Hubbard Glacier Review: What It’s Like To See Alaska’s Largest Tidewater Glacier From A Cruise Ship
Some experiences are difficult to appreciate until you actually see them for yourself.
Hubbard Glacier was one of those experiences for me.
Before our Alaska cruise aboard Holland America Amsterdam, I was excited about the ports, the wildlife, and the scenery. Glaciers honestly weren’t something I had spent much time thinking about. I knew they were impressive, but I didn’t fully understand why so many Alaska cruisers considered glacier viewing one of the highlights of the entire trip.
Now I do.
Hubbard Glacier ended up being one of the most memorable experiences of our cruise and a day that both my mom and I still talk about years later.
Unlike a traditional port day, nobody gets off the ship at Hubbard Glacier. Instead, the ship slowly sails into Disenchantment Bay and approaches the face of the glacier, allowing passengers to experience one of the largest and most active tidewater glaciers in North America from the comfort of the ship.
And trust me, comfort becomes important because this was easily the coldest day of our cruise.
Quick Verdict
Hubbard Glacier isn’t a port stop.
It’s an experience.
If your Alaska cruise visits Hubbard Glacier, treat it as a major highlight of the itinerary rather than simply another sea day. The scenery is spectacular, the glacier is incredibly active, and hearing ice calve from the glacier face is something most people never forget.
Best For
- First-time Alaska cruisers
- Nature lovers
- Photography
- Scenic cruising
- Families
Not Ideal For
- Travelers expecting a traditional port day
- Those who dislike cold weather
- Guests looking for shopping or excursions
What To Expect During A Hubbard Glacier Cruise Visit
Unlike a traditional cruise port, Hubbard Glacier is experienced entirely from the ship. Rather than docking, cruise ships slowly sail into Disenchantment Bay and spend several hours approaching and viewing the glacier from a safe distance.
How close the ship gets depends largely on weather, visibility, and ice conditions. While captains occasionally need to remain farther away than planned, many ships are able to approach surprisingly close to the glacier’s face, giving passengers excellent views of both the glacier itself and the calving activity that makes Hubbard Glacier so famous.
One thing many first-time visitors worry about is choosing the “right” side of the ship. Fortunately, most cruise lines position and rotate the vessel during glacier viewing, allowing passengers on both port and starboard sides to enjoy spectacular views. Outdoor observation decks are often the most popular locations because they allow you to fully appreciate both the scenery and the thunder-like sounds created when large pieces of ice break away from the glacier.
Hubbard Glacier is located in eastern Alaska near the Yukon border and stretches roughly 76 miles in length. At its face, the glacier measures more than six miles wide, making it one of the largest tidewater glaciers in North America. It is also one of the few glaciers in Alaska that continues to advance rather than retreat, which helps explain why calving activity here is often so dramatic.
Many travelers compare Hubbard Glacier with Glacier Bay when planning an Alaska cruise. If you’re still deciding on an itinerary, you may also enjoy reading my complete Alaska Cruise Review aboard Holland America Amsterdam. While Glacier Bay offers multiple glaciers within a protected national park, Hubbard Glacier delivers a different experience. Its immense size, frequent calving, and advancing ice flow create one of the most dramatic single-glacier viewing experiences available on any Alaska cruise itinerary.
No matter when you visit during Alaska’s cruise season, Hubbard Glacier tends to be one of the most memorable days of the voyage. For many passengers, it becomes the moment when Alaska truly feels different from any other cruise destination in the world.
Our First Glimpse Of Hubbard Glacier
The morning started with the glacier appearing as a distant wall of ice far ahead of the ship.
At first, it almost didn’t seem real. It looked more like a snow-covered mountain than a glacier.
As we continued moving deeper into the bay, however, the scale started becoming apparent. The glacier kept growing larger and larger until it completely dominated the horizon.
Soon, both my mom and I found ourselves spending most of our time outside simply watching it come into view.
One thing I particularly remember was the cloud formations surrounding the mountains. Anyone who knows me knows I have a thing for dramatic clouds, and they added tremendous depth to the scenery that day.
The combination of mountains, clouds, ice, and water created some of my favorite photographs of the entire cruise.
Hearing The Glacier Before Seeing It
One of the most surprising parts of the experience was hearing the glacier.
As the ship approached, loud cracking sounds began echoing across the bay. At first, I thought it was distant thunder. Then I heard it again. And again.
It didn’t take long to realize what we were hearing.
Large chunks of ice were breaking away from the glacier face and crashing into the water below. Every so often, another crack would echo across the bay, followed by a deep rumble that seemed to roll through the surrounding mountains.
What made the experience even more impressive was how quiet everything else was. The ship itself was making almost no noise, passengers were speaking softly, and many people simply stood there watching in silence.
The result was one of the most peaceful environments I’ve ever experienced aboard a cruise ship. Every calving event could be heard clearly, and each one reminded us that this massive wall of ice was constantly moving and changing.
The Captain Got Us Surprisingly Close
As we continued approaching Hubbard Glacier, one question kept coming up among passengers:
How close would the captain actually get?
The answer turned out to be much closer than I expected.
At one point, the glacier completely dominated the view ahead of the ship. The scale was almost impossible to comprehend. No matter how many photos you’ve seen beforehand, it’s difficult to appreciate just how massive it is until you’re standing there looking at it yourself.
One thing I found particularly fascinating was seeing the separation between the glacier and the surrounding mountains. Hubbard Glacier is one of the few glaciers in Alaska that is still advancing rather than retreating, and watching this enormous river of ice slowly push its way through the landscape made it feel almost alive.
