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Grand Princess is a good choice for all passengers – solo, couples and families. There’s plenty to do onboard, and the service is very good, but it’s not a party ship and has quite a relaxed vibe onboard. Expect a premium experience onboard – not quite ultra-luxury cruising, but a step above mainstream cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean.
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Lux ships with Silversea Cruises include shore excursions at each port of call. Butler service and multiple dining options on board create a comfortable atmosphere. These particular ships take between 1,400 and 2,600 passengers, the perfect size to visit some of the less-frequented ports of call. Even though Holland America Line has much larger vessels sailing Alaska, it also has mid-ship options, such as the 1,300-passenger Volendam. If you want that small-ship, luxury cruise experience for your Alaska trip, this is absolutely one of the better ships to choose.
Top Tips for Planning a Cruise to Alaska
Be sure to join my email list for my best cruise tips and handpicked deals each week. A quick note on how I pulled this list together, because there are a couple of important things to clarify. 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. The Celebrity Millennium, launched in 2000, has recently undergone complete modernization, which includes luxury staterooms, enhanced technology, and renovated restaurants and lounges.
Award-Winning Alaska Cruise Ships
All 98 cabins face out (no inside cabins), and 68 of those feature step-out balconies. If you’re looking for something less time consuming than an Arctic excursion, but are still looking for stunning views of glaciers and wildlife, day cruises are a great option for young families and adventurers alike. Starting in 2024, Uncruise Adventures will be offering a winter cruise, where winter sports and northern lights viewings are all part of the package! Running February through March, this is a great option for travelers looking to experience Alaska during the winter months. Many cruise lines also travel to additional locations such as Sitka, Hoonah/Icy Strait Point, and Haines. Programs like Princess Cruises' Cruisetours take the stress out of planning on-shore excursions and curate incredible itineraries for extensive, luxurious travel across the state.
That includes warm days, where even being near a glacier or a passing cloud (or socked-in rain) can make things chilly. Embarking and disembarking in Seattle or Vancouver can make air travel easier and cheaper than one-way Alaska cruises, which require flights to smaller, more expensive airports in Alaska. An Alaska Inside Passage cruise typically lasts seven nights, embarking and returning to Seattle or Vancouver. Luxury cruises to Alaska on smaller ships can be a great option for those looking to pair remote wilderness with a bit of pampering. Your best high-end bets are Oceania, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea and Windstar.
Alaskan Dream Cruises’ itineraries are designed by Alaskans who know their area and are passionate about sharing their state’s natural beauty, history, and culture with guests. Passengers can expect to see glaciers, rainforests, waterfalls, and wildlife such as whales, bears, and eagles. An 18-night Alaskan sailing with the line will take you to off-the beaten-path places like Wrangell, Kodiak, Chignik, Unga Island, St Paul Island, St Matthew Island and Nome. At $10,000 to $13,000 per person for ocean-view cabins on an 18-night sailing it might be out of the reach of some, but if you truly want an expedition to Alaska, Hurtigruten is among the best. MS Roald Amundsen carries 530 guests on its 21,000 gross ton frame and is currently the ship sailing to Alaska for the Norwegian owned company. You can also extend your cruise with some land tours with 5 to 6 extra nights in Denali, Talkeetna, and Fairbanks.
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. Dawn Gabree is a travel advisor who specializes in Alaska cruises at Travels by Danielle. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. There’s plenty to do on board, too, including making use of the two swimming pools, five whirlpools, and Dr. Andrew Weil's spa and wellness program. Not to mention a card room, casino, library, observation bar, and beauty salon.
Sitka
For those looking for a couples retreat, Viking Cruises cater exclusively to adults. The minimum age is 18, and the ship is designed for a luxurious and tranquil experience, so you can truly get away from it all. I could also put UnCruise Adventures in this category but I’m going to add it to the one below as it does something no one else offers. Depending on where you live the embarkation port might determine which cruise line to Alaska is best. After all, every cruise line has their own specialty and caters to a certain kind of traveler. If you’re looking for the best cruise line for Alaska you may not realize just how many choices you have.
Longer sailings from the West Coast
"Royal Caribbean had the first rock-climbing wall and ice-skating rink on a cruise ship," said Cicero. "This line is an especially good fit for families with tweens, teens and young adults," said Cicero, who sailed on Royal Caribbean with her teen daughter. This global cruise line whisks passengers to Alaska from popular ports such as Seattle and Vancouver.
The waters before you enter the Inside Passage can be calm, rough or anything in between, depending on when you go. 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. Most sail along the Inside Passage, a maritime route along the state's southern coast (and into British Columbia and Washington state) that weaves around the area's thousand islands. Some venture farther north into the Gulf of Alaska; these are often one-way cruises that begin and end at the ports near Anchorage.
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.
Alaska cruise packing list: What to pack for a cruise up north - The Points Guy
Alaska cruise packing list: What to pack for a cruise up north.
Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 17:15:00 GMT [source]
Finally, you'll find some round-trip San Francisco itineraries — usually 10 or 11 nights long — as well as longer sailings between San Francisco and Vancouver. Discovery Princess is the newest ship on our list of the most popular cruise ships in Alaska, which makes it a tough competitor in the region. 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.
There are 75 cruise ships sailing to Alaska over the next couple of years. 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 might also be attractive to anyone celebrating a milestone, such as an anniversary, big birthday or retirement.
We can’t imagine a better way to rest and relax after spending a day exploring the Alaskan wilderness. Our travel experts suggest choosing one of Celebrity's many Alaska itineraries that sail through the Inside Passage and up to Dawes Glacier or Hubbard Glacier, two of the state’s gems. They tend to have fewer families – a bonus for a romantic getaway – and a loyal following of regular passengers – a great way to make new friends. Additionally, you may have the option of sailing from larger cities, which translates to money saved on transportation. Stopping along many ports of call through the Inside Passage, their itineraries offer a detailed view of this area of the state, including up-close Zodiac/kayak trips to glaciers. A third excellent option is the destination-focused itineraries aboard select Celebrity Cruises ships.
For all the beer lovers planning an Alaskan cruise vacation, we’ve curated the ultimate zythophile guide to visiting 5 of the best craft breweries in Alaska. Find the most Instagrammable places for your next vacation cruise to Alaska. Come discover the prettiest spots to take pictures with our travel photo guide.
Then there’s the massive indoor activity zone called the SeaPlex featuring bumper cars, laser tag and even pickle ball. These solo cabins get our vote because they're located in a complex where a private lounge encourages mingling. Lone travelers can also meet their shipmates while waiting to hop into a race care on the ship's go-kart track, at a showing of "Jersey Boys" or over a muddled drink at the Sugarcane Mojito Bar.
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