There’s an Alaska cruise for everyone – whether your ideal vacation involves whale-watching or marveling at glacially carved fjords! Discover which ships best suit your travel style and budget.
Market leader Holland America Line provides an array of itineraries on its mid-sized fleet. Silversea and Seabourn specialize in luxurious voyages that emphasize wildlife encounters on smaller vessels.
Adventures
By sailing on smaller vessels with fewer people onboard, smaller cruises provide greater access to wildlife, landscapes and towns. On these cruises you may spot bears at Katmai National Park and sail into fjords formed by glaciers; hike and paddle to glacier-carved fjords, or simply laze around on deserted beaches; plus you’ll experience Alaska’s wild side from towering mountains to moss-draped taiga forests!
Explore Alaska with an Alaska adventure cruise! Some excursions specialize in visiting one or multiple national parks; others can travel deeper into its interior and wilderness regions. Land tours provide even greater immersive experience. Select an itinerary from our list below or contact a Tour Advisor specialist who can customize a trip tailored specifically to you and your travelers – one point of contact during planning process and booking is handled for them through specialists!
Wildlife
Alaska is often defined by its spectacular wildlife. Images of lumbering brown bears hunting salmon from streams or majestic bald eagles plundering fish from waters have become iconic images representing America’s wildest state.
The best Alaska cruises combine land and water wildlife tours. On the water, naturalist-led cruises explore remote inlets and coves for prime viewing of majestic humpback whales and orcas as well as splashy Dall’s porpoises and playful Steller sea lions.
On land, venture out on a hiking tour through Denali National Park or visit the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka to search for grizzly bears, view marine wildlife or meet locals on small group tours designed to meet your individual Alaska experience. Say goodbye to crowds and hello to an immersive and rewarding Alaska journey!
Culture
Cruise lines not only offer tours to Alaska, but they also host lectures by experts about this state to enrich the experience further. This can make the voyage much more rewarding.
Explore Alaska’s cultural heritage at ports such as Ketchikan, where its historic Creek Street can transport you back in time to relive the Klondike Gold Rush. Or explore Juneau to gain more knowledge of Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people through its violet fields, Victorian architecture, winding wooden railway and steep hiking trails that will satisfy every sense.
Experience Alaska through an engaging series of presentations by expert naturalists and members of local tribes at Glacier Bay National Park. Or watch groundbreaking wildlife footage set to live orchestral music at Seabourn’s innovative Current. Additionally, food- and wine-themed excursions such as Port to Table cooking demonstrations and FOOD & WINE(r) tours provide plenty of frontier flavor!
Flexibility
Changed demographics have led cruise lines to offer more flexible cruise experiences. Single travelers may enjoy luxury lines like Silversea or Seabourn that welcome solo travelers with welcoming dining venues or cabins designed specifically for them.
Some Alaska cruises are roundtrip from Seattle or Vancouver to Inside Passage or Gulf of Alaska ports such as Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka and Anchorage; others traverse the Alaska Peninsula to Southcentral Alaska destinations like Whittier or Seward where guests may continue their adventure via motorcoach, train or van tours or fly home directly after completing one-way travel across Alaska Peninsula. You could also combine an Alaska cruise with tours to Denali National Park.
Value
Alaska offers stunning coastal cliffs, towering fjords, temperate rain forests, majestic mountain peaks, glaciers and an abundance of wildlife – providing a captivating scene and rich multi-cultural history for cruise ship passengers visiting this fantastic natural wonderland. Cruise vacations are popular ways of experiencing Alaska.
Cruises to Alaska typically include all meals and snacks onboard the ship; however, other expenses must also be factored in when budgeting an Alaska Group Cruise. Airfare to and from your departure port, hotel stays prior to or following your cruise, excursions costs and airfare must all be considered when creating a budget for Alaska Group Cruising.
One-way cruises often cost more than roundtrip itineraries; however, comparing prices for seven-night sailings from Seattle and Vancouver shows no clear price advantage for either departure point.
