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A ship from Princess Cruises had recently attempted passage to Sawyer Glacier on Tracy Arm Fjord, but had informed the captains of other ships that there had been too much ice in the fjord to make it. The master of Rhapsody of the Seas announced that we might expect a similar fate, but that we would give it a try. He placed crew members out on the port and starboard wings to provide precise feedback with regards to his proximity to icebergs or shallow water. He placed a third person on the stern to let him know that he could swing the boat without butting into anything. Ever so slowly we progressed down the fjord.

Joy started taking pictures when it was practically dark. What if now was the best view of icebergs we would get? But as daylight dawned, the fjord became increasingly thick with ice. Watching the Titanic on this cruise would be akin to watching Jaws at a beach house in the Vineyard – ill advised. But instead of fear, the ship’s passengers seemed silenced by awe as we navigated past floating glacier blue ice, beneath rocky vertical mountain faces interrupted frequently by slender but soaring waterfalls. What human cathedrals aspire to inspire, Creation effortlessly brought upon us – awe and worship.

We made it all the way to Sawyer Island where we enjoyed a clear view of Sawyer glacier. The blue ice hidden in its bowels caught the morning sun in a way that made it seem to glow from within. But the star of the show was an iceberg I would estimate to have been 15 to 20 meters long. It was resting on the downstream side of Sawyer Island. Its blue ice dazzled. The cruise director said that piece of ice could have just completed a 10,000 year journey as part of the glacier – 10,000 years. How wonderful that our cruise occurred at this fortuitous moment. What a privilege to see this. This cruise is certainly unique.

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