Types of Cruises - Alaskan Cruises
ALASKA CRUISES
Alaskan cruises operate only in the spring to fall months, usually departing from Vancouver, Canada, or Seattle, Washington, USA.
Round-trip Inside Passage cruises focus on the Southeast Alaska Panhandle and the tourist destinations of Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Skagway.
Each cruise line offers its own distinctive character on these types of cruises and all feature Alaska’s immense natural treasures, such as Glacier Bay, that attract visitors from around the world.
Alaska's Inside Passage is one of the most popular cruise ship destinations in the world, and attracts more than 600,000 visitors a year to a banquet of breathtaking scenery and wildlife, from glacier bays, fjords and waterfalls, to vast populations of porpoises, whales, sea birds, seals, sea lions, otters and eagles. Cruising through sweeping bays and steep fjords against a backdrop of giant glaciers, even a cruise ship seems tiny.
From Vancouver and Seattle, one- and two-week itineraries include stops at various ports of call where passengers spend the day on an amazing variety of shore excursions and optional land-based tours. These range from crab and other fishing and zip-lining to private whaling adventure, to flight seeing, gold panning, hiking, and touring Alaskan Native cultural attractions
One way cruises typically start or end in Seward or Anchorage, Alaska and usually enjoy more time at sea. Most lines on these types of cruises also feature extensive land programs to ensure that the full offerings of the destination are appreciated, whether it’s by dog sled, floatplane, jetboat or steam train and often feature an add-on option of a tour such as a train ride to and a stay in Denali National Park.
More than 30 cruise companies, featuring ships ranging from small, intimate cruise ships with fewer than 100 passengers to the large luxury liners carrying more than 2,000 travelers, offer Alaska cruises on more than 420 Alaska sailings each year.