Complete Guide to Taking an Alaskan Cruise What Its Like

Table Of Content

• UnCruise Alaska's Glacier Country
• Must-Have Things to Pack for an Alaskan Cruise (11 You’d Never Think Of)
• Kodiak and Coasts of Katmai & Lake Clark National Parks
• Days in Alaska: 2 Itineraries for a Short Trip in 2024
• Melanie R Book
• Alaska Souvenirs to Take Home With You So You Never Forget Your Trip Royal Caribbean Cruises
• Portage Glacier Cruises

We look forward to providing you with the answers that you need in order to make the best decision for your upcoming trip. If you have any questions about which Alaska cruise and itinerary would be best for you, get in touch with one of AAA’s travel agents today. Oceania Cruises offers both 7 and 10-night cruises from Seattle to Alaska. Joining an Alaskan cruise enables you to experience the dynamic energy of the Emerald City before boarding and heading into the wild, natural beauty of American’s Last Frontier. While we have a full list of dozens of tips and things to know about sailing to Alaska, below we cover some of what we think are the most important items. What can really set a cruise to Alaska apart from any other cruise you’ll take are the shore excursions.

UnCruise Alaska's Glacier Country

With a cruise, you have the ability to easily travel between different ports of call, allowing you to see much more in a short time. Being on the water, you’re also able to get up close to the scenery. Don’t just see the Great Land’s glaciers, feel them come alive on an Alaska cruisetour.

Must-Have Things to Pack for an Alaskan Cruise (11 You’d Never Think Of)

Since most of the country lives far from these ports, you’ll have to consider airfare and transportation to the port. As well, you’ll find a different crowd on a trip to Alaska than a trip to the Caribbean. Now, you might be under the impression that Alaskan cruises are filled with older passengers. While older passengers are well represented, you’ll likely find the crowd remarkably diverse. All ages are on the cruise, and passengers from all over the country and the world. That’s also where taking a cruise offers a better experience than a traditional vacation.

Kodiak and Coasts of Katmai & Lake Clark National Parks

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. This World’s Best Award-winning cruise line combines the best of expedition-style and luxury cruising, making it a popular pick amongst well-heeled, adventure-seeking travelers. According to Goldring, both Seabourn Quest and Seabourn Odyssey offer similar Alaska itineraries in 2024; however, it will be the latter’s final sailing since it was sold.

Whether you’ve sailed dozens of times or never stepped foot on a ship, there’s plenty to know about taking a cruise to this part of the world. Below, we cover a cruise to Alaska from bow to stern, including everything from costs to tips and much more. On a cruise to Alaska, live a nature lover's dream in the land where guests can catch postcard-worthy sights. Seattle is known as "The Emerald City" thanks to its green forests and lush surroundings.

Melanie R Book

Kayak among ice­bergs, hike through moun­tain mead­ows, and take in the scenery on this unique trip. Activ­i­ties can be cus­tomized to suit the inter­ests and activ­i­ty lev­el of those on board. Watch whales, hike, fish, vis­it local com­mu­ni­ties, and more. Cascadia is Maple Leaf's newest acquisition, a 24-passenger catamaran with a crew of 10, offering a dozen cabins. The ship is 138 feet in length, with a lounge, terrace, dining area and open bridge policy, as well as kayaks for passenger use.

Voyage closer to the sights, sounds, wildlife and traditions that make Alaska unique. Sourdough is such an important part of Alaskan culture that long-time Alaskans are actually called sourdoughs in local parlance. Try a sourdough bread bowl filled with salmon chowder for a hearty lunch. We’ve curated the ultimate guide to visiting some of the most romantic destinations to vacation for couples. In some parts of the state, dog sledding is still the primary mode of transportation through the winter months.

The best Carnival Cruise Line itineraries: 5 great places its ships go - The Points Guy

The best Carnival Cruise Line itineraries: 5 great places its ships go.