How Holland America Handles Glacier Viewing
Holland America did an excellent job maximizing the experience for everyone onboard.
The captain initially positioned the bow toward the glacier, giving guests on the forward decks an impressive head-on view. After spending roughly twenty to thirty minutes in that position, the ship slowly rotated so the port side could enjoy the scenery. Later, the process was repeated for the starboard side.
It was a simple but very thoughtful approach. Guests with balcony cabins on either side of the ship had fantastic views, and no one felt like they had chosen the “wrong” side of the vessel for glacier viewing.
No matter where your cabin was located, everyone had an opportunity to enjoy the experience.
Surprisingly Peaceful Crowds
One thing that surprised me was how uncrowded everything felt.
This was one of the most anticipated days of the cruise, so I expected every outdoor deck to be packed. Instead, the atmosphere felt remarkably relaxed and civilized.
People came and went throughout the day, and while the front viewing areas usually had a row of passengers along the railings, there were rarely large crowds standing behind them. Even when the ship was at its busiest near the glacier, it never felt overcrowded.
I heard several passengers mention avoiding the bow because they expected it to be packed, but that wasn’t my experience at all. Personally, I didn’t notice a huge difference between the various viewing locations. Whether we were at the bow, on the promenade deck, or elsewhere around the ship, there always seemed to be plenty of space.
The relaxed atmosphere ended up becoming one of my favorite parts of the day. Rather than competing for views, most passengers simply found a comfortable spot and quietly enjoyed the experience.
The Best Part: Watching The Glacier Calve
For me, the highlight of the day wasn’t the glacier itself.
It was the calving.
Hearing massive pieces of ice break away from the glacier face over and over again was incredible. Sometimes you would hear the sound first—a loud crack followed by a deep rumble that echoed across the bay, almost like distant thunder.
Then everyone would start scanning the glacier, trying to figure out where the ice had fallen. Often the event was over before you could spot it, but a few times we got lucky and managed to witness large chunks breaking away from the glacier face.
What surprised me most was how much noise even relatively small calving events created. Every crack and rumble seemed amplified by the quiet surroundings, making the experience feel even more dramatic.
It quickly became clear why so many Alaska cruisers consider glacier viewing one of the highlights of their trip.
Bow Or Promenade Deck?
After spending a significant amount of time at the bow, my mom and I eventually relocated to the promenade deck—not because we had to, but simply because we wanted a different perspective.
The promenade sits slightly lower than the bow and offers a different viewing angle of both the glacier and the surrounding scenery.
Honestly, I enjoyed both locations equally. The bow provided a dramatic front-facing perspective, while the promenade offered a more relaxed environment with fewer people constantly moving around.
If your ship offers both options, I recommend trying each.
Dress Warmer Than You Think
If there’s one piece of practical advice I can offer, it’s this:
Dress warmly. Then add another layer.
This was easily the coldest day of our cruise. The combination of wind, open decks, and proximity to the glacier made it feel significantly colder than anywhere else we visited during the voyage.
By the end of the day, my mom was wrapped up so completely that she looked like a burrito. Looking back, she probably had the right idea.
The more comfortable you are, the longer you’ll be willing to stay outside—and Hubbard Glacier is one of those experiences where every extra minute on deck is worth it.
Wildlife & Binoculars
Wildlife wasn’t the focus of the day, although we did spot a few birds near the glacier.
Ironically, one of the most useful items we brought ended up being my mom’s binoculars. She originally had me order them before the cruise, but after trying them she realized they aggravated her vestibular symptoms and decided not to use them.
That worked out pretty well for me because I ended up borrowing them for most of the day.
They made it much easier to study details in the glacier, spot calving activity, and appreciate just how enormous the surrounding landscape really was.
If you’re visiting Hubbard Glacier, I highly recommend bringing a pair. Even if wildlife isn’t cooperating, they’ll help you notice details that are easy to miss with the naked eye.
Leaving Hubbard Glacier
One thing I didn’t expect was how much I enjoyed the departure.
As soon as the ship began moving away from the glacier, many passengers immediately headed indoors. Personally, I thought they were leaving too soon.
The scenery remained spectacular. The glacier slowly disappeared into the distance, icebergs floated past the ship, and the surrounding mountains continued to dominate the horizon. There was something incredibly peaceful about simply sitting there and watching Alaska drift by.
My mom and I stayed outside for hours. At one point I grabbed drinks, later I picked up food from the buffet, and we spent much of the afternoon doing very little other than talking and enjoying the scenery.
We even managed to take a nap outside before the evening temperatures finally convinced us to head indoors.
Years later, those quiet hours remain some of my favorite memories from the entire cruise. Not because anything exciting happened, but because sometimes the best travel memories come from slowing down and appreciating where you are.
Final Verdict
Even though Hubbard Glacier technically isn’t a port day, it absolutely felt like one to us. In many ways, it ended up being more memorable than several actual ports we visited during the cruise.
Between the massive wall of ice, the constant calving activity, the thunder-like sounds echoing across the bay, and the remarkably peaceful atmosphere onboard, the entire experience felt unlike anything else I’ve encountered on a cruise.
What I remember most, however, wasn’t just the glacier itself. It was the opportunity to spend the day sitting outside with my mom, enjoying the scenery, talking, and simply appreciating one of nature’s greatest spectacles.
It was an experience I honestly underestimated before the cruise. Now, it’s one of the first things I recommend people look for when choosing an Alaska itinerary.
If you have the opportunity to visit Hubbard Glacier, don’t treat it like a day at sea. Bundle up, find a good viewing spot, bring a pair of binoculars, and take the time to simply enjoy the moment.
It’s one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen from a cruise ship.
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