Cruise Vacation - The Allure of Alaska Cruise

Alaska: Cruise to a Winter Wonderland

The Alaska cruise season generally runs from early May through mid-September. A wide variety of cruise lines feature cruises to Alaska however Celebrity Cruises, Cruise West, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean offer the most cruise ships in the Alaska cruise market. The most popular Alaska cruises sail the inside passage round-trip for 7-days from Seattle and Vancouver. Northbound Alaska Gulf cruises depart Vancouver and sail one-way to either Seward or Whittier. Southbound Alaska Gulf cruises depart Whittier or Seward and sail one-way to Vancouver. The Alaska Gulf cruise itineraries offer the most scenic viewing of the Glaciers. Choose your itinerary carefully as these can vary by departure date and cruise line.

Alaska may not be the first destination that comes to mind when you think about cruise vacation, but a quick research should change your opinion. Alaska’s fascination lies in its wildlife and extreme scenery: humpback whales and awe-inspiring glaciers, breathtaking fiords and brown bears, all combining to show you nature’s majestic power and beauty.

But this winter wonderland is actually most suitable for cruises in the warm season, normally from May through September.  It’s a great place to go if you want to

escape from the scorching heat and try on your winter clothes. You’ll probably start the cruise from Vancouver or Seattle, so you’ll need to fly there.

“Inside Passage” and “Gulf of Alaska” are the most popular among cruisers to Alaska, offering two different ways of getting to know this frozen paradise. With the former, you’ll visit ports such as Juneau, Glacier Bay, and Skagway. With the latter, you’ll spend more time at sea, marvelling at the glaciers and the fiords. Of course, the “Inside Package” also includes time spent sailing, while the “Gulf of Alaska” will also give you opportunities for side trips.

Most Alaskan cruises last one week, but there are also options to extend your cruise up to fourteen days. After you decide which cruise line you want to go with, you should think of the size of the

ship as well. Smaller ships will typically carry up to one hundred and fifty passengers, as opposed to larger ones that you could share with up to thousands of people. That is, however, not the most significant difference: what you should know is that smaller ships can offer you more adventure, because they can sail closer to glaciers and enhance your exploratory experience; if you prefer comfort to adventure, or if you want a more economical cruise, you should go for a larger ship.

Check the cruise programme to see what suits you best. You might be drawn to shore excursions and helicopter rides that will show you the glaciers from angles you couldn’t otherwise reach. It is also possible to walk on a glacier or try dog sledding. Other excursions will reveal the history of the Alaskan ports of call, while others still will let you see more of the wildlife – a unique chance to be close to humpback whales, bears, wolverines, sea lions, dolphins, and other animals.

Take time to review the options you have – though the more you know, the harder it will probably be for you to choose, given that all Alaskan cruise vacations will have something special to tempt you with. But whatever you decide on, you can rest assured that it will be a trip to remember.

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