Whole route9-day cruise trip
Inside Passage and Glacier Bay
- Duration
- 9 days
- Glacier Bay
- Day 6
- Price
- from $2,047
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Alaska cruise: Inside Passage vs Glacier Bay and the other ice
Cruise brochures mix up a route, a park, a glacier and a fjord. This page sorts them out: what the Inside Passage is, where Glacier Bay sits on it, and how a day there differs from Hubbard Glacier or Tracy Arm.
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Editorial team, glacierbayalaskacruise.comUpdated October 17, 2026Reading time 6 min30 sources
Quick answer
The Inside Passage is a route, Glacier Bay is a destination
The question Inside Passage or Glacier Bay compares two things of a different kind. The Inside Passage is the sheltered sea route that threads between islands and mainland from British Columbia up to Southeast Alaska. Glacier Bay is a national park at its northern end, about 60 miles west of Juneau.1 The park describes the bay as a natural waterway from the Inside Passage to the tidewater glaciers that are its main attraction.7
An Inside Passage cruise is the trip, and Glacier Bay is one possible stop on it. A typical Inside Passage itinerary combines scenic days on the water with port days in towns such as Juneau, Ketchikan or Skagway, and adds one big glacier day. That glacier day might be Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier, Tracy Arm or one of the other fjords, and it is the day worth choosing with care.
The trip this site books shows the pattern clearly. It spends day 3 and day 8 cruising the Inside Passage, calls at Juneau on day 5 and Ketchikan on day 7, and gives day 6 to Glacier Bay National Park. When you read any itinerary, look for that glacier day by name. The scenic cruising days around it look much alike from one route to the next.
The route
Where the glacier day falls on this site's trip
-
Day 1 to 2
Vancouver
FlyOver Canada, city sights and boarding.
-
Day 3
Inside Passage
A day of scenic cruising north.
-
Day 5
Juneau
A port day in Alaska's capital.
-
Day 6
Glacier Bay
The national park day.
-
Day 7 to 9
Ketchikan and back
Ketchikan, the Inside Passage again, then Vancouver.
What makes a Glacier Bay day different
Think of Glacier Bay as a park full of glaciers rather than one wall of ice. There are 62 named glaciers in it, seven of them active tidewater glaciers that calve icebergs into the sea.2 Big ships follow a similar course from Icy Strait up the West Arm into Tarr Inlet to reach Margerie Glacier.8 Along the way you pass shorelines that were under ice within the last few centuries.
The day is also managed in a way the other glacier days are not. No more than two cruise ships may enter the park in a day.9 National Park Service rangers board each ship, narrate the visit and staff an information desk.3 Ships usually spend 9 to 10 hours in the bay.10 The result is a long, explained, uncrowded day rather than a quick look at one wall of ice.
Only certain lines can offer it. The park authorizes Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Seabourn, Cunard and Viking.11 If your favorite line is not among them, your glacier day will be somewhere else, and the rest of this page is about what that somewhere else looks like.
Side by side
Three glacier days and the route around them
| Place | What it is | Size | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glacier Bay | National park, many glaciers | 7 tidewater glaciers | Two ships a day, rangers aboard |
| Hubbard Glacier | One giant glacier near Yakutat | Over 75 miles long | Seen by boat or by air |
| Tracy Arm | Narrow wilderness fjord | Over 30 miles long | Ice can block the end |
| Inside Passage | The sheltered route north | From Vancouver to Juneau | Scenic cruising days |
From the National Park Service and the wilderness record for Tracy Arm-Fords Terror.293414515
Bookable
Two ways into Glacier Bay, one into the ice near Juneau
Whole route
Park only
From the airDecision helper
Which glacier day fits your cruise?
Pick the wish closest to yours
Floating chunks of ice, some the size of a three-story building often block access to the end of the fjords, especially in summer.
Hubbard Glacier vs Glacier Bay
Hubbard Glacier vs Glacier Bay is a match of one giant against a park of many. Hubbard flows for over 75 miles and calves into the sea with a face 6 miles wide near Yakutat; it is the longest tidewater glacier in North America.4 The only way to see it is to go to Yakutat, by boat or by air, and several cruise lines include it on their Alaska routes.14
Hubbard is also unusual in its behavior. Its terminus is stable after advancing over the last 100 years, and the glacier continues to thicken.16 That is a contrast with Glacier Bay, where the park reports 11 percent less ice than in the 1950s and Margerie Glacier is thinning and receding.1718 If your dream is one enormous glacier face, Hubbard delivers it.