Posted: Fri, 14 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Alaska Souvenirs to Take Home With You So You Never Forget Your Trip Royal Caribbean Cruises

Sign-up for any of the following email series to help plan your Alaska trip. Our Clas­sic Dis­cov­ery Voy­age is the per­fect wilder­ness sam­pler. Explore a wildlife rich slice of Alas­ka, set in the scenic wilder­ness set­tings of Lake Clark Nation­al Park, and the Chugach Nation­al For­est Wilder­ness of Prince William Sound. Per­fect for the adven­tur­ous trav­el­er, the Hike and Kayak voy­age sees all the same sites as on our Clas­sic voy­age, but with more excur­sions.

Lindblad pioneered the expedition cruise several decades ago and has partnered with National Geographic since 2004,. It remains a leader in the field and is a great option for small ship Alaska cruises that put landscapes and wildlife front and center. There aren’t just one or two naturalists onboard Lindblad cruises, but four or five. Plus, many of the line's itineraries feature a team of professional photographers onboard to help you snap the best possible shots. Rise early on your second day to board the Alaska Railroad to Denali; the train usually leaves at 8am and you need to arrive about an hour early.

Get up close to stun­ning glac­i­ers, spot wildlife, and enjoy a cus­tomized meal aboard the cozy Veron­i­ca Mae. Led by pas­sion­ate experts, these inti­mate tours offer unfor­get­table adven­tures in Alaska’s pris­tine wilderness. You’ve seen pictures of towers of glacial ice crashing into the ocean.

You can visit Alaska without a passport on a closed-loop sailing (one that begins and ends in the same U.S. port). Be sure to bring your passport if you plan on crossing the border from Skagway into Canada's Yukon Territory -- or exploring any Canadian port of call. Set sail on a lux­u­ri­ous 70-ft yacht out of Homer for 3+ days of fish­ing, hik­ing, kayak­ing, and wildlife view­ing while indulging in mass amounts of seafood. Your itin­er­ary will depend on the inter­ests of the group, and the expe­ri­enced local crew can ful­fill those interests. Spend the after­noon, or a few days explor­ing the waters of Res­ur­rec­tion Bay and Prince William Sound aboard the M/V Car­o­line, a beau­ti­ful cus­tom-built yacht set for adven­ture!

Fly from Anchor­age by sea­plane to the North­west Odyssey, anchored off the coast of Kat­mai Nation­al Park. This lux­u­ri­ous yacht will be your home base for spec­tac­u­lar bear view­ing and fish­ing in uncrowd­ed waters. A 5 day voy­age fol­lows this stay in the remote fly-or-boat-in fish­ing vil­lage of Cor­do­va.

They’re a great way to get a taste of Alaska without having to spend too much time on the ship. If you are short on time, but still want to experience the best of Alaska, a short Alaska cruise may be the perfect option for you. Short Alaska cruises typically last between 7 and 9 days, and they offer a variety of itineraries to choose from. As mentioned, I recommend the Tundra Wilderness Tour above other tour options offered through the National Park Service. (I have never done a non-park service-operated bus tour so don’t recommend them.) This tour takes 8 hours, so most of your day will be spent on the bus. If you’re not sold, check out my guide to Denali bus tours for more info.

Only an hour and a half from the cruise port of Whittier lies the largest city in Alaska – Anchorage. Visit the Chugach National Forest, the second largest national forest in the United States. Or visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and see brown bears, moose and bison living in a protected habitat that perfectly emulates the wild. Tour a working Alaska homestead and learn how the Great Land’s residents have become so self-sufficient. Or land in a helicopter on a glacier beneath the tallest peak in North America on your Alaska cruisetour. If you're interested in the Midnight Sun, the longest day of the year is June 21, when you can experience close to 20 or more hours of sunlight in some parts of the state.

With riverside dining and frontier décor, the Fairbanks Lodge is the perfect excuse to extend your Alaska cruise vacation and dive deeper into your surroundings. Cruise down the Chena River on a sternwheeler riverboat, pan for gold at Gold Dredge 8 or ride ATVs through surrounding forests underneath the midnight sun. Find the most Instagrammable places for your next vacation cruise to Alaska. Come discover the prettiest spots to take pictures with our travel photo guide.