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The majority of Alaska cruises last a week (though there are longer itineraries), exploring southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage via round-trip or one-way journeys from Juneau, Sitka, Seattle, and Vancouver. That experience in the 1990s hooked me on small-ship cruising and inspired me to start QuirkyCruise.com to share reviews and news about this special corner of the cruise world. Save 5% off your total trip cost when you pay in full at the time of booking a select 2025 departure of the below-linked Alaska cruises. Access exclusive savings on select Alaska cruises when you book through AdventureSmith. Contact an expert today for details on eligible itineraries and rates. Save up to 15% and receive $1,500 in air credit per person when you book your 2024 Arctic expedition cruise aboard the Greg Mortimer or Sylvia Earle.
Which part of Alaska should I choose to cruise?
The Best Small Cruises You've Never Heard of, As Ranked by Travelers - Business Insider
The Best Small Cruises You've Never Heard of, As Ranked by Travelers.
Posted: Wed, 25 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
In alphabetical order, here’s our list of the best Small Alaskan Cruise Lines and why you may want to cruise with them. If you take a small ship cruise line to Alaska, your company might be Alaskan-owned instead of part of an internationally based and staffed corporation. The fish served aboard may be freshly caught that day thanks to the captain’s connections and the logistics of serving a smaller passenger count. And your guides are more likely to be immersed and invested in Alaska since many small Alaskan cruise lines have office staff based right in Alaskan ports of call.
Enjoy a More Luxurious and Inclusive Experience
Alaska has become a hot spot for multigenerational family travel, with grandparents taking their kids and grandkids of all ages on a memory-making holiday. Princess Cruises is a line that offers something for everyone, and its Alaska-based Discovery Princess is our top choice for family reunion groups. Swell, a unique 88-foot converted tugboat built in 1912, carries up to 12 guests in six private en-suite cabins.
How We Select the Best Small Alaskan Cruise Lines
More full day excursions should be offered when the boat is anchored in the same place all day. The climate data listed above is for Anchorage, Alaska, but there are Southeast coastal and Arctic microclimates to consider depending on your small Alaska cruise itinerary. For even more detail on the best time to visit Alaska for your Alaska adventure cruise, view our month by month guide.
Best New Ship
Unlike the massive ships that ply the waters of the Gulf of Alaska and Inside Passage, small Alaska cruises can dock in isolated bays and fjords or picture-perfect small towns far from the crowded tourist trail. If there are specific excursions that you hope to participate in, you should look at cruise itineraries to find one that includes the activities that you would like to do. Peak cruising season runs from May through September, during which time droves of other tourists will also be congregating at Alaska’s top sights of interest.
A Focus on Exploration and Adventure
Chances are, you’ll also see an abundance of bald eagles and ravens perched on the numerous port pilings. Offer valid on new bookings, subject to availability and cannot be combined with any other offer. See all Alaska small ship cruise deals for a comprehensive list of current savings on this and other adventures. Contacting small ship Alaska cruise lines directly does not always answer critical questions about how much activity there is, what the cabins are like compared to other ships and so on.
Ocean Victory, for example, has only two dining venues — the main dining room and a more casual bistro-style area with indoor and outdoor seating on the top deck. The menus vary daily, serving a wide range of options at every meal, and I certainly never lacked for food I enjoyed. If your idea of vacation is to sample as many restaurants as possible, small cruise ships aren't for you.
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Alaska Cruise Packing Tips By Heidi Sarna I’ve been to Alaska many times over the years, having done nearly a dozen cruises there, on big and small ships, but mostly on the small ones, my favorites. And I've learned some things along the way; what to pack and what to... I'm up to 78 countries and 110+ cruises worldwide, and it's the small ship journeys that I love writing about most. And so QuirkyCruise.com was born, an excellent research tool for planning your own unforgettable small ship trip. You’ll spend all your time immersed in Alaska, both aboard ship and ashore, and that, to my way of thinking, is what an Alaska cruise vacation should be all about.
Degrees Adventure Charters
The best Alaska cruise for every type of traveler - The Points Guy
The best Alaska cruise for every type of traveler.
