However, this season, several major cruise lines have chosen to bypass it. A significant landslide last summer caused parts of a glacier to plunge into the water, triggering a tsunami that sent a wave barreling up the opposite mountain wall. Many companies have expressed safety concerns regarding the still-dangerous slopes.
“Tracy Arm is the majestic princess, you know, she is the queen of fjords,” remarked travel agent Nate Vallier.
The alternative destination that cruise and tour companies have selected — the nearby Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier — is “still beautiful by any means, but it’s just not the same,” he noted.
Tracy Arm, located southeast of Juneau, spans roughly 30 miles (50 kilometers) and boasts two tidewater glaciers — the North and South Sawyer — along with local wildlife like seals and bears.
Early on August 10, 2025, a landslide from high on a slope above the South Sawyer’s toe, near the fjord’s head, sent water surging more than a quarter-mile (over half a kilometer) up the adjacent mountain wall and out of Tracy Arm.
No vessels were in the fjord at the time, officials reported, and there were no fatalities or injuries. However, kayakers camping on an island near the confluence of Tracy and Endicott arms lost much of their equipment to the rushing waters.
Southeast Alaska, mainly comprised of a temperate rainforest, often experiences landslides. Although the fjord network in the Tracy Arm region has long been noted for its vulnerability, the specific slope that collapsed had not previously been flagged as an active hazard, according to Gabriel Wolken, manager of the state’s climate and ice hazards program.
Scientists are currently investigating not just the cause of the slope’s failure but also other potential hazards within the fjord, he added.
The area remains unstable, warned Steven Sobieszczyk, a U.S. Geological Survey spokesperson. He noted via email that steep landslide areas can continue to change for years following an initial slide.
“Ongoing rockfalls and minor sliding from the exposed landslide scar are anticipated and could impact the water, potentially leading to a future localized tsunami,” he stated.
In light of inquiries from The Associated Press, major cruise lines, including Holland America, Carnival Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean, confirmed they are replacing their Tracy Arm visit with Endicott Arm. MSC Cruises, Virgin Voyages, and regional tour operator Allen Marine are also opting for Endicott and Dawes Glacier instead. Norwegian Cruise Line indicated it does not have itineraries that include Tracy Arm.
Endicott has previously served as a stop for some ships and has long been a fallback when conditions in Tracy Arm, such as excessive ice, posed safety risks.
Vallier, owner of the Alaska Travel Desk, expressed a desire for cruise companies to provide travelers with more advance notice regarding changes to their itineraries.
The initial ships of the season are scheduled to arrive in Ketchikan on April 21, followed by Juneau the following week after leaving Seattle.
Experiencing a glacier — especially a dynamic, calving glacier — is a bucket-list moment for many tourists, which has contributed to Tracy Arm’s popularity. While the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau is a major draw for the capital city and cruise port, many guests view it from across a large lake, and it has diminished or completely receded from sight from certain hiking viewpoints.
Kimberly Lebeda from Wichita, Kansas, was thrilled when she booked tickets for a Tracy Arm excursion for her family last year. A dedicated researcher of her travel destinations, she was captivated by the landscape.
However, the evening before their scheduled stop, they were informed that, due to ice conditions, they would be visiting Endicott instead. Her family and other excursion participants boarded a smaller boat equipped with glass windows, ample seating, and snacks. They spotted seals on ice floes, stunning waterfalls, and witnessed “a wall of ice” calve from Dawes Glacier, she recounted.
She described the experience as “an amazing thing to witness.”
“Was it worth it? Yes, because I don’t know if I’ll ever get to do that trip again,” she stated. “Again, I haven’t been to Tracy Arm, so I can’t really compare. But to me, was it worth it and was it exciting? Absolutely.”
