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If you prefer a more traditional cruise style that is laid back and full of seasoned travelers this may be the cruise line for you. When it comes to longevity, Holland America is the cruise line that tops everyone else. For over 75 years now, Holland America Line has been transporting passengers along Alaska’s coastline and has the awards to prove its commitment to its passengers. Two of the most well-known cruise lines to Alaska are Holland America and Princess Cruises, and we will start with these two lines first.
Best Inside Passage Alaska Cruise: Hurtigruten Expeditions, MS Roald Amundsen
As the major cruise lines operate many vessels in Alaska on a seasonal basis, there are also options for repositioning sailings, often including the Panama Canal or a transpacific crossing. The best time for an Alaska cruise is from late spring to early fall, and you’ll find lots of itineraries to choose from sailing from May to September. You’re going to want to start planning early, though, as these adventures are popular — the sooner you book, the better the cruise deals.
The Best Time to Cruise Alaska: Crowds, Weather and Cost Are All Factors
Proper footwear is also important and be sure to bring hiking shoes if you plan to enjoy outdoor activities. 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. Norwegian Cruise Line pioneered the idea of a special area for solo travelers on its ships with pricing designed for one. Norwegian Bliss is one of their ships with these studio cabins meant for one person and a lounge where they can mingle with other single travelers. Princess offers a “direct-to-the-wilderness” rail service, which means passengers can step off the ship and onto the train to head to their next adventure. That's especially true of large ships, so consider a small ship for cruising to Alaska, like UnCruise or Silversea, if those glaciers are high on your must-see list.
Best for families: Disney Wonder
Silver Muse in Alaska will feel more like they're on a five-star hotel than a cruise ship. Marble bathrooms come with full-sized bathtubs and separate showers, while passengers can choose from Bulgari or Ortigia amenities. Rooms aside, the ship features high-quality dining and included extras like select wine and spirits. The 4,000-passenger Encore boasts a handful of the features found on its sisters, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Sun, Norwegian Jewel, and Norwegian Spirit (which also offers Alaska cruises), as well as its own unique attractions. With a variety of dining, entertainment and recreational options, cruisers will never be bored or hungry.
The 8 Best Alaska Cruises to Take in 2024 - AFAR Media
The 8 Best Alaska Cruises to Take in 2024.
Posted: Wed, 27 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Princess has been sailing Alaska for over 50 years, and with six ships, five wilderness lodges, and its own domed rail car, this cruise line knows the region well. Now that we’ve covered the basics of all things Alaska cruising, keep reading to discover the best Alaska cruises for every type of traveler, featuring expert insight and award-winning picks. Ashton Palmer is a Seattle-based T+L A-List travel advisor who specializes in expedition cruises. Regatta offers an experience that's close to luxury without being all inclusive or priced sky high. A special zone for solo travelers is a rare concept in the cruise world, where almost all rooms for vacationers are designed for two people and sold with per-person fares that are based on two people occupying the room.
Check out lines like Alaskan Dream Cruises, Lindblad and UnCruise Adventures, which focus on immersive nature and wildlife experiences. The vibe onboard these ships is also more personalized due to their limited capacity. We suspect the lower starting prices for Holland America ships as compared to Carnival ships on Alaska sailings out of Seattle is because Alaska cruises from Seattle are round-trip voyages. Many Holland America fans who cruise to Alaska choose a one-way voyage to or from the state that lets them add extra days for touring in Alaska at the start or end of the voyage.
This is especially crucial if you're traveling in Alaska's shoulder season — May and September. Likewise, September marks the end of the summer season and welcomes cooler temperatures and more rainfall. Because you'll be spending a lot of time outdoors, it's important to prepare for all weather scenarios, including windy conditions common to sailing cruise ships.
