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Plus, Holland America offers more access to Glacier Bay National Park and has more departures featuring Glacier Bay National Park than any other cruise line. Eleven days exploring the Inside Passage and Alaskan fjords with only 400-ish other passengers aboard a luxurious ship with plenty of onboard activities? Enjoy the magical moments spent exploring the far end of the Misty Fjords on Zodiac, learn more about the local wildlife and geology during lectures with the Expedition Team, and kayak along Hubbard Glacier. Say hello to our little friend, the 186-passenger Ocean Victory, from American Queen Voyages.
Dining Highlights on Quantum of the Seas
If adventure is what you crave on an Alaska cruise, you should seek out the small ships of UnCruise Adventures. All of the line's itineraries boast an active component, but its "Wild, Woolly and Wow" itinerary claims to be "the most active back country itinerary" of UnCruise's 2024 Alaska cruises. 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. The line will send six ships to Alaska in 2024, with tour offerings to Denali, Fairbanks and Anchorage.
Princess Cruises
Regent Seven Seas’ ships are another option for the most luxurious in the world, and an excellent choice if you want to explore Alaska in style. A quick note on how I pulled this list together, because there are a couple of important things to clarify. One day might involve kayaking in Patterson Bay followed by a brisk snorkeling session. Another could see guests hiking to a glacial lake or going for a skiff tour among icebergs.
Silversea’s Vancouver to Seward
What’s particularly convenient about this sailing is that it ends in Seward, making it easy to continue your Alaska vacation (a visit to Denali National Park and Preserve, anyone?) by road or rail. With Lindblad Expeditions, passengers will get up close and personal with nature. The ship carries just over 4,900 passengers at full capacity and has a layout capable of managing that crowd quite easily. Between the gentle rocking of the ship and the Ultra Tranquility Bed, you’re sure to sleep like a baby. This is also the trip for a camera with good telephoto lenses and binoculars.
The 8 Best Alaska Cruises For Every Travel Style 2024 - Forbes
The 8 Best Alaska Cruises For Every Travel Style 2024.
Posted: Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Only certain cruise lines can visit Glacier Bay
If you envision sipping Champagne as you watch a glacier thunderously calve into the sea, consider booking an all-inclusive luxury cruise on a Seabourn ship. Big ships can only offer deckside viewing of the marvels of Glacier Bay, but UnCruise Adventures sends its ships to the rarely visited outback. In Fern Harbor, Dundas Bay or No Name Cove, passengers can get up close to the natural wonders with birding expeditions, paddleboarding, beach walks, and more hiking and kayaking.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers 7-14 night itineraries that are both immersive and all-inclusive, meaning you won’t have to worry about charges that keep getting added to your bill. Things like flights, transfers, specialty dining, all beverages, gratuities, Wi-Fi, and even shore excursions are all complimentary. And if you’re traveling with a family of various ages you might want to consider a cruise on one of the mega ships that can keep everyone entertained, even teenagers. Families have great choices when sailing up north, including a ship full of Disney characters, one with laser tag and a go-kart race track and many with expansive play spaces for kids, waterslides and family-focused onboard activities. Look for bigger ships with plenty of amusements; smaller and older ships might not have as many kid-friendly attractions. Alaskan Dream Cruises is unique in that it offers small-vessel expeditions — no more than 76 passengers per sailing, compared to the thousands who could be aboard giant Alaska cruise liners.
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. This is especially crucial if you're traveling in Alaska's shoulder season — May and September. Likewise, September marks the end of the summer season and welcomes cooler temperatures and more rainfall.
Princess Cruises (operating in the state for over 50 years) has an incredible train tour into the interior. Partner of National Geographic, Lindblad Expeditions is the pioneer in expedition ecotourism cruises. Landscapes, water encounters and wildlife are front and center here – with little to no signal for electronic devices most of the time. Cruises to Alaska with Celebrity depart from Seattle and Vancouver, and Princess sails from San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver. Holland America, which has medium and larger ships, often sails from Vancouver and Seattle.
Best for families: Ovation of the Seas
Its retractable glass roof is perfect for cruises to Alaska when the weather is iffy. Of particular note, given Alaska's weather, is that one of the two main pool areas on each of these Quantum-class ships is enclosed. All the above come in addition to many of the core Royal Caribbean attractions you'll find on most of the brand's ships, including pools, rock climbing walls, casinos, spas and Broadway-style shows, plus lots of eateries and bars. Cruise lines are in the business of giving their guests a good time, so they've all got something going for them. AMHS runs a system of nine ferries that visit a total of 33 communities throughout all three of geographic regions.
We'll guide you through what cruise lines to choose for your type of experience. Eric Goldring is a T+L A-List travel advisor specializing in expedition, small-ship, and medium-ship cruises. Alaska has become a hot spot for multigenerational family travel, with grandparents taking their kids and grandkids of all ages on a memory-making holiday. Princess Cruises is a line that offers something for everyone, and its Alaska-based Discovery Princess is our top choice for family reunion groups. But if you’re focused on a conventional cruise, know that each cruise line has its own policies, perks—and, truly, its own personality.
Icy Strait Point is notable among Alaska cruise ports because the area and its attractions are all native Alaskan owned. Most port and tour staff hail from Hoonah, Alaska's largest Tlingit village. The port is set on Chichagoff Island, which is known for its large bear population.
Cicero advises families with school-age children to look for on-ship amenities, such as an indoor heated pool, a supervised kids' club and a variety of family-friendly nighttime entertainment. "Before you sail, you should also find out which non-alcoholic beverages are complimentary," Cicero said. "Many cruise lines charge extra for soft drinks, but milk and juice are usually included." Free room service is another big perk for families, she notes, so see if that's offered on the line you're considering. Silversea has “Door-to-Door” pricing on many of its Alaska cruises, meaning the cruise fare includes airfare, hotels, and all transfers—including transfers from home to the departure airport. Onboard the all-suite ships, there’s butler service in every suite, fine dining, and select shore excursions included. The largest Silversea ship sailing to Alaska also carries just under 600 guests, allowing for port calls at lesser-visited stops like Wrangell, Haines, and Valdez.
Guided skiff tours will take guests in search of Alaskan wildlife in remote bays and secret coves. Windstar Cruises is a luxury cruise line that offers mostly one-way itineraries to the area, both northbound and southbound out of Anchorage and Vancouver respectively. It’s a sub-10,000 gross ton vessel with a double capacity around 312 guests. For those who want a true Alaskan immersion, Alaskan Dream Cruises could fit the bill. It is a small-ship cruise company that specializes in providing authentic and intimate Alaska experiences.
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