Hubbard Glacier — Alaska Cruise Scenic Cruising Guide

Getting Off the Ship

You don’t get off the ship at Hubbard Glacier. There is no dock, no tender port, and no town. Located at the head of Disenchantment Bay (part of the larger Yakutat Bay area), Hubbard Glacier is purely a scenic cruising destination and a highlight of many Alaska itineraries—particularly for Celebrity, Norwegian, and Princess sailings cruising round-trip from Seattle.

The “arrival” begins long before you see the glacier. As your ship enters Yakutat Bay, you will notice the water changing. The temperature drops sharply, and the ocean surface becomes dotted with bergy bits and growlers (small, hard chunks of glacial ice). Because this ice is dense and dangerous to hull integrity, your ship must navigate at a crawl.

Usually, the massive vessel will stop between 0.5 and 1 mile from the glacier face. While this sounds far, Hubbard Glacier is North America’s largest tidewater glacier. It is an astonishing 76 miles long and 7 miles wide at its face. The sheer wall of ice rising from the waterline is 400 feet tall—the equivalent of a 40-story building. Even from a mile away, it fills the horizon. Once in position, the captain will slowly pivot the ship for 1 to 3 hours so that guests on both sides of the vessel get unobstructed views.

What to Do in Hubbard Glacier

Since this is a viewing day, your primary activities revolve around the outdoor decks and the natural spectacle unfolding in front of you.

Watch the “White Thunder” (Calving) Unlike Glacier Bay’s retreating glaciers, Hubbard Glacier is actively advancing. In fact, it moves so fast that it periodically attempts to dam the adjacent Russell Fjord. Because it is surging forward, it is the most active calving glacier in Alaska. Chunks of ice the size of apartment buildings routinely sheer off the face and crash into the bay. Because you are a mile away, you will see the splash first, followed a few seconds later by a booming, thunderous roar. Be on deck, stay quiet, and listen.

Spot Harbor Seals on the Ice Bring binoculars. The floating icebergs in Disenchantment Bay are a major haul-out area for harbor seals. The seals use these floating platforms to rest and protect their pups from predators like orcas. As the ship slowly navigates the ice field, you will see hundreds of them resting on the growlers.

Claim a Forward-Facing Spot Early The first 30 minutes of the approach offer the most dramatic reveals. About an hour before the scheduled arrival time, head to the top forward deck or the ship’s bow (if the crew opens the helipad for guests). Space along the railings goes fast, so grab a spot early to watch the ship push through the icy waters toward the 400-foot ice wall.

Shore Excursions Worth Booking

While you cannot step foot on land, select cruise lines do offer one specific excursion here, and it is arguably one of the best tours in Alaska.

Hubbard Glacier Wilderness Explorer (Approx. $250–$299) Operated primarily on Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian itineraries, this excursion allows you to board a small, 75-passenger catamaran directly from the side of your moving cruise ship via a specialized ramp.

Because the catamaran is small and highly maneuverable, it can navigate safely through the dense ice field that stops your cruise ship a mile out. You will get within a quarter-mile of the 400-foot glacier face. Looking straight up at a 40-story wall of groaning, cracking ice from a small boat is a deeply humbling experience. The tour lasts about two hours, after which the catamaran pulls back alongside the cruise ship to return you on board. If your budget allows, book this. It routinely sells out months in advance.

What to Skip

Staying Exclusively on Your Balcony If you booked a balcony cabin, it is tempting to order room service and watch the glacier in your bathrobe. Skip this approach. Because the ship pivots, your balcony will face open water or rock walls for at least half the viewing time. Furthermore, balconies restrict your field of vision. Go to the top decks for the approach to grasp the 360-degree scale of the bay, and retreat to your balcony later when the ship rotates to your side.

Sleeping In or Booking Late Dining Scenic cruising days are tightly scheduled. If the daily planner says you arrive at Hubbard Glacier at 9:00 AM, the spectacular approach through the ice begins by 7:30 AM. Do not book a long, sit-down breakfast in the main dining room that overlaps with the approach, or you will miss the best photo opportunities through rain-streaked dining room windows.

Eating in Hubbard Glacier

Dining during a Hubbard Glacier visit is all about staying warm while staying outside.

Deck Food and Souvenir Drinks Most cruise lines pull out the stops for glacier viewing days. You will typically find beverage carts circulating the open decks selling spiked hot chocolate, hot toddies, and Irish coffees in souvenir thermal mugs ($12–$15).

More importantly, look for the complimentary food stations set up near the main pool deck. It is a long-standing cruise tradition in Alaska to serve hot Dutch split pea soup and hot chocolate to passengers braving the cold on the outer decks. Grab a bowl to warm your hands while you wait for the next calving event.

If you get too cold, head to the buffet. Most ship buffets feature floor-to-ceiling windows, and you can grab a plate of hot food and sit at a window table—just know that window tables on a glacier day will be claimed hours in advance.

Practical Info

Weather and What to Wear Do not underestimate the cold at Hubbard Glacier. While the average July high in nearby Yakutat is 58°F, you are sailing toward a 76-mile-long river of ice. The glacier generates katabatic winds—freezing air that rolls off the ice sheet and blasts across the bay. It will feel like 30°F or lower on the open decks. You must wear layers. A base layer, a fleece sweater, a windproof/waterproof jacket, gloves, and a beanie are mandatory if you want to stay outside long enough to see a major calving event.

Photography and Gear Bring a telephoto lens if you have a DSLR or mirrorless camera; a standard smartphone lens will struggle to capture the details of a glacier a mile away. Binoculars are an absolute necessity for spotting harbor seals on the ice and bald eagles on the shoreline.

Schedule Flexibility Understand that the captain has the final say on how close the ship gets. Hubbard Glacier’s calving can create dense “ice jams” in the bay overnight. If the ice is too thick, the ship may have to stop three miles back. If the weather is incredibly foggy, visibility might be low. Regardless of the conditions, the booming sound of the “White Thunder” echoing through the fog is a visceral experience you won’t soon forget.