Table Of Content
- WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Alaska Cruises Insider
- FJORD THE TURQUOISE WATERS
- OF ICE AND MOUNTAINS
- Must-Sees for Your Once in a Lifetime Alaska Cruise Vacation
- Are we missing out by not doing Glacier Bay?
- ALASKA WILDLIFE CONSERVATION CENTER
- The Royal Caribbean Gold Standard in Alaska: Radiance-class Ships
- Should you do the land portion at the beginning or end of your cruise?
If you’re cruising from Vancouver, you won’t need to stop in Victoria, British Columbia, and this allows for another port day in Alaska instead. Seattle is convenient for most passengers from the United States, with direct flights offered to Seattle from around the country. While Vancouver still offers many direct flights to and from the United States, most cruisers find it easier to travel to Seattle. If you’re considering booking an Alaska cruise from Seattle, here’s everything you need to know. Moreover, Alaska's constantly changing weather makes outdoor activities on a ship not nearly as important as in the Caribbean. It is important to note that the Quantum Class ships have two indoor pools, one for adults and one for all ages.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Alaska Cruises Insider
In addition to convenience, roundtrip sailings also provide an excellent Alaska cruise experience. On a roundtrip cruise, you’ll still visit Alaska’s most popular ports, such as Juneau and Skagway, and most itineraries include a scenic glacier viewing as well. Royal Caribbean sends 4-5 cruise ships to Alaska each summer, with each ship offering a different layout, amenities, dining options, entertainment, and stateroom options. Some of Royal Caribbean’s smallest and largest cruise ships sail to Alaska, so it’s important to consider which ship works best for you before booking an Alaska cruise. While cruise ports do differ in history, local attractions, and size, many ports offer the same type of excursions to book.
FJORD THE TURQUOISE WATERS
Having booked the cruise only three months before I sailed, it offered a fantastic value. Cheap cruises are never a guarantee, but one trend we have noticed in the past few years is that Alaska cruises in the shoulder season are often heavily discounted at the last minute. One of our favorite “tricks” when planning an Alaska cruise on Royal Caribbean is to take advantage of cheap last-minute sailings. Because of this, take a look at the main attractions in your embarkation city.
3 Back-to-Back Royal Caribbean Cruises Canceled or Delayed on Same Ship - Business Insider
3 Back-to-Back Royal Caribbean Cruises Canceled or Delayed on Same Ship.
Posted: Wed, 20 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
OF ICE AND MOUNTAINS
The shortest cruise and land tour combinations offered by Royal Caribbean are 9 nights, and they include a 7-night cruise and 2 nights in Alaska’s interior, during which you will visit Denali. While on an Alaska cruise, your ship will sail through both the open ocean and the calm waters of the Inside Passage. When in the open ocean, you may encounter rough seas and high winds, leading to more movement onboard than you may be used to while visiting other destinations.
Must-Sees for Your Once in a Lifetime Alaska Cruise Vacation
Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. Ports such as Juneau and Ketchikan are each small cities with their own personalities.
Are we missing out by not doing Glacier Bay?
Denali National Park takes you out of the city altogether, into a wilderness full of spruce forests and snow-capped mountain peaks. No vacation in the world delivers once-in-a-lifetime adventure like Alaska. Take off by dogsled across thousand-year-old ice as you soak in otherworldly sights. Get to know wildlife, big and small, that call this wilderness home, like otters, eagles, bears, and whales. In most Alaska cruise ports, you will find stands selling tours as soon as you disembark the cruise ship.
Land tours are offered on one-way Alaska cruise itineraries, and these are multi-day tours you can add before or after an Alaska cruise. Even if a port day reaches 70 degrees, the next day could see lows in the 40s. If you plan to spend a lot of time outdoors viewing scenery, it’s always better to be prepared with more layers and accessories than you think you’ll need. Predicting the weather in Alaska is nearly impossible, and you may encounter all four seasons in just one day while visiting the state.
The Royal Caribbean Gold Standard in Alaska: Radiance-class Ships
Take off by dog-sled across thousand-year-old ice as you soak in otherworldly sights. Trek across the majestic Mendenhall Glacier for breathtaking views of the wildest country. Get to know wildlife, big and small, that call this wilderness home, like otters, eagles, bears and whales. This is Last Frontier pioneering with the cruise line voted Best Overall by Travel Weekly readers for 20 years running.
Should you do the land portion at the beginning or end of your cruise?
If your cruise ends in Seward, you’ll want to schedule even more time to catch your flight, as it takes several hours to get to Anchorage from Seward. Canada does not permit entry to any visitors with criminal records, regardless of how long ago the crime occurred. The caveat is that you cannot see the hotel name and are only given the number of stars and approximate location of the hotel, thus leading to a “blind” booking. Alaska cruises often have a reputation of being for adults, but they can be a wonderful vacation for families with kids, too. Our local Alaska expert Mollie wrote a great piece about where to eat like a local on your Alaska cruise.
Spending the night at a hotel in Seattle or Vancouver before your cruise can help ensure your vacation is off to a great start. In fact, when Royal Caribbean announces new Alaska itineraries is the best time to book. Royal Caribbean almost always announces new Alaska cruises in late November for the season to come in two years.
Packing for an Alaska cruise is totally different than packing for a tropical vacation in the Bahamas. Knowing what to pack can keep you from freezing in port, getting soaked in the rain, or even feeling too warm in the peak of Alaska’s summer. Most Alaska cruises depart from either Seattle, Washington or Vancouver, British Columbia.
The itineraries of both Radiance-class ships go a bit farther north than the larger ships, allowing both ships time at Hubbard Glacier on at least some of the sailings. On its one-way route, Radiance has two sea days -- the least sea days of all the itineraries. The real differences are in what these smaller ships offer -- and don’t offer -- for those who choose to cruise on them. If you’re visiting smaller ports like Icy Strait Point and Haines, however, we advise researching and booking tours ahead of time. In addition to port stops—where guests disembark the ship—most itineraries include a scenic viewing day of a glacier.
Truthfully, your experience in Alaska will not vary drastically from itinerary to itinerary. All itineraries give passengers the chance to explore the state’s wildlife, history, and cuisine regardless of the town. There’s no right or wrong itinerary to book for Alaska, but it’s important to know what to expect in each port before booking one cruise over the other. For the past few years, we’ve noticed a trend on last-minute Alaska cruise pricing. One-way itineraries on Radiance of the Seas have offered cheap cruise deals a few months before the sailing. Royal Caribbean typically releases new itineraries around months before the sail date.
Alaska’s peak cruise season is from mid-June to August, coinciding with the school vacation schedule. During the summer, visitors can expect to see the warmest temperatures and most hours of daylight. More crowds are to be expected during the summer, too, both onboard and in port. On northbound cruises, you'll get the best views of the glaciers on the starboard side of the ship; when you're sailing southward, the port side is the way to go. With its winding fjords and gigantic glaciers, the best Alaska glaciers cruises offer unforgettable views. Spot silly seals playing on bobbing icebergs, or simply take in the vibrancy of the turquoise waters.
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