What Hubbard cannot give you is the park day. It lies on the Gulf of Alaska coast, beyond the northern end of the Inside Passage. Glacier Bay gives you hours of fjords, rangers and several glaciers. If a route offers both, take both.
Map
From Vancouver up the coast into Glacier Bay
The route of the 9-day trip along the coast, then a closer look at the bay itself, from Bartlett Cove up to the glaciers at its head.
1Vancouver2Johnstone Strait3Ketchikan4Juneau5Glacier Bay
6Bartlett Cove7Gustavus8South Marble Island9Johns Hopkins Glacier10Margerie Glacier
- 1Vancouver
Where the 9-day trip begins and ends, with FlyOver Canada and Capilano Suspension Bridge Park before you board.
In Google Maps ↗ - 2Johnstone Strait
A channel on the sheltered Inside Passage, the waterway the listing's day 3 and day 8 are spent cruising; the listing does not name the exact channels.
In Google Maps ↗ - 3Ketchikan
The port of day 7 on the listing.
In Google Maps ↗ - 4Juneau
The port of day 5; Glacier Bay lies about 60 miles to the west.1
In Google Maps ↗ - 5Glacier Bay
Day 6 of the listing; no more than two cruise ships may enter in a day.9
In Google Maps ↗ - 6Bartlett Cove
Park headquarters and Glacier Bay Lodge, 10 miles by road from Gustavus; the daily tour boat leaves from here.1920
In Google Maps ↗ - 7Gustavus
The small town with the airport, about 65 miles northwest of Juneau.21
In Google Maps ↗ - 8South Marble Island
There may be over 300 sea lions on its rocks.22
In Google Maps ↗ - 9Johns Hopkins Glacier
Its inlet is closed to all vessels from May 1 to June 30, and most ships view it from 7 miles away.2324
In Google Maps ↗ - 10Margerie Glacier
About 21 miles long, at the northern end of Tarr Inlet.1325
In Google Maps ↗
Checklist
Reading a cruise itinerary
01
Look for
- The glacier named on a specific day
- A line authorized for Glacier Bay, if that is your goal
- Whether a one-way route adds Hubbard Glacier
02
Be wary of
- Vague phrases such as glacier viewing
- Photos that do not say which fjord they show
- A glacier day squeezed between two port calls
Cost calculator
What your group pays for the ice
Select an option and a number of people to see the starting total.
People
Total from$4,093
per participant from $2,047
Check availabilityfree cancellationTotals use each listing's lowest per-traveler price on GetYourGuide, turned into your currency with the euro reference rate; you see the exact sum when you book.
Video
Alaska Cruise Glacier Guide: Glacier Bay vs. Tracy Arm vs. Hubbard vs. College Fjord
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Glacier Bay vs Tracy Arm
Tracy Arm is a glacier day you will meet on routes that skip the park. Large cruise ships make regular calls into it.6 It lies in a wilderness south of Juneau, where Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm are sheer-walled fjords, narrow, deep and over 30 miles long.5 The walls rise steeply from the water, waterfalls drop from the cliffs, and the feeling of a narrow canyon is very different from the open West Arm of Glacier Bay.
The catch is the ice in the water. Floating chunks, some the size of a three-story building, often block access to the ends of the fjords, especially in summer.15 A ship may not reach the glacier face at the head of the fjord on a given day. Glacier Bay, comparing like with like, has wider water and a managed route to Margerie Glacier, though no day in the bay is guaranteed either.
In the end, Glacier Bay vs Tracy Arm comes down to what moves you more: a narrow canyon of rock and waterfalls, or a broad park of glaciers with rangers on board. Tracy Arm suits lines that are not on the park's list; Glacier Bay suits travelers who want the national park experience. Some ships visit the neighboring Endicott Arm instead, which shares the same wilderness.
Rules, crowds and the view from the rail
The three glacier days differ in who sets the rules. Glacier Bay is a national park with a daily cap of two cruise ships and seasonal quotas.926 All boats there must stay at least a quarter-mile from the glaciers.27 Hubbard Glacier flows out of Wrangell-St. Elias, which shares a World Heritage listing with Glacier Bay.28 Tracy Arm lies in a designated wilderness area.
