Table Of Content
The ship will also cruise Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord or Hubbard Glacier for some amazing scenic vistas. Sailing in region for over 75 years now, Holland America Line has six ships scheduled to sail in Alaska for the 2023 cruise season. The itinerary will visit similar ports of call with scenic cruising in Endicott Arms and the Dawes Glacier. In fact, you’ll probably be afraid to look away because you won’t want to miss the opportunity to enjoy the rugged vistas or catch a glimpse of the local wildlife. It isn’t unusual for bald eagles to go sailing by or whales to breach the waters when you are cruising in the Last Frontier.
Night Great Alaska ExplorerDetails
Denali National Park is larger than Vermont and home to the highest peak on the continent. Meanwhile, Glacier Bay National Park has over 2,000 square miles of glacial coverage. Elias and Kenai Fjords, a world of natural wonders awaits on an Alaska cruise or cruisetour. 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.
Avoid the Cruise Crowds and Travel During Alaska's Shoulder Season
In determining this list, we evaluated numerous customer reviews and considered whether the cruise line has collected any accolades in recent years. We’ve gathered cruises in all size categories (from a couple of hundred passengers to nearly 5,000), as ship size is often one of the biggest factors when selecting a cruise. We’ve also called attention to cruise options that do an impressive job of showcasing nature, offering local experiences, providing endless onboard entertainment, or catering to foodies or luxury travelers. Travel the Inside Passage on 10 or 11-day Alaska cruises from San Francisco and allow the natural landscapes to inspire your day’s adventures. Begin by sailing beneath the Golden Gate Bridge and along the Pacific Coast. As you voyage into the Inside Passage, enjoy one of the best ways to explore the fjords, small towns and natural landmarks with your favorite people.
Alaska Souvenirs to Take Home With You So You Never Forget Your Trip Royal Caribbean Cruises
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. When it comes to experiencing the splendor of Alaska, your cruise is only as good as the direct access it offers to this region’s beauty—and Windstar Cruises delivers access like no other. 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.
Best for off-the-beaten-path travel: National Geographic Quest
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. 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. If you're happy with a couple of historic tours and a guided hike, you could likely budget $500 or less per person for shore excursions in Alaska.
When it is time to get off the ship, the excursions offered in the various Alaskan ports are sure to thrill. In Ketchikan, you can learn more about the Native Alaskan nations, and in Sitka, you can visit the Fortress of the Bear to get up close and personal with Alaskan wildlife. Cruisers love the diverse assortment of dining options at the nine onboard restaurants. Tamarind, the ship’s signature restaurant, features diverse fare from Asia. The Greenhouse Spa & Salon and the BBC Earth in Concert event are available during the day. Two swimming pools and sports courts are available for those seeking more active pursuits.
Related Cruises
Visit Alaska and get the experience for yourself at the Skagway Yukon Discovery and Dog Sled Tour. Exploring the interior of Alaska will give you an entirely different perspective on this vast and rugged state. Take an Inside Passage cruise and gaze upward at the sky that is as blue as the lakes below. Hop on the Alaskan Railroad near Anchorage and see the spruce-lined, mountainous landscape whir by from a new perspective.
About Alaska Cruises
The two-level complex also has upstairs nooks for playing Xbox, ping pong and foosball. It's like one big play zone for families that will keep your kids busy for hours. Both of the Royal Caribbean ships sailing to Alaska from Seattle are loaded with attractions that are protected from the elements, including those bumper car pavilions and skydiving simulators. In fact, both Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas were specifically built to operate in areas of inclement weather. Here we list our top picks for the best Alaska cruises from Seattle for six different types of travelers.
