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Book flights that depart and arrive in time for Mediterranean cruises with Holland America Line Flight Ease®. Find low prices, loads of options, and enjoy flexibility and support should plans change. Alaska Inside Passage cruises usually stop at three or four ports. These include historic Gold Rush-era Skagway, Ketchikan (the "Salmon Capital of the World" and home to a notable number of Native Alaskan totems) and Juneau, Alaska's capital city. 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. During the Klondike Gold Rush, the Inside Passage was popular for American prospectors seeking gold, but today its popularity remains for tourism and commercial fishing.
Visiting Glacier Bay National Park
Known as the “Salmon Capital of the World,” Ketchikan is a fisherman’s paradise. Highlights include the historic Creek Street, a boardwalk built over Ketchikan Creek, and the Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in the U.S. Below is our curated list of Alaska’s Inside Passage ports of call, complete with personal photos, recommendations, and links to in-depth articles about each location.
Contact Us - Alaska Inside Passage Cruises
Russian explorers reached the area in the 19th century, and the Yukon Gold Rush attracted thousands of miners to the remote area. Alaska became known as “the Last Frontier,” a place where you could stake a claim on the land and get rich trying. Since the 1960s, the debate over oil rigs in Alaska greatly impacted the region. In the past decades, conservation and preservation of Alaska’s natural landscape has become vital to the area.
Shore Excursions: Hiking, Kayaking, and Cultural Tours
It’s a common network for ships, as it offers protected, smooth-as-glass sailing. It’s one of the few routes in the world with water deep enough for cruise ships to sidle up to cliffs. Located right along the coast of British Columbia, the Inside Passage is the longest sheltered inland waterway in the world. Watch the water for orcas and humpback whales as you cruise the passage to the historic Alaskan ports of Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. Bear Paw Charters offers private, all-inclusive day trips and longer tours on its luxury yacht — perfect for whale watching, bear viewing, and experiencing Alaska’s scenic majesty.
Land Mammals: Bears and Moose
With this in mind, let’s delve into the complete list of destinations you might encounter on your journey through the Inside Passage. Discover our top picks for towns in the Inside Passage, a destination we’ve explored time and again. Uncover attractions that won’t break the bank or are completely free, alongside the best shore excursions to enhance your visit. Alaska adventure cruises of the Inside Passages typically depart from Alaska’s Sitka, Juneau, or Ketchikan.
Owned by Bret Love (a veteran journalist/photographer) and Mary Gabbett (business manager/videographer), USA Today named us one of the world's Top 5 Travel Blogging Couples. We were also featured in the 2017 National Geographic book, Ultimate Journeys for Two, for which we contributed a chapter on our adventures in Rwanda. Other awards we've won include Best Feature from both the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Magazine Association of the Southeast. Once you’re at sea, keep your eyes peeled for the penguin-like Common Murre, Pelagic Cormorants (which nest on coastal cliffs), and four different types of Gulls. And you shouldn’t have any trouble spotting the popular puffins, including the Horned Puffins and Tufted Puffins. The last of our cruise excursions before making our way to the port in Sitka was a hike to Lake Eva, which is part of the Tongass National Forest.
Ports of Call
25 BEST Alaska Cruises 2024 (Prices + Itineraries): Cruises to Alaska on Cruise Critic - CruiseCritic.co.uk
25 BEST Alaska Cruises 2024 (Prices + Itineraries): Cruises to Alaska on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Mon, 23 Oct 2023 15:08:06 GMT [source]
But the truth is, whether you choose to visit in late spring, peak season, or just before the autumn snows arrive, you’re guaranteed to have your mind blown. For us, the more difficult choice came down to which of the Alaska cruise tours was best suited to our travel style. Don’t forget the chance to explore Juneau, Alaska’s scenic capital, where you can hike to the Mendenhall Glacier or go on a whale-watching tour. Add the iconic railway journey on the White Pass & Yukon Route in Skagway, which takes you through stunning mountainous landscapes. For those seeking a more opulent experience, luxury cruises typically carry between 200 and 1,000 passengers and offer high-end amenities. Companies like Celebrity Cruises and Holland America Line provide fine dining, spa services, private balconies, and even butler services.