Crowding follows from those rules. In Glacier Bay you share the fjord with at most one other big ship. In Tracy Arm large ships call regularly, and Glacier Bay's cap does not apply there.6 On every route, outside decks fill up at the glacier, and a balcony cabin or a quiet spot at the stern makes a real difference.
Whatever the day, the light and weather are the same Southeast Alaska weather. Summer highs in Glacier Bay run between 10 and 15 °C.29 The park reports about 4 sunny days per month in Southeast Alaska in an average year.30 Pack the same warm layers and rain gear for any glacier day, and the choice between them becomes a matter of taste rather than comfort.
Choosing the glacier day for your cruise
Start with the cruise line. If you are set on a line that is not authorized in Glacier Bay, choose between Hubbard and Tracy Arm, and you will still see tidewater ice. If you are open on the line, pick a sailing that names Glacier Bay National Park on a day of its own, and add Hubbard if the route allows. The two days complement each other rather than compete.
Then think about your own priorities. Families with children often enjoy the ranger programs in Glacier Bay. Photographers may prefer the narrow walls of Tracy Arm or the sheer size of Hubbard. Travelers who dislike crowds will feel the effect of the park's cap on ships. There is no wrong answer, only a different kind of day on the water.
If the park is your choice, the trip this site books from Vancouver includes it on day 6, with the Inside Passage before and after. It starts from $2,047, it is new and has no reviews yet, and the listing leaves the ship and cabin to the booking. The day boat from Bartlett Cove is the other way into the park, without a cruise at all.
Plan the voyage
Nine days from Vancouver into Glacier Bay
Book today, pay nearer the time, and cancel at no charge until 24 hours ahead.
You ask,we answer.
Is the Inside Passage the same as Glacier Bay?
No. The Inside Passage is the route; Glacier Bay is a national park at its northern end.1
Which is bigger, Hubbard or a Glacier Bay glacier?
Hubbard. It flows over 75 miles with a 6-mile face; Margerie Glacier is about 21 miles long.413
Can ships always reach the end of Tracy Arm?
Not always. Floating ice often blocks the ends of the fjords, especially in summer.15
Where is Hubbard Glacier?
Near Yakutat. It is seen by boat or by air from Yakutat, and several cruise lines include it.14
How many ships share Glacier Bay?
Two a day at most. The park's daily quota allows no more than two cruise ships a day.9
Which glacier day is on this site's cruise?
Glacier Bay, on day 6. The 9-day trip lists Glacier Bay National Park on day 6.
Sources
Sources and evidence
- 1National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Glacier Bay Issues Prospectus for Cruise Ship Services (news release, 2018)↩
- 2National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Glacier Bay Fact Sheet↩
- 3National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Cruise Ships in Glacier Bay↩
- 4National Park Service (Wrangell-St. Elias)Glaciers - Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve↩
- 5Wilderness Connect (University of Montana, with the federal wilderness agencies)Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness↩
- 6Wilderness Connect (University of Montana, with the federal wilderness agencies)Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness↩
- 7National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Glacier Bay by Boat↩
- 8National Park ServiceGlacier Changes Drive New Challenges for Balancing Visitor Access and Natural Resource Protection↩
- 9National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Concession Contracts↩
- 10National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Cruise Ships in Glacier Bay↩
- 11National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Concession Contracts↩
- 12National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Glacier Bay Fact Sheet↩
- 13National Park ServiceMargerie Glacier↩
- 14National Park Service (Wrangell-St. Elias)Glaciers - Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve↩
- 15Wilderness Connect (University of Montana, with the federal wilderness agencies)Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness↩
- 16National Park Service (Wrangell-St. Elias)Glaciers - Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve↩
- 17National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Glaciers↩
- 18National Park ServiceGlacier Changes Drive New Challenges for Balancing Visitor Access and Natural Resource Protection↩
- 19National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Basic Information↩
- 20National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Glacier Bay by Boat↩
- 21National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Basic Information↩
- 22National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Glacier Bay Tour Boat↩
- 23National Park ServiceHarbor Seal - Johns Hopkins Inlet↩
- 24National Park ServiceGlacier Changes Drive New Challenges for Balancing Visitor Access and Natural Resource Protection↩
- 25National Park ServiceMargerie Glacier↩
- 26National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Concession Contracts↩
- 27National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Glacier Bay Tour Boat↩
- 28National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Glacier Bay Fact Sheet↩
- 29National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Cruise Ships in Glacier Bay↩
- 30National Park Service (Glacier Bay)Cruise Ships in Glacier Bay↩
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