There's a moment on every Alaska cruise experience when the ship goes quiet. Sailors on board Brilliant Lady, the newest ship in our fleet, gather on deck with cameras out as the ship eases into Endicott Arm: a 30-mile fjord carved by ice, walled in by sheer granite cliffs, and dead-ended by one of the last actively calving glaciers in the Alaskan Panhandle: Dawes Glacier.
Most people watch this moment from the ship. You don't have to — because we've got a Shore Thing that will get you right up in the action. You can only reserve your spot on this tour once you're already on board...and trust us, you'll want to.
An even closer way to meet the glacier
Sailing into Endicott Arm aboard Brilliant Lady is already one of the most breathtaking moments you'll witness in Alaska, with sheer granite cliffs, drifting icebergs, and Dawes Glacier rising in the distance. The Fjord & Glacier Boat Tour is your chance to go even further into that beauty. It's an exclusive, small-boat adventure that launches straight from the ship and takes you deeper into the fjord than anywhere else you'll stand this trip.
Aboard a nimble tour boat, you'll weave through drifting ice, glide beneath waterfalls spilling straight off the cliff faces, and head right up toward the blue-white wall of Dawes Glacier for a vantage point that's genuinely once-in-a-lifetime. Your captain knows this water well and knows exactly when to cut the engine — for a harbor seal hauled out on an ice floe, an eagle riding the wind above the cliffs, a humpback whale surfacing nearby, or the low thunder of ice calving off the glacier face into the sea.
It's the same wild Endicott Arm that Brilliant Lady is sailing through, just from a front-row seat you won't find anywhere else. (You'll also enjoy unlimited coffee, tea, and hot chocolate — plus 2 alcoholic drinks, which include beer and wine — as you take in all this gorgeous nature.)
How it works
Nothing about this Shore Thing requires leaving the ship's schedule behind. Here's the rundown:
- Board directly from the ship as Brilliant Lady sails into Endicott Arm, and rejoin her later in the fjord. No port, no dock, no wasted time.
- Duration and pacing are built around the glacier, not the clock. Your captain will slow down or pause wherever the ice, wildlife, or light is worth it.
- Photo opportunities are part of the plan, not an afterthought: icebergs, cliffs, waterfalls, and wildlife sightings along the way (seals, eagles, and even humpback whales are all possible; a calving glacier is one of nature's great "you had to be there" moments).
Good to know before you book
A few practical notes so you can plan ahead:
- Timing: This tour will be offered twice, once at 7:30 am (for the early birds) and once at 10:30 am (if you prefer your morning coffee leisurely).
- Accessibility: This Shore Thing is not ADA accessible. Contact our Crew for help finding an alternative experience that works for you.
- Dress for it: Alaska weather shifts fast, even within a single afternoon. Bring layers and a rain jacket so you're comfortable, not distracted by the cold, when the glacier comes into view.
- Motion sickness: If you're prone to it, take precautions before you board. Small boats move differently than Brilliant Lady.
- Wildlife and glacier access: Sightings are likely, not guaranteed, since this is wild Alaska, not a set schedule. Similarly, how close you get to Dawes Glacier depends on weather and ice conditions that day, and is always at the Captain's discretion. Safety and the glacier's mood come first.
- Cancellation policy: Because these boats are limited and the logistics are tight, cancellations made 48 hours or less before the experience carry a 100% cancellation penalty. Plan your Alaska days with that in mind.
How to book
The Fjord & Glacier Boat Tour books up quickly once Sailors are on board, since space on the tour boat is limited by design, and a smaller vessel is exactly what gets you closer to the ice. Once you're sailing, you can reserve your spot in two ways:
- In the Virgin Voyages app (you'll find it listed in the lineup under the Endicott Arm day of your voyage)
- At the Shore Things desk on Deck 7 (here's Brilliant Lady's deck plan if you want to get started learning your way around)
If Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier are on your Alaska itinerary, this is the way to see them properly: not through a window, but from the water, with the engine cut and the whole fjord gone quiet except for the sound of the ice.
