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So I strapped my tripod and camera to my body (you can’t have bags with you) and joined a tour with five other passengers and the pilot. It’s literally a street that crosses over and follows a creek with shops, houses, and restaurants along the way. On this historic boardwalk, you’ll notice colorfully-painted houses, totem poles, flags, and more.
The Best Alaska Cruises
Princess Cruises offers basically two different 7-Day Alaska Cruise itineraries with the biggest difference being Glacier Bay vs Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier. Some other Alaska cruises from Seattle offer the Hubbard Glacier or Tracy Arm. All the port towns are easily explored on your own, whether you want to hit museums, historical sites, shops or restaurants. Doing research in advance will help you target what you really want to do and see.
Best Alaska cruise ports
Mendenhall Glacier is a tidewater glacier with a beautiful blue face and excellent hikes around it. Unfortunately, the front desk lady was incredibly rude to my deaf parents, which is a huge no-no in my book. We rented it on Turo and the owner left it right by the cruise port for us to pick up. These were the major decisions we made and our end result was a mini-suite on a 7-Day Inside Passage Cruise from Seattle to Alaska aboard the Royal Princess in May. While that doesn’t affect which room we choose (no avoiding those rough nights!) the ability to have him in his own space away from ours was a huge factor. I knew I wanted to have a separate area for him to sleep in, so that we could work in the other section with a light on.
Best large ship
Nieuw Amsterdam is best suited to solo travellers and couples, with more of a focus on relaxation and exploration than ‘fun’ during the cruise itself. If you’re searching for Alaska cruise reviews, you may be booking an Alaska cruise yourself! So it might be helpful to see my thought process for these things as you’re considering your own trip! So now I’ll get into how I made each of those decisions and ended up on a 7-Day Inside Passage Cruise from Seattle to Alaska on the Royal Princess. These so-called "cruisetours" can get you, for instance, to Denali National Park & Preserve, Anchorage, Fairbanks, the Kenai Fjords and Wrangell-St.
Guests can explore the small fishing town of Petersburg or search for orca and humpback whales in Frederick Sound. Lindblad has special permits to bring passengers into the wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and the Tongass National Forest, beyond what the big ships can offer. A hike on Chichagof Island is the perfect opportunity to spot bald eagles in the wild. The 450-passenger Seabourn Odyssey throws a dash of adventure into its luxurious surroundings.
If you aren’t traveling with littles, then I’d recommend choosing whatever room you can afford that has a balcony. When there are crowds of people above deck wanting the same shot of the Margerie Glacier, rather than waiting your turn for a photo, you can escape to your room and capture a photo from your balcony! On the Royal Princess, the ship made a 360-degree rotation at the glacier so that everyone could have a chance to see it. You see, the most popular time to visit Alaska is from June to August because you’ll find warmer temperatures, the midnight sun phenomenon, and abundant wildlife. The Inside Passage is a natural coastal channel that weaves through the islands, fjords, and inlets of southeastern Alaska. It also includes the coast of British Columbia as it extends down to Victoria and Vancouver.
Best for megaresort fans: Ovation of the Seas
In addition to offering passengers complimentary Champagne and caviar and housing them in spacious suites, the ship boasts an onboard expedition team and does a posh version of expedition cruising in Alaska, using inflatable Zodiac craft and kayaks. If you're looking for other surefire ways to save, inside and ocean-view cabins are often much cheaper than balcony cabins on Alaska cruises. Those private verandas are highly desirable, with everyone seeking views of the wilderness, snow-capped peaks and glaciers. When cruise lines send a fleet of ships to Alaska for the summer, the older, smaller ships tend to offer more reduced prices than you'll find on the lines' larger and newer ships. The line always stations one or two Quantum-class ships in Alaska for the season.
