Best Alaska Cruises for Different Travel Styles

Table Of Content

• A Beginner’s Guide to Traveling on Points and Miles
• Best Alaska cruise for those on a budget
• About Susan B. Barnes, Your Alaska Cruise Guide
• Best for multigenerational travel: Discovery Princess
• Best for off-the-beaten-path travel: National Geographic Quest
• Dive Into Alaska Traditions on Your Next Cruise Royal Caribbean Cruises

Almost all Gulf of Alaska cruises visit to Hubbard Glacier and spend some time scenic cruising in College Fjord. 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. If you are cruising in Alaska during the Northern Lights season, note that the Gulf of Alaska is choppiest in September and not recommended for travelers who get seasick. Also, certain sections of the access road to Denali National Park may close in September due to snow, so check your itinerary if that's your preferred Northern Lights viewing spot. Due to unpredictable weather, though, there’s a risk of shore excursions being cancelled -- especially boat and helicopter tours.

In Search of Calm, I Went on an Alaskan Cruise by Myself - Shondaland.com

In Search of Calm, I Went on an Alaskan Cruise by Myself.

Posted: Mon, 24 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

A Beginner’s Guide to Traveling on Points and Miles

And, there are options for transportation to several of these areas year-round. To keep everyone busy during the cruise, Norwegian, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean are also fun-filled. There are amusement rides, shows, programs and quick eats for all the family to enjoy. With a Frozen-themed deck party and tons of activities and venues onboard, the kids and teenagers are sure to stay entertained.

Best Alaska cruise for those on a budget

For an even more customized experience, consider a private cruise on smaller ships like yachts and sailboats. 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.

About Susan B. Barnes, Your Alaska Cruise Guide

Ever wanted to go on an Alaska glacier tour to experience hiking in its open nature? Sail into the Last Frontier from Seward or Vancouver onboard Radiance of the Seas®. With over three acres of windows and glass exterior viewing elevators, you can watch for whales along Alaska’s Inside Passage when you aren’t wandering wilderness paths from Ketchikan to Juneau. And for the ultimate outdoor adventure, take a CruiseTour into Alaska’s interior where you can hang with huskies in Denali, and scale glaciers in Alyeska. Embark on an unforgettable Alaska adventure cruise and experience the ultimate vacation.

Best for multigenerational travel: Discovery Princess

Now that we’ve covered the basics of all things Alaska cruising, keep reading to discover the best Alaska cruises for every type of traveler, featuring expert insight and award-winning picks. Dawn Gabree is a travel advisor who specializes in Alaska cruises at Travels by Danielle. Alaska cruise weather can be chilly (in the 40s to 50s) first thing in the morning and at night. However, if it's a sunny summer day, temperatures can shoot into the 70s and even low 80s. It also rains a lot in Alaska; it's drier in the spring than in the summer. If you're eager to spot bald eagles in the wild, ride a dogsled atop an ice field or pan for gold after a hearty salmon feast, an Alaska cruise is calling your name.

Access some of the most stunning sights on earth — wilderness, wildlife and untamed land. Go flightseeing by Denali’s snow-covered peak, fly-fish for Arctic grayling, raft the Nenana River or venture into Denali on a park tour. Embark on an unforgettable Alaska cruisetour to the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge®, where you can take in the beauty of Wrangell-St.

What to Pack for An Alaskan Cruise: A Complete Checklist - Travel + Leisure

What to Pack for An Alaskan Cruise: A Complete Checklist.

Posted: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 21:11:15 GMT [source]

Since the start, it's been our aim to provide the latest cruise news covering all the major cruise lines. We make sure cruisers are fully prepared for their cruise vacation with tips on ships and ports.Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. Also, if you want the best small cruise ships to Alaska, Seabourn Quest is the smallest on this list. It is ideal if you hate crowds or enjoy a more intimate atmosphere where guests mingle and share tales of their shore excursions each day. Every Princess Alaska cruisetour takes you to Denali National Park so you can enjoy a land beloved by millions but only seen by the adventurous.

Night Great Alaska ExplorerDetails

They lead the outdoor activities and provide passengers with a deeper insight into Alaska. Once guests finish communing with nature, they can indulge in gourmet cuisine in multiple restaurants, enjoy a complimentary cocktail or relax in an upscale spa. With Princess, you won’t just explore Alaska’s landscapes, you’ll live amidst them in our custom-built wilderness lodges.

Dive Into Alaska Traditions on Your Next Cruise Royal Caribbean Cruises

Immerse yourself in the thrilling destinations that Alaska has to offer, each brimming with its own unique style and vibe. Discover the wonders of Alaska with the Best Cruise Line for 20 years running. 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.

When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. In 2022, the cruise line was the first to receive Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) certification, meaning its Alaska-bound ships serve only fresh, certified sustainable and traceable wild Alaska seafood. The 7-Day Glacier Discovery itinerary is offered both northbound and southbound, both of which include cruising the Inside Passage and Glacier Bay, and calling upon Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.

Embarking and disembarking in Seattle or Vancouver can make air travel easier and cheaper than one-way Alaska cruises, which require flights to smaller, more expensive airports in Alaska. An Alaska Inside Passage cruise typically lasts seven nights, embarking and returning to Seattle or Vancouver. An Alaska cruise costs anywhere from $500 to $8,000 or more during high season. Cheaper fares can be usually found on mainstream lines like Royal Caribbean and NCL, while Cunard, Disney and Seabourn will be more expensive. Wet weather aside, late summer months bring the best chances of seeing wildlife on expeditions.

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. This 30-mile waterway is surrounded by cliffs, valleys and dozens of waterfalls. Icebergs and harbor seals decorate the water below while Dawes Glacier soars into the sky above. Revel in the beauty of Mother Nature’s masterpiece and listen closely as the scenery whispers secrets of times long ago during your cruise to Alaska. The Harriman Expedition discovered College Fjord in 1899 and named the towering glaciers after the great East Coast universities of the United States, like the Harvard Glacier.

Our award-winning North to Alaska program brings local personalities, culture and cuisine on board and ashore to immerse you in all things Alaska during your cruise to the Great Land. Known for its timber, Ketchikan hosts the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, where athletes throw, race and chop their way to victory. Explore one of the world’s oldest collection of totem poles at the Totem Pole Heritage Center, or stroll along Creek Street. As the salmon capital of the world, Ketchikan’s waters make for incredible fishing. Seas in Alaska are choppiest on Gulf of Alaska itineraries where waters are open. Alternatively, Inside Passage cruises in Alaska tend to be calmer as the waters are protected.

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. A trip to Alaska is at the top of many travelers’ bucket lists, and for good reason.