Alaska Glacier Tours

A major component of any Alaska small cruise will be glaciers. Depending on the season and exact location, glaciers of varying types and sizes can be seen throughout south central Alaska. Getting up close and personal with these glaciers is one of the advantages of an Alaska small boat cruise over one of the major cruise lines cruises in the area.

Prince William Sound Glaciers

One of the greatest places in Alaska for glacier viewing is undoubtedly Prince William Sound. Tidewater glaciers are abundant here, some of which are thousands of feet across and hundreds of feet high. As ice breaks away from these glaciers and tumbles into the sea it creates thunderous claps and rolling waves. The Dream Catcher is able to get much closer to these glaciers then larger ships, allowing amazing photo opportunities and truly unforgettable views. Prince William Sound glaciers are world renowned for their calving - and we’ll put you right in front of the action. Plus, our laid back approach to cruising leaves us much more time to linger at such special places, making our Alaska glacier tours one of a kind.

Calving Ice - A Breathtaking Spectacle

When a glacier begins on land and terminates in a body of water it is deemed a tidewater glacier. As these huge mountains of ice advance into the water, huge portions of their faces break away and fall into the water. This action is known as calving.

Tidewater glaciers in Prince William Sound and surrounding waters can be absolutely mammoth, and have faces as high as several hundred feet. When conditions are favorable, massive sections of ice topple away from the glacier and crash into the ocean. Sometimes this ice can create waves large enough to sway the boat! We will spend a good deal of time lingering around these faces, particularly in Prince William Sound, waiting to see this spectacle.

An Iceberg is Born!

When the ice from a calving glacier falls into the ocean it ceases being a glacier and becomes an iceberg. These can vary greatly in size and come in all sorts of sizes. Most popular classifications of icebergs actually are according to size, with names like growlers and bergie bits. You'll see icebergs of all shapes and sizes on your Alaska small boat cruise, and even get to paddle a kayak among them if you choose.

Favorite Glacier Spots

It's hard to choose a favorite glacier or glacial bay, but over the years the captain and crew have grown quite fond of some special places. Harriman Fjord is extremely popular, as is College Fjord and Columbia Glacier. As a matter of fact, 10 of Prince William Sound's 17 tidewater glacier can be found in either Harriman or College Fjords. Because of her relatively small size and great amount of maneuverability, the Dream Catcher can get much further up most fjords and passages then traditional cruise liners.

"The glaciers were even more impressive then we had imagined - and we were able to get so close to them!"

"It's hard to believe your seeing it with your own eyes - the immense icebergs that crash away from the tide water glaciers."

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