Table Of Content
If you’re planning a bucket list trip, we’ve selected the best Alaska cruises for every type of travel style in 2024, from the adventure-focused to the super luxurious. “If you are looking for a more casual and laid-back experience, Seattle-based UnCruise Adventures offers down-to-earth trips with enthusiastic naturalist guides, simple accommodations, and hearty local cuisine,” says Palmer. Per the pro, travelers can “choose between a menu of included excursions such as kayaking, paddleboarding, hiking, zodiac cruises, whale watching, and more.” All in all, UnCruise really does offer something for everyone.
Kenai Fjords National Park
The second consideration is which part of the boat you want to be on, the back, middle or front. Honestly, I personally don’t think this is as much of a consideration as selecting which room type you go for. The selection of which location is usually based on what you want to be close to, but with activities on board all over the boat you will be walking from one end to the other no matter what.
Regent Seven Seas
How to Plan the Best Alaska Cruise - Travel Alaska
How to Plan the Best Alaska Cruise.
Posted: Thu, 26 Jan 2023 17:02:13 GMT [source]
The park is dense with evergreen forests and a vast tundra wilderness, creating a dazzling natural landscape that makes visiting here one of the best things to do in Alaska. Whether you're traveling as a couple, a family or solo, we've found the best Alaska cruises just for you. Things to keep in mind are port stops (how many ships are in/what the port times are). My favorite stop is Sitka and it is usually not available on a NS/SN, but I feel that those are preferable for a first timer. Both Princess and HAL have very established networks, and the experts HAL brings on are exceptional. If the cruise is going on the inside Passage, it is done at night when leaving from Vancouver and during the afternoon and early evening when leaving from Alaska.
Is Seward or Whittier a better port for Anchorage?
Cruisers who are veterans at Inside Passage itineraries on the big ships have really only seen a preview of the nooks and crannies of the region. Indigenous-owned Alaskan Dream Cruises operates small-ship sailings from Sitka, getting into the straits and narrows that the big ships won’t fit, and oftentimes determining itineraries by reports of sea life migrations and weather conditions. Any large group booking multiple cabins or needing more than a pair of spots on shore excursions should start thinking about booking Alaska cruises about a year in advance to secure the best availability for their group size. So too should travelers who have specific non-negotiables on things like stateroom category, ship, or itinerary. Those craving a luxury Alaska cruise need not look further than Silversea, says Goldring.
Search and you shall (hopefully) find!
This meeting point between the glacier and lake in the Mendenhall Valley, inside the Tongass National Forest, is easy to reach from downtown Juneau, as the glacier is only about a 20-minute drive northwest of the city. Denali National Park is also the location of Denali (formerly Mount McKinley), the tallest peak in North America, which will provide scenic grandeur to your rambles through the park if it reveals itself from its shroud of cloud. Did HAL allow you to book both the Tracy Arm & the Heli excursions through them?
First-Time Cruisers Plan Your First Cruise - Cruise Critic
First-Time Cruisers Plan Your First Cruise.
Posted: Wed, 10 Jan 2024 16:54:10 GMT [source]
When do cruises go to Alaska?
All excursions are led by experienced expedition teams, who provide all the equipment needed to make the most of your time in Alaska. Coming off of its 150th anniversary year, Holland America Line has been sailing to and around Alaska for more than half that time—75 years. Holland America Line’s “Alaska Up Close” deeply immerses guests in local cultures through onboard programs and activities, and shore excursions.
Small Ship Cruises: adventure & Luxury
And speaking of unlimited food, you’ll be treated to five-course dinners along with 180-degree panoramic views. All 98 cabins face out (no inside cabins), and 68 of those feature step-out balconies. 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.
Scenic cruising
The fun continues the minute cruisers disembark in each port, with excursions ranging from dogsledding to private helicopter tours. Back on board, Gabree recommends The Chef’s Table for a truly memorable meal — and I, too, can attest to this. While on board a Caribbean sailing with the cruise line, I had the chance to indulge in this chef- and sommelier-led multi-course food and wine pairing adventure. 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).
My suggestion is to go through your Alaska cruise activity packet and star the ones you think appeal to you, and there are usually a few slightly different variations of each trip. For example, there will be whale watching, whale watching with lunch, and also whale watching with both a glacier trek and lunch, so it’s hard to know what to select. Read these carefully and choose the one that sounds best, keeping in mind the price and time of each excursion.
The line’s identical ocean ships offer a sleek Scandinavian design, which only enhances the tranquil atmosphere on board. The luxury adults-only line is also all-inclusive, covering meals, activities, most beverages, Wi-Fi, port taxes and fees, spa access, and one complimentary excursion in every port of call. Cruisers can bask in the mountain and glacier views from the comfort of their private balcony — and, if they’re lucky, they may even spot a whale or two. Finally, in addition to classic ports like Juneau and Ketchikan, Viking Ocean Cruises’ Alaska itinerary also calls on Valdez, which is chock-full of natural beauty and outdoor adventure. Most big-ship and luxury cruise lines send at least one cruise ship to Alaska every summer.
Mainstream cruise lines like Disney, Holland America Line, Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean all offer cruises from Vancouver to Alaska, but so do luxury lines like Seabourn, Silversea and Regent. For a different Canadian adventure, Princess offers a cruise tour that starts in Calgary and visits Banff and Lake Louise before finishing up in Alaska to meet the cruise ship. Other scenic cruising sites along the Inside Passage include Tracy Arm with its Sawyer Glacier andEndicott Arm with Dawes Glacier.
The waters before you enter the Inside Passage can be calm, rough or anything in between, depending on when you go. Additionally, you'll have one day spent cruising the Inside Passage and one focused on "scenic cruising," where you can enjoy the landscapes but won't go ashore. This is not nearly as boring as you might think since you'll see incredible sights like Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve or Hubbard Glacier. Glacial ice carved this passageway long ago, and today, cruise ships and fishing vessels thread their way through the islets and channels to see some of the most spectacular natural sights in the world.
An expedition team of Alaska experts join each voyage, hosting lectures about the areas the ships visit and guiding passengers on outings like nature walks through rainforests and kayaking trips around the foot of a glacier. Guests learn about the cultural heritage of remote communities and focus binoculars to spot bears, whales, caribou, moose, deer, wolves, birds and more. The MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen embark on 14- to 19-day Alaskan voyages between May and September.
There are still no guarantees, but fellow cruisers who took the gamble on Princess' excursions did not return to the ship disappointed. Engage with the local community, learn about Athabascan traditions, and gain insights into their long heritage through authentic crafts, storytelling, and dance performances. You’ll also get to enjoy the picturesque beauty of the Chena River at the same time. Spotting bears in the wild in Alaska is a matter of being in the right place at the right time, but a sighting is not guaranteed. If your dream is to observe Alaskan bears, then a visit to the Fortress of the Bear is one of the best things to do in Sitka. Even if you don’t want to hike, you can still enjoy the amazing vistas by riding the Alyeska Aerial Tramway, which is only a seven-minute trip to the top of this Alaskan mountain.
These cruises offer the benefits of a wider range of itineraries, shore excursions, departure dates, and availability and take you to all of the must-see stops along the way. They feature a wide range of amenities including multiple dining options, on-board entertainment, fitness centers, pools, different room types to choose from, and plenty of room to spread out and explore. Silversea has “Door-to-Door” pricing on many of its Alaska cruises, meaning the cruise fare includes airfare, hotels, and all transfers—including transfers from home to the departure airport.
No comments:
Post a Comment