Monday, April 1, 2024

Alaska Cruise 2023: An Expert's Guide to Booking the Perfect Voyage to Suit Your Travel Style

best alaska cruise

Viking Orion is offering 10-night 2024 Alaskan voyages between Vancouver and Seward from May until early September 2024. Fares for this July 3, 2024, Vancouver to Seward 10-night sail start at $6,999 per person. The Spa offers complimentary access to its Thermal Suite, where guests can rejuvenate by alternating between a steamy sauna and a frigid Snow Grotto. This 10-night round-trip Seattle voyage hits not just the usual stops of Sitka, Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. You'll also visit Victoria, British Columbia, for whale-watching, a city walking tour or outings to cider farms and wineries.

Alaska Cruise Cost: Amenities and Time of Year Make the Difference

This can commonly be found at the beginning and end of the cruise season during April, May and September. The summer months make it more expensive due to higher demand since kids are out of school. Sailings include seven- to 14-day itineraries and a host of land tours that can be added to the experience. In addition to Denali National Park, this is the only cruise line to take passengers into Canada’s Yukon Territory. Unlike the Royal Caribbean and Norwegian ships mentioned above, the two Princess ships sailing from Seattle don't have top decks heavily skewed to family fun. Instead, their top decks offer lots of quiet and relaxing pool and lounge areas where you can enjoy the experience of being at sea without much hustle and bustle.

Night Alaska Explorer

Solo passengers on Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Bliss will also find a sometimes rollicking bar scene, with plenty of counter-style seating in bars that are a great place to meet other solo travelers and friendly guests. There, the bartender will muddle your mojitos with raspberry, guava, passion fruit or even jalapeno pepper to spice things up when you're sitting with your new solo friends. Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Bliss are also our top picks for ships operating the best Alaska cruises from Seattle for solo travelers. Between these two, it's a tossup, though we put Norwegian Bliss in the headline above since, well, we already gave Norwegian Encore a turn in the limelight with the best-for-luxury category.

Best Alaska cruises to book

See how bald eagles and local bird populations receive first-class treatment at the Alaska Raptor Center. 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. Icy Strait Point is home to the remote Tlingit village of Hoonah, home to fewer than 800 people and a deep Native history. The nearby Spasski River Valley holds one of the world’s largest populations of brown bears, who are often found hunting for salmon in the rivers. Zipline over the wilderness, watch a tribal dance or kayak in coastal waters to see the wildlife up close during your Alaska cruise vacation. Feed your hunger for adventure on a roundtrip Alaska cruise from Vancouver, B.C. Wind your way through fjords, by bright-green forests and through quaint Gold Rush-era towns on your way to the wonders of Glacier Bay National Park.

The 11 Best Alaska Cruise Excursions in 2024, From Whale Watching to Glacier Tours Condé Nast Traveler - Condé Nast Traveler

The 11 Best Alaska Cruise Excursions in 2024, From Whale Watching to Glacier Tours Condé Nast Traveler.

Posted: Thu, 07 Mar 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

One of the biggest reasons people visit

Embark on a thrilling journey with young explorers through breathtaking landscapes. On our family Alaska cruise, we created lifetime memories by sharing glacier spotting, dog sledding, flightseeing and other adventures with our teens. Brilliance of the Seas makes it impossible to feel bored during a vacation! These top things to do onboard this beloved cruise ship make it a fan favorite for many.

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best alaska cruise

Some shore excursions allow up close interaction with these natural wonders. As the most discerning, up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel, Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse, offering both inspiration and vital intel. We understand that time is the greatest luxury, which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal, a drink, or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world. Each cruise line has their preferred port—Holland America Line and Princess Cruises berth at Whittier. Norwegian, Oceania, and Regent Seven Seas—currently berthing at Seward—will move operations to Whittier upon completion of berths currently under construction. One day might involve kayaking in Patterson Bay followed by a brisk snorkeling session.

