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Visits to bustling port towns like Sitka and Ketchikan are balanced with days spent entirely in the wilderness of Endicott Arm and Misty fjords. The best time to visit also depends on your tolerance for the cold and for other travelers. Those shoulder-season trips are chilly (there’s a good chance you’ll see snow in places and will need to bundle up more), but there are significantly fewer tourists to do battle with during shore excursions. The sun hardly sets, the landscapes (save for the glaciers) are verdant, and the waterways are choked with playful whales getting their fill before winter. The vast majority of cruises that travel to the rugged American landscape of Alaska leave from the West Coast.
Juneau advocates seek Saturday ban on large cruise ships next season - Alaska Public Media News
Juneau advocates seek Saturday ban on large cruise ships next season.
Posted: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Coolest Things to Do in Alaska on Discovery Princess
Remove the hassle from air travel and give yourself the gift of flexibility, time and a thicker wallet with Princess EZair flights. We negotiate lower rates with the airlines, allow you to modify your flight up to 45 days prior with no penalty and protect you if your flight is late or canceled. Alaskans are inviting people who love to share what makes their state unique.
Night Alaska Inside PassageDetails
These resorts at sea, however, are often not all-inclusive, so be sure to check the fine print before putting your credit card down. Passengers frequently have to pay extra (and usually at a premium) for things like specialty dining, alcoholic beverages, and off-boat activities. It’s also worth factoring in onboard features that cost extra like the spa and gift shop. Inside Passage cruises venture along Alaska’s southeastern coast, guarded from rough seas by hundreds of islands.
Best Luxury Alaska Cruise: Cunard, Queen Elizabeth
Explore five distinct regions and varied travel routes and modes of transportation as you plan your Alaska getaway. Alaska's ultimate small ship cruise adventures in beautiful Kenai Fjords National Park and Prince William Sound! Dry docked in 2021 for a routine refurbishment, this Quantum Class ship holds 4,905 passengers and truly offers something for everyone.
Grizzly bears in Katmai National Park
Here you’ll find remote islands dappled with stately spruce trees, dreamy fields of pink fireweed, and long stretches of undisturbed, rocky beaches. But if you motor a bit further, there’s a good chance you’ll be greeted by electric-blue icebergs, dizzying fjords, and dramatic, millennia-old glaciers. What’s appealing about this Maple Leaf Adventures itinerary is that it’s a good mix of Alaska’s natural landscapes and coastal cityscapes.
According to T+L A-List travel advisor Ashton Palmer, the Alaska cruise season is short (typically from May to September) and availability is limited, which is why travelers should plan their sailings six to eight months ahead of time. Several cruise lines also offer land extensions (sometimes called “cruisetours”) to make the experience as seamless as possible. Alaska cruises first made their debut in 1881, when the Pacific Coast Steamship Company began cruising the Inside Passage aboard its two ships, the Ancon and the Idaho. Today, with over 20 cruise lines and small ships sailing Alaska’s waterways, there are plenty of options for travelers to choose from during the Alaska cruise season, which runs every year from April through October.
The cost of an Alaskan cruise can vary greatly depending on your itinerary, length of trip, cruise line, and a number of other factors. The good news is there are so many options for travelers that you should be able to find a great trip that fits your budget. As you'll see below, an Alaskan cruise can cost under $500 per person for some week long trips. Don't forget to check out our Alaska cruise deals page to save even more on your next sailing. 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 8 Best Alaska Cruises For Every Travel Style
Founded as a gold mining town and now the state’s capital, Juneau has one foot in history and one in the future. Embark on a whale watching tour, or sail past Mendenhall Glacier on an Alaska cruise. In Alaska, NCL offers passengers countless off-ship activities to choose from. Many of the sailings to Alaska center on the state’s major ports of call, like Juneau and Sitka. There’s nothing wrong with those itineraries, but they do tend to focus more on touristy downtowns and less on the great outdoors. Oceania Regatta prides itself on fine dining and an upscale yet comfortable ambiance.
Op-Ed: Seattle Advocates Rally Against Polluting Cruise Ship Industry as Alaska Season Launches - The Urbanist
Op-Ed: Seattle Advocates Rally Against Polluting Cruise Ship Industry as Alaska Season Launches.
Posted: Mon, 01 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Also, generally speaking, the longer the cruise, the more money it will be. As with any vacation, various factors affect how much a cruise to Alaska costs. The type of experience you want can influence your choice of Alaskan cruise line. We spoke to cruise experts to find the best Alaska itineraries to book this year.
A uniformed Princess representative meets you at the airport after you've retrieved your luggage and transports you directly to your ship or hotel without you having to worry about the logistics of navigating a new city. 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. With no roads connecting it to the rest of Alaska or North America, it is truly a protected destination.
All Alaska cruises include one or more glacier-viewing days, and you’ll get closer to ‘the giants’ on ships perfectly sized for the Great Land. Icy Strait Point is home to the remote Tlingit village of Hoonah, home to fewer than 800 people and a deep Native history. The nearby Spasski River Valley holds one of the world’s largest populations of brown bears, who are often found hunting for salmon in the rivers. Zipline over the wilderness, watch a tribal dance or kayak in coastal waters to see the wildlife up close during your Alaska cruise vacation. The Queen Elizabeth captures the spirit of ocean liners of a bygone era, making it a special treat in Alaska waters.
Or, kick things up a notch with a Chef’s Table Lumiere experience of multiple courses with wine pairings. Spend your time listening to live music in the Crooners Bar, exploring cocktails from around the world at Good Spirits, and relaxing at the jazz club. Be sure to check out SeaWalk, a walkway that cantilevers off the side of the ship and has a glass bottom so guests can see below and above. On the banks of the Chena River lies the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge®. 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.
Sail 500 miles deeper into the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound on our back-to-back Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska cruise. Spend 14 days roundtrip from Vancouver, B.C., stopping in historic port cities like Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. Enjoy three glacier-viewing experiences on every itinerary — including Glacier Bay National Park, Hubbard Glacier and College Fjord. Sail 500 miles deeper into the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound on our top-rated Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska cruise.
After our shore excursions, we’d hop back on board the ship for drinks, dinner, and a nightcap at the dueling piano bar to jam out to hits from Billy Joel and Elton John. All of the above make HAL a popular pick among middle-aged and mature couples traveling without kids; however, onboard our summer sailing, I did notice quite a few small children traveling with their parents and grandparents. Another itinerary that focuses on lesser-visited ports is French line Ponant’s 13-day trip starting in Seward, a fishing port town two hours from Anchorage. As the boat pulls out of the harbor, guests are invited to bring their binoculars to the deck to check the landscape for whales, which come to the food-rich waterways each summer to bulk up for their winter calving season. The first full day on the water is spent sailing around Prince William Sound where islets and icebergs are abundant, followed by a day at Tsaa Fjord in the captivating (and appropriately named) Icy Bay for glaciers.
Regardless of the ship, passengers can expect a wide range of entertainment offerings, an abundance of bars, restaurants, and lounges, and a handful of accommodation options. Speaking of the latter, wellness-seeking duos can reserve an AquaClass stateroom, which includes perks like complimentary dining at the exclusive Blu restaurant, their very own spa concierge, and unlimited access to the adults-only Sea Thermal Suite. Extend your cruise vacation, and simplify your travel plans with a hotel stay at the beginning or end of your cruise.
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