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Roundtrip cruises offer the convenience of embarking and disembarking at the same port (typically Seattle, Vancouver, or San Francisco), but itineraries are generally limited to Southeast Alaska and the Inside Passage. 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. From top-rated cruises that visit Glacier Bay National Park to scenic rail travel and exclusive Princess lodges, you will find a seamless Alaska experience with Princess.
Dining Highlights on Viking Orion
Dress in layers of clothing so that you can peel off (or add on) slowly as the thermometer dictates. You will want to pack a bathing suit and a very warm fleece jacket -- and you'll likely wear both at different times. The Inside Passage is a sheltered waterway between Vancouver Island and the British Columbia mainland that extends north to Alaska. It's known for calm waters and excellent scenery (often including Glacier Bay).
Best Alaska Cruise For Couples: Princess Cruises, Royal Princess
And another could involve biking in an area known for its healthy population of brown bears (if you dare). However, this UnCruise Adventures sailing is aimed at those who want an more heart-pumping immersion into some little-visited areas of the 49th state, like South Baranof Island Wilderness Area and Chichagof Island. Let Princess pick you up from the airport and take you directly to your ship or hotel when you arrive, even if you didn't book your airfare through us. 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. Once the gateway to Alaska's Gold Rush, Skagway strikes a dramatic image nestled between the water's edge and mountains.
Sleeping on Celebrity Solstice:
Sink into refreshed suites and a new lounge, plus dining and entertainment venues. Take in Alaska’s evergreen fjords and thunderous glaciers on this Vista-class Alaska cruise ship. If you have your heart set on visiting Glacier Bay National Park, make sure that your cruise line has it listed on the schedule. "Only seven lines were awarded the Glacier Bay contract by the National Park Service," Cicero said. If you're not sure whether the cruise you have in mind will go through Glacier Bay, double-check with the cruise line or your travel agent.
From Glacier Bay to the Inside Passage, These Are the Best Alaska Cruises to Book Now
Best times to go on a cruise: Alaska, Caribbean, Mediterranean - USA TODAY
Best times to go on a cruise: Alaska, Caribbean, Mediterranean.
Posted: Thu, 29 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
You’ll find three main dining rooms, plus a pizzeria, gastropub, Italian restaurant, chop house, and Mediterranean bistro. 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. There’s plenty to do on board, too, including making use of the two swimming pools, five whirlpools, and Dr. Andrew Weil's spa and wellness program. Not to mention a card room, casino, library, observation bar, and beauty salon.
The Lawn Club, featuring real, live grass, is an incredible spot to enjoy a hot chocolate while you soak up the views. Wake up to breakfast on your spacious, private veranda as you get ready for the day’s adventures. Celebrity Edge® is our first Edge® Series ship to sail to the Last Frontier, and it’s designed to connect you more closely than ever to Alaska’s natural beauty. Spot breaching whales from the creature comforts of your spacious Infinite Veranda® stateroom. While Viking falls in the (self-declared) upper premium category, most cruisers see the line's ships as luxury.
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]
Longer cruises, like the Holland America Alaska Arctic Solstice Cruise spans 28 days, and will take you from your port to the Arctic Circle. The course begins in Seattle and leads through the Inside Passage, Prince William Sound, and up to Anchorage. Then, you’ll travel over to Kodiak Island, out to the far stretches of the Aleutian Islands to Dutch Harbor, and around to Nome, and through the Arctic Circle. Some cruise lines offer pre or post-cruise fly-in opportunities to remote areas of Alaska, like leaving from Fairbanks to the visit the Arctic Circle. For those voyagers seeking to sail from Southern California all the way up the Pacific coast to Alaska, try a new 16-day roundtrip Inside Passage voyage from Los Angeles. The storied Cunard cruise line, with more than 180 years of seafaring history, returned to Alaska after nearly 30 years when it arrived back in the Great Land in 2019.
Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to one of America’s most spectacular destinations on one of our premium Alaska cruise ships, and sail your way through the rugged wilderness of Alaska. During your journey on board, you’ll enjoy world-class cuisine, unrivaled service, breathtaking views, and limitless entertainment options. In Sitka, 11 included excursions run the gamut from a mountain hike to an alpine lake with a Champagne toast to a three-hour kayak paddle to a floating base camp. Its seven-night Vancouver-to-Seward voyage visits every must-see port — including Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway — and also sails to the astonishing Hubbard Glacier. Silversea fares include most shore excursions, so you don't have to pay extra to immerse yourself in the best Alaska has to offer.
