As we approached Hubbard Glacier, the weather gods were pleased with us, as it was a truly spectacular day. Sun shining, moderate temperatures, and no wind made it perfect to be outdoors.
The Majesty of Hubbard Glacier
Hubbard is the most dramatic of the glaciers we remember. It is North America's largest tidewater glacier at 76 miles long, 7 miles wide, and 600 feet tall at its terminal face, with 350 feet exposed above the waterline and 250 feet below the waterline. We were able to get relatively close and observe a small amount of calving or shedding ice. There was a unique shore tour offered that picked people up at the ship and took them by small excursion boat up close to the glacier face. That must have been amazing to experience.
The Unexpected Warmth of Valdez
Our next stop was Valdez, another tender port where we arrived at noon. It was supposed to be 55-degrees onshore; however, it got to 80 degrees by 2:00 with strong sunshine. We had to shed many of our extra layers, our wooly hats, and our gloves. Definitely not typical Alaska weather and as our Captain said, almost unheard of for Alaska.
With a population of under 4,000, Valdez holds the distinction of being the snowiest town in Alaska. There were still 20-foot-high mountains of old snow that had been plowed during the winter and were still slowly melting in open parking lots.
Our tender arrived at the small boat harbor and from there the town stretches out about a dozen blocks toward the mountains. Visible across the inlet from town is the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline Terminal with its massive storage tanks.
Our walk around town took us past several museums, restaurants and shops, the library, civic center, and the community college. There are miles of hiking trails nearby and opportunities for fishing and wildlife cruises in Prince William Sound.
It was a pleasant place to visit, with easily walkable, flat and wide streets to wander. We were able to find a half dozen geocaches before returning to the ship.
The Scenic Splendor of College Fjord
The next day began with a morning of scenic cruising through the magnificent College Fjord. Along its 20-mile length, we found five tidewater glaciers, five valley glaciers, and dozens of smaller glaciers, many named after East Coast colleges. Our destination was Harvard Glacier, at the northwestern head. The scenery along the entire length was stunning, and the perfect weather—bright sunshine, 60-degree temperature, no wind—made for a wonderful morning. We saw dozens of small calving incidents and a few large ones. It was another great day to be outdoors!
Life on board Westerdam
We are enjoying our time aboard Westerdam. It’s very similar to Zuiderdam, making it easy for us to navigate. It is an almost full ship at 1,800 passengers, but we don’t really notice the increased numbers of people over the smaller ship we've sailed most recently. The venues are far less crowded at late seating which is when we have dinner and see the evening show. We do notice how long a ship it is when we are making deliveries to our guests. Somehow, they are always on the very ends of every deck! The ship is in excellent condition, the service has been wonderful as expected, and the food very good, with an accent on fish.
Our next stop is Seward, early tomorrow morning. One week down, and three more to go!
Fondly,
Wendy and Steve
See all blog posts:
Pre-Cruise, Alaska Awaits! | Our Adventure Begins! | Seward, Dutch Harbor & Nome | | Kodiak & Anchorage | Glacier Bay | Juneau & Misty Fjords | Summary
Join Cruise Specialists on the 2025 Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice Cruise >>