Whether you're interested in hiking through a forest, trekking to glaciers or a shopping spree downtown, the towns along Alaska's inside passage provide a variety of adventurous activities. Alaska cruise ports such as Juneau and Ketchikan are small cities with their own personalities. Anchorage is the state's largest city and a gateway to the rest of the state.
Windstar Cruises
Four years later, I still find myself dreaming of the delicious circular-shaped dessert known as “The World” — the perfect combo of peanut butter ganache, chocolate mousse, and salted caramel gelato). If you're intent on a Gulf of Alaska cruise, book a northbound route so you'll cruise the Gulf at the end of the trip when you have your sea legs. If you get seasick easily, also think twice about round-trip cruises from Seattle that spend days cruising in the open ocean.
The 8 Best Alaska Cruises to Take in 2024 - AFAR Media
The 8 Best Alaska Cruises to Take in 2024.
Posted: Wed, 27 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Silversea’s Vancouver to Seward
The 8 Best Alaska Cruises For Every Travel Style 2024 - Forbes
The 8 Best Alaska Cruises For Every Travel Style 2024.
Posted: Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The best Alaska cruises manage to combine epic nature with local flavor, and the following options all offer that mix with some variation. If you're happy with a couple of historic tours and a guided hike, you could likely budget $500 or less per person for shore excursions in Alaska. But if once-in-a-lifetime Alaska experiences like helicopter rides and flightseeing in Ketchikan are more your speed, you'll need to triple that amount -- or more.
Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic
Charter a helicopter or fixed-wing flightseeing tour at Juneau and get an unforgettable perspective of the mountains and glaciers of this vast landscape. In Alaska, ancient rivers of ice wind between mountains and grind out of valleys. Towering walls of ice like the Hubbard Glacier, Endicott Arm Dawes and the twin Sawyer Glaciers thunder as they calve massive icebergs. Temperatures in Alaska can change considerably from one destination to the next. That includes warm days, where even being near a glacier or a passing cloud (or socked-in rain) can make things chilly. One-way Gulf of Alaska itineraries are the best option for Alaska touring, as they begin or end in Alaska.
Alaska Helicopter Tours
Even with a season that only runs from April through October, Alaska draws roughly 40 big cruise ships and dozens of smaller cruise vessels each year, making it one of the most popular cruise destinations in the world after the Caribbean and Europe. The best Alaska cruises range from off-the-beaten-path voyages on vessels carrying fewer than 100 passengers to weeklong jaunts through the Inside Passage aboard megaships that hold thousands. Holding just 12 guests, the ship is one of the smallest sailing commercially in Alaska, so it’s able to tuck into areas the mega-ships can’t. Pioneer America’s Last Frontier onboard Ovation of the Seas®, one of the world's most groundbreaking ships and among the boldest ships to ever sail Alaska.
There's nothing like an amazing adventure during an Alaskan vacation, and if you're looking for things to do then dog sledding is a bucket-list experience. As you plan your Alaska vacation, you might be torn between traveling by cruise ship, plane or even car. On our family Alaska cruise, we created lifetime memories by sharing glacier spotting, dog sledding, flightseeing and other adventures with our teens. These top things to do onboard this beloved cruise ship make it a fan favorite for many. Planes are plentiful in Alaska, where they're a common form of transportation across the state.
Alaska Food: Where to Find the Best Food in Alaska Royal Caribbean Cruises
Big ships can only offer deckside viewing of the marvels of Glacier Bay, but UnCruise Adventures sends its ships to the rarely visited outback. In Fern Harbor, Dundas Bay or No Name Cove, passengers can get up close to the natural wonders with birding expeditions, paddleboarding, beach walks, and more hiking and kayaking. The ship offers nine- to 14-night cruise tours that head into the Canadian Yukon, following the route of the Klondike Gold Rush from Alaska to northwestern Canada. Holland America Line has offered Alaska cruises for 75 years and is clearly a market leader. The line tops the list in terms of cruises, as well as cruise tours, which combine time sailing with overnight stays on land. The company operates its own lodges, rail cars and motorcoaches for exploration of Alaska's interior and beyond.
