The best cruises to Alaska from Seattle for every type of traveler

Table Of Content

• Avoid the Cruise Crowds and Travel During Alaska's Shoulder Season
• day Alaska cruises
• Best Small Ship Alaska Cruise: Alaskan Dream Cruises, Chichagof Dream
• Best Inside Passage Alaska Cruise: Hurtigruten Expeditions, MS Roald Amundsen
• Best Value Alaska Cruise: Royal Caribbean, Radiance Of The Seas
• Cruise Ship Collides With Dock at Turkish Port

One day could find you paddleboarding in the morning and hiking in the afternoon, or maybe kayaking and taking a skiff out later in the day to try and spot wildlife. All excursions are led by experienced expedition teams, who provide all the equipment needed to make the most of your time in Alaska. Coming off of its 150th anniversary year, Holland America Line has been sailing to and around Alaska for more than half that time—75 years.

Avoid the Cruise Crowds and Travel During Alaska's Shoulder Season

If you prefer to get off-the-beaten-track and travel with smaller groups, a wide array of small ship cruise companies offer more intimate cruises catering to adventure and luxury travelers. Cruises are typically offered in three-night, seven-night, and even up to 28-night cruises. On average, a seven-night cruise ranges from $500 to $5,000, depending on the cruise line and state room of your choice. The price typically includes all on-board expenses such as food, room, and on-ship activities. Cruise lines often run sales in the fall or in the early months of the year (a period known in the cruise industry as "wave season"). You can take advantage of discounted fares, free upgrades or complimentary add-ons, such as Wi-Fi, gratuities, restaurant meals, beverage packages and tours.

day Alaska cruises

6 best Alaska cruises for families - The Points Guy

6 best Alaska cruises for families.

Posted: Thu, 19 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

If you love opulence — think exquisite marble and crystal lavished everywhere — and a magnificent multimillion-dollar art collection, look no further than Seven Seas Explorer for your vacation home-suite-home. Back on the vessel, after a gourmet meal and drinks, evening entertainment is viewing the deep fjords, glaciers, and abundant whales that make Alaska so magical. There’s also complimentary Pilates and yoga, a gym, jogging track, spa, observation library, and a slew of bars and restaurants. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site.

Best Small Ship Alaska Cruise: Alaskan Dream Cruises, Chichagof Dream

The 684-passenger ship features creations of celebrity chef Jacques Pepin in the main dining room and two surcharge-free specialty restaurants. No formal nights mean the pressure to dress up for dinner is dictated by fellow passengers, not the cruise line. Radiance of the Seas offers Royal Caribbean's best in a more modest size, without sacrificing the variety of dining venues, great kids' programs and adrenaline-pumping activities the line is known for. The 2,112-passenger ship features the line's much-loved Giovanni's Table and Izumi, a 200-square-foot outdoor movie screen, rock climbing wall and a nursery for babies and toddlers. The 4,000-passenger Encore boasts a handful of the features found on its sisters, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Sun, Norwegian Jewel, and Norwegian Spirit (which also offers Alaska cruises), as well as its own unique attractions.

Best Inside Passage Alaska Cruise: Hurtigruten Expeditions, MS Roald Amundsen

These cruise lines, especially on their newer ships, offer something for everyone — as well as a higher caliber of onboard dining than on the cheapest cruises. Some activities are included in the cost of the cruisetour; other outings can be booked like shore excursions depending on your interest and budget. If you're hoping to see the northern lights, booking a cruisetour in September might be your best bet to see the aurora on a cruise vacation. You'll have up to two days of scenic cruising, in addition to sailing the Inside Passage.

Best Value Alaska Cruise: Royal Caribbean, Radiance Of The Seas

If you want a more active trip in less touristed areas, a great choice would be a small-ship expedition line, including Alaska specialists such as Alaskan Dream Cruises and UnCruise Adventures. Some lines also offer Alaska cruisetours that venture into Canada's Yukon, including a few Holland America tours that combine half a cruise with a cruisetour that starts or ends in Skagway. You'll have four sea days (for example, two days from San Francisco to Juneau) plus a day of scenic cruising at a spot like Tracy Arm (Twin Sawyer Glaciers), Endicott Arm, Hubbard Glacier or Glacier Bay National Park. The waters before you enter the Inside Passage can be calm, rough or anything in between, depending on when you go. If you book a Gulf of Alaska voyage, you'll also enjoy exploring parts of the Inside Passage and its ports that could include a mix of Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Ketchikan, Haines and Icy Strait Point. Popular Inside Passage ports of call include Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Haines and Skagway.

Service and food quality in the complimentary main dining room are top-notch, but for-fee restaurants like Pinnacle Grill and Tamarind make for splurge-worthy romantic dates. Our intimate and stylish Celebrity Summit® will spoil you wildly in this unspoiled wilderness with its revolutionized accommodations, restaurants, and experiences, including a redesigned spa and the exclusive enclaves of The Retreat®. As you can see, if you want to cruise Alaska you have a lot of options to consider. Selecting the best cruise line for you will take a bit of research but we hope you found this article helpful. Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas has some sailings for as little as $320 per person for an interior cabin (without taxes and fees), and Norwegian Jewel and Spirit are currently $399 at the low range.

