College Fjord Reviews

Have seen many glaciers, but those at College Glacier Fjords are large and awesome. This was possible by taking the one (1) way cruise to Alaska. Fortunate to see drop of a small portion of the Glacier. Also encountered several loud sounds like thunder of movement further back. Went on Crown Princess & ship spent a better part of the day there & spun right around at each major Glacier enabling us & those with balconies to view site from our stateroom. Another great site for viewing on this ship was the Skywalker lounge on the top deck. Could not believe that the largest Princess ship could get so close to the Glaciers.
Kotylak's

Lots of good views of tidewater glaciers and the surrounding mountains. Can frequently find seals and bald eagles. Consider it to be a close runner-up to Glacier Bay NP. Don't miss it if you have a chance.

My wife and I were here as the las leg of our Princess cruises Alaskan tour. We had visited the Glacier National Park the day before, which was amazing, and we thought we were in for more of the same. We were wrong. College Fjord has a different stage of plant and vegetation ecology than say the Margerie glacier. College Fjord was a lot greener with glass still calm waters, as if we were sailing through a beautiful river valley surrounded by green soft mountains and hills, and out of nowhere, glaciers large and small and snow capped mountains as far as the eye can see. We were once again up real close to the glaciers and saw some massive calvings. Amazing and majestic.

On the last day of 7 day one way Princess Cruise from Vancouver to Whittier, we spent the day and evening in Prince William Sound and the College Fjords. In total, we spent 17 days in Alaska, the inside passage and land, including Denali. This was one of the best days of the trip! The Sound was so beautiful and peaceful, blue skies and bright blue water everywhere we looked. Saw an Orca jumping out of the water, and just soaked in the beauty of the sound.

Once we turned towards the Fjords, the views became even better. It was amazing to see all the glaciers tumbling into the water. The highlight of the Fjords was the Harvard Glacier, where the boat slowly rotated for over an hour to provide great views of the glacier. There were many calving episodes, which gave us some great pictures and videos. Alaska was so amazing, it's hard to say what the best thing we saw was, but the Sound and Fjords are a must see!

Visited College Fjord on 6/2/15. Stunning, surreal landscapes- even better than Glacier Bay. The floating ice/icebergs from the many glaciers were an added dimension to the College Fjord experience.

Just a couple of hours today compared to Glacier Bay yesterday, but more stunning scenery. If you're cruising don't miss it.

We cruised through here on the Island Princess and enjoyed this area very much. On the way in and near the glaciers we enjoyed seeing some wildlife floating on chunks of ice. This is a beautiful fjord with a lot of really pretty glaciers coming down to the water from large ice fields up above. It was quite spectacular and I would highly recommend taking a cruise that tours this area.

We were fortunate to have a stellar day with weather as our cruise ship entered Prince William Sound and we got to view the amazing glaciers of College Fjord and watch chunks of ice calving into the sea with a thunderous sound! We had no idea what to expect but what incredible sights there were! Very difficult to describe and everyone should experience at least once in a lifetime! We were cruising the area for a few hours so dress warmly for outside your ship deck to enjoy these incredible views,

Having seen it before, it is still as majestic and wonderful and ever. And the history of all the names of the glaciers makes it even more interesting.

disappointed compared to antartica and spitsbergen, however all other passengers were impressed. gues we were spoilt by going to the other places first

Due to an emergency, our ship got to College Fjord quite late (after 6:00 pm). It was a bit disappointing in that respect because the day was also overcast and the lighting did not lend itself to good picture taking. Anyway, we were glad that we booked a balcony cabin on the port side (that was the side where you see most of the College Glaciers). On the way into the College Fjord, there were a lot of sea otters swimming in the channel – very cute! Harvard Glacier was the most beautiful of them all.

On our recent Cruise to Alaska we managed to cruise the College Fjords for the first time. At the beginning it was cool but it didn't seem on the same playing field as Glacier Bay. The farther we cruised along it became more and more stunning. All of a sudden you are starting to cruise through an amazing ice field and many glaciers in a row start to appear and then a massive one at the end called Columbia Glacier. Columbia Glacier is the largest glacier. The ship managed to get really close. It was incredible.

