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It’s a great way to explore Alaska’s capital city, with lots of scenery and history along the way. There’s a bike and brew tour, which includes seeing the Mendenhall Glacier as well as a tasting of Alaskan beers. Or ride your bike out to Douglas Island for a tram ride, 1,800 feet up Mt. Roberts for some spectacular views. Pack Creek Bear Tours offers fully guided adventures to Admiralty Island or Chichagof Island, each home to more than 1,500 brown bears!
Alaska Souvenirs to Take Home With You So You Never Forget Your Trip Royal Caribbean Cruises
Guided tours offer a blend of serene nature walks and educational insights into the region's ecology and history. It's a chance to disconnect from the hustle and bustle and immerse yourself in the soothing sounds and sights of the forest. This low-impact activity is perfect for families and those looking for a peaceful retreat into nature. Ships in all price ranges sail a variety of itineraries, so don't let budget stop you from visiting. If luxury is what you're after, you can find lines that will go overboard pampering you on your journey north.
The Best Alaska Cruise Excursions at Each Port
Alaska might be one of the most beautiful places in the world, but it's rugged and can be tricky to get around. Explore the Last Frontier by cruise ship, and you can travel to gold rush towns, glaciers, Alaska Native heritage sites and natural areas brimming with wildlife in comfort, even luxury. Your Alaska cruise offers many opportunities to try things you might never have the chance to do again. You could walk on glaciers, snorkel in a dry suit in the frigid Alaska waters or play with sled dog puppies. We already mentioned salmon fishing, which is surprisingly fun, even if you'd never go fishing at home.
Additional Tips for Your Alaskan Adventure
Anchorage is the state's largest city and a gateway to the rest of the state. Denali National Park takes you out of the city altogether, into a wilderness full of spruce forests and snow-capped mountain peaks. On our family Alaska cruise, we created lifetime memories by sharing glacier spotting, dog sledding, flightseeing and other adventures with our teens. When planning a trip to Alaska, many travelers wonder if it's better to explore the state by land or by sea. Each option is designed to complement your own independent explorations for a complete and memorable Alaska vacation crafted with you in mind. Experience the authentic interior of Alaska in supreme comfort, with luxury transportation and accommodations.
Towering high in the center of the Alaska Range is the Denali, North America’s tallest peak at 20,310 feet. Central to the cultural heritage of the native peoples who have lived here for thousands of years, the giant mountain is the ultimate symbol of the Alaskan wild. Denali National Park remains a wild kingdom, where animals large and small, roam free. View Dall sheep, wolves, caribou, moose and the mighty grizzly bear among many. And come summer, they are joined by more than 160 species of migratory birds.
In between, passengers usually stop in Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, and then sail up College Fjord to see glaciers stretching their icy fingers into the sea. You'll see plenty of stunning scenery along the way but not up close – for most cruisers, it's more than enough to satisfy. There's nothing quite as exhilarating as a helicopter tour over Alaska's sprawling landscapes.
Best Shore Excursions On An Alaskan Cruise
HAL prides itself on having more permits for Glacier Bay National Park visits than any other cruise line. The cruise line also offers beloved live music programming, which I got to experience firsthand on a summer 2023 Alaska sailing. King's Blues Club, Billboard Onboard (a dueling piano bar), Lincoln Center Stage, and Rolling Stone Rock Room. After our shore excursions, we’d hop back on board the ship for drinks, dinner, and a nightcap at the dueling piano bar to jam out to hits from Billy Joel and Elton John.
The best time to cruise Alaska - The Points Guy
The best time to cruise Alaska.
Posted: Wed, 11 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
This is not nearly as boring as you might think since you'll see incredible sights like Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve or Hubbard Glacier. Nearly every major cruise line has a presence in Alaska from May through mid-September, with some offering sailings as early as April or as late as October. Cold temperatures, icy waters and a long snowy season are not conducive to early spring and late fall cruises. There are two great stops in Sitka to discover Alaska's wildlife up close. Visit the Alaska Raptor Center, where injured bald eagles and other birds are rehabilitated for eventual release into the wild. The Sitka Sound Science Center features a salmon hatchery, aquarium, and touch tank.
