Key Aspects:
- Carnival Cruise Line has removed Tracy Arm Fjord from all of its 2026 Alaska itineraries due to unstable conditions within the waterway.
- The scenic cruising day will take place in the safer Endicott Arm Fjord instead.
- Three Carnival ships will be deployed to Alaska in 2026, including Carnival Miracle, Carnival Luminosa, and Carnival Spirit.
Carnival Cruise Line has cancelled all of its planned scenic cruising days in Tracy Arm Fjord for the upcoming 2026 Alaska season due to dangerous conditions in the area.
Following a landslide and tsunami on August 10, 2025, the fjord has been left with unstable ice and geological conditions that make scenic cruising unsafe.
The massive landslide unfolded near the South Sawyer Glacier, and the fjord remains under close observation by environmental experts as the surrounding area continues to shift.
As the landscape settles and glaciers retreat (shoutout to global warming), the risk of another landslide also increases. This is a situation no cruise ship wants to be caught in.
“We have been closely monitoring geological conditions in Tracy Arm Fjord. The waterways in the area are currently not suitable for cruise ship navigation,” Carnival wrote in a letter to booked guests.
It’s also worth noting that Carnival is now the second cruise line to scrap its planned visits to Tracy Arm for this year.
On March 16, 2026, Cruise Hive reported that Holland America Line made the same change for its Alaska season.
Endicott Arm to Replace Tracy Arm
Carnival isn’t simply leaving its passengers high and dry. Instead of Tracy Arm Fjord, the scenic cruising will now take place in Endicott Arm Fjord.
Both fjords have the same entrance point at Holkham Bay, located roughly 50 miles south of Juneau, Alaska, branching off the main channel of Stephens Passage.
However, Endicott Arm is a safer and more reliable option for Alaska cruises because it isn’t as narrow as Tracy Arm, and it also does not face the same dangerous ice conditions and landslide risk.
“We have made a minor adjustment to our itinerary and will be cruising to Endicott Arm Fjord instead. Essentially, we will be turning right, instead of left, upon entering the fjords,” Carnival confirmed.
The change will be reflected on Carnival’s website within 24 hours so that new guests will have the correct itinerary when booking their sailings.
Guests will get to enjoy views of the stunning Dawes Glacier as the ships make their way down the approximately 30-mile-long fjord.
The active glacier is famous for its deep blue ice and intense calving, which is the dramatic process in which chunks of ice fall from the edge of the glacier.
Which Itineraries are Impacted?
Carnival will be deploying three ships to Alaska for the 2026 season, including Carnival Spirit, Carnival Luminosa, and Carnival Miracle. All itineraries that included Tracy Arm have been adjusted.
This includes all of Carnival Spirit’s embarkations from April 28 through and including September 15. The 2,134-guest ship will be operating 7-night Inside Passage sailings from Seattle, Washington.
Similarly, Carnival Luminosa’s itineraries from April 27 through September 10 have received the same adjustment. In this case, the 2,260-guest ship will be alternating between 10-night Inside Passage Alaska sailings and 4-night sailings to Mexico from San Francisco, California.
Last but not least is Carnival Miracle, which has seen this switch made for all itineraries from April 27 through and including its September 17 voyage.
The 2,134-guest vessel will primarily operate 7-night Inside Passage sailings from Seattle, with longer voyages at the beginning and end of its season.
Hopefully, conditions will stabilize ahead of the 2027 cruise season and guests will be given the chance to see North Sawyer Glacier and the South Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm once again.