10 Best Alaska Cruises To Take This Summer, According To Experts - TRAVEL + LEISURE INDIA
10 Best Alaska Cruises To Take This Summer, According To Experts.
Posted: Fri, 01 Mar 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Visit a Native village, learn about the triumphs and tragedies of Alaska’s Gold Rush heyday or go dog sledding with a real musher. Touring the Inside Passage on an Alaska cruise is your gateway to the fascinating and colorful culture, history and sights of the Great Land. As you’re booking your dream Alaskan cruise to the Inside Passage, consider what comforts, food and adventures you're seeking. Each cruise line offers unique programs and amenities, and some will be better suited for your budget and level of comfort. The alternative to an Inside Passage cruise is a Gulf of Alaska cruise. These cross-gulf cruises hit some Inside Passage stops but also ports farther north.
At the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, explore our treehouse and enjoy unmatched views of Denali. Dive deeper into what makes the Great Land special on your cruise to Alaska. Alaska's seafood is famous, and we bring the best to you with locally inspired dishes from the state’s best eateries.
And the best way to explore it is during the Alaska Inside Passage cruise. From cultural lectures to cooking classes that focus on Alaskan cuisine, there’s something for everyone. Plus, their ships often include accessible options to make the journey more comfortable for those with mobility issues. For a more relaxed and luxurious experience, seniors often prefer Princess Cruises. Known for its excellent service and comfortable amenities, Princess offers a range of activities tailored for an older demographic. One of the most captivating aspects of an Alaska Inside Passage Cruise is the unparalleled opportunity to witness the region’s abundant wildlife and stunning natural landscapes.
We easily could have taken an earlier flight home, but were uncertain of our arrival time, and debarkation in Seattle. Also, we were uncertain of how we could and would get to the airport. I especially enjoyed being with Shaun in the zodiac listening to stories laced with his fun sense of humor. This is not the trip for you if you want casinos, a fancy cabin or entertainment. If you want an active, casual trip with excellent food and service, go with Uncruise.
Crew did a great job of spotting and allowing opportunities to view a wide variety of wildlife. Low-tide hike/excursion at Wood Spit was difficult footing in places was really the only negative. Small group made it an especially comfortable and friendly environment. Find and filter below all the Inside Passage cruise routes aboard small ships. These cruise tours include excursions and expert guides to enhance your experience.
Designated a State Historic Park in 2000, this Wrangell attraction has a ramp to provide easy beach accessibility. There are also replicas of some petroglyphs on the deck overlook, on which visitors can make rubbings. But do step lightly on the rocks in order to preserve this unique cultural treasure. What started that day as a light drizzle gradually became a relentless drenching.
Enjoy 2 days venturing farther than 99% of visitors into Glacier Bay National Park. Choose between two 76- & 84-guest Wilderness expedition ships as your home base. Whether you choose the smallest boat or a larger expedition ship is up to you and your group’s travel needs. We’re here to help you decide and select your Inside Passage cruise small ship route and boat. But there are countless other marine animals in Alaska worth watching for. We spotted several pods of Dall’s and Harbor Porpoises leaping in the wake of our small cruise ship.
In May and early June, there’s still snow on the mountains, and cruising Glacier Bay is particularly spectacular. Summertime brings the Salmon run (and the Bears and Wolves that capitalize on it), but also larger crowds on shore excursions. Taking an Alaska cruise in late August or September may give you a chance to see the world-renowned Northern Lights. I’ve been dreaming of taking an Alaska Inside Passage cruise ever since my first visit to the state in 1999. During that trip I took a half-day Kenai Fjords National Park cruise, saw all sorts of glaciers and wildlife, and vowed to myself that I’d return one day to explore more of America’s last frontier.
Each of these companies offered quite a few different Alaska cruise routes to choose from. On the downside, winds and bad weather can make it feel frigid on a cruise ship deck. And some animals, particularly Grizzly Bears, may not be visible at this time of year. On the plus side, shoulder season crowds are smaller, and you may find deals on cheap Alaska cruises. So here’s our guide to planning the ultimate cruise of Alaska’s Inside Passage. As luck would have it, around that same time we received an email from AdventureSmith Explorations, a small ship cruise specialist that offers 25 Alaska cruises from numerous different cruise companies.
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