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Discovering the Last Frontier by cruise ship means you have access to Alaska's national parks, massive glaciers and the deep fjords that spread out along its scenic coastal areas. When planning a trip to Alaska, many travelers wonder if it's best to explore the state by land or sea. While both options have their benefits, there's absolutely nothing like seeing Alaska's majestic natural beauty from the water.
Alaska Mountains & National Parks
Towering high in the center of the Alaska Range is the Denali, North America’s tallest peak at 20,310 feet. Central to the cultural heritage of the native peoples who have lived here for thousands of years, the giant mountain is the ultimate symbol of the Alaskan wild. Denali National Park remains a wild kingdom, where animals large and small, roam free.
Alaska Cruise Experience
After enjoying the untamed beauty, return to your Alaska cruise and rejuvenate your spirit in The Spa. Watch for whales and dolphins from the privacy of your Infinite Veranda stateroom, where the touch of a button brings the outside in. Our cruisetours combine an ocean cruise with a land tour into Alaska’s interior. Watch northern wilderness views unfold from aboard our glass-domed train, the McKinley Explorer®.
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View Dall sheep, wolves, caribou, moose and the mighty grizzly bear among many. And come summer, they are joined by more than 160 species of migratory birds. Complete your adventure with the best Alaska tours before or after your cruise. Combine a cruise + train + lodge + Denali for an in-depth Alaska experience. From exploring historic gold mines to venturing in the footsteps of early explorers, learn about Alaska’s Inside Passage and discover the wonders awaiting you.
Most ships boast a “Music Walk,” a section home to venues like B.B. King's Blues Club, Billboard Onboard (a dueling piano bar), Lincoln Center Stage, and Rolling Stone Rock Room. After our shore excursions, we’d hop back on board the ship for drinks, dinner, and a nightcap at the dueling piano bar to jam out to hits from Billy Joel and Elton John.
Don’t wait any longer, riding the world's longest zip line in Alaska will be an experience you'll never forget while on your next Alaskan mountain adventure. The best Alaska food to try on a cruise includes king crab, salmon, fry bread, birch syrup, wild berries and more. Exploring the interior of Alaska will give you an entirely different perspective on this vast and rugged state. Take an Inside Passage cruise and gaze upward at the sky that is as blue as the lakes below. Hop on the Alaskan Railroad near Anchorage and see the spruce-lined, mountainous landscape whir by from a new perspective.
Seabourn Cruise Line
Once the gateway to Alaska's Gold Rush, Skagway strikes a dramatic image nestled between the water's edge and mountains. Follow in the footsteps of miners with a ride on a scenic train along the famous White Pass route through coastal mountains. During your Alaska cruise, explore the Yukon's pristine wilderness, pan for gold with professionals or meet sled dog puppies in training. Icy Strait Point is home to the remote Tlingit village of Hoonah, home to fewer than 800 people and a deep Native history.
Top 10 Alaska Cruises
According to Goldring, both Seabourn Quest and Seabourn Odyssey offer similar Alaska itineraries in 2024; however, it will be the latter’s final sailing since it was sold. While pulling into port one day, I remember digging into a hearty lunch of fish and chips featuring fresh-caught Alaskan halibut. (HAL is the first cruise line to serve fresh, certified-sustainable Alaskan seafood.) As of September, acclaimed chef Masaharu Morimoto is the Fresh Fish Ambassador as part of the line’s Global Fresh Fish Program. Cruisers can try his flavorful seafood dishes during their sailing.
Hotels With Cruise Shuttles For Every Major Port in America
Ready to set sail? Royal Caribbean announces summer cruises from Texas, Florida ports - USA TODAY
Ready to set sail? Royal Caribbean announces summer cruises from Texas, Florida ports.
Posted: Fri, 04 Jun 2021 07:00:00 GMT [source]
In downtown Ketchikan, you can watch salmon swim upstream to spawn in July and August; just look down under the Creek Street boardwalk. Or wander around the old-time main street of Skagway to check out saloons filled with staff dressed in period outfits. In Sitka, you can walk through the towering spruce and western hemlock trees of Sitka National Historical Park to admire the totem pole collection donated by Alaska's Tlingit and Haida nations over the past century. And it's always an appetizing idea to sample some fresh fish and chips at a local restaurant. If you're lucky, you'll witness the glaciers calving and get to see huge chunks of ice break off and crash dramatically into the water with a splash.
All you need to do is unpack once and wake up each morning to greet another beautiful Alaska day. Pack binoculars for spotting all that incredible wildlife, and camera lens or smartphone. Remember swimwear for the ship; even if it’s cool outside, the Solarium on board is climate controlled and covered, so you can relax on a lounger in the warmth, and swim in the pool. If you’re about to embark on your dream vacation and don't know what to pack for an Alaska cruise, here is the ultimate Alaska cruise packing list. Sail from Vancouver to North America’s biggest glacier, seven miles wide and the height of a 30-story building. Ports along this Alaska cruise include Ketchikan; Juneau, the perfect spot for whale-watching; and Icy Strait Point, where you can search for bears and eagles.
Ships can often cruise close enough to a glacier's terminal moraine that you can hear and see the movement of the ice. And for glaciers that you can't see from the ship itself, you can sign up for an excursion that will get you there by a small boat, kayak or motorcoach. In contrast, visiting Alaska by sea on a cruise ship is convenient and a great value, considering meals, accommodation and entertainment are included in the fares. Celebrity’s Alaskan cruises range from six to seven nights, but if you extend your voyage into a Cruisetour, the duration is nine to 13 nights. You could also consider extending your vacation with a night or two in either Vancouver or Seattle, depending on which itinerary you have chosen.
Cruisers of all ages will enjoy the scenery, wildlife, and once in a lifetime shore excursions available on many Alaskan cruises. No vacation in the world delivers once-in-a-lifetime adventure like Alaska. 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.
Encounter wildlife in their natural habitat at the Fortress of the Bear. Or experience the culture of Russian Alaska on a visit to St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church, and relive Native history at the Sheldon Jackson Museum. Whether you're interested in hiking through a forest, trekking to glaciers or a shopping spree downtown, the towns along Alaska's inside passage provide a variety of adventurous activities. Alaska cruise ports such as Juneau and Ketchikan are 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.