Holland America Line (HAL) — which recently snapped up a 2023 World’s Best Award in the large-ship ocean cruise line category — has been cruising Alaska for over 75 years. HAL prides itself on having more permits for Glacier Bay National Park visits than any other cruise line. The cruise line also offers beloved live music programming, which I got to experience firsthand on a summer 2023 Alaska sailing. 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. All of the above make HAL a popular pick among middle-aged and mature couples traveling without kids; however, onboard our summer sailing, I did notice quite a few small children traveling with their parents and grandparents.

Princess Lodges & Alaska Cities

Luckily, when it comes to Alaska cruises, there is truly something for everyone. Whether you’re traveling solo or with kids, whether you’re looking for total luxury or a bargain and whether you love giant ships or something more intimate, we’ve found the best Alaska cruises to fit your needs. See which one sounds right for you, and once you’re booked, get a head start by checking out these hidden cruise features, cruise ship code words and things you can’t do on cruises.

Silversea’s Vancouver to Seward

For solo cruise travelers, paying double for single occupancy can become expensive. There are ship accommodations with certain cruise lines that are specifically tailored for this class of passenger. For example, NCL offers studio cabins (82 of them to be exact) on their Alaska-bound ship, Norwegian Bliss. Royal Caribbean currently offers a whopping 75 Alaska cruise options with round-trip and one-way cruises departing from Seattle, Washington; Seward, Alaska (a 2-hour drive from Anchorage); and Vancouver, British Columbia. Cruisers can choose from four ships, including Quantum of the Seas, the largest and potentially most decked-out ship (on-board sky-diving simulator, surfing, and rock climbing) to cruise the region.

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. Whether you’re traveling with kids or looking for an unforgettable couple’s adventure, a vacation like this delivers on every level.

The line’s Door-to-Door All-Inclusive fares cover private airport transfers, economy flights, business-class upgrades or air credits, and shore excursions. We’ve gathered cruises in all size categories (from a couple of hundred passengers to nearly 5,000), as ship size is often one of the biggest factors when selecting a cruise. We’ve also called attention to cruise options that do an impressive job of showcasing nature, offering local experiences, providing endless onboard entertainment, or catering to foodies or luxury travelers. With an expedition heritage that dates back to 1896, it’s no wonder Hurtigruten Expeditions found its way to Alaska. The cruise line with a keen focus on exploration, adventure and science has two of its hybrid technology ships—MS Roald Amundsen, built in 2019, and MS Fridtjof Nansen, built in 2020—sailing the waters that surround The Great Land.

Again, this option is based less on the ship-based entertainment and more on the ‘learn about and experience Alaska’ approach. Partner of National Geographic, Lindblad Expeditions is the pioneer in expedition ecotourism cruises. Landscapes, water encounters and wildlife are front and center here – with little to no signal for electronic devices most of the time. If up-close-and-personal exploration is on the bucket list, book passage with Windstar Cruises.

There's nothing quite as exhilarating as a helicopter tour over Alaska's sprawling landscapes. Plan your romantic Alaskan cruise with our adventurer’s guide to discovering the coziest vacation spots and most scenic restaurants for couples traveling in Alaska. As you plan your Alaska vacation, you might be torn between traveling by cruise ship, plane or even car.

Personalized service and gourmet dining without extra fees are two of the popular reasons people choose this line. Ships carry between 700 and 1,300 passengers in spacious, well-appointed suites and have port-intensive itineraries. There are several options when it comes to the larger cruise lines, with departures from major west coast homeports in British Columbia, Washington State, and California.

While this singular offering makes choosing your Viking Alaska blissfully straightforward, you can opt for pre- and/or post-cruise extensions in Vancouver, Anchorage, Denali, and beyond. Conveniently located an hour and a half from Anchorage, Whittier is a small town on the shore of the glacier-filled Prince William Sound. Ketchikan, Alaska is one of the best spots along Alaska's Inside Passage to explore the rich cultural sights of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. Amble historic Creek Street, a boardwalk over a wide creek that fills with salmon during certain times of year. Named for the Northern compass point, Noordam is fitting for a cruise to Alaska.

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