The best cruises to Alaska from Seattle for every type of traveler
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When taking the kids to a destination with so much to explore out in nature, you’ll want to give as much consideration to the onboard experience as you do to what you’ll do on land. Many cruisers tack on a land portion option, allowing travelers to head into Denali National Park or stay in local land resorts to learn more about the culture. In Alaska, NCL offers passengers countless off-ship activities to choose from.
Best Shore Excursions On An Alaska Cruise
From there, guests are flown back to Vancouver, where their itinerary ends. Whether you're interested in hiking through a forest, trekking to glaciers or a shopping spree downtown, the towns along Alaska's inside passage provide a variety of adventurous activities. Alaska cruise ports such as Juneau and Ketchikan are small cities with their own personalities. Anchorage is the state's largest city and a gateway to the rest of the state. Denali National Park takes you out of the city altogether, into a wilderness full of spruce forests and snow-capped mountain peaks.
North America Travel Guide
The family can come together for meals in a variety of casual and fine dining restaurants, and enjoy original production shows as the ship sails between ports. 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. The line always stations one or two Quantum-class ships in Alaska for the season.
Norwegian Jewel
Whether you're traveling with young kids or require more sedentary recreation, the Alaska cruise ports won't disappoint. The luxury cruise lines are your best bet if you're a couple and enjoy spacious suites, gourmet food, pampering (many luxe lines hire butlers to cater to every passenger) and the opportunity to meet other like-minded cruisers. The personalized service and all-inclusive nature of luxury voyages may also be attractive to anyone celebrating a milestone, such as an anniversary, big birthday or retirement.
Roundtrip Alaska Cruise from Seattle
If you'd like an assist with your outdoor adventures, the Mount Roberts Tramway climbs 1,800 feet above Juneau for gorgeous views. Those who'd prefer man-made experiences can check out honky-tonk at the raucous Red Dog Saloon or dip into any of the microbreweries and distilleries all over town. Holland America and Princess are the biggest mainstream lines for an Alaska cruise.
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Combine a cruise + train + lodge + Denali for an in-depth Alaska experience. Check out our helpful checklist so that you know exactly what to pack for an Alaska cruise with Princess. From exploring historic gold mines to venturing in the footsteps of early explorers, learn about Alaska’s Inside Passage and discover the wonders awaiting you. From exploring Denali National Park to fishing for salmon in Anchorage, discover the top Alaska destinations on a Princess cruise. No one does seafood quite like Alaska—which is why we brought the best of the Great Land on board, so you can experience it all with Princess. They groan, creak and shudder on their march to the sea, punctuated by the booms and crashes of "white thunder" — a sound that echoes across the water when ice calves into the ocean below.
Best Alaska Cruises from Seattle
You can visit Alaska without a passport on a closed-loop sailing (one that begins and ends in the same U.S. port). Be sure to bring your passport if you plan on crossing the border from Skagway into Canada's Yukon Territory -- or exploring any Canadian port of call. You’ll find three main dining rooms, plus a pizzeria, gastropub, Italian restaurant, chop house, and Mediterranean bistro.
Holland America Line’s “Alaska Up Close” deeply immerses guests in local cultures through onboard programs and activities, and shore excursions. On all of its Alaska cruises, a Huna Native Interpreter comes aboard Holland America Line ships to share the history of the Tlingit people. “If you are looking for a more casual and laid-back experience, Seattle-based UnCruise Adventures offers down-to-earth trips with enthusiastic naturalist guides, simple accommodations, and hearty local cuisine,” says Palmer. Per the pro, travelers can “choose between a menu of included excursions such as kayaking, paddleboarding, hiking, zodiac cruises, whale watching, and more.” All in all, UnCruise really does offer something for everyone. Onboard, Wi-Fi, bar drinks, and specialty dining are free, but activities like the spa cost extra. Holland America Line (HAL) — which recently snapped up a 2023 World’s Best Award in the large-ship ocean cruise line category — has been cruising Alaska for over 75 years.
If you want that small-ship, luxury cruise experience for your Alaska trip, this is absolutely one of the better ships to choose. While she may have scored lower than her competitor cruise lines’ ships, this is still a high average score. Experts onboard these sailings include naturalists, biologists and other scientists who are members of the expedition team.
Check out lines like Alaskan Dream Cruises, Lindblad and UnCruise Adventures, which focus on immersive nature and wildlife experiences. The vibe onboard these ships is also more personalized due to their limited capacity. Most Alaska itineraries include some "scenic cruising," where your ship sails past incredible natural sights. The happy answer to whether there are off-season cruises in Alaska is “yes”! For winter sports and the chance to see the Northern Lights, UnCruise Adventures offers February and March itineraries when other vessels do not sail.
In addition, an onboard Klondike Festival brings added family entertainment, including gold nugget arts and crafts projects, a naturalist exhibition, harmonica music classes and North to Alaska dance performances. A special zone for solo travelers is a rare concept in the cruise world, where almost all rooms for vacationers are designed for two people and sold with per-person fares that are based on two people occupying the room. For the coming year, for instance, as of this guide's posting, there were lots of Holland America sailings to Alaska from Seattle available for under $750 per person for seven nights — some as low as $429 per person for seven nights. Here we list our top picks for the best Alaska cruises from Seattle for six different types of travelers. Stretch out your Alaska cruise vacation with convenient weekend departures.
It might seem cold and unforgiving at first glance, but the best Alaska cruises allow you to explore the quiet lakes, imposing glaciers and breathtaking mountain views, you'll have only warm impressions of this wilderness. From the sweeping mountains of Juneau to the fish-bearing seas of Ketchikan, discover our Alaska cruise ports and set sail into the adventures that await you. Alternatively, Gulf of Alaska cruises are typically seven-night, one-way itineraries between Vancouver and Seward or Whittier, the gateway ports for Anchorage and northern destinations in the state. The cost of an Alaskan cruise can vary greatly depending on your itinerary, length of trip, cruise line, and a number of other factors.
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