On the last day of Princess cruise we spent the late afternoon here for a final look at glaciers before arriving in Whittier. Very spectacular, especially on a lovely day.

Our last full day at sea on our Alaskan cruise took us through College Fjord. We had expected Glacier Bay to be spectacular but we were happily surprised to find College Fjord was very impressive as well. We saw many otters playing in the sea and our ship was able to get very close to the final glacier.

While Glacier Bay was impressive for its massive glacier carved size, College Fjord was impressive for the tremendous number of tide water glaciers. The water is littered with large icebergs covered with otters and seals. We took the Coral Princess through here, and we were enthralled by the valley after valley filled with massive iceflows. If you are going through the Gulf of Alaska toward Whittier, this needs to be a stop for you. In our mind, it had no rival in terms of icy gradeur.

These glaciers were some of the highlights of our trip watching them calve and listening to the great booming sound as they did so. It sounded like either a loud thunder or earthquake when they broke off into the water. You can't imagine the size of these glaciers until you see a little boat get within feet of these things. We had a balcony off our stateroom and one of our family members was on the other size of the ship with a balcony and every time the ship turned around to see from the other side, we would just venture back and forth between staterooms to be sure that we did not miss any action, whether it was from the glacier or some sea lions laying on the ice that had broken off from the glacier. The views were spectacular. Yes, it was cold. You definitely needed your winter jack and maybe a hat, but the water was very calm and the ship always made 360 degree turns so all could see the glaciers.

What silly name for something this beautiful. We saw one glacier after another while cruising College Fjord. Most of them were not very big but they were amazing just the same. We also saw thousands of icebergs of all shapes and sizes floating past our ship. We saw many otters playing in the water, sometimes on icebergs and sometimes just floating in the water. we also saw harbor seals lounging on the icebergs.
It was so lovely we couldn't tear ourselves away to go to dinner. Thank goodness that we were able to cancel our dinner reservation for a later time. Definitely one of the most gorgeous sights that I have ever see4n.A

I have been cruising in College Fjord, Glacier bay and Tracy Arm and I must say that College Fjord is absolutely the winner. In one word is spectacular with all his glaciers ( I believe they are 12 or 13). I have been lucky to arrive at only 600 meters from the main glacier, the Harvard Glacier and luckily that day the glacier very active with several fantastic carving. It was just a dream becoming reality. Beautiful.

It was very overcast and misty the day we cruised through, but in ways that made it even more majestic. The glaciers just lined up like ribbons along the shore, disappearing into the mist, so numerous it was hard to believe.

My favorite part, however, were the adorable otters swimming around and batting at each other in play. Have your binoculars handy for better views of them.

The only thing missing was that we didn't see or hear any calving. There are different types and stages of glaciers, and I guess these just aren't the calving sort. Nature's variety amazes me.

Beautiful trip.

Hearing the calving of glaciers is an amazing experience. One of the most awesome views of glaciers is this unique area named for famous universities in the USA. Feeling our large cruise ship bounce after a glacier broke off was really breathtaking. Make sure you ship goes through this area.

So very cool to see!! It was cloudy and foggy but wonderful to see. Would love to see it again! In the sun. : )

We took a northbound Princess Cruise and actually appreciated this more than Glacier Bay. It was SPECTACULAR!! I will say for both Glacier Bay and College Fjord, I was praying for some calving, but nope!!

While on a Princess cruise, our ship was one of the few permitted through this remarkable area. The glaciers were truly an amazing sight!

Glaciers visible from origin in high mountains, plunging into the sea. No, you don't get the crack and plunge of ice chunks into the sea much in this fjord compared with Glacier Bay, but you get more glaciers than in GB and the width/depth of the main Harvard glacier is immense. We visited this on a cruise, but you can do same from a boat tour out of Whittier.

