Natural Hazards and Climate Impacts

Major cruise operators serving southeast Alaska, including Holland America, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Virgin Voyages and regional firm Allen Marine, are removing Tracy Arm fjord from their 2026 itineraries after a massive August 10, 2025 landslide there triggered a tsunami-scale wave. The slide, which originated high above South Sawyer Glacier, sent water more than a quarter mile up the opposite mountain wall and down the fjord, sweeping away kayakers’ gear but causing no deaths or injuries because no ships were inside the arm at the time. State scientists and the U.S. Geological Survey say the slide scar and surrounding slopes remain unstable, warning that continued rockfall and small-scale sliding could send more debris into the water and generate localized tsunamis. As a result, lines are substituting nearby Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier, which operators and travel agents describe as scenic but not as dramatic as Tracy Arm’s twin tidewater glaciers, North and South Sawyer. The rerouting underscores how climate- and geology-driven hazards are forcing changes in Alaska’s glacier tourism, with safety concerns now directly reshaping high-revenue cruise experiences for U.S. and international travelers.