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To secure your spot, book excursions well in advance or as soon as they're available. The variety of sailings to Alaska is also another reason to choose Norwegian. "If Hawaii is also on your bucket list, Norwegian is one of the only cruise lines to offer a 16-day cruise departing from Honolulu that sails through both Hawaii and Alaska so you explore two dreamy destinations on one vacation," said Cicero.
Oceania Cruises
On Radiance of the Seas, you can enjoy the typical Royal Caribbean experience – one packed with fun activities, great live entertainment, loads of dining options and more. Choose this ship if you want the cruise itself to be just as exciting as the destination. Along with Vancouver, she offers some of the best cruises to Alaska from Seattle, Anchorage and even smaller ports like Fairbanks – flexibility is always a good thing when planning when and where you’re cruising. True, it’s a high price you pay, but this is a ship aimed at people who want to feel truly special. Viking’s ships are all quite new and so offer guests beautiful accommodation options and public areas to unwind.
Lindblad Expeditions’ Exploring Alaska’s Coastal Wilderness
The two-year-old Discovery Princess sails round trip to Alaska from Seattle, a convenient U.S. home port for families to fly or drive to. Its "North to Alaska" program will delight kids with sled dog puppies in the ship's Piazza, and lure their parents and grandparents with local seafood on restaurant menus and onboard cultural programming with Alaska residents. Holland America Line has offered Alaska cruises for 75 years and is clearly a market leader. The line tops the list in terms of cruises, as well as cruise tours, which combine time sailing with overnight stays on land.
Radiance of the Seas is Loaded With Windows For Alaska Scenic Cruising
Guests will enjoy Misty Fjords National Monument and Tongass National Forest. Culture and history enthusiasts will appreciate the popular port of call of Icy Strait Point as it is a charming town full of Alaskan culture. Guests can witness a tribal dance, view wildlife at parks, and go on a ZipRider. The best part is that guests can choose from a variety of experiences to suit their family’s needs.
What to Pack for An Alaskan Cruise: A Complete Checklist - Travel + Leisure
What to Pack for An Alaskan Cruise: A Complete Checklist.
Posted: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 21:11:15 GMT [source]
Dining on Discovery Princess
Viking Ocean Cruises recently nabbed a 2023 World’s Best Award in the midsize-ship ocean cruise lines category, coming in at first place for the second year in a row. The line’s identical ocean ships offer a sleek Scandinavian design, which only enhances the tranquil atmosphere on board. The luxury adults-only line is also all-inclusive, covering meals, activities, most beverages, Wi-Fi, port taxes and fees, spa access, and one complimentary excursion in every port of call. Cruisers can bask in the mountain and glacier views from the comfort of their private balcony — and, if they’re lucky, they may even spot a whale or two. Finally, in addition to classic ports like Juneau and Ketchikan, Viking Ocean Cruises’ Alaska itinerary also calls on Valdez, which is chock-full of natural beauty and outdoor adventure. The best Alaska cruises range from off-the-beaten-path voyages on vessels carrying fewer than 100 passengers to weeklong jaunts through the Inside Passage aboard megaships that hold thousands.
At Cruise Critic, we believe you need facts about dining, staterooms and onboard activities along with where the ship will stop to make the best decision. The Alaska’s Winter Sports & Northern Lights sailing takes place when most cruise lines can’t sail to Alaska. These trips take place as early as February and March and allow passengers to witness the Northern Lights and even enjoy some winter activities as skiing and ice skating. Silversea is another ultra luxury cruise line that carries guests to America’s northwestern coastline with all-inclusive packages.
Passengers can expect to see glaciers, rainforests, waterfalls, and wildlife such as whales, bears, and eagles. Not only are the ships fantastic, with incredible thermal suites in the spa, heated floors in the bathrooms, and elegant Scandinavian design, but the company really emphasizes getting the most out of each destination. It’s called “The thinking man’s cruise” for a reason, as the line does a great job in educating its passengers with some of the best experts in their field. 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.
Expect a premium experience onboard – not quite ultra-luxury cruising, but a step above mainstream cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean. Nieuw Amsterdam is best suited to solo travellers and couples, with more of a focus on relaxation and exploration than ‘fun’ during the cruise itself. If budget is a major factor when picking your ship for an Alaskan cruise, then consider the Carnival Miracle. She offers a range of cruises from San Francisco, though there are other Carnival ships sailing from Seattle too, if you prefer.
Glacier & Wildlife Day Cruises
And if you really want to experience Alaska in all its glory, Holland America has a 28-day sailing in June of 2024 that departs from Seattle. This particular itinerary sails all the way up the coast and above the arctic circle, allowing passengers to see remote places like Nome and Little Diomede Island. This is in addition to making calls at Prince Rupert, Haines, College Fjord, Anchorage, Homer, Dutch Harbor, Kodiak, Juneau, Tracy Arm, Sitka, and Ketchikan. Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth is operating roundtrip Vancouver sailings, bringing onboard topflight lecturers ranging from adventure traveler Bear Grylls to undersea archaeologist Mensun Bound on select voyages.
"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. You can choose a classic seven-night itinerary or a 13-night land-and-sea getaway. Disney Cruise Line's 1,754-passenger Disney Wonder (which can carry 2,713 guests when completely full) is the perfect size ship for a family cruise to Alaska. It's smaller than many of the megaships catering to families in this part of the world, so guests can view glaciers and enjoy shore excursions without feeling too crowded.
Some cruise lines offer pre or post-cruise fly-in opportunities to remote areas of Alaska, like leaving from Fairbanks to the visit the Arctic Circle. Both Eurodam and Westerdam mostly sail seven-night trips to Alaska out of Seattle. However, for 2024, Westerdam has added an epic new 28-night Alaska itinerary out of Seattle that will include calls in remote areas that most cruise ships never visit.
If you're traveling with young kids in Alaska and want an activity- and entertainment-packed experience, make a beeline for Disney Cruise Line and its Alaska-based Disney Wonder. The ship has an extensive children's program, high-quality entertainment, and such activities as water slides and play areas. The drawback of Grand Princess is her age – she’s over 25 years old now and despite careful renovation, it does show a little. She’s far from past her best, though, and if you don’t mind the slightly dated decor then she offers a comfortable experience, great as a base for exploring the Alaskan ports. Alaska is another very popular destination thanks to its incredible sights – the magnificent glaciers, the historic towns, and the varied wildlife, including whales and dolphins. For the coming year, for instance, as of this guide's posting, there were lots of Holland America sailings to Alaska from Seattle available for under $750 per person for seven nights — some as low as $429 per person for seven nights.
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. Norwegian Encore operates seven-night round-trip itineraries from Seattle that include time in Glacier Bay National Park with a park ranger onboard the ship. This full half-acre of real grass on the top deck offers some of the best views onboard in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.
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.
And if you’re traveling with a family of various ages you might want to consider a cruise on one of the mega ships that can keep everyone entertained, even teenagers. Don’t be surprised if it rains during your cruise, especially if you go during the peak season, but that’s just part of Alaskan weather. This sometimes means shore excursions will get canceled or postponed, so always have a backup plan. If we were to pick one mega-ship operator to see Alaska on, it would be Norwegian Cruise Line. If your idea of a good time includes loads of onboard amenities (like over-the-top spas, nightly theater productions, go-kart tracks, and a water park), this is the sailing for you. It’s also one of the more family-friendly lines sailing in Alaska, with kids clubs and programming specifically geared at youngsters.
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