Salmon and Halibut Fishing: Catch and Ship
If you visit between June and July, you will even have the chance to see hundreds of salmon spawning in the creek. After enjoying a delicious home-cooked meal, visitors can take a short walk along the creek to view the Salmon Creek waterfall. The Mount Roberts Tramway also takes you a staggering 1,800 feet to the top of the mountain for a panoramic view of Juneau’s surrounding mountains and fjords. Juneau is steeped in history and offers the perfect mix of beauty and culture. By booking with us, you're helping to ensure a bright future for Alaskan tourism. Mary Curry is another T+L A-List advisor who specializes in small-ship cruises to Polar regions and the Galapagos.
The immediate port area will be filled with tourist shops and eateries. If you want to see nature at its finest, you must book a tour or venture farther afield. The personalized service and all-inclusive nature of luxury voyages might also be attractive to anyone celebrating a milestone, such as an anniversary, big birthday or retirement. Some lines also offer Alaska cruisetours that venture into Canada's Yukon, including a few Holland America tours that combine half a cruise with a cruisetour that starts or ends in Skagway. 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.
Shore excursions range from adventures like zip lining, hiking and rafting to seaplane exploration, photo safaris and high teas. Adults can enjoy themselves on an Alaskan Disney Cruise, too, with adult-exclusive dining; an adult-only pool and hot tub; fitness center; and Senses Spa & Salon. Alaska cruises first made their debut in 1881, when the Pacific Coast Steamship Company began cruising the Inside Passage aboard its two ships, the Ancon and the Idaho.
The area’s lake is generally protected from wind and currents, so this trip is suitable for beginners. The views are spectacular, with giant peaks surrounding the lake, and waterfalls flowing down from the mountains. Beginning in mid-July, you can often see sockeye salmon spawning in a shallow tributary stream. In August and September you have a good chance of seeing brown bear walking along the river and along the lake’s shore. Animal lovers of every age relish visiting the Kroschel Wildlife Refuge in Haines, a popular excursion among Royal Caribbean Alaska cruise passengers.
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. Choosing Alaska cruise excursions is critically important to your experience – if you choose lame ones, you’ll definitely come home disappointed. So who am I to make these suggestions that matter so much for your Alaska memories? I’m a gal who grew up in Alaska and worked for one of the major cruise companies for three summers – selling excursions just like these to people.
A Comprehensive Guide to Alaska Cruises - AARP
A Comprehensive Guide to Alaska Cruises.
Posted: Mon, 21 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
If you are traveling with teens or tweens, gold panning in Skagway is a fun, hands-on activity for the entire gang. Glaciers are ubiquitous and the variety of glacier-centric tour options runs from genial walks to full-on glacial climbs. Our mission is to craft new narratives around the world that are focused on the intersection of cruise travel and the upcoming generation. The Alaska Railroad is one of the most scenic train journeys in the US. And, if you're going to do a floatplane ride, there's nowhere better than in Ketchikan.
The journey provides spectacular views of mountains, gorges, waterfalls, and the untamed wilderness of the North. This excursion is ideal for history buffs and nature lovers alike, offering a comfortable yet thrilling way to experience Alaska's rugged beauty. Icy Straight Point offers an unparalleled whale-watching experience. The nutrient-rich waters here are a haven for humpback whales, orcas, and a plethora of sea creatures.
Like Whittier (farther below), Seward is most often used as an embarkation and debarkation port. As such, this is an excursion that's also limited to participants who are sailing on back-to-back cruises to/from Seward if you buy through the line. It's also open to those who are ending their sailing in Seward with a late-night flight out of nearby Anchorage (or with an overnight stay in the city), in which case the tour includes an airport transfer, too.
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