Cruise Ship Collides With Dock at Turkish Port

Glacier Bay National Park consists of 3 million acres of land and over 1,000 glaciers, many high in the mountains. Seven of these are known as tidewater glaciers that are slowly receding down the majestic mountains, and four of them are actively calving icebergs (when large chunks of ice break off) into the bay. Click here to jump straight to the comparisons of the best cruise lines for Alaska. Holland America is the only cruise line permitted to serve glacier ice, using it for cocktails like the Blue Iceberg and Juneau Gin & Tonic.

Best times to go on a cruise: Alaska, Caribbean, Mediterranean - USA TODAY

Best times to go on a cruise: Alaska, Caribbean, Mediterranean.

Posted: Thu, 29 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

A hike on the Chilkoot Trail or ride on the White Pass Railway lets you follow in the footsteps of the miners who came to seek their fortunes. Hop a bus, kayak, boat or plane to look for bears, eagles, whales, sea otters and other wildlife. Note that moose don't regularly show up in the Inside Passage; you'll need to head farther north to find them. For these itineraries, you'll need to fly into or out of Anchorage and take a train or bus to/from the cruise departure ports, which can take an hour or two. Dry docked in 2021 for a routine refurbishment, this Quantum Class ship holds 4,905 passengers and truly offers something for everyone.

The ship offers nine- to 14-night cruise tours that head into the Canadian Yukon, following the route of the Klondike Gold Rush from Alaska to northwestern Canada. Seven Seas Explorer is an all-suite ship, and every suite has a balcony with at least 252 square feet of prime Alaska viewing space. This is an all-inclusive luxury ship attracting both mature couples and a few affluent families. Passengers shell out up-front, but enjoy included amenities such shore excursions, specialty restaurants, alcoholic beverages and gratuities. Rounding out our Alaska fleet, Celebrity Solstice® has something you won’t find on any other ship there.

There were very few Carnival sailings available for under $750 per person, with most Carnival sailings starting around $800 per person or more for seven nights. Other cruises might be best for solo travelers or travelers on a tight budget. There’s plenty to do on board, too, including making use of the two swimming pools, five whirlpools, and Dr. Andrew Weil's spa and wellness program. Not to mention a card room, casino, library, observation bar, and beauty salon. There are several options for onboard dining (aside from complimentary in-suite dining), including a fine dining option, The Grill by world-renowned chef Thomas Keller, and an open-kitchen style option for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

But if you motor a bit further, there’s a good chance you’ll be greeted by electric-blue icebergs, dizzying fjords, and dramatic, millennia-old glaciers. What’s appealing about this Maple Leaf Adventures itinerary is that it’s a good mix of Alaska’s natural landscapes and coastal cityscapes. Visits to bustling port towns like Sitka and Ketchikan are balanced with days spent entirely in the wilderness of Endicott Arm and Misty fjords. If you’d like a small ship cruise to Alaska, but crave a bit more adventure, expedition cruises might be more your speed. Check out lines like Alaskan Dream Cruises, Lindblad and UnCruise Adventures, which focus on immersive nature and wildlife experiences.

Some of the most desirable cabins might be sold out; being flexible about your sail date or itinerary can help. Icy Strait Point is notable among Alaska cruise ports because the area and its attractions are all native Alaskan owned. Most port and tour staff hail from Hoonah, Alaska's largest Tlingit village. The port is set on Chichagoff Island, which is known for its large bear population. Wildlife lovers have plenty of opportunities to search for whales and eagles here; adventure-seekers won't want to miss the ZipRider, with its course of six zip lines. You may also find one-way repositioning cruises between southern California ports (Los Angeles and San Diego) and Vancouver at the beginning or end of a ship's Alaska cruise season.

Elias and Kenai Fjords, a world of natural wonders awaits on an Alaska cruise or cruisetour. 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. The ship and her 84 guests will be the only cruise ship in Glacier Bay National Park. Whale watching, farm-to-table meals, snowshoe and cross-country skiing, and heli-ski excursions are also on the schedule. It will come as no surprise that one of the top-rated cruise lines for families is…wait for it…Disney!

Because Gulf of Alaska cruises sail farther north, scenic destinations may include College Fjord, in addition to Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier. We evaluated over a dozen Alaskan cruises before selecting the best in each category. We considered various elements like the cruise line’s reputation and quality of service, ship design and architecture, and notable ship amenities (e.g., swimming pools, entertainment, technology, access to nature experts, etc.). We also reviewed each ship’s cruise itinerary, dining and wellness options, and the types of experiences and excursions available to guests. In determining this list, we evaluated numerous customer reviews and considered whether the cruise line has collected any accolades in recent years.

Be sure to check out SeaWalk, a walkway that cantilevers off the side of the ship and has a glass bottom so guests can see below and above. The ship's captain has the flexibility to seek out the best remote islands and bays for beachcombing, tide pooling, hiking and kayaking adventures. 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. Royal Caribbean's 20-year-old ship Radiance of the Seas mainly sails weeklong, one-way cruises between Vancouver and Seward, Alaska, with prices below $100 per person, per night, for inside and outside cabins on many departures. It can be hard to figure out which cruise ship will deliver your idea of a "bucket list" experience in The Last Frontier.