As if the magnificent and incredulous sights of the many glaciers in Glacier Bay was not enough, our Star Princess Voyage of the Glaciers from Vancouver to Whittier made a trip to the College Fjord Inlet on the last day of the cruise. Great Heavens! The glaciers at College Fjord are just as spectacular and out of these world as the Glacier Bay glaciers. Expansive snow-covered mountain ranges that seem to go on forever provide numerous glacier passes. The scenery, beauty, and grandeur of these glaciers are indescribable.They're simply spectacular!! Any Alaska cruise should be made through the Inside Passage in include the Glacier Bay and College Fjord inlets in the itinerary. Go in June or July when chances of sunny scenic cruising among these glaciers are high. Going during the cheap cruise months of May or September won't be as good because of the possibility of rain or bad weather. Spend a little bit more, but these glaciers are well worth the extra cost of summer months cruises to Alaska. Hopefully your scenic cruising along Glacier Bay and College Fjord will be during sunny days. Bring along good digital cameras with high memory SD cards and well-charged batteries for your digital cameras. Phone cameras are OK but the pictures will not do justice to the magnificent panoramas that you will see and experience. Good luck on your Alaska cruise. Take it easy on those Alaskan King Salmon and King crabs. Don't forget to bring your binoculars if you have them.

Cruising along, we stayed in our rooms on the balcony, while on our journey to the College Fjords, what a wonderful experience, you slowly move through the sea, first seeing small ice caps dancing in the water, and slowly moving closer, breathtaking views of the iced capped mountains and sea otters basking in sun on the sea. All I can say, is you have to be there, experience what nature has to offer.

We spent part of an afternoon and evening of a cruise to Alaska in College Fjord. The sights were awesome and never ending. I hated for the sun to set. This is part of the world I wish everyone could see. It is difficult to describe.

Saw this amazing place on a cruise ship. Absolutely stunning scenery and wildlife, which photos do no justice to. This is a lifetime must see.

How wonderful to see the college glaciers!!! Unbelievable and unforgettable. Such a contrast of folks in the pool in front of glaciers!

We cruised through the Fjord on the slightly smaller Pacific Princess. Interesting to see some of the comments here. I guess I can understand that people who have viewed more glaciers around the world, especially in northern Europe, will feel that College Fjord glaciers are not that special. For the less experienced like myself who has only seen glaciers in Alaska, I found College Fjord to be very beautiful. It was particularly impressive to see the several glaciers (Smith, Bryn Mawr, Vassar) lined up in a row on one side of the fjord.

Also interesting to see different opinions about preferences of College Fjord vs. Glacier Bay. Personally I liked Glacier Bay better. I felt the topography was more diverse and interesting, and I just happened to see more wildlife during the GB cruise. Of course, consider also that the GB cruise was much longer than the CF cruise.

Mountains and glaciers. Seen one you've seen them all. NOT. If you book a cruise that is going here try to get a balcony. To watch these views for hours from your room is a great experience.

I took a Carnival cruise to the area, and woke up at 3:30 in the morning from jetlag... i opened up the balcony drapes to the most amazing view ever. Glacier after glacier, with a perfect mirrored reflection on the water. I woke up everyone in my family so they could join in on the scenery... they forgave me for the 4am wakeup call after they looked out their cabin windows... The cruise ship basically parallel parked right next to one of the huge glaciers, so we got an up-close view - and the weather was 85 degrees, so the ice was cracking and swirling with surreal noises. Big 300 foot chunks come breaking off, one after another -- we had a really lucky day for glacier viewing! It was amazing.

Our cruise ship passed through College Fjord. Pretty amazing to see about a half dozen glaciers all along one side of the ship. I wish we could have had a more in depth commentary/experience but it was basically just passing through yet another amazing Alaska landscape. Get out on deck and drink it in.

College Fjord offers amazing views of a number of glaciers. The cruise ship gets close enough that you can appreciate the height of these tidewater glaciers. The best way to view the glaciers is on deck or from a balcony cabin.

