Cruise companies to Alaska are avoiding a popular excursion to Tracy Arm after a massive landslide

This photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey looks up Tracy Arm fjord to the terminus of the South Sawyer Glacier about 80 miles southeast of Juneau, Alaska, on Aug. 13, 2025, days after a landslide in the area. (John Lyons/U.S. Geological Survey via AP) 2026-04-12T04:03:56Z Juneau, Alaska (AP) — For years, a popular part of many cruises in southeast Alaska has been sailing up Tracy Arm, a long, narrow fjord marked by steep mountains, glittering waterfalls and calving glaciers. But this season, major cruise lines are skipping it. A massive landslide last summer sent parts of a glacier crashing into the water, generated a tsunami and pushed a wave high up the opposite mountain wall. Several companies opting out cited safety concerns with the still-hazardous slopes. “Tracy Arm is the majestic princess, you know, she is the queen of fjords,” said travel agent Nate Vallier. The destination cruise and tour companies have chosen as an alternative — nearby Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier — is “still beautiful by any means, but it’s just not the same,” he said. Passengers stream off the Norwegian Bliss after the vessel arrived, in Juneau, Alaska, April 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File) Passengers stream off the Norwegian Bliss after the vessel arrived, in Juneau, Alaska, April 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File) --> Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. --> Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Tracy Arm, southeast of Juneau , is a roughly 30-mile (50-kilometer) fjord that features two tidewater glaciers — the North and South Sawyer — and wildlife, including seals and bears. Early on Aug. 10, 2025, a landslide originating high on a slope above the toe of the South Sawyer, near the head of the fjord, sent water surging more than a quarter mile (more than half a kilometer) up the mountain wall opposite the slide and out Tracy Arm. No ships were in the fjord, officials said, and no deaths or injuries were reported. But kayakers camped on an island near where Tracy and Endicott arms meet had much of their gear swept away by the rushing water. This photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey shows the terminus of the South Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm fjord, alongside the remains of a landslide, left, that occurred days earlier, Aug. 13, 2025, about 80 miles southeast of Juneau, Alaska. (John Lyons/U.S. Geological Survey via AP) This photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey shows the terminus of the South Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm fjord, alongside the remains of a landslide, left, that occurred days earlier, Aug. 13, 2025, about 80 miles southeast of Juneau, Alaska. (John Lyons/U.S. Geological Survey via AP) --> Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. --> Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit (