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Few of the pictures you take will accurately portray the scale of the beauty of Alaska. The dress code on most Alaska cruises is more relaxed than in other cruise destinations. Days are long and outdoorsy, leaving people less enthusiastic about rushing back to the ship to put on fancy clothes and dress shoes. You can shed the jacket as temperatures allow, then lose the vest if it gets even warmer.
Alaska Group Tours
You'll find a small armada of floatplanes waiting to take you to nearby Misty Fjords National Monument. Returning to Glacier Station, you'll end the day with a ride back to Skagway on the White Pass & Yukon Railway, which makes a special stop to pick you up. The five-hour, Skagway-based outing begins with a transfer from your ship to a nearby helicopter pad, where you'll find a helicopter waiting to whisk you high into the surrounding Sawtooth Mountain Range. I once took my entire family of five on this excursion, dropping more than $2,000 in the process. That said, you can sometimes get discounts by calling a tour operator directly.
Tours to Haines from Skagway
Trips to shore rarely involve large port cities except for embarking and disembarking – instead, they drop kayaks in the water from the ship or use a rubber skiff to reach a deserted shoreline for a hike. The communities they visit are usually smaller, like Petersburg, Wrangell or Haines. There is also a focus on respecting the cultural traditions of destinations through cooperative regenerative tourism that preserves a community's unique history, culture and values. Alaska cruisetours combine the iconic Alaska cruise with a voyage into Denali National Park and the Yukon Territory. We offer a fully comprehensive and unforgettable Denali experience based on our 75-year history in the Great Land. Our Alaska cruisetours feature transportation, accommodations and more to make your wildest Denali dreams come true.
Laura A. Landon
You'll stop off at a shoreline camp to enjoy a snack over an open fire. When you’re finished, you’ll go on a short walk through a dramatic old-growth forest. Experience kayaking in Alaska the way it should be — away from the crowds — with these unique Ketchikan paddling tours offered by Alaska Kayak Company. Your small group (usually just 4 people) will board the company’s comfortable boat and set off from the Ketchikan cruise-ship dock, leaving the big ships and the crowds behind. Below is the result is our list of recommended cruise ship excursions.
6 best Alaska cruises for families - The Points Guy
6 best Alaska cruises for families.
Posted: Thu, 19 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
You can take advantage of discounted fares, free upgrades or complimentary add-ons, such as Wi-Fi, gratuities, restaurant meals, beverage packages and tours. Some of the most desirable cabins might be sold out; being flexible about your sail date or itinerary can help. Onboard naturalists generally narrate what you're seeing, so head to the observation lounge (or tune to a broadcast on your in-room television) to learn about some of the top sights featured on scenic cruising days. The best Alaska cruise ports are also the most crowded because no matter which type of itinerary and cruise line you select, you'll likely visit a mix of the same ports.
The cruise itinerary includes a full day to cruise through Glacier Bay National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I would highly recommend booking a balcony room and ordering room service breakfast so that you can enjoy a peaceful morning with the views all to yourselves. The tour begins at the cruise terminal where you’ll board a shuttle bus and take a narrated drive through town. For an active adventure, try a hiking excursion along a portion of the historic Chilkoot Trail, retracing the footsteps of gold seekers. You’ll find colorful restored buildings from the gold rush era, including the Pantheon Saloon, and the infamous Red Onion Saloon. The humpback whales lose 30% of their body weight in Hawaii, so once they arrive in Juneau they spend hours a day looking for food and eating.
Alaska Souvenirs to Take Home With You So You Never Forget Your Trip Royal Caribbean Cruises
Cabins are designed with families in mind and include split bathrooms (one with a toilet and sink, the other with a shower/tub combo and sink), as well as sofabeds and bunks to sleep four in a cabin. Disney-themed restaurants and attentive wait staff take the stress out of family mealtimes. Family travel expert and content creator who has been inpsiring millions with her travel guides since 2018. After this last stop, you’ll climb back on your UTV and take the scenic drive back to base camp. It is such a peaceful place and you’ll most likely only be sharing it with your small tour group. Our boys especially loved having a rock skipping contest at the lake.
Chilkoot Canoe Wildlife Safari
As if the ride in a helicopter over glaciers and landing on an actual glacier weren't exhilarating enough, you can also pretend you're in the Iditarod by getting on a real dogsled. You don't have to stick with ship-sponsored shore excursions in every port in Alaska. On my last Alaska cruise, we booked kayaking independently for our stop in Ketchikan. We were guaranteed an on-time return to the ship and paid far less than for the ship's kayaking excursions. Make the most of your cruise by keeping an eye out for pop-up sales that can save you even more money—you can even use those savings to indulge in a pre- or post-cruise tour. Rush across the snow on a dog sled with a professional musher, fly fish for salmon in fresh rivers and soar over miles of glacial tundra in a helicopter.
Those things might be excessive for a stroll through town but important in the wind on a whale watching boat. For extra protection, spray them with a water-repellant sealer before you pack. You can stow lightweight raincoats or ponchos and pull-on rain pants in your backpack during excursions when you don't need them. Avoid these Alaska cruise mistakes, and you'll be on your way to a smooth sailing. 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.
It was interesting to learn more about the history of the town and we were surprised at just how small and remote it is. Gold wasn’t actually found in Skagway, it was just a jumping-off point for gold seekers who traversed the 33-mile Chilkoot Trail. The ship leaves Juneau Harbor at dusk where you can catch the last of the sun sinking below the mountains. The bus will then take you back to the cruise port where you can walk around the town.
Adventurous couples relish Celebrity’s adult-oriented amusements, including inviting bars and lounges, fine restaurants, and relaxing spas. Big spenders book the Retreat, a luxurious private enclave—its Luminae restaurant showcases dishes by famed French chef Daniel Boulud. In Ketchikan, a four-hour Wilderness Exploration and Crab Feast in Tongass National Forest (America’s largest national forest) scores big buzz. Drive past jaw-dropping sights, like Native Alaskan totem poles, snowcapped mountains, and thunderous waterfalls. Relish a sightseeing vessel ride, assist crew pulling in crab pots (if you like), before tearing into unlimited fresh Dungeness crab with warm clarified butter, and cheesecake drenched in Alaskan blueberries. The tour is not only narrated; it's also set to inspirational music.
The outdoor tables are nestled on the banks of the scenic Gold Creek where gold was first discovered in Juneau. You are even guaranteed to see a whale on the tour or you get your money back. They even recognize the whales and know them by name due to the unique pattern on their fluke that identifies them like a fingerprint.
Following your aerial adventure, embark on a glacier trek, a truly unique Alaskan experience. Walking on a glacier is like stepping into another world, with its vast, rugged terrain and stunning blue ice formations. These treks are led by experienced guides, ensuring safety while providing fascinating insights into glaciology and the impacts of climate change. This adventure blends physical activity with education, making it a perfect choice for the eco-conscious traveler.
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