Alaskan Cruise Journal: A Journey through Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Bay

Typically, I look forward to the ports of call on a cruise, the islands and cities we’ll explore. However, on our honeymoon cruise to Alaska, the sea days proved to be the highlight of our adventure. I felt compelled to dedicate this first entry to those unforgettable experiences. Here are five reasons I cherished being aboard a Dinogo ship in Alaska:

1. The Stunning Sunsets

With sunsets occurring between 9 PM and 11 PM and sunrises at 4 AM, it’s no wonder the sky transforms into breathtaking hues of pink, red, blue, and purple. These four examples represent just a fraction of the countless sunset photos we captured from the ship. (Note: these images are untouched; the sky truly is that spectacular.) We embraced the chill to witness the sun dip below the horizon!

2. Majestic Glaciers and Icebergs

Two days in our cruise schedule left me a bit puzzled. They announced:

Sailing through Tracy Arm Fjord
Exploring Glacier Bay

I wasn’t quite sure what that entailed, but it sounded exciting, and I was all in for the adventure. On those two days, the ship transformed into a guided tour experience. It navigated through narrow passages—Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Bay—allowing us to get up close to the glaciers and icebergs. A naturalist or Park Ranger accompanied us on both 'sailing' days, sharing insights about the wildlife and the history of the glaciers and the regions we explored. Once we reached a glacier, the ship would perform a slow 360-degree rotation, letting everyone take in the stunning views before heading back out to sea. This entire process spanned 4-5 hours, and the best moments to spot wildlife were just before and after our visits, so we spent the whole day outside. Having a balcony room was a fantastic perk—we lounged on our balcony all day, even ordering room service to ensure we didn’t miss a thing! Here are some photos of glaciers and icebergs we captured from the ship:

3. Diverse Wildlife

Throughout our 8-day cruise, we frequently encountered humpback whales, sea otters, bald eagles, harbor seals, and sea lions. While some days offered more animal sightings than others, we were fortunate to see wildlife almost daily. On the final evening of our cruise, we dined at the Steakhouse, Nouveau (as shown in the third picture below). To our delight, a pod of orca whales swam right by our window during dinner! It was our first experience seeing orcas in their natural habitat, making it a memorable finale to our journey.

I was particularly enthusiastic about spotting mountain goats. I was often found peering through my binoculars in search of them—JJ even captured me in action, as seen above. My dreams finally came true upon entering Glacier Bay, where I was thrilled to spot all five goats in the photo below.

4. Majestic Mountains and Snow

An Alaskan cruise immerses you in breathtaking beauty at every angle. This is largely due to the chosen route, which features land and small islands flanking the ship for nearly the entire journey. For eight days, this was our stunning view, and it was nothing short of incredible.

5. The Climate

Living in Florida, we truly enjoyed the weather. We experienced a mix of both extremes. There were warm, delightful days, especially when the ship was stationary and the sun shone brightly (like at the port in Vancouver, shown above). However, stepping into the shade, getting close to the icy waters of a glacier or waterfall, or feeling the wind from the moving ship made it necessary and fun to don our cozy hats and gloves. It's not every day you get to take a cruise photo while bundled up like this!

Be sure to return tomorrow to hear about my bear encounter and check out the whale photos we captured in Juneau!