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All cruise lines require advance notice for appropriate accommodation. Passengers with disabilities must be able to travel independently or with a capable companion. The most popular cruise lines for families are Princess and Royal Caribbean. Both offer fantastic youth programs, along with entertainment and activities for adults, making them perfect for families. Most cruise lines have cabins that can accommodate three, four, or five passengers, meaning that children can travel at reduced rates when sharing with their parents. We highly recommend taking an optional whale watching tour to increase your chances of seeing them.
Cruise To Hubbard Glacier
Wildlife enthusiasts might want to visit the Alaska Raptor Center, or go bird- and bear-watching. Fluid lines, light-filled spaces and a blend of modern elegance and nautical tradition make Koningsdam a sublime ship for Alaska cruises. Make a point of trying the local cuisine in Alaska, which is famous for its seafood.
Alaskan Cruise Costs: What You Can Expect to Pay - NerdWallet
Alaskan Cruise Costs: What You Can Expect to Pay.
Posted: Sat, 09 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
NEW Alaska Long Voyages
Many passengers extend their Alaska cruise by adding a land tour to explore the interior cities and national parks of Alaska. These “cruise tours” can range from three to 16 days in addition to your 7-day cruise vacation. Alaska's impressive southern coastlines contain hordes of island archipelagos, deep fjords and ancient glaciers. Nearly all of the area is roadless, so seafaring vessels, including cruise ships, are a popular way for visitors to experience these pristine areas. In this post, I share a month-by-month guide about the best time of year for an Alaskan cruise.
Alaska Mountains & National Parks
The Siberian Huskies are sweet and energetic, and the ride is a thrill. 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.
If you're on a budget, stick to interior rooms and look for the big cruise ships, which tend to have more inventory. Summer Alaska cruises fill up quickly, so always book well in advance. You will find local asparagus on some menus in southeast towns later in the month, and fiddlehead season also begins in Alaska in May.
Our cruisetours combine an ocean cruise with a land tour into Alaska’s interior. Watch northern wilderness views unfold from aboard our glass-domed train, the McKinley Explorer®. Stay up to 3 nights at the McKinley Chalet Resort near Denali National Park. 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.
What kinds of activities can we experience?
With its roaring glaciers, rugged mountains and deep fjords, Glacier Bay National Park feels like a dream. With 3.3 million acres to explore, cruise to this world-renowned landmark — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — and let the landscapes inspire your next adventure. Princess Cruises is an authorized concessioner of Glacier Bay National Park. When planning a trip to Alaska, many travelers wonder if it's better to explore the state by land or by sea. Between the natural masterpieces and the animate personalities, every part of Alaska tells an extraordinary story.
THE 25 BEST Cruises from Vancouver to Alaska (with Prices) on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
THE 25 BEST Cruises from Vancouver to Alaska (with Prices) on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 23:18:30 GMT [source]
Generally, these one-way sailings travel from Seward or Whittier (the cruise ports closest to Anchorage) to Vancouver (or vice versa). Most itineraries are seven nights, but you'll find a handful that are longer. Most sail along the Inside Passage, a maritime route along the state's southern coast (and into British Columbia and Washington state) that weaves around the area's thousand islands. Some venture farther north into the Gulf of Alaska; these are often one-way cruises that begin and end at the ports near Anchorage.
Because they don’t migrate, you have a great chance of viewing these 1000+ pound, 10-foot-long animals on rocks near the shorelines as you cruise. As the month progresses, temperatures rise slightly, and daylight hours increase. Choosing to cruise in the early spring of Alaska will impact your experience. Less travelers might sound appealing, but many port towns aren’t fully “tourist operational” until late June when summer workers start to arrive. For major cruise lines, the Alaska cruise season runs between May and late September, including Viking and Disney.
The communities they visit are usually smaller, like Petersburg, Wrangell or Haines. The Aleutian Island city of Unalaska is also on some boutique cruise line itineraries, so check carefully that the region that sparks your interest. A September cruise has its benefits, including less crowding and cheaper prices. However, a cruise this time of year will also slightly decrease your chance of viewing wildlife and make for sleepier ports of call because most summer workers return home for college. The warmer the weather, the better your chance to view a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence called “calving.” This is when a large chunk of the glacier separates in a giant icy landslide.
If spotting wildlife is a priority, consider cruising during the salmon runs, when bears are most active and can be spotted from the decks of the ship. Humpback whales often follow schools of herring and other small fish during the summer and can be seen anytime between May and September before they migrate to Hawaii or Mexico. If any ports are visited, they're likely to be smaller communities like Wrangell, Sitka, Petersburg and Yakutat. Extend your Alaska cruise vacation, and simplify your travel plans with a hotel stay at the beginning or end of your cruise.
May is a practical choice for Alaskan cruisers who are on a limited budget but want to have slightly warmer and drier weather and more chances to see wildlife. Your views will likely include snowy mountains, but they are gorgeous nonetheless. Another thing to keep in mind when deciding the best month for your Alaskan cruise is wildlife viewing opportunities. While prices in the early season are generally less expensive, your experience during a May cruise will look different from during the high season in July and August. Arguably, the biggest draw is the marine animals, with opportunities to see pods of humpback whales, gray whales, orcas, sea lions, sea otters, and more.
In September, the scale now tips towards later sunrises and earlier sunsets in Alaska. By the end of September, there are less than 12 hours of daylight in Juneau. You might see bears that are continuing to fatten up before hibernation.
Experience Native culture and hospitality at Hoonah, Icy Strait Point, Alaska’s largest Native Tlingit village. On a cruise to Alaska, live a nature lover's dream in the land where guests can catch postcard-worthy sights. Valdez is situated in Prince William Sound and serves as the gateway to the interior of Alaska.
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