Holland America Cancels Tracy Arm Fjord Visits For 2026 Alaska Cruises Over Safety Concerns

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Holland America Line has confirmed that it will no longer send cruise ships into Tracy Arm Fjord during its 2026 Alaska season, citing ongoing safety concerns following a significant landslide in the area.

Tracy Arm Fjord

Passengers booked on affected sailings are now being notified that scheduled scenic cruising through the narrow fjord, located southeast of Juneau, will be replaced with visits to nearby Endicott Arm instead.

The cruise line said in a message to guests: “Due to unstable ice and geological conditions [sic] currently preclude vessels from entering Tracy Arm Fjord; all 2026 departures will explore Endicott Arm instead.”

Safety Concerns Follow Major Landslide

The decision follows a dramatic landslide in August 2025 near South Sawyer Glacier, one of the twin glaciers typically viewed during Tracy Arm sailings.

The event saw millions of cubic feet of rock and debris collapse into the fjord, triggering what researchers described as a localised tsunami within the confined waterway.

Since then, scientists from the US Geological Survey have continued to monitor the area, warning that shifting terrain remains a concern.

As glaciers in the region retreat, the surrounding rock faces are becoming increasingly unstable, raising the likelihood of further landslides. These ongoing geological risks have prompted Holland America Line to remove Tracy Arm from all 2026 itineraries as a precaution.

Endicott Arm To Replace Scheduled Visits

Under the revised plans, all affected sailings will now cruise through Endicott Arm, a neighbouring fjord within the same wilderness region of southeast Alaska.

The first impacted voyage had been scheduled for 4th May 2026 aboard Koningsdam on a 7-night Alaska Inside Passage sailing from Vancouver, with Noordam due to follow on 6th May from Seattle.

Zaandam and Eurodam were also set to include Tracy Arm visits later in May, before continuing calls through the summer season.

MS Zaandam

Instead, each ship will now spend its scenic cruising day in Endicott Arm, with the experience expected to last around eight and a half hours. The fjord is home to Dawes Glacier, an active tidewater glacier known for frequent calving, sending large chunks of ice into the water below.

Holland America Line has updated the name of the itinerary to reflect the change, now marketed as Tracy Arm Fjord or Endicott Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer.

While Tracy Arm has long been considered a highlight of Alaska cruises due to its steep granite cliffs and floating icebergs, Endicott Arm offers a very similar landscape. Both fjords branch off Holkham Bay and share many of the same dramatic features.

Early reaction from past cruisers suggests that travellers may still enjoy a comparable experience, with many noting that Endicott Arm delivers equally impressive glacier views.

The cruise line said that the adjustment has been made with passenger and crew safety as the top priority, as monitoring of conditions in Tracy Arm continues.

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