Great experiences from the great land
Seven Seas Explorer is offering seven-night cruises, sailing between Vancouver and Seward from May through mid-September 2024. Fares for a July 17, 2024, "Summer on the Frontier" cruise start at $6,799 per person. On board, relish all-suite accommodations, butler service, complimentary sustainable caviar and alcohol. Best of all, this ship's asymmetrical design — new to Silversea — delivers phenomenal views from pretty much everywhere — even in glass elevators. Whether you’re looking for an all-inclusive multi-day Alaska cruise package or simply a day cruise to see wildlife and glaciers, there are many options to choose from. Like almost any choice one makes when booking a cruise, it all comes down to personal taste.
Along with Vancouver, she offers some of the best cruises to Alaska from Seattle, Anchorage and even smaller ports like Fairbanks – flexibility is always a good thing when planning when and where you’re cruising. Of the best midsize cruise ships to Alaska, Celebrity Summit comes out on top (no pun intended). Because Alaska has such a short season with a limited number of ships and is a dream trip for many, cruises are in high demand and people plan early. The best time to book an Alaska cruise is when a cruise line first opens bookings on that sailing, often more than a year in advance. You'll have your pick of itineraries and cabins — balcony cabins are popular in this scenic destination — and often the best fares. The best Alaska cruise ports are also the most crowded because no matter which type of itinerary and cruise line you select, you'll likely visit a mix of the same ports.
As such, hydrophones are used onboard Zodiacs to listen to the voices of Alaska’s whales in real-time. Guests will also learn about and participate in whale tracking through fluke identification by uploading their own photos from the vessel to a scientific database following their seasonal movements. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. 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. To minimize joining the masses during high season, consider a shoulder-season sailing (in late April, May or September), or select a ship that embarks midweek. Saturday and Sunday cruise departures tend to be busiest during the summer months, particularly for families with children.
Spend seven days traveling from Anchorage (Whittier) to Vancouver, B.C., stopping in historic port cities like Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. Enjoy two glacier-viewing experiences on every itinerary — including Glacier Bay National Park, and Hubbard Glacier or College Fjord. The Koningsdam boasts 912 balconied accommodations, which means 69% of the ship has rooms with a private veranda view.
Those who'd prefer man-made experiences can check out honky-tonk at the raucous Red Dog Saloon or dip into any of the microbreweries and distilleries all over town. The advantage of small ships is that they're more nimble than big ships, putting destinations like the Alaska Native village of Kake, the Wrangell Narrows and other tiny inlets within reach. Cruises through Alaska's gulf also tend to pass through the Inside Passage, with typical stops including Sitka, Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. Some will also call on more off-the-beaten-path ports like Icy Strait Point and Haines. These solo cabins get our vote because they're located in a complex where a private lounge encourages mingling. Lone travelers can also meet their shipmates while waiting to hop into a race care on the ship's go-kart track, at a showing of "Jersey Boys" or over a muddled drink at the Sugarcane Mojito Bar.
Radiance of the Seas offers Royal Caribbean's best in a more modest size, without sacrificing the variety of dining venues, great kids' programs and adrenaline-pumping activities the line is known for. The 2,112-passenger ship features the line's much-loved Giovanni's Table and Izumi, a 200-square-foot outdoor movie screen, rock climbing wall and a nursery for babies and toddlers. The 4,000-passenger Encore boasts a handful of the features found on its sisters, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Sun, Norwegian Jewel, and Norwegian Spirit (which also offers Alaska cruises), as well as its own unique attractions. With a variety of dining, entertainment and recreational options, cruisers will never be bored or hungry.
There are both round-trip and one-way sailings with Oceania so there’s a lot of variety of options there as well. For about $400 per person you can find sailings on Volendam and Noordam for 7-night voyages. Even the 2016 Koningsdam has some September itineraries for just over $400 per person for an interior stateroom. It’s yet another reason that Holland America drives a pretty hard bargain when it comes to amazing Alaskan cruises. Royal Caribbean International is known for innovation in cruise ships that are built with families in mind. Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas are two Quantum-class vessels with the company that sail to Alaska, mostly departing from Seattle.
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