itinerary that saw one of the biggest glaciers of them all!
The ship sailed into the bay early in the morning and one of the most surreal things was seeing how much ice was in the bay! Just looking down at the water, you could see huge chunks floating by. Most of it collected near the ship’s edge, and you could hear the thunks of them bumping against the hull.
During the day, the ship slowly rotated so that each side could see the glacier. However, if you were on the top deck, you always had a good view, so that is where my husband and I (and his parents) stayed for most of the day.
The day was also pretty drizzly and cold, so we couldn’t get a lot of up close views of the glacier. The ice in the bay also prevented the ship from going too close, but from what I could see, it was still magnificent–an icy blue giant that stretched from shoreline to another.
When the boat started to turn so that the glacier was going to face our room on the ship, we quickly raced down to our balcony to see it from there. It was more relaxing to be able to sit and watch it there, and the balconies don’t have the higher blue windows that the upper deck had (probably there for safety, but they did make pictures harder to get as pictures taken through those windows had an unnatural hue).
At the end of the day, the ship started pulling back out of the bay, and we left the Hubbard Glacier behind. It was an impressive sight and definitely not one to be missed!
The color and magnitude make this visit one to remember! High marks for this beautiful site in Alaska.
Hubbard Glacier: A
Favorite Experiences
Just being in the bay was impressive, because I had no idea how much ice collected in the water. Just looking down at where the water reached the hull when the ship began to rotate was cool, because you could see the ice collect more and more as the ship pushed against it. By the time the ship finished its rotation, there was a massive field of ice all collected by the hull, and I had never seen anything like that before.
This glacier is also one of the deeper blue ones in Alaska, so that makes it fun to see as well. Its color and size makes it stand out from any others you will see in Alaska, and it deserves its title as the biggest tidewater glacier in North America.
What I Wish I Knew
I understand that the ship had to stay a safe distance away from the glacier, but I wish I knew how far a safe distance was–it is quite far, and you have to use the maximum magnification on your camera for pictures. If we could have been closer (or if the sun was out), I know we could have seen just how much of a behemoth it was, but even so, it was still impressive.
If you go, make sure that you have a strap or something on your camera/phone (or hold onto it very, very tightly), because to get good pictures, you have to either be on your balcony or thread it through the very thin gaps between the blue windows on the upper deck. The blue windows contort pictures, just have some back-up picture approaches in mind.
Wear a coat, too! This day was one of the coldest on the cruise itinerary, so dress warmly and be prepared to spend the day outside. The top deck is where some of the best views (and only views if you don’t have a balcony room) are, so bundle up and enjoy!
If you want to read about other people’s experiences at Hubbard Glacier, there is a forum here, and if you can only visit Hubbard Glacier or Glacier Bay National Park, Cruise Critic gives a list of pros and cons here. However, both are absolutely stunning, so if you find an itinerary that has both sites on it, take that one!
I also post reels and TikToks regularly of all the places I’ve reviewed on here, so if you want to see some videos of what to expect, check out my social media here:
TikTok: @touristyteacher
Instagram: @touristyteacher
Facebook: @touristyteacher
Happy travels!
