How to Plan the Best Alaska Cruise
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No one does seafood quite like Alaska—which is why we brought the best of the Great Land on board, so you can experience it all with Princess. Alaskans are inviting people who love to share what makes their state unique. Watch lumberjacks in action, learn from Glacier Bay National Park rangers and craft with a Native totem pole carver.
Ideal for Adventurers
That being said, traveling anytime during cruise season will offer epic views of landscape and wildlife, no matter where you travel. During the cruise season, popular cruise lines assist travelers in enjoying all of the unique sights, wildlife, excursions, events and food. These ships often feature complimentary shore excursions, kayaks and bikes for guest use and onboard scientists and naturalists. Most big-ship and luxury cruise lines send at least one cruise ship to Alaska every summer.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN OPENS 2025 ALASKA SUMMER ADVENTURES - Royal Caribbean Press Center
ROYAL CARIBBEAN OPENS 2025 ALASKA SUMMER ADVENTURES.
Posted: Wed, 01 Nov 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Related Cruises
Small ship cruises tend to offer more adventure-focused shore excursions alongside personalized service and luxurious accommodations and amenities. Smaller ships can reach ports of call and destinations that are inaccessible to larger cruise ships, allowing you to explore more remote settings and communities. For an even more customized experience, consider a private cruise on smaller ships like yachts and sailboats. Below you can compare cruise itineraries for all ships sailing to Alaska for the next few years. With the Alaskan sailing season only six to seven months long, it’s a good idea to start planning now! Cruisers of all ages will enjoy the scenery, wildlife, and once in a lifetime shore excursions available on many Alaskan cruises.
Real Alaska from local Alaskans
While home to just 32,000, Fairbanks is the big city of the interior and cultural hub for the sparsely populated region. You can still go for the gold in Fairbanks, panning just like the early prospectors did. Complete your adventure with the best Alaska tours before or after your cruise. From North America's tallest peak, Denali, to the stunning coastal route of the Inside Passage, Alaska is one of the most breathtaking natural landscapes on Earth.
Few places in the world can match its appealing blend of metropolitan pursuits and outdoor living. Anchorage is at its most exuberant during the summer, when locals make the most of the mild temperatures and long days to stay out late into the sunny night. The big city also boasts Alaska’s biggest and most diverse dining scene, from great burger joints and craft breweries to classic steakhouses and cosmopolitan cuisine. You might wonder what to pack for your summer cruise to Alaska, and the answer is all about layers. Though the weather is quite comfortable in the summer, it can get quite chilly at night and many Alaska excursions are water-based, where the wind can drop the temperature drastically.
Our Alaska Seafood Is Certified Sustainable
On our recent stop in Ketchikan, Alaska, in the summer, we spent the early morning and afternoon sea kayaking with a small group. We paddled by walruses loudly breaching with their whiskers visible in the afternoon sun and saw numerous colorful sea stars. The landscape and views you’ll experience on an Alaska cruise will be unforgettable, so be sure to pack your binoculars and your best camera to capture the incredible sights to share with friends and family.
I'll guide you through what awaits you on your Alaska summer vacation, with a look at the most popular cruise port destinations and outdoor experiences you can experience in the Last Frontier. There's a reason why the best way to cruise Alaska is with Norwegian – we've got something for every type of traveler. The newly revitalized Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Spirit bring that and more with beautifully renovated spaces and staterooms. Sip a cocktail with spectacular views from the coziest spot at Spinnaker Lounge or take a dip in one of five luxurious hot tubs.
Not only will you want these while heading out for whale watching, but they are also quite useful to have onboard while you're sailing through glaciers. Be on the lookout for bears and eagles while you're cruising through Alaska's Inside Passage. Most major cruise lines also offer the opportunity for pre or post-cruise land packages that will take you by bus or train to destinations in Southcentral and Interior Alaska.
Best Places to Visit in Alaska
On the other hand, riding a megaship is a different kind of fun -- the ship itself is an attraction, with far more amenities than any of the towns along the way. If you need to relax and leave all the stresses of life at home behind -- and if seeing Alaska wilderness isn't the most important part of your trip -- a big ship is the way to go. Plus, you can still get a taste of some wilderness areas on shore excursions. Alaska's popularity as a cruise destination is due in most part to its natural splendor. As a visitor, you can avoid much of the human congestion caused by ships by choosing a small-ship cruise that spends more time enjoying the wilderness and the small towns that big ships can't reach. On the small ships, you might visit Haines, for instance, or Cordova, or Metlakatla, and a dozen other places where the big guys don't (or, at least, seldom) go.
Head deeper into the frozen wilderness with one of our Alaska Cruisetours on board Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Spirit, combining your cruise with an immersive land vacation that goes beyond the expected. Spanning from 11- to 14-days, these cruise vacation packages include overnight stays in Denali, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Homer, Talkeetna, and Valdez. Exclusive to Norwegian, all Cruisetours are led by local Alaskan guides to provide you with an authentic Alaska experience. The Alaska cruise season is a little over six months long, but choosing the best time to cruise Alaska is surprisingly not that simple.
Take a trip on the scenic railroad and still have time to dine and shop. Onboard naturalists generally narrate what you're seeing, so head to the observation lounge (or tune to a broadcast on your in-room television) to learn about some of the top sights featured on scenic cruising days. Sitka's Russian heritage also sets it apart from other Alaskan ports on your cruise itinerary. See St. Michael's Orthodox Cathedral with its onion dome and the Russian Bishop's House. Active travelers can explore Alaska by sea kayak or canoe, hike on glaciers and through rainforests, zip line, bike, ride an ATV and even snorkel (you'll need a dry suit). Some lines also offer Alaska cruisetours that venture into Canada's Yukon, including a few Holland America tours that combine half a cruise with a cruisetour that starts or ends in Skagway.
They want to admire its rugged beauty, seek out wildlife (such as eagles, bears and whales) and learn about its native cultures and Gold Rush history. It's so far from the rest of the mainland U.S. that it's become a bucket list destination, especially for travelers looking to visit each of the 50 states. We have a 50-year legacy of sharing the best places and experiences with our guests. On an Alaska cruise, unpack once and explore glaciers, wildlife and national parks. Travel the Inside Passage on 10 or 11-day Alaska cruises from San Francisco and allow the natural landscapes to inspire your day’s adventures. Begin by sailing beneath the Golden Gate Bridge and along the Pacific Coast.
Your options -- apart from a somewhat limited airline schedule -- are basically taking a cruise ship or the Alaska Marine Highway System (the state ferries). You have to be willing to invest more time -- both for the actual traveling and for the planning -- to use the ferries. And you have to be willing to give up the comforts and diversions of the average cruise ship.
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