You can hear the ice sizzle and pop after it drops into the water. Your ship's captain will wisely stay farther from shore than you would like, but as soon as a huge chunk of glacier comes crashing down you'll understand the safety concerns of getting too close.

We saw numerous seals, otter, and whales on the way in and out.

To see so many glaciers all in the same place is awesome! It is hard to get your mind around the age of these wonders. Beautiful, amazing, awe-inspiring, reflective!

At College Fjord you can see about 6-8 Glaciers in a row! Surrounded by beautiful mountains! Many,many pieces of these glaciers are floating by the ship as you arrive, and many of the pieces have seals or otters on them! This was a great fjord to visit.

They call this place College Fjord because all of the tidewater glaciers (valley glaciers that flow into the sea) are named after colleges. Harvard Glacier is the biggest and at the point where the cruise ship (Coral Princess) turns around and heads back out. I'm with those here who believe that College Fjord is better than Glacier Bay (but not by much). Tidewater glaciers are a true wonder of the world, no matter where they might be. And basically the only way to see them is from a cruise ship. So take a cruise to Alaska and make sure you don't miss this part.

It was a wonderful experience to be surrounded by this Glacial, an awesome view of the ice. You can seat and enjoy watching the glacial and the wildlife nearby.

While the day started a little rainy, it cleared enough for our trip through College Fjord. One glacier after another - it was amazing. The Star Princess captain "parked" us right in front of Harvard glacier and we enjoyed a 30-min spectacle of calving and its beauty. Definitely a must-see for anyone heading to AK.

Absolutely stunning. We enjoyed this Fjord visit immensely as you were surrounded by multiple glaciers. It was calm and left us in awe of the beauty of Alaska.

...you will have blue skies and an amazing day! Probably one of the most impressive things I have ever seen. We entered Prince William Sound around noon, went all the way up the College Fjord to the Harvard Glacier and from there back into Whittier, where our cruise ended around midnight. It was an unforgettable day. I can imagine, that in bad weather, this is not a lot of fun, but during our sunny day, it was absolutely amazing.

These were the best glaciers we saw on cruise. There were better than the ones at Glacier Bay. Much higher and more dramatic.

Very cold rainy day that we saw them however even that could not spoil it.

Must see if you ever have a chance. No way to describe it.

Get up nice and early to see this wonder! Sailing through College fjord was so surreal, so peaceful and just extraordinary!

I took the plunge and planned the more expensive cruise through the Inner Passage for our group of 6 this past June; I had extensively read about what all you can see in the Inner Passage and everyone seemed to love Glacier Bay, but I didn't see a whole lot about College Fjord; people, if you are able to take a cruise through this magnificent fjord, run, don't walk, to see this amazing place of beauty; heaven on earth; between all of the wildlife, can we say eagles, and otters and seals, and the absolutely beautiful glaciers and mountains, I am still in awe; I will never, ever forget the day we had here

This was the last attraction in our 7 days cruise from Vancouver to Whittier Alaska. The cruise explore the fjord in the afternoon. The view was amazing, peaceful blue sky and brightblue sea water. It was a memorable experience.

One of the most amazing experiences I've had. The scale of the glaciers is mind blowing and the thunderous sound as they calve is magnificent

I have been selling Alaska cruise for a very ling time, I finally went on one, we had fabulous weather. I highly recommend going Northbound from Vancouver as each port or day gets better

Our cruise on Princess cruise lines took us to the magnificent College Fjord. We were lucky enough to have perfect weather for the trip. Blue skies, sunny, and high 60's.As we sailed up the fjord my eyes were aghast with the beauty that lay before us. Cruising at a leisurely pace we were able to take in all that lay before us. The ship did a 360degree spin, giving all sides of the ship a chance to take in the sights. We are lucky enough to see a bear at the base on the glacier, but other than that not much wildlife. This is a must do for all of our generation. And for those of you that doubt there is global warming, the receding glaciers in Alaska should be enough to convince you of it's existence. Go see them before they are gone. It was nice to see the ship respecting the environment and not using paper products after we entered the fjord.