Norwegian Encore
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]
If you want a more active trip in less touristed areas, a great choice would be a small-ship expedition line, including Alaska specialists such as Alaskan Dream Cruises and UnCruise Adventures. Some lines also offer Alaska cruisetours that venture into Canada's Yukon, including a few Holland America tours that combine half a cruise with a cruisetour that starts or ends in Skagway. You'll have four sea days (for example, two days from San Francisco to Juneau) plus a day of scenic cruising at a spot like Tracy Arm (Twin Sawyer Glaciers), Endicott Arm, Hubbard Glacier or Glacier Bay National Park. The waters before you enter the Inside Passage can be calm, rough or anything in between, depending on when you go. If you book a Gulf of Alaska voyage, you'll also enjoy exploring parts of the Inside Passage and its ports that could include a mix of Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Ketchikan, Haines and Icy Strait Point. Popular Inside Passage ports of call include Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Haines and Skagway.
The key to planning the perfect adventure is finding the right cruise for your personality, budget, and preferences. 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. Roughly 1.5 million people visit Alaska on a cruise ship each year, according to the Cruise Line International Association Alaska. A great choice for fans of smaller, more intimate ships, Seabourn’s Odyssey holds 450 passengers and treats them to a personal, all-inclusive luxury experience. 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.
Best Time to Visit Alaska in 2023 When Is the Best Time to Go to Alaska? Trusted Since 1922 - Reader's Digest
Best Time to Visit Alaska in 2023 When Is the Best Time to Go to Alaska? Trusted Since 1922.
Posted: Mon, 18 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
These include the English pub, Schooner Bar, Chops Grille, Izumi, and the Windjammer buffet. Not to mention, there’s the indoor Solarium, plenty of whirlpools, and an outdoor pool to enjoy while soaking in the views. Sister ship, Norwegian Bliss, will be joining Encore in Seattle again this year.
Depending on the tour itinerary you choose, you might visit Seward and the Kenai Peninsula, Alyeska, Talkeetna, Anchorage and Fairbanks — as well as spend one to three nights in Denali National Park. For these itineraries, you'll need to fly into or out of Anchorage and take a train or bus to/from the cruise departure ports, which can take an hour or two. Instead of taking a long and expensive flight to Anchorage or Fairbanks, you can choose a cruise that sails round-trip from Seattle or Vancouver (note, you won't be able to tack on a post-cruise land trip to Denali if you do this). Restaurant prices in Alaska can be high, but a cruise bundles meals, accommodations and transportation into one price that, with sales, can be cheaper than you'd think. The Discovery Princess had her naming ceremony in April of 2022, so she’s a brand-new addition to the line’s fleet.
Dining options include room service, table service, quick bites, and adults-only meals. Go back in time to the Klondike Gold Rush on cruises to Skagway, Alaska, once the primary gateway to the goldfields. Cross Alaska’s massive ice shelves, crystal fjords, and fascinating marine wildlife off your bucket list with itineraries that conveniently depart from Seattle and Vancouver.
As a traveler, I am just as comfortable bicycling through Italian olive groves and SCUBA diving the wall of sharks in French Polynesia as I am sipping bubbles in a Champagne house and dining at Michelin-starred restaurants. Thus, Viking is our pick of the top Alaska cruises 2023 for luxury travelers. There are also several different cruise and land tour packages from Vancouver to Anchorage available ranging from 9 days to 14 days.
Shore excursions can be added to the trip to round out your adventure in the Last Frontier. Go salmon fishing in Juneau, explore the Klondike Highway by bike in Skagway, or see a Native dance performance in Ketchikan. The Lotus Spa, a fitness center, and a sports deck round out some of the other onboard featurs. Don’t forget to take a stroll on the SeaWalk — a glass-paneled promenade that reaches 28 feet over the ship’s edge – while on board.
Westerdam is also a slightly smaller ship than Eurodam, and as a result, its demographics on any given sailing are more likely to skew toward a retired crowd. To the extent that families with younger kids book Holland America ships, they are more likely to book one of its larger vessels. The best Alaska cruises out of Seattle for retirees, in our view, are the sailings offered by Holland America on both the 1,964-passenger Westerdam and 2,104-passenger Eurodam.
No comments:
Post a Comment