Only a limited number of cruise ships are permitted in Glacier Bay, and subsequently not all cruise lines go there. However, many past travelers suggest this is a highlight of an Alaskan cruise and should be a factor when choosing your line/ship/itinerary. ("We," in fact, chose our trip with this in mind!)
Glacier Bay covers more than 5,000 square miles and is roughly the size of Connecticut!
Currently glaciers cover 1,375 square miles or 27% of the Park. There are over 50 named glaciers, 7 of which are active tidewater glaciers that calve icebergs into the sea.
Glacier Bay hosted 444,000 visitors in 2009, and 95% of those came by cruise ship.
Cruise ship near Margerie Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park
I only made it through 1 inning of a spring ball game today. Way too chilly. I'm quite possibly too wimpy for Glacier Bay weather.
ReplyDeleteWell...I guess you can look out the sliding glass door on the balcony! LOL!
ReplyDeleteOn my last trip, we took a long ferry ride (several hours0 across Prince William Sound, where we encountered rain and glacial ice. (Sounds similar to Glacier Bay.) I persisted in standing outside in the cold/wet to get photos...imagine that! (However I was 20 years younger then!)