If you go on a cruise ship and they say get up early to see College Fjord, they mean 5:00am! You will not want to miss the two HUGE Glaciers at the end of the Fjord!!! It was absolutely amazing to witness!!! You can hear the glaciers making booming & cracking noises as they move! I couldn't believe that I was witnessing such an amazing sight!!!

Was on a cruise ship and got the closest to the Harvard glacier that a cruise ship has ever gotten according to the naturalist. It was fabulous!

This was a fantastic trip on the Pacific Princess up this small Fjord. Because of the small size of our ship, it seemed like we could reach out and touch the glaciers while we rotated around so everyone could get a view of everything. There was an iceberg in the water with a momma and baby seal - so adorable!!

Cruised here on the Coral Princess and had been to Glacier Bay the day before but this place was equally fantastic - so many glaciers winding their way down from the mountains to the sea. There were also lots of sea otters around the ship which was great to see. The weather wasn't so good but at least we got to see multiple glaciers which was wonderful

Whatever they're called, they're pretty darned impressive! From the top deck of the cruise ship, 10 stories up, we were still looking up at them. Just missed a major calving event, but maybe you'll be more lucky. A cloudy day and the colors of the ice were fabulous. Scratch another bucket list item off the list!

We visited College fjord on the last day of our cruise on the way to Whittier. Some cruises do not go that far and actually turn around after Skagway but this place is so worth a visit. The most beautiful glacier is at the end of the fjord and you do not really see it coming until you are close and it is truly amazing. At some point we could see 9 glaciers at the same time. It is a unique place which will leave you with unforgettable memories.

We went through College Fjord on the Crown Princess July 25 and couldn't have been more pleased. Taking the one-way cruise was well worth it in order to see this fjord. I enjoyed going through here more than Glacier Bay. The Harvard Glacier was even more impressive than Marjorie Glacier. We got as close as possible and were able to see multiple calving events. If looking for an Alaska cruise, I would highly recommend choosing a Princess cruise that starts in Vancouver and ends in Whittier, in order for the trip to end with Glacier Bay and College Fjord, both incredible sights.

Amazing! The pictures don't do it justice. You have to be there to appreciate the amazing scenery. Ensure you have adequate clothes as it can get cold. I also recommend a good pair of binoculars (which I did not have) to fully appreciate the detail.

We sailed through College Fjord on our Alaska cruise, but if you still want to experience the glaciers you can do a day tour from Whittier. Just remember that they run the tour in all weather, as we found out when we did it on another holiday and it poured down with rain and we were not able to see much at all.
We were so impressed with the spectacular scenery and all the different glaciers, it is definitely a must do if your are in Alaska. I don't know if all Alaska cruises visit College Fjord, but if you are doing a cruise make sure you do one that does. Our cruise was on the Royal Princess cruise ship which sailed from Vancouver to Whittier.

As we sailed closer to the glaciers (which we were told were named after universities - male names on one side of the Fjord and female names on the opposite side), the weather was overcast and misty. First glimpses were from the dining room, but we rushed through dinner to get on deck and enjoy the spectacular scenery. There are snow covered mountains along the Fjord and glaciers galore. Harvard Glacier is very impressive. At one point we had a view of 5 or 6 lined up in one picture. An absolute delight and so glad we were able to experience the views.

Visited College Fjord in May. Did not see any caving but the beauty of the whole area is remarkable. Lots of blue ice. Mountains covered with snow, water and sky with many blues and greens. A photographers paradise. The Princess Cruse line got us as close as the park rangers would let them. It was great. I would go back in a minute.

We were so fortunate to have the opportunity to see this amazing area on our cruise ship. Such a wonderful experience that we will cherish forever. Looking at the different shades of water and the many glaciers was spectacular. You must see this area with your own eyes as photos do not do this area justice.

