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Also, if you want the best small cruise ships to Alaska, Seabourn Quest is the smallest on this list. It is ideal if you hate crowds or enjoy a more intimate atmosphere where guests mingle and share tales of their shore excursions each day. The luxury cruise lines are your best bet if you're a couple and enjoy spacious suites, gourmet food, pampering (many luxe lines hire butlers to cater to every passenger) and the opportunity to meet other like-minded cruisers. The personalized service and all-inclusive nature of luxury voyages may also be attractive to anyone celebrating a milestone, such as an anniversary, big birthday or retirement. Finally, you'll find some San Francisco round-trip itineraries — usually 10 or 11 nights long — as well as longer sailings between San Francisco and Vancouver.
Winner: Royal Caribbean
Also, "some of the excursions in Alaskan ports venture into Canada and will require a passport," explained Cicero. For instance, you may take the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway from Skagway into Yukon, a Canadian territory. Your passport will need to be valid for at least 6 months following the cruise.
Best Alaska Cruises 2023
With its intimate size and maneuverability, world-class dining, social atmosphere, and high-end amenities, Seabourn Cruises is a luxurious way to explore America’s Last Frontier. You’ll never feel nickeled and dimed on American Queen Voyages because everything you want—from guided tours to drinks—is already included in the price. Between the gentle rocking of the ship and the Ultra Tranquility Bed, you’re sure to sleep like a baby. The Millennium offers Edge series staterooms with Infinite Veranda—at the touch of a button, your entire living space becomes the veranda, which means you can walk right out to the water’s edge. And 99% of the staterooms on Celebrity Edge have king-size beds, featuring Celebrity eXhale bedding and Cashmere mattresses. By understanding what different types of cruises are available, you can more easily discover the best Alaskan cruise line to fit your needs.
Best for multigenerational travel: Discovery Princess
Royal Caribbean vs Princess to Alaska: which cruise line is better? - Royal Caribbean Blog
Royal Caribbean vs Princess to Alaska: which cruise line is better?.
Posted: Thu, 13 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Multiple times a day, guests are invited to disembark for a closer look at the true wilds of Alaska. That could entail going kayaking among bobbing bits of glacial ice in Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness, or going for a Zodiac ride in Frederick Sound to view whales up close. Another option includes trekking on lesser-known forest trails and getting an explainer on tide pools along smaller islands.
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With character meet and greets, the only cruise line with fireworks at sea, and first-run Disney movies, there will be plenty to keep the whole family busy between ports of call. Sailing in region for over 75 years now, Holland America Line has six ships scheduled to sail in Alaska for the 2023 cruise season. Ovation of the Seas is nearly 169K gross tons and features several thrills for all ages along with a variety of dining and entertainment options.
Windstar Cruises
Passengers love the Club, the hangout for afternoon tea and nighttime dancing. 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. Founded over 180 years ago, Cunard is one of the oldest and most iconic cruise lines, operating a fleet of ships named after queens. The voyages to Alaska take place aboard Queen Elizabeth which holds just over 2,000 guests.
Vancouver to Whittier Cruises
On a cruisetour, you'll sail a one-way Gulf of Alaska cruise, so your cruise starts or ends in Alaska. Depending on the tour itinerary you choose, you might visit Seward and the Kenai Peninsula, Alyeska, Talkeetna, Anchorage and Fairbanks — as well as spend one to three nights in Denali National Park. You'll find magnificent mountains (often snow-capped, even in the summertime), lush forests, waterfalls, fjords and calving glaciers. If it's marine life you've come to see, you'll find it in abundance, from whales and dolphins to sea lions and harbor seals. On land, you'll likely spy bears and Dall sheep while eagles, puffins and a host of seabirds circle above. Glacial ice carved this passageway long ago, and today, cruise ships and fishing vessels thread their way through the islets and channels to see some of the most spectacular natural sights in the world.
The best Alaska cruise for every type of traveler - The Points Guy
The best Alaska cruise for every type of traveler.
Posted: Mon, 05 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
To complete the luxury experience, book at least a concierge-level veranda (to add free laundry service, cashmere lap blankets, priority boarding and more to your list of perks). The best Alaska luxury cruises also deliver the pampering luxe-lovers crave. Smiling servers will pass you mugs of hot chocolate while you gape at calving icebergs. Cashmere blankets await you in your suite, so you can stay warm and cozy on your private veranda while taking tail-flipping whale pics. Whether you're interested in whale-watching, seeing majestic glaciers or exploring Tongass National Park, there’s plenty of itineraries to choose from.
The best Alaska cruises out of Seattle for retirees, in our view, are the sailings offered by Holland America on both the 1,964-passenger Westerdam and 2,104-passenger Eurodam. Looking for the best Alaska cruise from Seattle if you're bringing three generations of your family along for the ride? We can think of nothing better than a voyage on one of the two Princess Cruises ships that sail out of the city, the 3,660-passenger Discovery Princess and 3,560-passenger Royal Princess.
That makes these ships more appealing to an older demographic that doesn't necessarily want to be on a vessel that's loaded to the gills with children's fun zones and the younger family travelers drawn to that. Notably, the average age of Princess passengers is around 57, and you'll usually see many couples on board in their 50s, 60s and 70s. Solo passengers on Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Bliss will also find a sometimes rollicking bar scene, with plenty of counter-style seating in bars that are a great place to meet other solo travelers and friendly guests.
Of course, even within a cruise line, the price can vary based on time of year you travel, the type of cruise cabin you pick, and other factors. Alaskan Dream Cruises is unique in that it offers small-vessel expeditions — no more than 76 passengers per sailing, compared to the thousands who could be aboard giant Alaska cruise liners. Itineraries combine excursions in Alaska towns and native villages with glacial bay and fjord sailings. Whether you want to witness epic wildlife, see calving glaciers in person, or check the so-called Last Frontier off your bucket list, an Alaska cruise deserves your consideration. I was born and spent my young childhood in Alaska, and the natural beauty of the state is unparalleled.
Oceania’s cruise ships offer a five-star experience – not quite as decadent as some of the ultra-luxury ships sailing in the Alaska region, but a clear step above mainstream cruise lines in terms of service, decor, dining options and more. 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.
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. 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. A trip to Alaska is at the top of many travelers’ bucket lists, and for good reason. Alaska Season Itineraries and CruisetoursThrough September 2024, guests can embark on Holland America Line's Alaska cruises and Cruisetours from Vancouver and Seattle aboard Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam and Zaandam.
While these cruises lack the standard amenities such as restaurants, gift shops, entertainment shows and kids clubs, they make up for it in experiences you cannot match elsewhere and the lack of crowds found on larger vessels. On Holland America Koningsdam, which sails in Alaska, you will find a subset of solo cabins with pricing for one, too. Also, this is the only cruise line to allow passengers to share a cabin with someone of the same sex they do not know and still pay the solo cabin rate. Most ships in the region have activities for kids, but Disney excels in this regard. Other fun activities include Carnival’s Seuss at Sea program with Dr. Seuss characters on the Carnival Miracle, the Carnival Legend and the Carnival Splendor. There is also Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas, with surf sessions using the FlowRider on the deck and a skydiving simulation.
