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Numerous options to explore beyond your cruise on an Alaska land tour include world-class fishing on the Kenai Peninsula or further exploration inland to Denali National Park. Instead of just sailing between ports, small cruise ships in Alaska offer expedition days. The ships sit anchored, completely alone, and expedition teams lead passengers in the exploration of rugged coastlines via onboard kayaks and Zodiacs.
Bar Harbor To Limit Cruise Visitors, As It Reverts To A Small-Ship Destination
Most cities on major cruise line routes are known for their endless rows of jewelry, souvenir and specialty shops — many of which are not locally owned. If you love to spend hours looking for deals and gifts to bring home, you'll find the most variety in the big-ship ports. These smaller towns also offered easy access to places such as the Tongass National Rainforest, LaConte Glacier and Sitkine river, which are off the better-traveled routes of the big ships. The in-port experience wasn't the only positive of seeking out a small ship in this huge state. Here are some of the pros and cons of small-ship cruising in Alaska, so you can decide if a little ship will make a big difference in your vacation enjoyment.
Where do Alaska cruises depart from?
Although the cabins were small, we had what we needed and the public spaces were sized to handle the passengers comfortably, and there were so many activities we didn't spend much time in our rooms. The ship cruised smoothly in the inland passages, and even an overnight relocation cruise didn't interrupt sleep. The launch/retrieve platform is an awesome modification, and probably what makes launching kayaks in a short time possible. We greatly appreciated being able to rent the slogging boots on the boat. Our guide to whale watching Alaska from small overnight ships will help you plan and prepare, with tips on whale types, visitor sites and packing tips.
Uniquely Tauck
Head to our Alaska Small Ship Cruise Finder to view all available cruises. For Alaska small ship cruise deals, contact the AdventureSmith experts. We recommend that you plan ahead for your small ship Alaska cruise to take advantage of early-booking discounts, but we’re here to help those planning last-minute travel save as well. Don’t worry, our team can help you narrow down your choices and identify the best Alaska cruise itinerary for you. Our connections and longtime partnerships translate into savings and knowledge about when to secure the best deal on a small Alaska cruise.
The 8 Best Alaska Cruises to Take in 2024 - AFAR Media
The 8 Best Alaska Cruises to Take in 2024.
Posted: Wed, 27 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
In the early morning and into the evenings you may experience cooler weather. A windbreaker, preferably waterproof, is ideal for time spent on the sun deck whale watching or sailing along magnificent glaciers and fjords. Don’t forget to pack your binoculars as well for up-close viewing of wildlife. You will travel with expert expedition teams on these intimate and comfortable cruise ships and when exploring on land. You'll be amazed at how easily interestingly these hand-picked Expedition Teams (for example, Naturalists, Historians and experts from National Geographic on Lindblad cruises) can convey even the most detailed of information. A 7 night Inside Passage cruise can start at $1,895 per person for an oceanview stateroom on an UnCruise Adventures ship, versus $449 for a 7 Night cruise on a large Princess ship.
10 Best Alaska Cruises to Take This Summer, According to Experts - Travel + Leisure
10 Best Alaska Cruises to Take This Summer, According to Experts.
Posted: Mon, 12 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Here, withoutfurther ado, are 8 of the best small ship cruise lines operating inAlaska. Other than pre- and post-cruise city tours in Sitka and Vancouver, our 10-day sailing on Ocean Victory only had three days with excursion options. Each included one free basic highlights tour of the port and a few premium experiences, including sport fishing, a nature walk and two different jet boat tours. Alaska cruise guests can expect to see harbor seals, humpback whales, and salmon feeding in the areas’ coastal waters, rivers, and streams. Moose, wolves, and black bears can be spotted roaming freely along the shore.
Finding the Best Small Ship Alaska Cruise
On the flip side, you avoid the up-charges and scrambles to secure reservations that go along with additional onboard restaurant options. 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. On Ocean Victory, the expedition team and onboard scientists are encouraged to eat with the passengers so you can get to know them and tap into their expertise about the Last Frontier. Except for the welcoming locals, who were happy to talk about life in small-town Alaska, the only people I encountered were a few fellow passengers from American Queen Voyages' 186-passenger expedition ship Ocean Victory.
But for me, the ability to wander the streets of the less tourist-oriented towns was better than any group tour. In Wrangell, a few of us stopped in the Totem Bar, where bartender Drew Eyon gave us a more interesting and real take on life on this island of 2,500 than any official tour guide ever could. In Alaska, smaller adventure ships can sail through narrower passages and stop in less-visited towns, which offer a much more personal and authentic look at the real Alaska and its people. Once on board, I waited in another nightmare queue for dinner, as most passengers had not yet figured out the reservation system for dining venues. I'm up to 78 countries and 110+ cruises worldwide, and it's the small ship journeys that I love writing about most.
Beyond the ubiquitous wildlife, little-seen villages and bucket-list moments, what I recall most vividly are the people I met, both passengers and crew. My fellow nature-loving small-ship travelers were of every age and from all over the United States. Often it was an international group, with one or two among us originating in some far-flung corner of the world, especially from Australia. We also stopped in ports rarely visited by the big-ship lines. I had never been to Petersburg, Alaska’s “Little Norway,” until I went there aboard a small ship. On yet another small-ship voyage I disembarked at Bartlett Cove, gateway to Glacier Bay, headquarters for the park service and site of the rustic yet comfy Glacier Bay Lodge.
While most small Alaska cruise itineraries are one week, there are some shorter options. Look for shorter cruise packages from Anchorage that are perfect to combine with a trip extension to Denali. And there are an increasing amount of 5- and 6-day options to choose from in Southeast Alaska. Look to the spring for statistically drier albeit colder weather, more solitude and the best prices of the year on Alaska small ship cruises. Darker skies in the early spring and late fall can be a chance to spot the northern lights, or aurora borealis. For even more detail on each month, view our best time to visit Alaska guide.
Please note that longer stays abroad for any purpose may require additional travel documentation. If you are a frequent traveler to Canada from the U.S., you may benefit from the NEXUS program which is a joint initiative between the U.S. For further information, you may log on to the Nexus Internet site by clicking here. Fly from Anchorage by seaplane to the Northwest Odyssey, anchored off the coast of Katmai National Park.
The boat was perfect for our family - lots of opportunities to do things and learn a lot. Glacier Bay was spectacular and we loved having the ranger along. Tracy Arm was the next best day - we loved the feeling of isolation we got by being a small boat where others couldn't get to. They were also really welcoming and open to chatting with our kids.
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