In July 2025, Debra and I embarked on a grand voyage along the coast of Alaska, a two-week cruise aboard Crystal Serenity. We sailed from Vancouver to Seward and back, with port stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, and Icy Strait Point, with a transit through the wild landscape of Hubbard Glacier. We had the time of our lives!
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our voyage.
This story, part of a series, is about our scenic cruise in Disenchantment Bay, home to Hubbard Glacier.
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our voyage.
This story, part of a series, is about our scenic cruise in Disenchantment Bay, home to Hubbard Glacier.
Debra and me...and Hubbard Glacier
Hubbard Glacier, Alaska (July 15, 2025) In June 2023, I toured Alaska by land and by sea with our daughter, Jill. It was a 12-day Cruisetour with Princess Cruises that began in Fairbanks and ended in Vancouver. That trip was everything I had hoped it would be and more—great experiences and wonderful memories for a lifetime!
One memory stood out—our scenic cruise through Disenchantment Bay, where we saw Hubbard Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier (a glacier that flows from the mountains to the sea) in North America. It was a breathtaking experience! The glacier’s towering ice formations—some as tall as 30-story buildings—and blue hues were stunning.
One memory stood out—our scenic cruise through Disenchantment Bay, where we saw Hubbard Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier (a glacier that flows from the mountains to the sea) in North America. It was a breathtaking experience! The glacier’s towering ice formations—some as tall as 30-story buildings—and blue hues were stunning.
And so, I was excited to see Hubbard Glacier again, and this time to share it with my wife, Debra.
Debra is not a morning person, but she got up early this day as we entered Disenchantment Bay at 8AM. This was a waypoint—the last one—on our northwesterly route from Vancouver to Seward.
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You will see from the photos that the weather was not nearly as nice this day as the picture-perfect weather Jill and I enjoyed the year before. It was colder, to be sure, and the sky was overcast. And early morning, low-hanging clouds obscured the top of Mount Hubbard—at nearly 15,000 feet tall, it is the eighth-highest peak in the United States.
“Hon, it’s a shame you can’t see the top of that mountain, as Jill and I did last year,” I said to Debra. “Snow covered and with its height, it was truly majestic.” (If you wondered about the ship in this photo, it is the Queen Elizabeth operated by the Cunard Line. As you can see, it sailed close to the glacier, just as the Serenity did a bit later in the morning.) |
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How did this glacier get its name, I wondered.
(True confession: I’m a geek when it comes to trivia, especially when I travel.)
With cellphone in hand—and great internet access—I didn’t have to wonder long. Here’s what I learned.
In the 1890s, the National Geographic Society sponsored an expedition to explore Disenchantment Bay and the surrounding area. That expedition was led by American explorer Robert Peary, and he named the imposing glacier he discovered—an unforgettable experience—after Gardiner Greene Hubbard, founder and first president of the National Geographic Society.
(As Paul Harvey use to say, “And now you know…the rest of the story.”)
(True confession: I’m a geek when it comes to trivia, especially when I travel.)
With cellphone in hand—and great internet access—I didn’t have to wonder long. Here’s what I learned.
In the 1890s, the National Geographic Society sponsored an expedition to explore Disenchantment Bay and the surrounding area. That expedition was led by American explorer Robert Peary, and he named the imposing glacier he discovered—an unforgettable experience—after Gardiner Greene Hubbard, founder and first president of the National Geographic Society.
(As Paul Harvey use to say, “And now you know…the rest of the story.”)
I love this photo—a panoramic shot of Hubbard Glacier—because I can see quite a bit of its face, which is nearly 6 miles wide. You’ll notice the glacial ice is blue. The truth is, the ice appears blue in color, something one observes in very dense ice because it reflects the shorter (blue) wavelengths, while the longer wavelengths (red and yellow, for example) are absorbed.
Here’s something you might find interesting, as I did: The color blue evokes a range of feelings depending on the context, including tranquility and peace, which “are reminiscent of the sky and the sea.”