The best Glacier for me. I was in awe and completely speechless. The most beautiful thing in this world for me this far

Visited College Fjord on Princess Alaska cruise. This is a must-see for all Alaska itineraries. Simply incredible and stunning! The magnitude of the glacier is just so incredible. We were lucky to witness calving of the glaciers - they are actually very common so keep your eyes peeled!

Not as spectacular as Glacier Bay, but just as beautiful. Numerous glaciers throughout the fjord making their way down the mountains to the waters edge. Great weather, nice clear sky with a few wispy clouds. Didn't get to see a lot of wildlife, just a couple of whales and some sea otters. Another amazing experience on our Alaskan cruise on the Coral Princess.

I thought College Fjords was even more beautiful than Glacier Bay. Although the glaciers are receding, there are still tidewater glaciers present. This place doesn’t get nearly the favorable press that it should. We Americans should really consider making this a national park. It is a national treasure.

What stunning views of so many glaciers on this cruise. I liked Glacier Bay but this is even more picturesque. Dress warmly on the ship!

There are no words to describe the beauty and majesty of college fjord. We have been to some beautiful places around the world, and nothing compares to Alaska.

If you are cruising to Alaska then you may have this ‘sea day’ on your itinerary. Located in the northern sector of Prince William Sound it may also be accessed on a small boat cruise from one of the fishing towns along the southern edge of this state.

This 20-mile long fjord and surrounding snow capped mountains just dwarfs the size of a large cruise ship.The Alaskan scenery here is magically overwhelming in its grandeur. It’s sobering to know that College Fjord was the epicentre for the 1964 earthquake and belies the calm waters that we experienced sailing in this area.

With a bit of luck from Mother Nature (even the sun showed some interest at times) we had a relatively fair day for viewing the five tidewater glaciers, five large valley glaciers, and dozens of smaller glaciers out on the open deck. Some are named for famous colleges on the USA East Coast and at one point we could see several at once. A few did calve and you heard the echoing ‘crack ‘ before you saw the ice topple into the water.

In many ways we thought that this fjord and the Sound were just as impressive as Glacier Bay to the south but does not have such an extensive area.The compact size of this Fjord with the proximity of the tall mountains is perhaps the reason why we enjoyed it a little more.
Keep it in mind for your 'must see' list in Alaska!

Enjoy your visit!

We arrived to the college fjord around 7pm, as part of our Holland America Noordam cruise. It was an overcast early evening. I did not do my research on this fjord, so I had no clue. I was outside on an upper deck, when we saw what I now know is the Yale Glacier. It was very cool. At a certain point the ship maneuvered so the other side of the ship could get the same view. That’s when I found out there was much, much, more to this fjord. How very cool to see all the other glaciers. I had no clue. Even with the overcast skies it was beautiful. We saw sea otters frolicking around, and some whale action. It was a fun visit. I would love to visit again.

We went on this cruise as part of the Royal Princess cruise. It was spectacular what with seeing all the various glaciers and exquisite scenery. Well worth taking this excursion.

The day after touring Glacier Bay National Park, and being in a near constant state of awe, the ship ventured into College Fjord. I think it is fair to say that most on the ship had little expectation that anything could top the majesty of Glacier Bay. That is, until we arrived at Harvard Glacier. We spent 2 hours or so watching the most spectacular calving most any of us had ever seen. We were there at the right time on the right day, and felt very lucky.

As we entered into College Fjord we were treated to many great picture opportunities. The fjord is home to some of Alaska’s largest tidewater glaciers. Iceberg’s the size of houses were seen floating in the fjords. Harvard Glaciier was especially picturesque. The other glaciers lining the valley seemed in perfect unison with the Harvard Glacier making for some of the best panoramic experiences of our entire trip.

What a totally stunning site and place to visit,the shear magnitude of the glaciers ,what they represent,and how they affect us,and how we affect them is overwhelming,a must see if ever looking for a life time experience,cheers

We visited the fjord on an Alaskan cruise. It is incredible to see glaciers all around you and their magnitude. If you are planning an Alaskan cruise, I highly recommend checking the different cruise line itineraries to make sure you get to experience this once in a lifetime must see!