Table Of Content
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. Alaska cruise ports such as Juneau and Ketchikan are small cities with their own personalities. 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. If you're interested in the Midnight Sun, the longest day of the year is June 21, when you can experience close to 20 or more hours of sunlight in some parts of the state.
Juneau
This national park is a dream destination for any serious Alaska traveler. With some of the most stunning wilderness in existence and famous wildlife, it’s part of the definitive experience of traveling to the Great Land’s wild interior. With Princess, you won’t just explore Alaska’s landscapes, you’ll live amidst them in our custom-built wilderness lodges. Located riverside next to some of the most renowned national parks, these warm and welcoming lodges are the perfect spot to bask in Alaska’s best attractions. As a part of your Alaska cruisetour, explore and unwind with comforting amenities and breathtaking scenery.
Alaska Cruise Itineraries
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. Life onboard is made easy, too, with the cruise line’s revolutionary Medallion technology that not only keeps people traveling together connected, but makes buying gifts in ports a snap by charging purchases back to your cabin. The cruise line’s Voyage of the Glaciers itinerary offers two glacier viewing experiences, as well as a voyage across the Gulf of Alaska to see Prince William Sound, known for its abundance of marine and coastal life. Guests can extend their Alaska cruise with three- to 10-day day pre- and post-cruise tours.
Top Alaska Cruise Destinations
With commitment from Royal Caribbean, Alaska Railroad advances $137M plan to revamp Seward dock - Anchorage Daily News
With commitment from Royal Caribbean, Alaska Railroad advances $137M plan to revamp Seward dock.
Posted: Sun, 21 Apr 2024 15:12:29 GMT [source]
Because Gulf of Alaska cruises sail farther north, scenic destinations might include College Fjord, in addition to Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier. 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. Dive into The Points Guy's Alaska cruise guide for all the planning tips you need for your dream cruise up north.
Alaska Wildlife
Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. The ship's captain has the flexibility to seek out the best remote islands and bays for beachcombing, tide pooling, hiking and kayaking adventures.
You’ll also see whales; the Inside Passage is a great place to spot humpbacks and orcas. Look out for bald eagles perched in the trees, steller sea lions spread out on rocks, and cute sea otters bobbing in the water. To search for the Big Five—grizzly bears, wolves, caribou, Dall sheep, and moose—extend your vacation with a Cruisetour and a visit to Denali National Park. For a less testing but equally thrilling experience, you could join a whale-watching tour, or take a helicopter or floatplane flightseeing trip, soaring over forests and glaciers. Explore the cultures of the Native Alaskans, and learn about the Klondike Gold Rush. Alaska is all about exploring the Great Outdoors with family and friends, learning about US History and enjoying wildlife.
And learn more about the state's rich cultural past at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage. Nothing brings you closer to history and adventure than the best Alaska Cruise Tours with Royal Caribbean. Icy Strait Point is notable among Alaska cruise ports because the area and its attractions are all Native Alaskan-owned.
Roundtrip Alaska Cruise from Vancouver
When you cruise to Alaska with Princess, sail through one of the most iconic locations in the Great Land — Glacier Bay National Park. Listen to Margerie Glacier’s signature crack and boom rumble across the waves. Bring binoculars and scan both the shore and the waves for wildlife like brown bears and migrating whales while Park Rangers teach you the history and geology of the park.
Secure these savings online by choosing your nearest airport in step one of your cruise booking, and enjoy air-to-sea made easy. We'll coordinate your roundtrip flights, and transportation between the airport and cruise port. Regatta offers an experience that's close to luxury without being all inclusive or priced sky high. Radiance of the Seas offers Royal Caribbean's best in a more modest size, without sacrificing the variety of dining venues, great kids' programs and adrenaline-pumping activities the line is known for. The 2,112-passenger ship features the line's much-loved Giovanni's Table and Izumi, a 200-square-foot outdoor movie screen, rock climbing wall and a nursery for babies and toddlers. This is a ship that prides itself on dining and a relaxed, traditional cruising experience.
Some venture farther north into the Gulf of Alaska; these are often one-way cruises that begin and end at the ports near Anchorage. Sink into refreshed suites and a new lounge, plus dining and entertainment venues. Take in Alaska’s evergreen fjords and thunderous glaciers on this Vista-class Alaska cruise ship. Like everything else in Alaska, the Great Land’s national parks far exceed expectations. Read about Glacier Bay’s seven tidewater glaciers, Denali’s 6-million acres of undisturbed wilderness, Kenai Fjords' astonishing Exit Glacier and other national parks.
At first glance many mistake Victoria for an English coastal city or northern European town. 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. With no roads connecting it to the rest of Alaska or North America, it is truly a protected destination. Founded as a gold mining town and now the state’s capital, Juneau has one foot in history and one in the future. Embark on a whale watching tour, or sail past Mendenhall Glacier on an Alaska cruise.
An expedition team of Alaska experts join each voyage, hosting lectures about the areas the ships visit and guiding passengers on outings like nature walks through rainforests and kayaking trips around the foot of a glacier. Guests learn about the cultural heritage of remote communities and focus binoculars to spot bears, whales, caribou, moose, deer, wolves, birds and more. The MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen embark on 14- to 19-day Alaskan voyages between May and September. 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.
Get to know wildlife, big and small, that call this wilderness home, like otters, eagles, bears and whales. This is Last Frontier pioneering with the cruise line voted Best Overall by Travel Weekly readers for 20 years running. Below you can compare cruise itineraries for all ships sailing to Alaska for the next few years. With the Alaskan sailing season only six to seven months long, it’s a good idea to start planning now! Cruisers of all ages will enjoy the scenery, wildlife, and once in a lifetime shore excursions available on many Alaskan cruises.
The 450-passenger Seabourn Odyssey throws a dash of adventure into its luxurious surroundings. If you envision sipping Champagne as you watch a glacier thunderously calve into the sea, consider booking an all-inclusive luxury cruise on a Seabourn ship. 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. Princess Cruises is a line that offers something for everyone, and its Alaska-based Discovery Princess is our top choice for family reunion groups. Learn why our ships are uniquely designed for the best glacier experiences. Pay airfare for one guest, and you'll automatically lock-in roundtrip flights for two.
Between the natural masterpieces and the animate personalities, every part of Alaska tells an extraordinary story. On an Alaska cruisetour with Princess, discover what makes the Great Land so special, and craft your own tales of your time on land and sea. On the banks of the Chena River lies the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge®. With riverside dining and frontier décor, the Fairbanks Lodge is the perfect excuse to extend your Alaska cruise vacation and dive deeper into your surroundings. Cruise down the Chena River on a sternwheeler riverboat, pan for gold at Gold Dredge 8 or ride ATVs through surrounding forests underneath the midnight sun. Most of Celebrity’s Alaska cruises sail round-trip from either Vancouver or Seattle.
Most port and tour staff hail from Hoonah, Alaska's largest Tlingit village. The port is set on Chichagof Island, which is known for its large bear population. Wildlife lovers have plenty of opportunities to search for whales and eagles here; adventure-seekers won't want to miss the ZipRider, with its course of six zip lines. 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. The historic district still has a Wild West feel, though that's been a bit commercialized for the modern era.
