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The best Alaska food to try on a cruise includes king crab, salmon, fry bread, birch syrup, wild berries and more. To narrow down which Alaska cruise is right for you, we've compiled a quick introduction to what you can see in each port. The following destinations are the main ports you could visit on a Norwegian Alaska cruise.
Day 7: Victoria
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. There's nothing like an amazing adventure during an Alaskan vacation, and if you're looking for things to do then dog sledding is a bucket-list experience. For all the beer lovers planning an Alaskan cruise vacation, we’ve curated the ultimate zythophile guide to visiting 5 of the best craft breweries in Alaska.
Travel Tips for Seattle
In some parts of the state, dog sledding is still the primary mode of transportation through the winter months. Visit Alaska and get the experience for yourself at the Skagway Yukon Discovery and Dog Sled Tour. The Siberian Huskies are sweet and energetic, and the ride is a thrill.
Alaska Inside Passage Cruise Ports
Let Princess pick you up from the airport and take you directly to your ship or hotel when you arrive, even if you didn't book your airfare through us. We have a 50-year legacy of sharing the best places and experiences with our guests. On an Alaska cruise, unpack once and explore glaciers, wildlife and national parks. Our Princess fleet includes ships that range from our smaller vessels to large ships. From a balcony stateroom, marvel at the glaciers passing by before enjoying local seafood in one of our many eateries during your seven-day Alaska cruise. Once the gateway to Alaska's Gold Rush, Skagway strikes a dramatic image nestled between the water's edge and mountains.
Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier
Find Norwegian Bliss Cruises to Alaska (with Prices) - Cruise Critic
Find Norwegian Bliss Cruises to Alaska (with Prices).
Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 21:45:11 GMT [source]
In late September, at the end of the Alaska season, most cruises from Seattle are repositioning cruises to Hawaii, Asia, the Panama Canal and Caribbean. One of the most popular excursions in Ketchikan is to see the Misty Fjords, where you can watch for bald eagles, learn about the fjords, and see a volcanic spire rising up from the sea. This area is known as the salmon capital of the world if you're interested in delicious seafood and learning about the historic canneries in Ketchican. There are numerous options waiting for you in Ketichan, no matter what you desire. Riding one of Seattle’s many ferries is a unique way to see the best views of the city.
Health & Safety On Board: New Sanitizing Technology on Norwegian’s Ships
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. Nearly a dozen major cruise ships operate Alaska cruises out of Seattle during the summer months, giving cruisers plenty of choice. The top decks of Holland America vessels, notably, lack many of the kid-focused attractions found on the top decks of more family-focused ships operated by the likes of Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian. That often keeps families with younger kids from booking the ships.
While Holland America draws some families with younger children, the passengers on its ships skew heavily toward middle-aged and older travelers, including many retirees. If you're nearing or already have hit retirement age and prefer to travel mostly with people who are at a similar stage in life as you, you'll feel right at home on a Holland America ship. That makes these ships more appealing to an older demographic that doesn't necessarily want to be on a vessel that's loaded to the gills with children's fun zones and the younger family travelers drawn to that. Notably, the average age of Princess passengers is around 57, and you'll usually see many couples on board in their 50s, 60s and 70s. There, the bartender will muddle your mojitos with raspberry, guava, passion fruit or even jalapeno pepper to spice things up when you're sitting with your new solo friends.
Save Big With These Alaska Cruise Deals
If you're more interested in the Alaska Northern Lights, the earlier sunset in later summer will allow more contrast and better views of this natural wonder. Head to Kenai Fjords National Park in Seward for a whale watching tour. There's nothing like seeing these behemoths hurl themselves out of the water, to splash back into the sea. Don't pass up an opportunity to watch these giants feed and play in the water.
Travel experts and cruise critics rate Holland America Line as the best cruise line for Alaska. If you’re looking for the best Alaska cruises from Seattle, Holland America Line has won Best Alaska Itineraries, Best in Alaska, Best Alaska Cruise, and many more awards. Passengers get a more enriching experience as the cruise line has been taking guests to Alaska for nearly 75 years, and knows the area. One of the oldest farmers’ markets in the US, and certainly one of the oldest attractions in Seattle, Pike Place Market has been open for over a hundred years. At the fish market, watch as local fishermen and vendors toss fresh-caught fish in the air, passing each fish through the market until it reaches the customer. Stop in Skagway, a small town where over 100,000 prospectors once panned for gold during the great Gold Rush of the 1890s.
Keep the kids entertained with three different age-appropriate youth programs, giving them plenty of choice on activities and the opportunity to make new friends. Sailing the Inside Passage is a serenely beautiful experience as your ship glides between forested islands against a backdrop of craggy mountains and distant glaciers. Experiencing this pristine environment gives you a real sense of just how remote Alaska is; for miles, you’ll see just wilderness, with no sign of human intervention.
Unlike the Royal Caribbean and Norwegian ships mentioned above, the two Princess ships sailing from Seattle don't have top decks heavily skewed to family fun. Instead, their top decks offer lots of quiet and relaxing pool and lounge areas where you can enjoy the experience of being at sea without much hustle and bustle. Notably, both Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Encore boast large private zones for solo travelers — something you won't find on any other cruise ship sailing out of Seattle. Still, you can get a variation on a luxury cruise experience on a voyage to Alaska from Seattle on Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Encore.
Gaze at giant glaciers from the pool deck while you sail through Endicott Arm. Scan the surrounding waters on your way to Juneau for glimpses of wildlife from the North Star®, the tallest viewing deck on a cruise ship. Travel back in time and pan for gold like a prospector during the Gold Rush. Snuggle sled dog puppies in the ship's Piazza, or see the Northern Lights in the planetarium. At the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, explore our treehouse and enjoy unmatched views of Denali. Dive deeper into what makes the Great Land special on your cruise to Alaska.
