Glacier Bay

There's no port in Glacier Bay. No dock, no shops, no town. The ship enters the bay slowly and spends the day cruising past tidewater glaciers, with park rangers on board narrating as you go. Dress warm and waterproof, and plan to stay on deck. Binoculars help for picking out mountain goats on the cliffs and humpback whales surfacing at a distance. The glaciers are the main event. Margerie Glacier rises about 76 metres above the waterline, and when a piece calves off, the crack echoes across the water before the splash reaches you. The bay is quiet between those moments, just the hum of the ship and the occasional bird call. Bring a hot drink and something to sit on. It's not an action-packed day, but the scale of the ice and the silence around it stay with you.