Whether hiking a glacier, kayaking through the water, dog sledding, panning for gold or taking a panoramic helicopter ride, there is plenty to do. The best Alaska cruises are great for multigenerational trips with grandparents, their children and their grandchildren. A cruise to Alaska, “America’s final frontier,” is a glorious way to explore this enormous state. Certain cities, like Juneau, are only easily accessible by air or sea, which makes a cruise a reliable and convenient way to get there. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research.
Best Alaska cruise lines
Once guests finish communing with nature, they can indulge in gourmet cuisine in multiple restaurants, enjoy a complimentary cocktail or relax in an upscale spa. 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. Most Alaska itineraries include some "scenic cruising," where your ship sails past incredible natural sights.
For an incredible small-ship experience, look no further than the Lindblad Expeditions–National Geographic team-up. The largest of its ships that sail to Alaska can accommodate no more than 138 passengers — just a sliver of the 4,900 or so that Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas can hold. "Being on a smaller vessel means that you’ll be able to sail right up to less frequented glaciers, waterfalls and fjords," said Cicero. Good Housekeeping Contributing Travel Editor Karen Cicero and her daughter recently sailed on Majestic Princess, a Family Travel Awards Winner, and raved about the ship's amenities, especially the Hollywood Pool Club. "We saw grandparents and grandkids on the dance floor, at the shows, on the excursions — bonding moments were everywhere," Cicero said. If we were to pick one mega-ship operator to see Alaska on, it would be Norwegian Cruise Line.
So while you’re taking in the awe-inspiring sights around the ship, your family can be enjoying all kinds of onboard activities on the ship. Norwegian Cruise Line also sails some of its 169,00 gross ton Breakaway-class vessels to Alaska. Norwegian Bliss, Encore, and Joy are all mega ships with Norwegian and each have a go-kart track on board. This in addition to a ropes course, an impressive virtual reality arcade, laser tag and more. Another veteran of Alaskan sailings, Princess Cruises has been navigating these waters for over 50 years. But one of the biggest perks of cruising with Princess is the Alaska Lodges they provide with their land tours.
On either end of your sailing, you can tour on your own or book a cruise tour that combines a cruise and a land tour, which usually runs three to seven nights. An Alaska cruise from Seattle will visit the Inside Passage but tends to favor the open (and frequently bumpier) Pacific Ocean. Sailings from Vancouver tend to traverse more of the Inside Passage and spend a full day sailing this scenic region. You’ll want to carefully consider Alaska cruise packages and itineraries as the scenery, price and length of time all vary considerably.
These cruise lines, especially on their newer ships, offer something for everyone — as well as a higher caliber of onboard dining than on the cheapest cruises. You'll have up to two days of scenic cruising, in addition to sailing the Inside Passage. Because Gulf of Alaska cruises sail farther north, scenic destinations may include College Fjord, in addition to Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier. Cunard, a Carnival Corporation owned line, currently only sails out of Vancouver for its Alaska focused cruises. The line offers 7-13 night round-trip itineraries with the longer journeys visiting both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier, two of the most popular visits.
Most big-ship and luxury cruise lines send at least one cruise ship to Alaska every summer. Some of the best Alaska cruise lines are Holland America and Princess because they have especially long histories in the region and offer cruises, as well as cruise and land tour combinations, on multiple ships each season. Alaskan-owned and -operated Alaskan Dream Cruises dates back to 1970 when its parent company, Allen Marine, founded by Bob and Betty Allen, launched with the St. Michael. In those days, Bob ran the boat while Betty and her children served treats and tea to their guests. Today, Allen Marine operates 30 vessels, including the five ships that make up the Alaska Dream Cruises fleet, all of which accommodate between 12 and 76 cruise passengers.
In fact, most of the tourists that visit Glacier Bay National Park each year are cruise passengers. But there is a limit as to how many cruise ships and which cruise lines can visit the bay. Radiance of the Seas is one of the best Royal Caribbean cruise ships for Alaska, despite being older than her Quantum-class sisters which also cruise in the region. Also, if you want the best small cruise ships to Alaska, Seabourn Quest is the smallest on this list.
