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Holland America, which has medium and larger ships, often sails from Vancouver and Seattle. There are ships with all the bells and whistles bedecked with glitz and glam, and others offer just the basics with a surprise (see our insider tip in the Final Note below!). The drawback of Grand Princess is her age – she’s over 25 years old now and despite careful renovation, it does show a little. She’s far from past her best, though, and if you don’t mind the slightly dated decor then she offers a comfortable experience, great as a base for exploring the Alaskan ports.
The Best Time to Cruise Alaska 2024: A Month-by-Month Guide - Condé Nast Traveler
The Best Time to Cruise Alaska 2024: A Month-by-Month Guide.
Posted: Thu, 29 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
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The good news is there are so many options for travelers that you should be able to find a great trip that fits your budget. As you'll see below, an Alaskan cruise can cost under $500 per person for some week long trips. Don't forget to check out our Alaska cruise deals page to save even more on your next sailing. As part of the American Queen Voyages expedition experience, the line has partnered with Dr. Michelle Fournet, an acclaimed acoustic ecologist and leading expert in the communication of North Pacific humpback whales. As such, hydrophones are used onboard Zodiacs to listen to the voices of Alaska’s whales in real-time.
Best Inside Passage Alaska Cruise: Hurtigruten Expeditions, MS Roald Amundsen
Its "North to Alaska" program will delight kids with sled dog puppies in the ship's Piazza, and lure their parents and grandparents with local seafood on restaurant menus and onboard cultural programming with Alaska residents. 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. 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.
Award-Winning Alaska Cruise Ships
The cost of an Alaskan cruise, of course, rises during high season and will be less expensive before and after those months during shoulder season. Carnival Luminosa is not only new to Alaska, but new to the Carnival fleet. It was recently brought over from Costa, so it has a completely different vibe from Carnival’s other ships. It’s got the Italian flair found on Costa’s ship but has undergone an extensive retrofit to make it feel more at home to Carnival cruisers. The ship tends to appeal to a more mature crowd, though you will see more families and multigenerational groups on Alaska cruises.
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]
Windstar is able to launch Zodiacs right from the ship and get you close to the shorelines for your best shot at spotting wildlife. Each Alaskan cruise has 8 expedition experts, and with such a small capacity on the ship you’re able to get more personalized insight about each location. Carnival Cruise Line offers some of the most affordable options for sailing out of California, either from Long Beach or San Francisco.
Best Alaska Cruise Overall: Holland America Line, Nieuw Amsterdam
That's because it's not the Alaska voyages from Seattle offered by the North American cruise line best known for budget sailings — Carnival Cruise Line. Unlike the Royal Caribbean ships, the Norwegian ships also have epic waterslides on their top decks, which in theory, might put them over the top in any listing of the best cruise ships for families based in Seattle. Holland America has a well-earned reputation for bringing guests to new destinations for more than 150 years. Its ships tend to be mid-sized — larger than Lindblad's offerings but smaller than the Quantum ships from Royal Caribbean. While Holland attracts an older demographic, its Alaskan cruises are often filled with multi-generational families. Good Housekeeping Contributing Travel Editor Karen Cicero and her daughter recently sailed on Majestic Princess, a Family Travel Awards Winner, and raved about the ship's amenities, especially the Hollywood Pool Club.
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King's Blues Club, play a game of pickleball on the outer deck or enjoy fine dining at numerous restaurants serving sushi and Asian cuisine, steak, seafood, Italian fare and Dutch treats. Both ships are almost identical, but we give Discovery Princess the edge only because it's newer than Royal Princess. On each of the ships, the "studio" zones, as Norwegian calls them, are made up of 82 special solo cabins and a private Studio Lounge where solos can gather for happy hours and other events. Sourdough is such an important part of Alaskan culture that long-time Alaskans are actually called sourdoughs in local parlance.
Princess Lodges is actually a part of Princess Cruises so you can get your cruise and land portion of your trip all under one roof. Plus, the company offers incredible trips around the Alaskan landscape with Princess Rail Tours that travels between Anchorage and Fairbanks. These trains offer the largest domed windows ever made for a rail car, so you can enjoy the view and some yummy food at the same time. And if you really want to experience Alaska in all its glory, Holland America has a 28-day sailing in June of 2024 that departs from Seattle. This particular itinerary sails all the way up the coast and above the arctic circle, allowing passengers to see remote places like Nome and Little Diomede Island.
For solo cruise travelers, paying double for single occupancy can become expensive. There are ship accommodations with certain cruise lines that are specifically tailored for this class of passenger. For example, NCL offers studio cabins (82 of them to be exact) on their Alaska-bound ship, Norwegian Bliss.
If you’re wanting to visit some of the more quaint and less tourist-traveled areas of Alaska a smaller cruise ship will be a better choice. If you’re looking at cruises in Alaska, I hope you realize there isn’t a “bad” option. But in this article we will dive into the different cruise lines that offer cruises to Alaska and try to help you determine which cruise line is best for you.
Departures are typically out of Vancouver, British Columbia, and Seattle, Washington. There are also fewer departures out of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and even Alaska homeports of Ketchikan, Juneau, and Anchorage. Deciding on the best cruise line for Alaska depends on a number of factors, and, of course, getting a good deal on the price.
The 4,000-passenger Encore boasts a handful of the features found on its sisters, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Sun, Norwegian Jewel, and Norwegian Spirit (which also offers Alaska cruises), as well as its own unique attractions. With a variety of dining, entertainment and recreational options, cruisers will never be bored or hungry. This full half-acre of real grass on the top deck offers some of the best views onboard in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. The space includes a hands-on glass blowing studio, games like bocce and mini-golf, lounge chairs and even rentable Alcoves. Celebrity typically attracts sophisticated young adults and middle-aged couples, though you'll notice more families during the summer holiday.
After all, this is your vacation you are planning, so it doesn’t matter if someone else thinks you’re vacationing wrong. Because Alaska has such a short season with a limited number of ships and is a dream trip for many, cruises are in high demand and people plan early. The best time to book an Alaska cruise is when a cruise line first opens bookings on that sailing, often more than a year in advance.
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