Here’s something you might find interesting, as I did: The color blue evokes a range of feelings depending on the context, including tranquility and peace, which “are reminiscent of the sky and the sea.”
Why did I mention this? Because Hubbard Glacier is bound by the sky and the sea, and it wasn’t a surprise, then, that I felt calm and serene as I gazed at the glacier with Debra and a handful of our fellow passengers.
I wanted a closer look at the towering ice walls—the face of the glacier rises about 350 feet above the surface of the water, with another 250 feet below the surface—and I achieved this with the zoom feature for the camera on my phone. Check out the details—especially the deep linear cracks, called fissures, in the ice—in these pics.
I wanted a closer look at the towering ice walls—the face of the glacier rises about 350 feet above the surface of the water, with another 250 feet below the surface—and I achieved this with the zoom feature for the camera on my phone. Check out the details—especially the deep linear cracks, called fissures, in the ice—in these pics.
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Outstanding, right?!
Something Debra and I had hoped to see but didn’t was calving—the process through which chunks of ice break off from the edge of the glacier, forming icebergs. And I was surprised we missed out on this, too, because I read Hubbard Glacier “is known for its active calving, producing numerous icebergs each year.”
Something Debra and I had hoped to see but didn’t was calving—the process through which chunks of ice break off from the edge of the glacier, forming icebergs. And I was surprised we missed out on this, too, because I read Hubbard Glacier “is known for its active calving, producing numerous icebergs each year.”
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Oh, what I wouldn't give to see this glacier calve…and hear the thunderous boom! Well, perhaps another time.
Here’s one more fact about Hubbard Glacier before I wrap up this part of my story: Unlike many glaciers that are retreating (shrinking) due to climate change, Hubbard Glacier is thicker and further advanced since it was first mapped in the 1890s. It was awesome to get quite close to the glacier—to have an up-close view of its grandeur. As it was a year ago, so it was this day: Our scenic cruise past the Hubbard Glacier was a breathtaking and unforgettable experience! |
I won’t bore you with all our onboard activities on this day, but I’d like to share—briefly, I promise—a couple of highlights with you.
The first was ‘Chocolate Teatime,’ a themed variation of the ship’s traditional afternoon tea experience. Rather than a three-tiered rack of finger sandwiches, scones, and sweets, Chocolate Teatime was a luxuriant indulgence in an array of chocolate sweets, including chocolate eclairs, devil’s food cake, chocolate crème brulee, chocolate roulade, chocolate whiskey tart, and dark & white chocolate mousse.
(If that didn’t whet your sweet tooth, maybe these pics will.)
The first was ‘Chocolate Teatime,’ a themed variation of the ship’s traditional afternoon tea experience. Rather than a three-tiered rack of finger sandwiches, scones, and sweets, Chocolate Teatime was a luxuriant indulgence in an array of chocolate sweets, including chocolate eclairs, devil’s food cake, chocolate crème brulee, chocolate roulade, chocolate whiskey tart, and dark & white chocolate mousse.
(If that didn’t whet your sweet tooth, maybe these pics will.)
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Debra wore a satisfied smile when she said, “This is so good it’s almost sinful!”
Happy wife, happy life. (Wink, wink)
Happy wife, happy life. (Wink, wink)
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The second was this evening’s show, Sweet Soul Music, a collection of classic hits from Smokey Robinson, Glady Knight, Aretha Franklin, and other great Motown artists. The show featured the Crystal Ensemble singers, and dancers, backed by Crystal’s Showband.
This was sing-along music, and many folks in the crowd, including Debra and me, did just that. The show was fun and entertaining, indeed. |
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The Serenity, en route to Seward, will dock there early in the morning. We’ll be in port all day before, and then our ship will reverse course and sail from Seward to Vancouver.
In Seward, Debra will stay onboard the Serenity for a day of R & R. Moi? I’ll explore this charming coastal town with a rich history and breathtaking natural beauty. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you in my next story.
In Seward, Debra will stay onboard the Serenity for a day of R & R. Moi? I’ll explore this charming coastal town with a rich history and breathtaking natural beauty. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you in my next story.