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You can get a taste of the gold rush life by trying your hand at panning for gold, attending a salmon bake or visiting a dog-sled camp. A hike on the Chilkoot Trail or ride on the White Pass Railway lets you follow in the footsteps of the miners who came to seek their fortunes. Alaska cruises offer a wide range of activities in port, with options for active travelers, wildlife lovers, history buffs and shoppers.
10 Best Alaska Cruises to Take This Summer, According to Experts - Travel + Leisure
10 Best Alaska Cruises to Take This Summer, According to Experts.
Posted: Mon, 12 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Visiting Scenic Restaurants in Alaska
From action-packed wilderness adventures and extraordinary sightseeing on our shore excursions, to an extended sailing season, there are plenty of opportunities to find the perfect Alaska cruise vacation designed for you. With ships custom-built to help you see nature at its most majestic, you can witness whales breaching the surface, marvel at spectacular glaciers, and experience everything Alaska has to offer. When you cruise with Norwegian, the awe of Alaska stays with you throughout your vacation. Nicknamed “The Love Boat,” Princess Cruises has been sailing to Alaska for more than 50 years, and is a terrific choice for couples looking to get away from it all. While onboard, Princess immerses its guests into the sites, sounds, tastes and history of the 49th state through its award-winning North to Alaska programming.
Discovery Voyages Brown Bear and Calving Glaciers
Alaska cruise ports such as Juneau and Ketchikan are small cities with their own personalities. When planning a trip to Alaska, many travelers wonder if it's better to explore the state by land or by sea. Sail into the Last Frontier from Seward or Vancouver onboard Radiance of the Seas®. With over three acres of windows and glass exterior viewing elevators, you can watch for whales along Alaska’s Inside Passage when you aren’t wandering wilderness paths from Ketchikan to Juneau. And for the ultimate outdoor adventure, take a CruiseTour into Alaska’s interior where you can hang with huskies in Denali, and scale glaciers in Alyeska. While pulling into port one day, I remember digging into a hearty lunch of fish and chips featuring fresh-caught Alaskan halibut.
Top Alaska Cruise Destinations
It's easier than fumbling with multiple train, bus, ferry and hotel reservations to cobble together the same trip on your own. One of the key reasons to cruise Alaska versus taking a land tour is to visit destinations along the Inside Passage that you cannot reach by road. If you're eager to spot bald eagles in the wild, ride a dog sled atop an ice field or pan for gold after a hearty salmon feast, an Alaska cruise is calling your name.
Try a sourdough bread bowl filled with salmon chowder for a hearty lunch. Discover the top tips for planning a cruise to Alaska and uncover the best times of the year to spot Alaskas wildlife, locate must-see attractions, find Alaskan cruise deals and more. We’ve curated the ultimate guide to visiting some of the most romantic destinations to vacation for couples. Find the most Instagrammable places for your next vacation cruise to Alaska. Come discover the prettiest spots to take pictures with our travel photo guide.
Top 10 Most Beautiful Port Cities Royal Caribbean Cruises
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. In addition to more than 140 shore experiences that immerse guests into this magical destination, Cunard invites explorers, travel writers and locals onboard to share their passions and knowledge. The cruise line takes inspiration from Alaska with special local dishes served in its onboard restaurants, and the return of the Ice White Ball, a formal gala affair with a glacial twist. 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. The luxury adults-only line is also all-inclusive, covering meals, activities, most beverages, Wi-Fi, port taxes and fees, spa access, and one complimentary excursion in every port of call.
Convenient Alaska Cruise Departure Ports
These top things to do onboard this beloved cruise ship make it a fan favorite for many. In some parts of the state, dog sledding is still the primary mode of transportation through the winter months. 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.
