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Aside from the winter cold providing an uncomfortable experience, many regions of Alaska become inaccessible as the water turns to ice. The Alaska cruise season runs from May to late September, with some sailings in April and October. This Alaska cruise guide covers everything you need to know before you sail to Alaska. We’ll cover what to pack, the best time to sail, cruise ports, things to do, weather, wildlife, and more.
Iconic Alaska Cruise Ports & Destinations
A one-way sailing, however, is best for cruisers who want to tack on extra vacation time on land to visit Denali National Park or the Kenai Peninsula. Moreover, most cruise lines also offer a cruise tour add-on for one-way sailings, which combine a three- to seven-night bus tour through Alaska with a weeklong cruise. This luxury cruise line offers classic and expedition-style cruising, the latter of which takes aboard the 274-passenger Silver Wind. (Classic cruises, on the other hand, take place on board Silver Muse, Silver Nova, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper, or Silver Moon).
Great experiences from the great land
When planning a trip to Alaska, many travelers wonder if it's better to explore the state by land or by sea. 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. Gaze at giant glaciers from the pool deck while you sail through Endicott Arm. Scan the surrounding waters on your way to Juneau for glimpses of wildlife from the North Star®, the tallest viewing deck on a cruise ship. Adventuring in Alaska is all about getting to know this state's stunning landscape. You can also take some 14-day versions that depart from San Francisco or San Diego.
Enjoy the Freedom to Cruise Alaska the Way You Like
THE 25 BEST Cruises from Seattle, WA 2024 (with Prices) on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
THE 25 BEST Cruises from Seattle, WA 2024 (with Prices) on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Mon, 23 Oct 2023 18:16:13 GMT [source]
Most Alaska itineraries include some "scenic cruising," where your ship sails past incredible natural sights. If you're interested in Alaska's Gold Rush history, Skagway — 90 miles northwest of Juneau — is a port you shouldn't miss. In fact, it's the gateway to the Klondike and Dawson's mining district in Canada's Yukon territory, where prospectors searched for gold in the late 1890s. The historic district still has a Wild West feel, though that's been a bit commercialized for the modern era. This port can get crowded in summer when several ships can call on the same day. Floatplane and helicopter tours take you around scenic areas like Misty Fjords or land you on a glacier, perhaps for a dogsledding or hiking adventure on the ice.
Cruises for families
Each cruise line offers unique programs and amenities, and some will be better suited for your budget and level of comfort. Note that cross-gulf cruises almost always start or end in Vancouver, and flying in or out of Canada requires a passport, though arriving at a Canadian port via a cruise ship doesn't. These include historic Gold Rush-era Skagway, Ketchikan (the "Salmon Capital of the World" and home to a notable number of Native Alaskan totems) and Juneau, Alaska's capital city. The largest national forest in the country, Tongass National Forest, blankets the entire southeast Alaska portion of the Inside Passage, and many glaciers can still be seen.
Whether Seward is your point of final debarkation or the gateway to a fabulous Alaska Cruisetour, you’ll want to explore it to the max. Excursions to Kenai Fjords National Park let you experience the magnificent glaciers within its borders, including Bear, the largest, Holgate, Aialik, Grewingk, and Exit, just to name a few. As your ship sails north into the Inside Passage, a tranquil waterway dotted with forested islands, admire the views from your stateroom veranda aboard the revolutionized Celebrity Summit.
Best Cruise Lines for Adventure-Seekers
There’s a significant benefit to sailing on a luxury cruise to Alaska. With fewer passengers on the ship, you won’t need to fight through the crowd for a prime sightseeing spot. If you choose the right shore excursion, you can create an adventure that’s both fun and educational. The activities are often included in the tour price, though you may need to pay extra for some excursions.
Alaska Cruise Destinations and Cruisetours
If you’re looking for longer Alaska sailings of 12 or more nights, you’ll want to stick with Holland America or Princess Cruises. For unique experiences, you may want to try smaller expedition cruise ships like Alaskan Dream Cruises and Uncruise Adventure. The cruise tours visit places like Denali National Park, Kenai Fjords National Park, the city of Fairbanks, and the Kenai Peninsula.
In addition to Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway or Icy Strait Point, you will begin or end your journey in Whittier. There, you’ll have extra time to soak up expansive views of rich greenery and striking mountains. Or, discover authentic Native Alaskan culture as you stroll through this four-time All-American City. Our Alaska cruises are your ticket to adventure amidst the Great Land’s glaciers, wildlife and national parks.
Nieuw Amsterdam's exceptional onboard experience earned "Best Cruise Ship Overall" at the Travvy Awards. With more than 20 animal sanctuaries and sightseeing excursions, we bring you closer to creatures great and small. With over 27,000 glaciers, Alaska is one of the best places to see these majestic pieces of nature up close. Join an adventure of a lifetime aboard the Aleutian Ballad, as seen on Discovery Channel’s - The Deadliest Catch.
Making its way past the Icy Strait Point, the cruise stops at Juneau, Skagway, and then up to the spectacular Hubbard Glacier. Once that is settled, all you need to do is peruse any one of the hundreds of Alaska cruise routes listed on the site. The Inside Passage is a coastal route that weaves between the islands of the Pacific North West. Steaming north from Vancouver or Seattle, the course takes you through some truly stunning scenery. There is no such thing as a definitive list of things to see and do on a trip to Alaska.
Towering walls of ice like the Hubbard Glacier, Endicott Arm Dawes and the twin Sawyer Glaciers thunder as they calve massive icebergs. Some shore excursions allow up close interaction with these natural wonders. The warmest month in the Alaskan cruise season is July, while September tends to be the coldest. While this is true to an extent—weather is cold and wintery bar the months of high summer—May and September can also offer a warmer climate. As for viewing location hotspots, Anchorage offers the best odds of the ports we visit. A dark, clear night with no cloud cover provides the best viewing conditions, as does getting away from sources of man-made light.
Alaska is one of the most scenic destinations in the world, offering an escape into America’s Last Frontier. The lush rainforest, snow-capped mountains, abundant wildlife, and blue glaciers provide an experience unlike any other. If you prefer to get off-the-beaten-track and travel with smaller groups, a wide array of small ship cruise companies offer more intimate cruises catering to adventure and luxury travelers. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site.
Settle in for up to three nights and truly connect to North America’s tallest mountain and ragged ridgelines. Inside Passage cruisers can choose from mass-market lines with massive ships, including Royal Caribbean and Carnival. The high demand for Inside Passage cruises can be partly attributed to the convenience of ending a cruise in the same place you first set sail. Plus, they can be less expensive than cross-gulf cruises, which typically require a pricey flight to Anchorage (the gateway for nearby Seward and Whittier).
Rush across the snow on a dog sled with a professional musher, fly fish for salmon in fresh rivers and soar over miles of glacial tundra in a helicopter. Watch migrating humpback whales from the deck of a catamaran or Native craftsman carve a traditional totem pole, and expand your Alaska cruise experience. With national parks and four of North America’s tallest mountains, Alaska’s wilderness has been preserved for generations.
Mark this as your year to cross this bucket-busting destination off your list once and for all. Take off by dogsled across thousand-year-old ice as you soak in otherworldly sights. Trek across the majestic Mendenhall Glacier for breathtaking views of the wildest country. Get to know wildlife, big and small, that call this wilderness home, like otters, eagles, bears, and whales. This is Last Frontier pioneering with the cruise line voted Best Overall by Travel Weekly readers for 20 years running. Alaska is a land of waterways, glaciers and islands, so cruising is the ultimate way to experience it.
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