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Programs like Princess Cruises' Cruisetours take the stress out of planning on-shore excursions and curate incredible itineraries for extensive, luxurious travel across the state. Most cruises offer shore excursions such as hikes, bus tours or other opportunities to get familiar with a local area. No matter which itineraries you choose to sail on from Seattle or Vancouver, the best way to maximize your Alaska cruise is with a CruiseTour. Added onto the beginning or end of your sailing, CruiseTours let you dive deeper into the Last Frontier with a few days spent on land under the midnight sun. One of the most popular draws to booking a CruiseTour is getting to spend some time in Denali National Park, a pristine, untamed wilderness of taiga forests and rolling tundra where you can scout for caribou, moose, sheep, bears, and more. It’s also home to the towering Denali, part of the Alaska Range and the tallest peak in America.
Alaska Ports of Call
Celebrity, a premier-category cruise line has 57 departures to Alaska scheduled this year. Starting with a six-day sail out of Vancouver on May 11, the namesake of Celebrity Cruises’ popular Edge class will make its Alaskan debut with weeklong roundtrips from Seattle through Sept. 13. The 2,918-passenger vessel features a unique “outside-in” architecture that provides more floor-to-ceiling glass on the exterior and expanded outdoor spaces to soak up the Alaskan coastlines. Led by an acclaimed Resident Tour Director®, each unique journey is expertly designed to offer incredible insider access and an intimate small-group experience. There are plenty of all inclusive Alaska cruises that make sure your every need is met for the quoted price.
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Our innovative gourmet excellence is perhaps our most talked about distinction, a promise that you will savour the best gourmet experience at sea. From fine French cuisine or delicate Asian options to relaxed Italian family-style meals, our chef's creativity knows no limits. For guaranteed bear viewing, head to the Fortress of the Bear near Sitka, which raises orphaned bears in a natural setting. The best time to visit Alaska is during its summer season, between May and September. 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.
Voyage of the Glaciers
Into the Wild: Luxury Cruises to Alaska - Luxury Travel Advisor
Into the Wild: Luxury Cruises to Alaska.
Posted: Mon, 25 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The best time for an Alaska cruise is from late spring to early fall, and you’ll find lots of itineraries to choose from sailing from May to September. You’re going to want to start planning early, though, as these adventures are popular — the sooner you book, the better the cruise deals. Whether you’re traveling with kids or looking for an unforgettable couple’s adventure, a vacation like this delivers on every level. From Alaska’s incredible natural wonders and awe-inspiring landscapes, to its rich cultural heritage and history, nothing beats a cruise to this wild northern paradise.
What to Expect on an Alaska Cruise
For more pampered vacation days and more time spent exploring the 49th state, choose the yacht-like, 458-passenger all-suite Seabourn Odyssey and its 11-night round-trip Vancouver voyage for your Alaska luxury cruise. 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. Below our experts tell you all you need to know about small luxury Alaska cruises, including which ships have the best amenities and what sets our definition of luxury apart from more mainstream cruises. Our list of the best luxury small ship Alaska cruises is hand picked and personally inspected by our experts to bring you only the finest vessels and experiences available in Alaska.
Highlights include a four- to six-mile hike through a rainforest past a glacial lake to Mendenhall Valley and kayaking to Hubbard Glacier. A professional photographer lectures and offers small-group workshops on how to capture perfect wildlife pics. Cruises are typically offered in three-night, seven-night, and even up to 28-night cruises.
Cruises from Seattle
Kicking things off for the second straight year is the 4,008-passenger Norwegian Bliss, which docked in rustic Skagway last week. With four mainstream-category ships homeported in either Seattle or Vancouver, Norwegian Cruise Line has nearly 100 more after that. When it comes to cruising in Alaska, you’ll be spoiled for choice as no other state has more coastline to explore.
Night Alaska Fjords & Canadian Inside PassageDetails
Many luxury Alaska cruises are also all-inclusive with activities, excursions and even alcohol included in the price. Curated voyages, intimate ships, personalized service - each step of your journey is about crafting that perfect Seabourn moment. With all-inclusive premium spirits and dining options, and nearly one staff member to each guest, enjoy service tailored to your needs, provided by staff members who know your name. A luxurious cruise means many things to many people but we feel that Silversea’s small ship cruises personify the true meaning of comfort and intimacy. Our ships are small enough to visit exceptional destinations; yet large enough to make sure that you may experience everything you could dream of. Most of Celebrity’s Alaska cruises sail round-trip from either Vancouver or Seattle.
Bigger, costlier accommodations come with complimentary welcome Champagne, a coffee maker and priority booking for shore excursions and restaurants. While not an expedition vessel, Seabourn Odyssey hosts about 14 experts on Alaska sailings, including academics, scientists and other wildlife experts. They guide the optional (extra fee) Ventures by Seabourn excursions, such as Zodiac, kayaking, hiking and catamaran tours.
Once the gateway to Alaska's Gold Rush, Skagway strikes a dramatic image nestled between the water's edge and mountains. Follow in the footsteps of miners with a ride on a scenic train along the famous White Pass route through coastal mountains. During your Alaska cruise, explore the Yukon's pristine wilderness, pan for gold with professionals or meet sled dog puppies in training. Alaska cruisetours combine our top-rated Voyage of the Glaciers cruise with three to ten nights on land exploring Denali National Park. Travel aboard our exclusive Direct-to-the-Wilderness® train and unwind at Princess Wilderness Lodges®. Every year Princess introduces more people to Denali National Park than any other cruise line.
From exploring historic gold mines to venturing in the footsteps of early explorers, learn about Alaska’s Inside Passage and discover the wonders awaiting you. No one does seafood quite like Alaska—which is why we brought the best of the Great Land on board, so you can experience it all with Princess. Alaskans are inviting people who love to share what makes their state unique. Watch lumberjacks in action, learn from Glacier Bay National Park rangers and craft with a Native totem pole carver. Or listen to harrowing Tales from the Deadliest Catch fishermen and climbers who have summited Denali during your Alaska cruise. They groan, creak and shudder on their march to the sea, punctuated by the booms and crashes of "white thunder" — a sound that echoes across the water when ice calves into the ocean below.
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.
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. In Sitka, 11 included excursions run the gamut from a mountain hike to an alpine lake with a Champagne toast to a three-hour kayak paddle to a floating base camp. Its seven-night Vancouver-to-Seward voyage visits every must-see port — including Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway — and also sails to the astonishing Hubbard Glacier. Silversea fares include most shore excursions, so you don't have to pay extra to immerse yourself in the best Alaska has to offer. Not counting grand voyages with itineraries so rich they make a visit to Alaska seem more like a pit stop, this cruise season will see more than 800 trips of mostly seven to 10 days starting or ending on this side of the Pacific.
Or visit a raptor rehab center where you can stare down a bald eagle eye to eye.
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. 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.
Some discount cruises to Alaska sacrifice sights for time and money, but that was far from my experience with this one. Every itinerary will give you access to two glacier-viewing experiences — including the famous Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, or College Fjord. If you’ve been keen to be exposed to the wonder of Alaska’s glaciers, this is one of the top Alaska cruises to consider. We are award-winning Alaska experts who helped pioneer small ship cruising in Alaska.
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