Table Of Content
- Roundtrip Alaska Cruise from Vancouver
- Alaska Inside Passage Cruises: Calmer Waters and Big-Ticket Destinations
- Land and Sea Combinations
- An Expert's Guide to Booking the Perfect Alaska Cruise in 2023
- Alaska Cruise Lines: From Holland America and Royal Caribbean to Small Ships like Silversea
- Find Your Perfect Cruisetour
With Princess, you won’t just explore Alaska’s landscapes, you’ll live amidst them in our custom-built wilderness lodges. Located riverside next to some of the most renowned national parks, these warm and welcoming lodges are the perfect spot to bask in Alaska’s best attractions. As a part of your Alaska cruisetour, explore and unwind with comforting amenities and breathtaking scenery.
Roundtrip Alaska Cruise from Vancouver
What to Pack for An Alaskan Cruise: A Complete Checklist - Travel + Leisure
What to Pack for An Alaskan Cruise: A Complete Checklist.
Posted: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 21:11:15 GMT [source]
One of the best luxury Alaska cruise ships is the 746-passenger all-suite Seven Seas Explorer. It's one of Regent Seven Seas Cruises' most glam ships, and you can pamper yourself on board for a week as you sail from Seward, Alaska to Vancouver, British Columbia. If you love opulence — think exquisite marble and crystal lavished everywhere — and a magnificent multimillion-dollar art collection, look no further than Seven Seas Explorer for your vacation home-suite-home.
Alaska Inside Passage Cruises: Calmer Waters and Big-Ticket Destinations
Planes are plentiful in Alaska, where they're a common form of transportation across the state. Charter a helicopter or fixed-wing flightseeing tour at Juneau and get an unforgettable perspective of the mountains and glaciers of this vast landscape. What looks like an endless buffet of choice can lead to analysis paralysis for many first-time Alaska visitors—even if they’re veteran cruisers who have already figured out big questions like their preferred cruise line or favorite ship class. These sailings take place on the intimate 86-passenger Wilderness Legacy, with cozy but comfortable cabins and unlimited activities and beverages. 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. Perhaps as interesting as the itinerary is the fact that the vessel, the 528-passenger MS Roald Amundsen, is battery hybrid-powered.
Land and Sea Combinations
Little ones will be just as happy to see Goofy as they are to see a glacier, making this the best cruise for kids. 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. Denali National Park takes you out of the city altogether, into a wilderness full of spruce forests and snow-capped mountain peaks.
Alaskan-owned and -operated Alaskan Dream Cruises dates back to 1970 when its parent company, Allen Marine, founded by Bob and Betty Allen, launched with the St. Michael. In those days, Bob ran the boat while Betty and her children served treats and tea to their guests. Today, Allen Marine operates 30 vessels, including the five ships that make up the Alaska Dream Cruises fleet, all of which accommodate between 12 and 76 cruise passengers. Knowledgeable expedition leaders serve as personal guides on every voyage, sharing their expertise in biology, geography and ecology, as well as sharing about the lifestyles and legends of Southeast Alaska’s local cultures. Life aboard Alaskan Dream Cruises’ five ships is casual and relaxed, meals feature fresh Alaskan fare, and everyone strives to provide opportunities for guests to make personal connections to the region’s places and people. These riveting outings transport you far from crowded ports and touristy shops to pristine forests and lakes or to bucket-list adventures like dog-mushing, glacier-trekking and bear-viewing.
Royal Caribbean also puts an emphasis on hearty, locally sourced food like wild-caught salmon, satisfying sourdough, and fresh-picked Alaska berries galore. Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth is operating roundtrip Vancouver sailings, bringing onboard topflight lecturers ranging from adventure traveler Bear Grylls to undersea archaeologist Mensun Bound on select voyages. On every voyage, guests will find guides from Alaska Native Voices, sharing the cultural history and lore of the local Huna people to Sit’ Eeti Gheeyi (Glacier Bay National Park), and guest speakers from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
Find Your Perfect Cruisetour
In addition to being a model for cruising sustainably, the MS Roald Amundsen features an observation deck, science center, three Nordic-style restaurants, an infinity pool, and hot tubs. In other words, it’s definitely a place you wouldn’t mind spending 19 days. Ashton Palmer is a Seattle-based T+L A-List travel advisor who specializes in expedition cruises.
Also, book in the shoulder parts of the sailing season for additional discounts and sign up for loyalty programs to enjoy some inexpensive (or free) perks. And, if you would like one of the popular balcony cabins (there is a continuous view of stunning scenery on an Alaskan cruise), book those early. Regent’s Seven Seas Explorer is all about luxury, from its all-suite design to its all-inclusive fares, which cover airfare, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, restaurants, gratuities, Wi-Fi, laundry and unlimited shore excursions. Itineraries can be customized to fit your specific interests, whether you want to take a glacier hike, immerse yourself in Alaska’s history or eat your way through the state.
Best Alaska cruise lines
With the largest collection of tidewater glaciers in the world, your scenic Alaska cruise through the fjord will make a lasting memory. Alaska cruise weather can be chilly (in the 40s to 50s) first thing in the morning and at night. However, if it's a sunny summer day, temperatures can shoot into the 70s and even low 80s. It also rains a lot in Alaska; it's drier in the spring than in the summer.
Once again, Holland America is at the top of the most popular list, along with Princess Cruises. Both operate a suite of services for those wanting to explore on land, including lodges, trains, motorcoaches, and the popular Denali National Park. At any given time, you will have an abundance of choices based on your interests. However, keep in mind that the cruise season in this area of the world is shorter. Specifically, it runs from March or April to early fall (September or October). We'll guide you through what cruise lines to choose for your type of experience.
Norwegian Bliss, also based in Washington during the summer, is part of the same Norwegian Breakaway-Plus class of vessels and has a similar Haven enclave. The pool area, a true stunner, comes with comfortable padded loungers, a pool and whirlpools. Its retractable glass roof is perfect for cruises to Alaska when the weather is iffy.
Unlike other cruise lines on this list, Viking centers its Alaska & the Inside Passage itinerary around native Tlingit culture and the “region where a Wild West spirit still feels very much alive,” rather than Alaska per se. Ports of call during the 11-day cruise (Viking’s sole Alaska offering) include Vancouver, British Columbia, and Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Valdez, and Seward in Alaska. Let these reader picks for the best Alaska cruise lines inform your itinerary, Alaska shore excursions, and beyond. We have more Alaska cruise port departures featuring Glacier Bay National Park than any other cruise line. All Alaska cruises include one or more glacier-viewing days, and you’ll get closer to ‘the giants’ on ships perfectly sized for the Great Land. We’ve been sharing the wonders of Alaska longer than any other cruise line.
An Alaska cruise from Seattle will visit the Inside Passage but tends to favor the open (and frequently bumpier) Pacific Ocean. 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.
Don’t just see the Great Land’s glaciers, feel them come alive on an Alaska cruisetour. Get up close to Mother Nature’s masterpieces and listen for the crash of “white thunder”. Visit wilderness playgrounds like Glacier Bay National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – along with even more natural wonderlands like Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier, College Fjord and Hubbard Glacier. While Viking falls in the (self-declared) upper premium category, most cruisers see the line's ships as luxury.
