Table Of Content
An 18-night Alaskan sailing with the line will take you to off-the beaten-path places like Wrangell, Kodiak, Chignik, Unga Island, St Paul Island, St Matthew Island and Nome. At $10,000 to $13,000 per person for ocean-view cabins on an 18-night sailing it might be out of the reach of some, but if you truly want an expedition to Alaska, Hurtigruten is among the best. Not only will you get to spend a ton of time on land, but a Hurtigruten ship will take you to ports and villages that are so remote that most other cruise line have no access to them. The 7 and 8 night sailings are one-way while the night itineraries are round-trip.
When do cruises go to Alaska?
You can take a 14-night sailing out of Long Beach on Carnival Miracle and only spend around $1,500 per person for an interior cabin. The small vessel can maneuver through small bays and unique areas, allowing passengers to kayak right up to wildlife, glaciers, and all the natural beauty Alaska affords. National Geographic (Lindblad Expeditions) also offers some fantastic expedition ships to Alaska and these itineraries can begin in Seattle, Juneau, Sitka, or Ketchikan.
Small Ship Cruises: adventure & Luxury
The six-star service is exceptional and the excursions are well put together, giving guests incredible insights into Alaska. Silver Moon falls down a little on things to do while sailing, and the food quality isn’t rated as highly as other luxury ships – but guests on the ship have high expectations, so the food is still very good. Norwegian Jewel is another mid-sized mainstream cruise ship offering cruises to Alaska. Similar to Princess, there are actually a number of ships you can choose from for an Alaskan NCL cruise, but Jewel is one of the highest-ranked NCL ships overall too.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Alaska: Glacier Bay, Skagway & Juneau
The ship has an extensive children's program, high-quality entertainment, and such activities as water slides and play areas. Don’t rush your decision – there’s an Alaska cruise ship that’s perfect for you, so take your time, read my guides on each cruise line, and you’ll find the one that’s right for your cruise getaway. Cruise lines are very different from each other, and there is no single “cruise passenger” type, so there is no single “Alaska cruise ship” type either. The drawback of Grand Princess is her age – she’s over 25 years old now and despite careful renovation, it does show a little. She’s far from past her best, though, and if you don’t mind the slightly dated decor then she offers a comfortable experience, great as a base for exploring the Alaskan ports.
Travel Interests
Guests can also book landtours before or after their voyage, where they can experience the vast wilderness of Alaska. Princess Cruises even has its own Princess Lodges as part of its combination packages. The choice for those who enjoy specialty cuisine on a small(er) ship is Oceania Cruises.
Carnival Cruise Passengers Try to Sneak Portable Washing Machine onto Ship
The beauty of the land and its immense history; the thrill of seeing bears, moose and bald eagles; and the mysteries of the surrounding marine life will astound you. It's a trip worth taking the time to plan and doing right — because who knows if or when you'll make it back to the Last Frontier. Top scenic cruising destinations in Alaska include Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Hubbard Glacier, Tracy Arm (Twin Sawyer Glaciers), Dawes Glacier at Endicott Arm and College Fjord. For a view of the city and cruise port, take a ride in the sky on the Mount Roberts Tramway.
The Best Time to Cruise Alaska 2024: A Month-by-Month Guide - Condé Nast Traveler
The Best Time to Cruise Alaska 2024: A Month-by-Month Guide.
Posted: Thu, 29 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Land and Sea Combinations
The 6 Best Cruises for Northern Lights Viewing - AFAR Media
The 6 Best Cruises for Northern Lights Viewing.
Posted: Fri, 05 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
But this isn’t the only line with mega-ships sailing to America’s last frontier. So, if you want more than a cruise to Alaska and would like plenty of time on land as well, Princess offers some fantastic packages. When it comes to longevity, Holland America is the cruise line that tops everyone else.
The 8 Best Alaska Cruises For Every Travel Style
Regatta offers sailings out of Vancouver, Seattle, and Los Angeles with 7-night to 13-night itineraries. There are both round-trip and one-way sailings with Oceania so there’s a lot of variety of options there as well. Princess Lodges is actually a part of Princess Cruises so you can get your cruise and land portion of your trip all under one roof. Plus, the company offers incredible trips around the Alaskan landscape with Princess Rail Tours that travels between Anchorage and Fairbanks.
If you’re looking for something less time consuming than an Arctic excursion, but are still looking for stunning views of glaciers and wildlife, day cruises are a great option for young families and adventurers alike. Starting in 2024, Uncruise Adventures will be offering a winter cruise, where winter sports and northern lights viewings are all part of the package! Running February through March, this is a great option for travelers looking to experience Alaska during the winter months. Many cruise lines also travel to additional locations such as Sitka, Hoonah/Icy Strait Point, and Haines.
You can take advantage of discounted fares, free upgrades or complimentary add-ons, such as Wi-Fi, gratuities, restaurant meals, beverage packages and tours. Some of the most desirable cabins might be sold out; being flexible about your sail date or itinerary can help. You can also find one-way repositioning cruises between Southern California ports (Los Angeles and San Diego) and Vancouver at the beginning or end of a ship's Alaska cruise season. One nice thing about the Inside Passage is how calm the water is because you're sailing between land masses. If you worry about seasickness, an Inside Passage trip is the best Alaska cruise itinerary versus a sailing where your ship transits rougher, open waters. Nearly every major cruise line has a presence in Alaska from May through mid-September, with some offering sailings as early as April or as late as October.
Currently, these include Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, Uncruise Adventures, Viking Ocean, and a few others. This agreement will be in effect until 2030, so if you want to make Glacier Bay a part of your cruising experience you can look to book with one of these cruise lines. You'll find a wide variety of major cruise lines that operate in Alaska, including Carnival, Celebrity, Cunard, Disney, Holland America Line, Hurtigruten, Princess Cruises, Norwegian, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Viking. 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.
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. You’ll want to carefully consider Alaska cruise packages and itineraries as the scenery, price and length of time all vary considerably. The best Alaska cruises manage to combine epic nature with local flavor, and the following options all offer that mix with some variation.
Several cruise lines also offer land extensions (sometimes called “cruisetours”) to make the experience as seamless as possible. 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. On all of its Alaska cruises, a Huna Native Interpreter comes aboard Holland America Line ships to share the history of the Tlingit people. They’ll even offer last-minute specials right up until the time of sailing, but selection will be limited and the most popular shore excursions will have long wait lists.
Significantly larger than the ultra-luxury cruise ships in the region, this can also have its benefits. You’ll get better views of the glaciers and scenery from higher decks, and more space onboard to unwind. Here are the current cruise ports sailing on Alaskan itineraries over the next couple seasons and which cruise lines sail from them. The number next to each cruise line indicates how many sailings they offer from that port. Viking Ocean offers many one-way 10-night sailings that allow passengers to spend more time in ports. Some begin in Seward and head south and some start in Vancouver and head northward.
No comments:
Post a Comment