Full of greenery, pubs and Victorian architecture, it's difficult to believe that this was a tent city full of rough and tumble miners just 150 years ago. On a cruise to Alaska, explore the Butchart Gardens, tour the pub scene and taste some of the local brews or sail the bay for a whale-watching adventure. Valdez is situated in Prince William Sound and serves as the gateway to the interior of Alaska. Often referred to as the "Little Switzerland", Valdez is known for its breathtaking panorama of snow-capped mountains and glaciers. It is also well-known for its role in the transportation of crude oil from the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, which ends in Valdez. Explore the charming waterfront area and take in the flavors of Valdez through culinary experiences at restaurants such as the Valdez Brewery and the Fat Mermaid.
For guaranteed bear viewing, head to the Fortress of the Bear near Sitka, which raises orphaned bears in a natural setting. On an Alaska cruise, you’ll experience everything from raw, untamed natural wonders on an extravagant scale to rich history, buzzing cities, vibrant and delicious cuisine, and a warm welcome. Vast, creaking blue-white glaciers inch their way to the sea as jagged, snow-capped mountain peaks pierce the sky. Bears prowl rock-strewn beaches, while salmon-laden rivers rush through pristine, old-growth forest, bald eagles perched watchfully in the treetops. From 6-night getaways to immersive, 13-night Cruisetours that combine the wild, forested beauty of Alaska’s coast with the majesty of Denali National Park, there’s an Alaskan cruise style and length to suit you. Sail one-way between Vancouver and Seward or Vancouver and Seattle, round-trip from Vancouver or Seattle, or on a Cruisetour between Vancouver and Anchorage or Fairbanks.
Pre-book accommodations and day tours that suit your interests, then travel by rail, motorcoach, or rent a car for maximum flexibility. Denali National Park boasts the continent’s highest peak, and Glacier Bay National Park is one of the world’s largest protected areas. You can discover even more magnificence during your Alaska cruisetour at Wrangell-St. Elias and Kenai Fjords National Parks, where one of the four largest ice caps in the world invites guests to explore its terrain. A Princess exclusive, this new cruisetour is curated to provide whales breaching in Glacier Bay National Park, bear viewing in Katmai National Park and observing Denali’s “Big 5” such as moose and caribou in Denali National Park. Wildlife enthusiasts will be thrilled with the opportunities to observe these incredible creatures in their natural habitats.
Take in the sights of this natural masterpiece at a leisurely pace only on an Alaska cruisetour. 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 7-Day Glacier Discovery itinerary is offered both northbound and southbound, both of which include cruising the Inside Passage and Glacier Bay, and calling upon Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. AlaskaCruises.com is your best online source for everything you need to know about 2024 and 2025 Alaska Cruises and Alaskan Cruise Vacations. If you're interested in Alaska's gold rush history, Skagway — 90 miles northwest of Juneau — is a port you shouldn't miss. In fact, it's the gateway to the Klondike and Dawson mining district in Canada's Yukon territory, where prospectors searched for gold in the late 1890s.
For more on what to bring on an Alaska cruise, check out our Alaska cruise packing list. Look to UnCruise Adventures, Alaskan Dream Cruises, Hurtigruten and Lindblad Expeditions for the best adventure cruises. If you've got active teens who have an interest in nature and the environment, an expedition voyage could be exactly what will keep them engaged and off their devices. Our Alaska cruise departure ports have big personalities and loads of attractions.
On an Alaska cruise, take your pick of attractions in the port of Sitka. See how bald eagles and local bird populations receive first-class treatment at the Alaska Raptor Center. Encounter wildlife in their natural habitat at the Fortress of the Bear. Or experience the culture of Russian Alaska on a visit to St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church, and relive Native history at the Sheldon Jackson Museum. Whether you're a history buff or a nature nut, there are numerous bucket list destinations to experience while traveling on your Alaska cruise vacation.
Anchorage is at its most exuberant during the summer, when locals make the most of the mild temperatures and long days to stay out late into the sunny night. The big city also boasts Alaska’s biggest and most diverse dining scene, from great burger joints and craft breweries to classic steakhouses and cosmopolitan cuisine. Explore more while spending less with Alaska Cruise Tours deals onboard our best cruise ships. 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. Plan your romantic Alaskan cruise with our adventurer’s guide to discovering the coziest vacation spots and most scenic restaurants for couples traveling in Alaska.