If you’re interested in Native Alaskan history and heritage, you can also take a free downtown shuttle or city bus to Saxman Totem Park. Here you can take either a self-guided or organized tour and learn about Native Alaskan culture. As I mentioned earlier in this post, I was grateful we got a room with a balcony! It enabled us to get stress-free shots of the glacier without worrying about other people. Glacier Bay National Park is a United States National Park located in the panhandle of southeastern Alaska. It’s home to 3.3 million acres (13,000 km2) of temperate rainforest, fjords, and glaciers.
Because of its dainty size, guests are treated to unique experiences, like anchoring right in Misty Fjords and Kenai Fjords, which is something you’d have to do on a shore excursion if you were on a larger ship with another cruise line. For an even closer look at Mother Nature’s impressive work, from icebergs to whales, book a kayak or Zodiac Signature Expedition with their incredibly knowledgeable guides. 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.
THE 25 BEST Cruises from Vancouver to Alaska (with Prices) on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
THE 25 BEST Cruises from Vancouver to Alaska (with Prices) on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 23:18:30 GMT [source]
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. Grand Princess is a good choice for all passengers – solo, couples and families. There’s plenty to do onboard, and the service is very good, but it’s not a party ship and has quite a relaxed vibe onboard. A Carnival Miracle cruise to Alaska is perfect for families or for those who want to balance the amazing experience of the destination with a fun-packed sailing.
Ashton Palmer is a Seattle-based T+L A-List travel advisor who specializes in expedition cruises. Eric Goldring is a T+L A-List travel advisor specializing in expedition, small-ship, and medium-ship cruises. The ship sails seven-night cruises from Seattle, visiting Dawes Glacier, Sitka and Icy Strait Point, as well as Juneau, Ketchikan and Victoria, British Columbia. Royal Caribbean's 20-year-old ship Radiance of the Seas mainly sails weeklong, one-way cruises between Vancouver and Seward, Alaska, with prices below $100 per person, per night, for inside and outside cabins on many departures.
Cabins are designed with families in mind and include split bathrooms (one with a toilet and sink, the other with a shower/tub combo and sink), as well as sofabeds and bunks to sleep four in a cabin. Disney-themed restaurants and attentive wait staff take the stress out of family mealtimes. With nearly endless summer days and coastal breezes, you’ll want to make sure to dress with flexibility in mind. During the summer months, especially July and August, temperatures in Southeast Alaska usually fall between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, while Southcentral Alaska and the Interior see higher heights into the 70’s and 80’s. This is also the trip for a camera with good telephoto lenses and binoculars. For more on what to bring on an Alaska cruise, check out our Alaska cruise packing list.
Some activities are included in the cost of the cruisetour; other outings can be booked like shore excursions depending on your interest and budget. If you're hoping to see the northern lights, booking a cruisetour in September might be your best bet to see the aurora on a cruise vacation. 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. Expect a premium experience onboard – not quite ultra-luxury cruising, but a step above mainstream cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean.
The best cruises in Alaska offer unparalleled experiences that will bring you up close to some of the most unique and awe-inspiring places in the world. From the lush rainforests and tranquil seas of the Inside Passage, to the endless horizon and luminous ice of the Arctic, there’s no shortage of what Alaska offers to cruise enthusiasts. Cruise lines often run sales in the fall or in the early months of the year (a period known in the cruise industry as "wave season"). You can take advantage of discounted fares, free upgrades or complimentary add-ons, such as Wi-Fi, gratuities, restaurant meals, beverage packages and tours.
You’ll get better views of the glaciers and scenery from higher decks, and more space onboard to unwind. The main cruise season in Alaska is May through September, though many cruise lines are adding shoulder season itineraries in April and October. The sunniest months are July and August and the best time for whale watching is May and June. That being said, traveling anytime during cruise season will offer epic views of landscape and wildlife, no matter where you travel. If you want to immerse yourself in the beauty of Alaska without the distraction of little kids, you’ll be in good company on Viking. Their gorgeous ocean ships sail with a maximum of 930 passengers, all over the age of 18, so you can indulge in adult conversation over a bottle of wine or a cocktail or two.
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