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Though it’s the second-largest island in the entire United States, it’s rare that cruise ships visit, mainly because it lacks the infrastructure for big ships. Small ship cruises tend to offer more adventure-focused shore excursions alongside personalized service and luxurious accommodations and amenities. Smaller ships can reach ports of call and destinations that are inaccessible to larger cruise ships, allowing you to explore more remote settings and communities. For an even more customized experience, consider a private cruise on smaller ships like yachts and sailboats. Viking Ocean Cruises recently nabbed a 2023 World’s Best Award in the midsize-ship ocean cruise lines category, coming in at first place for the second year in a row. The line’s identical ocean ships offer a sleek Scandinavian design, which only enhances the tranquil atmosphere on board.
What is the best time to cruise to Alaska?
On an Alaska cruise, unpack once and explore glaciers, wildlife and national parks. Most major cruise lines also offer the opportunity for pre or post-cruise land packages that will take you by bus or train to destinations in Southcentral and Interior Alaska. If you have the time, these cruise packages give you the best of both worlds for exploring Alaska's coastal communities and some of the top sights in Alaska's heartland, including Denali National Park. While all travel has environmental and cultural impacts, cruising leaves its mark to varying degrees on Alaska's fragile ecosystems. The average large cruise ship can have a carbon footprint greater than 12,000 cars and produce up to a ton of trash each day. While there can be a positive economic impact on ports of call, a small community visited by 15,000 people per day during sailing season can intrinsically change.
Best Places to Visit in Alaska
From the Alyeska Resort at the base of Mount Alyeska, you'll ascend 2,300 feet to the summit. From the tram, you can see for miles, with even more expansive vistas from the mountaintop observation deck. The panorama includes the seven hanging glaciers and the snow-capped peaks of the Chugach Mountains, the forested Chugach valley and out to the sparkling waters of the Turnagain Arm waterway.
Alaska Cruisetours
Journey into Denali National Park for a glimpse of roaming brown bears and moose. And learn more about the state's rich cultural past at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage. Nothing brings you closer to history and adventure than the best Alaska Cruise Tours with Royal Caribbean.
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]
Plus, guests can catch their own fish during shore excursions and have it prepared and served on board. This “best of” 7-night itinerary is focused on the region’s iconic Inside Passage, which gives passengers an efficient taste of all the area’s most photographed and talked about sights. 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.
5 Reasons to Book an Alaska Cruisetour in 2023 & Beyond - Cruise Critic
5 Reasons to Book an Alaska Cruisetour in 2023 & Beyond.
Posted: Wed, 20 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Oceania cruises introduce Alaska to guests by offering local experiences in partnership with native tribes for a more meaningful connection to the area beyond sightseeing. 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. Watch migrating humpback whales from the deck of a catamaran or Native craftsman carve a traditional totem pole, and expand your Alaska cruise experience. Between the natural masterpieces and the animate personalities, every part of Alaska tells an extraordinary story.
Best Brilliance of the Seas Family Cruises Royal Caribbean Cruises
Visit Alaska and get the experience for yourself at the Skagway Yukon Discovery and Dog Sled Tour. In the center of the state, Denali National Park is blanketed in wildflowers punctuated with mountains, raging rivers and serene lakes. Denali, "The Great One," formerly known as Mt. McKinley, rises to the tallest peak in North America and can be seen from as far away as Anchorage on a clear day. 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.
Be sure to look down, too, and you may see wildlife ambling across the mountain's slope. From North America's tallest peak, Denali, to the stunning coastal route of the Inside Passage, Alaska is one of the most breathtaking natural landscapes on Earth. In this untouched wilderness, you’ll find ancient glacial valleys, majestic river canyons and misty emerald forests.
In those days, Bob ran the boat while Betty and her children served treats and tea to their guests. Today, Allen Marine operates 30 vessels, including the five ships that make up the Alaska Dream Cruises fleet, all of which accommodate between 12 and 76 cruise passengers. Knowledgeable expedition leaders serve as personal guides on every voyage, sharing their expertise in biology, geography and ecology, as well as sharing about the lifestyles and legends of Southeast Alaska’s local cultures. Life aboard Alaskan Dream Cruises’ five ships is casual and relaxed, meals feature fresh Alaskan fare, and everyone strives to provide opportunities for guests to make personal connections to the region’s places and people.
Cruise lines with the most established cruise tour programs in Alaska include Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean, each with its own hallmarks. 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.
From there it’s the little-visited Elfin Cove and Point Adolphus, two dreamy locations known for their rugged coasts and wildlife spotting opportunities. After a few more days in the Inside Passage communities of Skagway, Kake, and Petersburg, the sailing culminates in Vancouver. Our Alaska cruises are your ticket to adventure amidst the Great Land’s glaciers, wildlife and national parks.
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. With the largest collection of tidewater glaciers in the world, your scenic Alaska cruise through the fjord will make a lasting memory. If your trip is blessed with clear skies and sunny weather, you might actually see the mountain several times, say, during a jet boat tour on Talkeetna's three rivers or on the way to board the bus in the morning. Yet, you might often be compelled to eat at certain times and in certain places. You'll pass some beautiful scenery, most notably Hurricane Gulch Bridge, where the train crosses a 918-foot bridge poised some 296 feet above a creek.
On an Alaska cruisetour with Princess, discover what makes the Great Land so special, and craft your own tales of your time on land and sea. Only an hour and a half from the cruise port of Whittier lies the largest city in Alaska – Anchorage. Visit the Chugach National Forest, the second largest national forest in the United States. Or visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and see brown bears, moose and bison living in a protected habitat that perfectly emulates the wild.
Just for a taste, the Red Onion Saloon is both a lively saloon and a brothel museum (the establishment used to be a brothel during the gold rush). If you aren't a fan of having severed toes in your beverages, there is plenty more for you to do in Dawson. Meander around the downtown area to admire the architecture and Yukon River, take a shuttle bus to the Midnight Dome for stunning panoramic views of nature and the town or enjoy the gold rush-themed Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall.
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