Cruises to Alaska

Why Cruise?

• Take a cruise too make the most of your holiday, where the journey itself is part and parcel of the whole experience.
  
• A cruise offers a luxurious holiday in adventurous places. Alaska is one area of the world that is difficult to get to, unless of course you go by cruise ship.
  
• Alaska attracts cruise passengers, from May to October, to see its vast and unspoilt landscape of mountains, forests, glaciers and fjords. Its spectacular scenery and wildlife are the main attractions of the area which covers more than 580 thousand miles.
  
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  Alaska adventure
  There are two basic Alaska itineraries:
  
• The classic “Inside Passage” cruise begins and ends in Vancouver. It is a round-trip, one-week cruise, named because it lies within a long chain of coastal islands which act as a buffer from the open waters of the North Pacific.
  
• An “Inside Passage” cruise usually includes visiting tidewater glaciers, such as those at the head of narrow, cliff-sided Tracy Arm, or those found in the many inlets of Glacier Bay.
  
• The “Glacier Route” itinerary includes the Gulf of Alaska in a one-way route between Vancouver and Anchorage.
  
• These straight-line cruises are referred to as the “Glacier Route” because they include some of Alaska's most impressive tidewater glaciers, such as Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat Bay and Columbia Glacier in College Fjord, Prince William Sound.
  
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  Exciting sights
  
• Alaska offers one of the widest ranges of shore excursions of any cruising area and it is one of the main reasons that people will choose to take an Alaskan cruise.
  
• Most passengers take an Alaskan cruise to enjoy its relatively unexplored wilderness. Trips to glaciers, fjords and mountain lakes are a must.
  
• Other shore excursions include floatplanes & helicopter flights seeing over the glacier-filled valleys and rugged mountains, flying low enough for passengers to see mountain goats and other wildlife such as roaming bears.
  
• Passengers can also take rafting, boating and kayaking excursions.
  
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  What wildlife
  Wildlife can include killer, humpback and minkie whales, dolphins, porpoises, sea otters, bears and bald eagles, with excellent opportunities for some really great wildlife photography.
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  Seeing more
  
• To make the most of an Alaskan cruise more and more passengers are opting to extend it with an overland stay.
  
• Alaska has an extensive programme of land tours, which can include plying the Yukon River on board a paddleboat or taking a private railcar to Denali National Park to view North America's highest peak - Mt McKinley.
  
• Another overland tour, out of Vancouver, is a coach tour or rail journey to the Canadian Rockies, where the Banff and Jasper National Parks are famous for their alpine display.
  
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  Did you know?
  
• The 49th state of the USA is the largest in the Union, and boasts eight National Parks.
  
• Nearly a third of the total land area lies inside the Arctic Circle.
  
• The people are from mixed descent; the indigenous Indian tribes maintain much of their tradition and culture, living alongside descendants of the gold prospectors who started to arrive at the end of the 19th century.
  
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  Ports of call
  visited on an Alaskan cruise include:
  
• Anchorage - Alaska’s largest city.
  
• Juneau - the capital of Alaska, founded in the 19th century by gold prospectors. It is the second largest city in the world if measured by area, yet with a population of under 25,000.
  
• Ketchikan - on one of the many islands of the Alaskan Panhandle, began as an Indian fishing village.
  
• Skagway- one of Alaska’s tiniest outposts, although 20,000 gold prospectors once visited.
  
• Sitka - the former capital of Russian America, is where the official transfer of Alaska to the United States took place in 1867.
  
• Seward - is a fishing port on the Kenai Peninsula.
  
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  Ships of all sizes
  
• Most of the voyages are on large ships offering traditional experiences including all the luxury and comfort passengers associate with cruises.
  
• There are also smaller ships that can cruise into areas some of the larger vessels have to miss, getting even closer to the glaciers.
  
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  Weather report
  
• In summer the climate is mild and moist, and it is possible to enjoy twenty-one hours of sunshine in a single day, and the temperature can rise to 28 degrees.
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  How to get there?
  
• Alaskan cruise itineraries are fly-cruises, flying from an airport in the UK to Vancouver, although a few do start in San Francisco and others from Alaska’s own ports of Seward and Anchorage.
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  Cruising value
  
• Cruises offer fantastic value for money as accommodation, flights, all food and shipboard activities are included in the price.
  
• Some companies are now including shore excursions and onboard tips in the cost. Pound sterling and dollars are the most common onboard currencies, and the official currency of the area is US dollars.
  
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  Who goes there?
  CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE
  Carnival’s Alaskan cruises are perfect for passengers who enjoy a carefree and informal cruise style whilst enjoying the sights from the comfort of their ship.
  
  CELEBRITY CRUISES
  Celebrity Cruises travels to Alaska on board its ships Galaxy and Mercury. Both ships have been specifically designed to provide an optimum experience of Alaska’s scenery, with large observation lounges and an indoor pool featuring a retractable glass roof.
  
  CRYSTAL CRUISES
  During the Summer months Crystal Cruises operates the six-star rated Crystal Harmony in Alaska. Cruises depart San Francisco or Vancouver, featuring the opportunity to cruise the Inside Passage; with visits to ports of Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan.
  Crystal offers a wide range of exceptional, optional shore excursions.
  
  HOLLAND AMERICA LINE
  Holland America is offering a series of Alaskan programmes on board a choice of six luxurious ships. The cruise tours cover a vast itinerary, focusing on the wildlife of the area, and range from nine to 18 days including nights spent travelling overland.
  
  NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
  Norwegian Cruise Line has recently doubled its fleet to Alaska with the Norwegian Dynasty joining the Norwegian Wind on a series of seven night cruises. Choose a roundtrip cruise from Vancouver or sail between Vancouver and Seward in Alaska.
  
  PRINCESS CRUISES
  Princess Cruises features six ships on four glacier-rich itineraries, including the Sun and Dawn Princess, two of the largest superliners in Alaska. These Grand Class ships offer a broad range of activity and entertainment in a warm and intimate atmosphere.
  
  RADISSON SEVEN SEAS CRUISES
  Seven Seas Mariner, the world’s first all-suite, all balcony ship, allows guests to explore Alaska, the world’s last great wilderness, in complete luxury. Mariner offers the chance to discover unchartered territories and get close to the abundant wildlife, such as whales playing in the wake. With fly-cruise itineraries ranging from seven to 18 nights, guests can make the most of the intimate surroundings of Mariner, which boasts the exclusive Carita de Paris Spa and a ratio of one crewmember to every 1.6 guests.
  
  ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL
  Royal Caribbean International is offering two nine-night itineraries in Alaska onboard Rhapsody of the Seas and Vision of the Seas. Both ships will be visiting all the major ports and the cruises can be combined with a five-night Canadian Rockies motorcoach tour.
  
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