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If you want to avoid the highest crowds, we recommend disembarking your ship early on each port day. Dreading transporting your luggage from the cruise terminal to the airport check-in desk? Royal Caribbean and the Port of Seattle offer a luggage valet service, which allows you to bypass standard airport check-in.
Alaska Cruises from Whittier
One of our favorite “tricks” when planning an Alaska cruise on Royal Caribbean is to take advantage of cheap last-minute sailings. Browse a local outdoor consignment shop or search for used clothing on websites like Facebook Marketplace or eBay to find the best deals. Because of this, take a look at the main attractions in your embarkation city. You might enjoy shopping at Pike’s Place Market and visiting the Space Needle in Seattle, or enjoying a relaxing stroll through Stanley Park in Vancouver. When scheduling your return flights, don’t book a flight too early on disembarkation day. Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of the best free and low-cost activities to do in each Alaska cruise port, which should help give you some ideas.
Holland America Line Touts 'Glacier Day' Perks on Alaska Voyages - Cruise Hive
Holland America Line Touts 'Glacier Day' Perks on Alaska Voyages.
Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 16:29:21 GMT [source]
Longer sailings from the West Coast
7-Day Alaska Cruise from Seward – Your adventure begins in Seward, Alaska where you’ll embark in the evening, giving you plenty of time to explore before your cruise vacation even begins. This journey onboard Norwegian Jewel stops in some of Alaska’s most scenic destinations, making for plenty of photo ops of famous glaciers and wildlife. Explore Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, plus bear witness to the Inside Passage, before concluding your cruise vacation in Vancouver. Most big-ship and luxury cruise lines send at least one cruise ship to Alaska every summer.
White Pass & Yukon Railroad
Did you know they are more likely to display during high solar activity cycles? With more than 20 animal sanctuaries and sightseeing excursions, we bring you closer to creatures great and small. Definitely pack for rain; consider skipping the umbrella and instead bringing a wide-brimmed waterproof hat, rain jacket, rain pants and waterproof shoes or boots.
Alaska is home to delightful, fresh cuisine—the state is famous for its fish, king crab, and reindeer meat. If you’re a seafood lover, one of the worst mistakes you can make on an Alaska cruise is eating only on the ship to avoid paying for food in port. An emergency trip to the local library for wifi eventually led me to finding the trailhead, but I wished I had done more research ahead of time to avoid this unexpected scenario. On my recent cruise to Skagway, I planned to hike to Yakutania Point, a lookout point with a stunning view of the Taiya Inlet. When it came time to disembark in port, I realized I had not yet researched how to get to the trailhead, and upon reaching town, my phone had no cell connection. If your ship’s sailaway is at the same time as dinner, I recommend skipping dinner in the Main Dining Room and eating at the Windjammer buffet instead.
Alaska Voyage of the Glaciers Cruise
This option also makes it easier for passengers who are driving to their cruises, and it's often cheaper for those flying. If you want to spend some time pre- or post-cruise in your departure city, Seattle and Vancouver are lovely, vibrant and more affordable than pricey Alaska. Another beautiful coastal city is Victoria, B.C., which is more often included as a port of call on a round-trip cruise than a one-way. As a gateway to the massive Kenai Fjords National Park, you can sail in a cabin cruiser or a catamaran to see glaciers, orcas, puffins, and bald eagles.
Day Hawaii Inter-island & Na Pali Coast From Honolulu
Sail from Vancouver to North America’s biggest glacier, seven miles wide and the height of a 30-story building. Ports along this Alaska cruise include Ketchikan; Juneau, the perfect spot for whale-watching; and Icy Strait Point, where you can search for bears and eagles. While there are similarities between a a roundtrip Inside Passage Cruise and a one-way Glacier cruise, there are a number of differences as well.
Save Big With These Alaska Cruise Deals
If you made it to the end of this article, chances are you’re already following our final tip on this list, and that is to read as many tips as you can about Alaska cruises before you set sail. Although the service comes with a small fee in addition to any airline baggage fees, it offers unparalleled convenience for travelers. Instead of transporting your luggage to the airport yourself, bags are collected outside your stateroom door in the evening prior to disembarkation. The bags are then delivered and checked onto your flight on disembarkation morning, meaning you won’t see your bags again until you arrive at your home airport. Instead of getting upset over a cold, rainy day in port, maintain a positive attitude.
Holland America Line to debut 'Glacier Day' on all Alaska cruises - TravelMole
Holland America Line to debut 'Glacier Day' on all Alaska cruises.
Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:49:31 GMT [source]
Why Cruise Our Mid-Sized Ships
When you cruise to Alaska with Princess, sail through one of the most iconic locations in the Great Land — Glacier Bay National Park. Listen to Margerie Glacier’s signature crack and boom rumble across the waves. Bring binoculars and scan both the shore and the waves for wildlife like brown bears and migrating whales while Park Rangers teach you the history and geology of the park. Depending on your location, reaching or departing from Anchorage may require a layover rather than a direct flight.
Find a cozy saloon to enjoy a warm Irish coffee, or bundle up in your rain gear and make the most of the day. Nonetheless, it’s helpful to know the basic rules of photography before setting sail. Practice taking pictures at home and watch a few beginner photography tutorials on YouTube to ensure you have the skills needed to take that perfect shot. Alaska’s landscapes are spectacular, so you’ll want to brush up on your photography skills before your cruise.
These ships often feature complimentary shore excursions, kayaks and bikes for guest use and onboard scientists and naturalists. 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 find magnificent mountains (often snow-capped, even in the summertime), lush forests, waterfalls, fjords and calving glaciers.
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. With Cook My Catch excursions, catch your own salmon or halibut with the help of a local expert, and in the evening our talented chefs will prepare your haul for your dinner — a Princess exclusive.
Amble historic Creek Street, a boardwalk over a wide creek that fills with salmon during certain times of year. Choose from seven refreshingly uncrowded ships for a front-row seat to Alaska's splendor. This is also the trip for a camera with good telephoto lenses and binoculars. For more on what to bring on an Alaska cruise, check out our Alaska cruise packing list.
The largest tidewater glacier in North America, Hubbard Glacier has been moving its mass towards the ocean at a rate faster than most of its kind. Towering above the water over 30 stories, the glacier often calves 100-foot chunks of ice into the ocean. What lies beneath the waves is almost as impressive, where ice plunges 1,200 feet beneath the surface. Venture down one of the area’s hiking trails to immerse yourself in Alaska’s great outdoors.
Unlike the dining room, the Windjammer has large windows around the whole venue, allowing you to dine with a panoramic view of Alaska’s scenery. The Main Dining Room on Royal Caribbean ships is a gorgeous space, with most ships featuring a multi-story, opulent dining venue. However, there are limited tables by the windows, so only a small percentage of passengers dine with a window view. If you’re cruising to Alaska in the middle of summer, I would avoid packing an excessive amount of warm layers.
You’ll still spend seven glorious days at sea and will experience more of Alaska’s coast and inlets. Round-trip Alaska cruises tend to be more affordable than one-way sailings on a total trip cost basis. The voyages leave from and return to the same port, making it easier for passengers to drive to the ship or to save money with round-trip flights. One-way voyages to the Last Frontier also usually have more than just one day of scenic cruising, allowing you to explore the local scenery — including calving glaciers — in more detail. When guests disembark their ship in Seward or Whittier, they either fly home from Anchorage or extend their vacation with a tour into the Interior of Alaska.
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