Table Of Content
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. Cruisers can bask in the mountain and glacier views from the comfort of their private balcony — and, if they’re lucky, they may even spot a whale or two.
Best Inside Passage Alaska Cruise: Hurtigruten Expeditions, MS Roald Amundsen
Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas Cruise Reviews (2024 UPDATED): Ratings of Royal Caribbean Serenade of ... - Cruise Critic
Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas Cruise Reviews (2024 UPDATED): Ratings of Royal Caribbean Serenade of ....
Posted: Tue, 12 Sep 2023 11:48:35 GMT [source]
Planning a cruise to Alaska is a lot different from preparing to sail in the Caribbean or Europe. Alaska's calling card is not beaches or high culture but vast wilderness. The 49th state has half of the national park land in the United States. To prepare for all conditions, you should plan for temperatures ranging from the 40s to 70s, both on and off ship.
Day 3: Sitka
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. Starting in 2024, Uncruise Adventures will be offering a winter cruise, where winter sports and northern lights viewings are all part of the package! Running February through March, this is a great option for travelers looking to experience Alaska during the winter months. When it comes to cruising in Alaska, you’ll be spoiled for choice as no other state has more coastline to explore. The best cruises in Alaska offer unparalleled experiences that will bring you up close to some of the most unique and awe-inspiring places in the world.
Day 4 Freestyle Daily
Tourist offices and parks service offices offer maps and on-the-ground advice. These experiences are just the beginning of what you can do on your Alaska cruise. Explore by kayak, mountain bike, historic railway, small whale-watch boat, canoe or even zipline. Visit Alaska Native villages to learn the stories behind totem poles and explore the history of the gold rush. The renowned travel guide site does an easy-to-digest, pros-and-cons-style summaries of all of the cruise lines.
When to book an Alaska cruise
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. Make the most of your cruise by keeping an eye out for pop-up sales that can save you even more money—you can even use those savings to indulge in a pre- or post-cruise tour. These ships often feature complimentary shore excursions, kayaks and bikes for guest use and onboard scientists and naturalists.
Small Ship Cruises: adventure & Luxury
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. 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. If you're looking for other surefire ways to save, inside and ocean-view cabins are often much cheaper than balcony cabins on Alaska cruises. Those private verandas are highly desirable, with everyone seeking views of the wilderness, snow-capped peaks and glaciers.
Princess Cruises is a line that offers something for everyone, and its Alaska-based Discovery Princess is our top choice for family reunion groups. 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. King's Blues Club, play a game of pickleball on the outer deck or enjoy fine dining at numerous restaurants serving sushi and Asian cuisine, steak, seafood, Italian fare and Dutch treats. Your Alaska cruise offers many opportunities to try things you might never have the chance to do again.
Day 4 Alaska Cruise Review: Skagway Adventures
Seabourn Odyssey sails both one-way itineraries between Vancouver and Juneau and round-trip itineraries from Vancouver. It visits popular Alaska ports like Ketchikan and Sitka, as well as less-touristed destinations like Wrangell, Prince Rupert (a port city in Canada) and Rudyerd Bay. Note that the ship is departing the cruise line after its Alaska season, so this is your last chance to sail on the elegant cruise ship. Ovation of the Seas sails round-trip from Seattle on seven-night cruises, but the exact itinerary varies by week. The ship cruises Endicott Arm for scenic views of Dawes Glacier and typically visits three Alaska ports and Victoria. A trip to Alaska is at the top of many travelers’ bucket lists, and for good reason.
Norwegian Bliss Ship and Cabin Tours
Oceania is also one of the best Alaska cruise options for families. Kids won’t enjoy Regatta as much as they might one of the mainstream ships, but the Alaska Explorer Youth Program is enriching and fun – so you can still enjoy a grander ship when travelling with your children. The drawback of Grand Princess is her age – she’s over 25 years old now and despite careful renovation, it does show a little. She’s far from past her best, though, and if you don’t mind the slightly dated decor then she offers a comfortable experience, great as a base for exploring the Alaskan ports. All the port towns are easily explored on your own, whether you want to hit museums, historical sites, shops or restaurants. Doing research in advance will help you target what you really want to do and see.
Regardless of the ship, passengers can expect a wide range of entertainment offerings, an abundance of bars, restaurants, and lounges, and a handful of accommodation options. The ship sails seven-night cruises from Seattle, visiting Dawes Glacier, Sitka and Icy Strait Point, as well as Juneau, Ketchikan and Victoria, British Columbia. 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.
No matter how many times you've cruised before, you might be shocked at how much planning you need to do for an Alaska sailing. Get these things wrong, and you might miss out on your big Alaska cruise experience. While cruises to the Last Frontier are not polar-cruise-level adventures, they require more careful planning than for a Mexico or Caribbean sailing.
Gulf of Alaska sailings — especially those in late August and September — can encounter rough seas in the gulf portion of the voyage. 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. You can book the transportation on your own or through your cruise line. Popular Inside Passage ports of call include Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Haines and Skagway. You'll find magnificent mountains (often snow-capped, even in the summertime), lush forests, waterfalls, fjords and calving glaciers.
The Discovery Princess had her naming ceremony in April of 2022, so she’s a brand-new addition to the line’s fleet. Cruise guests will receive a free Medallion device with a complimentary lanyard, which allows you to do things like open your cabin door, track onboard purchases, find family and friends, locate venues, and check daily activities. There’s plenty to do on board, too, including making use of the two swimming pools, five whirlpools, and Dr. Andrew Weil's spa and wellness program. Not to mention a card room, casino, library, observation bar, and beauty salon. There are several options for onboard dining (aside from complimentary in-suite dining), including a fine dining option, The Grill by world-renowned chef Thomas Keller, and an open-kitchen style option for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Most big-ship and luxury cruise lines send at least one cruise ship to Alaska every summer. Some of the best Alaska cruise lines are Holland America and Princess because they have especially long histories in the region and offer cruises, as well as cruise and land tour combinations, on multiple ships each season. 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.
Cruise lines often run sales in the fall or in the early months of the year (a period known in the cruise industry as "wave season"). You can take advantage of discounted fares, free upgrades or complimentary add-ons, such as Wi-Fi, gratuities, restaurant meals, beverage packages and tours. Some of the most desirable cabins might be sold out; being flexible about your sail date or itinerary can help. Generally, these one-way sailings travel from Seward or Whittier (the cruise ports closest to Anchorage) to Vancouver (or vice versa).
This site separates reviews by travel professional from those by regular travelers, thought the regular traveler reviews may be most helpful—with specific comments and complaints, from food quality to the number of deck chairs near the pool. There's not much detail, however, on Alaska, other than an overview of common ports. The king of review sites, there's as much detail here as you could imagine. You’ll find three main dining rooms, plus a pizzeria, gastropub, Italian restaurant, chop house, and Mediterranean bistro. Or, kick things up a notch with a Chef’s Table Lumiere experience of multiple courses with wine pairings. Spend your time listening to live music in the Crooners Bar, exploring cocktails from around the world at Good Spirits, and relaxing at the jazz club.
No comments:
Post a Comment