Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay is a scenic-cruising day rather than a port call — ships enter Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve at dawn, embark two NPS rangers who narrate over the ship's PA, and spend the day nosing up to tidewater glaciers like Margerie, Johns Hopkins, and Lamplugh. The park permits only two large cruise ships per day, so the experience is less crowded than a typical port and requires the line to hold one of the limited concession slots (Princess, Holland America, and Norwegian are the most common holders). Passengers don't go ashore, but they'll see calving ice, harbor seals hauled out on bergs, and frequently humpback whales and mountain goats. Dress warmly — even in July the up-bay temperature near the ice can drop into the 40s °F.