Posted: Mon, 05 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The action and adventure of Alaska is never-ending, and the memories will also last a lifetime. There are many different Alaska cruise itineraries on offer, each one equally amazing. While all Alaska cruises offer stunning views day in and out, there's nothing quite like skimming the coastline from your own kayak, watching for wildlife in the water and on land. We watched sea otters carrying their babies, floated among chunks of glacial ice, and viewed starfish nestled on the sea floor below and mountain goats on the cliffs above. We select the best small Alaskan cruise lines based on several factors. Todd Smith, AdventureSmith founder and president, worked as a lead naturalist aboard small ships in Alaska for 10 years and knows the importance of a good guide.
The 9-day Inside Passage Sojourn aboard the 49-guest Baranof Dream combines easy wilderness cruising and glacier viewing with visits to Alaska's unique towns and Native villages. Cruise between Ketchikan and Sitka with a focus on Alaska's nature, history and First Nations culture. If you book on Oceania's OLife Choice promotion you get tochoose from a menu of added values, including selectedcomplimentary shore excursions, and you can also splash out on moreexciting options including seaplane flights. Seabourn Odyssey and Quest accommodate 450 guests in spacioussuites, with excellent dining choices and service. Overlaid onSeabourn's classic cruise foundation is an expedition-style enhancement focused on Alaska's nature, history,forestry and wildlife.
National Geographic Sea Lion is a tried and true educational-based 62-guest expedition ship. Onboard experts from National Geographic make this ship, and its twin the National Geographic Sea Bird, unique. While a last-minute trip is better than no trip, it’s certainly more fun to have the time to learn about the destination and feel the flutter of anticipation longer. If you are old enough to recall the nightly newscaster Gabriel Heatter, he began his nightly news broadcast with “Good evening everyone, there’s good news tonight.” Indeed, there is great news for those cruisers... Windstar Adding 2 Ships By Ted Scull, with reporting by Anne Kalosh Windstar broke the mold 40 years ago when in 1984 the new firm launched its first of what would be a trio of sleek combination motor sailers.
I was also attracted by the ready access to kayaks, paddle boards, etc. on the ship. Visit Alaska National Parks with wilderness, nature & solitude. Learn about the various options to explore Glacier Bay, Kenai Fjords & Denali in this itinerary round-up. Learn about AdventureSmith Founder and President Todd Smith's slow cruising experience in this detailed review and get inspired to enjoy authentic Alaska aboard historic small ships Catalyst and Westward. Considerations include private balconies, the onboard programming, the crew-to-guest ratio, the adventure equipment aboard, family-friendly programming and so on. If your dream itinerary includes Seattle, this definitely makes how to choose an Alaska cruise easier as there are fewer overall options.
In between, passengers usually stop in Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, and then sail up College Fjord to see glaciers stretching their icy fingers into the sea. You'll see plenty of stunning scenery along the way but not up close – for most cruisers, it's more than enough to satisfy. What to expect on an Alaskan Cruise - Alaskan cruises generally promise adventure, excitement, and the beauty of southeast Alaska. On board, you can expect comfortable rooms, fine Alaskan cuisine, and new friends for life.
Plus, Holland America offers more access to Glacier Bay National Park and has more departures featuring Glacier Bay National Park than any other cruise line. Holland America Line’s Koningsdam offers everything long-time cruisers appreciate, from a comfortable size and price point to onboard activities and numerous dining options. As part of the American Queen Voyages expedition experience, the line has partnered with Dr. Michelle Fournet, an acclaimed acoustic ecologist and leading expert in the communication of North Pacific humpback whales. As such, hydrophones are used onboard Zodiacs to listen to the voices of Alaska’s whales in real-time.
UnCruise Adventures, located in Juneau and Seattle, fields Alaska’s largest small-ship fleet with seven vessels carrying 22 to 86 passengers. As its name suggests, UnCruise focuses on outdoor activities like satisfying hikes and kayaking in hidden coves and secluded bays for a different kind of cruise experience. Their combined fleets comprise some two dozen vessels, including a few converted working ships, at least one wind-powered craft and assorted other boats offering a wide range of sailing styles to choose from. You’ll spend either 4 or 7 days sailing around Lake Clark, experiencing all the natural majesty this national park has to offer, with its many craggy mountains set close to the water. Look for wildlife, hike, explore with kayaks and paddleboards, and enjoy bonfires on the beach.