Enjoy the magical moments spent exploring the far end of the Misty Fjords on Zodiac, learn more about the local wildlife and geology during lectures with the Expedition Team, and kayak along Hubbard Glacier. Regardless of the ship, passengers can expect a wide range of entertainment offerings, an abundance of bars, restaurants, and lounges, and a handful of accommodation options. Speaking of the latter, wellness-seeking duos can reserve an AquaClass stateroom, which includes perks like complimentary dining at the exclusive Blu restaurant, their very own spa concierge, and unlimited access to the adults-only Sea Thermal Suite. A handful of cruise lines -- mostly small ship and luxury lines like Cunard, Seabourn and Windstar -- offer Alaska cruises ranging from nine to 14 days in length (generally departing from Vancouver). Mainstream lines have also started offering longer cruises to Alaska from southern West Coast ports like San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Last but not least, keep in mind that Silversea sails between Vancouver and Seward (with the exception of one September 2024 itinerary, which sails from Nome to Vancouver). The best time to visit also depends on your tolerance for the cold and for other travelers. Those shoulder-season trips are chilly (there’s a good chance you’ll see snow in places and will need to bundle up more), but there are significantly fewer tourists to do battle with during shore excursions. The sun hardly sets, the landscapes (save for the glaciers) are verdant, and the waterways are choked with playful whales getting their fill before winter. We’ve gathered cruises in all size categories (from a couple of hundred passengers to nearly 5,000), as ship size is often one of the biggest factors when selecting a cruise. We’ve also called attention to cruise options that do an impressive job of showcasing nature, offering local experiences, providing endless onboard entertainment, or catering to foodies or luxury travelers.
They are generally visible across the state, so any itinerary will likely do, though you'll have the best show in less populated areas like Denali National Park. You'd also do well to look at the moon cycles, as a full moon can drown out the Aurora Borealis. Wet weather aside, late summer months bring the best chances of seeing wildlife on expeditions. These months are also your best bet if you want active fishing trips on a shore excursion. There are numerous factors you need to consider for a cruise to Alaska, including the best time of year, costs, itineraries, which line to choose and which destinations matter most to you. These solo cabins get our vote because they're located in a complex where a private lounge encourages mingling.
Mary Curry is another T+L A-List advisor who specializes in small-ship cruises to Polar regions and the Galapagos. While you might not be sunning yourself to a stunning shade of bronze on an Alaska cruise, you and everyone on board will want to take in the scenery. That makes having your own balcony a prime piece of real estate, especially near Denali National Park, portions of the Inside Passage or Tracy Arm Fjord. Popular destinations include Denali National Park (for wildlife viewing) or Talkeetna (best place for Denali views and cool eats).
Sailings from Vancouver tend to traverse more of the Inside Passage and spend a full day sailing this scenic region. Luxury cruises to Alaska on smaller ships can be a great option for those looking to pair remote wilderness with a bit of pampering. Your best high-end bets are Oceania, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea and Windstar. Due to unpredictable weather, though, there’s a risk of shore excursions being cancelled -- especially boat and helicopter tours. The ship's captain has the flexibility to seek out the best remote islands and bays for beachcombing, tide pooling, hiking and kayaking adventures.
Solo travelers don't always have to pay double to cruise Alaska on their own. Several Norwegian Cruise Line ships feature cozy studio cabins designed and priced for one person, and the 4,004-passenger Norwegian Bliss offers 82 solo rooms on its round-trip Seattle cruises to Alaska. The two-year-old Discovery Princess sails round trip to Alaska from Seattle, a convenient U.S. home port for families to fly or drive to. Its "North to Alaska" program will delight kids with sled dog puppies in the ship's Piazza, and lure their parents and grandparents with local seafood on restaurant menus and onboard cultural programming with Alaska residents.
For an even closer look at Mother Nature’s impressive work, from icebergs to whales, book a kayak or Zodiac Signature Expedition with their incredibly knowledgeable guides. These ships can also more easily follow aquatic wildlife (within legal limits). Many expedition cruises to Alaska also employ Zodiac rafts and offer kayaks and hiking trips to bring passengers closer to glaciers and creatures.
However, this UnCruise Adventures sailing is aimed at those who want an more heart-pumping immersion into some little-visited areas of the 49th state, like South Baranof Island Wilderness Area and Chichagof Island. What’s particularly convenient about this sailing is that it ends in Seward, making it easy to continue your Alaska vacation (a visit to Denali National Park and Preserve, anyone?) by road or rail. With Lindblad Expeditions, passengers will get up close and personal with nature. There's nothing quite as exhilarating as a helicopter tour over Alaska's sprawling landscapes. We’ve curated the ultimate guide to visiting some of the most romantic destinations to vacation for couples.
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