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If you made it to the end of this article, chances are you’re already following our final tip on this list, and that is to read as many tips as you can about Alaska cruises before you set sail. No one enjoys navigating crowds, but it’s almost inevitable when cruising to Alaska. If you want to avoid the highest crowds, we recommend disembarking your ship early on each port day. Should your cruise encounter rough seas, an itinerary change, or another unforeseen circumstance, there’s a chance a showtime could get canceled or rescheduled. Booking reservations for earlier in the week ensures you have wiggle room in case of an unanticipated schedule change. While you can purchase packages once onboard, the cost may be significantly higher than what you could have booked ahead of time.
Denali Explorer
The cruise line, which is celebrating its Silver Anniversary at Sea, offers 23 five-, seven-, eight- and 9-night round-trip Alaskan itineraries aboard the Disney Wonder, all of which depart from Vancouver. 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. Mark this as your year to cross this bucket-busting destination off your list once and for all. Take off by dogsled across thousand-year-old ice as you soak in otherworldly sights. Trek across the majestic Mendenhall Glacier for breathtaking views of the wildest country.
OF ICE AND MOUNTAINS
Visit Alaska and get the experience for yourself at the Skagway Yukon Discovery and Dog Sled Tour. Go back in time to the Klondike Gold Rush on cruises to Skagway, Alaska, once the primary gateway to the goldfields. Cruise Glacier Bay’s pristine waters, be awe-struck by Kenai Fjords icefields and feed your wanderlust by adventuring into Denali National Park. Accompanied by two more National Parks, the 15-night cruisetour is designed for explorers and wanderers.
Alaska Cruisetours
Outside of a flightseeing tour, the Alyeska Aerial Tram in Girdwood delivers Alaska's best panoramic views in a matter of minutes. From the Alyeska Resort at the base of Mount Alyeska, you'll ascend 2,300 feet to the summit. From the tram, you can see for miles, with even more expansive vistas from the mountaintop observation deck. The panorama includes the seven hanging glaciers and the snow-capped peaks of the Chugach Mountains, the forested Chugach valley and out to the sparkling waters of the Turnagain Arm waterway. Be sure to look down, too, and you may see wildlife ambling across the mountain's slope.
SALMON IS CENTRAL
Check the tour’s cancellation policies—and whether or not they provide a guaranteed arrival back to port before your ship's departure—before booking. Search for shore excursions on websites like GetYourGuide.com and ShoreExcursionsGroup.com, and compare them to what you see on Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Planner. If prices are lower, or if there’s availability on a tour that’s sold out on the Cruise Planner, there’s no harm in booking through a third party. Speaking of excursions, it isn’t necessary to book excursions through Royal Caribbean. While booking shore excursions on Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Planner website is convenient, you might find more options (or lower prices) by booking through independent tour operators. Due to the popularity of excursions on an Alaska cruise, they can fill up quickly, so it’s important to book excursions well ahead of time.
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]
Sail into the Last Frontier from Seward or Vancouver onboard Radiance of the Seas®. With over three acres of windows and glass exterior viewing elevators, you can watch for whales along Alaska’s Inside Passage when you aren’t wandering wilderness paths from Ketchikan to Juneau. And for the ultimate outdoor adventure, take a CruiseTour into Alaska’s interior where you can hang with huskies in Denali, and scale glaciers in Alyeska. Adventuring in Alaska is all about getting to know this state's stunning landscape. Only an hour and a half from the cruise port of Whittier lies the largest city in Alaska – Anchorage. Visit the Chugach National Forest, the second largest national forest in the United States.
Explore Alaska
There's a reason why the best way to cruise Alaska is with Norwegian – we've got something for every type of traveler. The newly revitalized Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Spirit bring that and more with beautifully renovated spaces and staterooms. Sip a cocktail with spectacular views from the coziest spot at Spinnaker Lounge or take a dip in one of five luxurious hot tubs. Two more of our award-winning ships, Celebrity Solstice® and Celebrity Summit®, also offer unique opportunities to experience the wonders of Alaska.
Glacier Bay National Park
Ports such as Juneau and Ketchikan are each small cities with their own personalities. 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.
Alaska’s landscapes are spectacular, so you’ll want to brush up on your photography skills before your cruise. Cheap cruises are never a guarantee, but one trend we have noticed in the past few years is that Alaska cruises in the shoulder season are often heavily discounted at the last minute. Because of this, take a look at the main attractions in your embarkation city.
On an Alaska cruise, let us show you Glacier Bay National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier, College Fjord or Hubbard Glacier. The largest tidewater glacier in North America, Hubbard Glacier has been moving its mass towards the ocean at a rate faster than most of its kind. Towering above the water over 30 stories, the glacier often calves 100-foot chunks of ice into the ocean. What lies beneath the waves is almost as impressive, where ice plunges 1,200 feet beneath the surface.
Tour a working Alaska homestead and learn how the Great Land’s residents have become so self-sufficient. Or land in a helicopter on a glacier beneath the tallest peak in North America on your Alaska cruisetour. 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. From top-rated cruises that visit Glacier Bay National Park to scenic rail travel and exclusive Princess lodges, you will find a seamless Alaska experience with Princess.
Remove the hassle from air travel and give yourself the gift of flexibility, time and a thicker wallet with Princess EZair flights. We negotiate lower rates with the airlines, allow you to modify your flight up to 45 days prior with no penalty and protect you if your flight is late or canceled. We’ve curated the ultimate guide to visiting some of the most romantic destinations to vacation for couples. Most people tend to focus on the Caribbean for summer cruises, but an Alaska summer vacation can be a great option, too. Complete your adventure with the best Alaska tours before or after your cruise. Doing research will help you pack correctly, plan your travel logistics without any issues, and book that once-in-a-lifetime excursion you’ve dreamed about for years.
