What are the
must-see glaciers
of Alaska cruising?

Alaska has more than 100,000 glaciers, about half of the world's total.

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Top 2 individual glaciers:

Hubbard (see photo)

Sawyer

Runners-up:

Mendenhall

Endicott

Margerie

Worthington

Kenai Fjords

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Top collection of glaciers:

Glacier Bay (16 glaciers)

Runner-up:

College Fjord (over a dozen glaciers)

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Can I visit both
Hubbard Glacier
and Glacier Bay?

Not on the same cruise. The Alaska authorities, for the sake of conservation and limiting overcrowding, permit one set of cruise lines to visit Glacier Bay but not Hubbard Glacier. The opposite is true for the other set of cruise lines.

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Which is better,
Hubbard Glacier
or Glacier Bay?

Many seasoned Alaska cruise-goers believe that Hubbard Glacier is the more exciting glacier destination. Many others think that Glacier Bay is the winner. Each side has its strong arguments.

The vote is close. In my mind, Hubbard has the slight edge.

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Arguments for Hubbard

It dwarfs Margerie, the largest of the 16 glaciers in Glacier Bay.

Hubbard's face is 10 kilometers (6 miles) wide. That's 5 times broader than Margerie's. And Hubbard's vertical face is taller than a 30-story building.

Hubbard's calvings (ice chunks breaking off) occur more frequently. They are also more dramatic (some calves are as high as a 10-story building).

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Arguments for Glacier Bay

It has 16 individual glaciers.

Its entrance bay is more scenic and varied than Hubbard's.

The chances of a ship being able to get close to a glacier are much higher in Glacier Bay. The size and number of icebergs that Hubbard generates sometimes creates a navigational hazard for cruise ships, which prevents them from getting within thrill-range of the glacier.

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