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Ketchikan, the southernmost Alaska cruise port, is a quaint waterfront town surrounded by the Tongass National Forest. The town’s gold rush history alongside its Native culture offers a chance for visitors to experience Alaska through history. With these indoor shelters and the possibility of visiting diverse, beautiful ports, Radiance makes for the perfect timeless ship to visit Alaska on. Overall, Brilliance of the Seas offers a combination of comfort, convenience, and adventure, making it an excellent choice for experiencing the beauty and wonders of Alaska via cruise ship. With two indoor pools, an indoor sports center, and a variety of hot tubs onboard, Ovation is the perfect ship for a luxurious Alaska vacation. Ovation of the Seas will sail from Seattle and offer 7- and 8-night Alaska glacier cruises.
What is the best time to cruise to Alaska?

Ever wanted to go on an Alaska glacier tour to experience hiking in its open nature? Enjoy an insider’s guide to discovering the best family cruises for your next vacation onboard Brilliance of the Seas. If you're interested in the Midnight Sun, the longest day of the year is June 21, when you can experience close to 20 or more hours of sunlight in some parts of the state.
Why You Should Take an Alaska Summer Vacation Cruise
One of my favorite Alaska cruise “hacks” is to utilize Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s luggage valet service. Instead of getting upset over a cold, rainy day in port, maintain a positive attitude. Find a cozy saloon to enjoy a warm Irish coffee, or bundle up in your rain gear and make the most of the day. Whether you’re cruising with an elaborate mirrorless camera or just your cell phone, it’s hard to take a bad photo of somewhere as beautiful as Alaska. Alaska’s landscapes are spectacular, so you’ll want to brush up on your photography skills before your cruise. One must-do before you board an Alaska cruise in 2024 is to pre-purchase these add-ons.
Day 3 Skagway, Alaska
Planes are plentiful in Alaska, where they're a common form of transportation across the state. Charter a helicopter or fixed-wing flightseeing tour at Juneau and get an unforgettable perspective of the mountains and glaciers of this vast landscape. This itinerary is conducted in reverse order of Tour 5A and offered as a pre-cruise option. This itinerary is conducted in reverse order of Tour 4A and offered as a pre-cruise option. This itinerary is conducted in reverse order of Tour 3A and offered as a pre-cruise option. Many cruisers have been able to board Alaska cruises despite having a DUI, however, provided they sail from Seattle and not Vancouver.
When planning an Alaska cruise, you will have to choose between either a roundtrip or one-way itinerary. Each of these itineraries comes with advantages and disadvantages, so you should weigh the pros and cons of each before booking an itinerary. The plethora of indoor spaces and amenities on Radiance and Quantum Class ships means guests can enjoy Alaska’s scenery regardless of weather conditions outside. Almost all itineraries stop in Juneau, Alaska, but other ports vary from itinerary to itinerary. Some cruises may visit Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan whereas others may call upon Juneau, Icy Strait Point, and Sitka. For the past few years, we’ve noticed a trend on last-minute Alaska cruise pricing.
While in Canada and not Alaska, Victoria still offers an array of landscapes and culture to explore. Visiting the Butchart Gardens is a popular destination in Victoria, where visitors can wander among 55 acres of floral display that date back to 1904. Brilliance of the Seas will sail primarily 7-night roundtrip cruises, including some multi-glacier cruises that visit Hubbard Glacier in addition to Dawes Glacier. Alaska’s biggest city, Anchorage, is set between the sparkling waters of Cook Inlet and the dramatic snow-capped Chugach Mountains. Few places in the world can match its appealing blend of metropolitan pursuits and outdoor living. Anchorage is at its most exuberant during the summer, when locals make the most of the mild temperatures and long days to stay out late into the sunny night.
7 Best Cruises to Alaska, According to Travel Experts - Good Housekeeping
7 Best Cruises to Alaska, According to Travel Experts.
Posted: Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Some of Royal Caribbean’s smallest and largest cruise ships sail to Alaska, so it’s important to consider which ship works best for you before booking an Alaska cruise. Outside of port stops where passengers disembark the ship, Alaska cruises offer scenic cruising days to glaciers along the Inside Passage. Instead, the ship slowly sails within a view of a glacier, often completing a 360 degree turn to ensure all guests onboard can have an excellent view of such amazing scenery. Radiance of the Seas will offer one-way Alaska sailings this summer, with 7-night Northbound and Southbound cruises.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN OPENS 2025 ALASKA SUMMER ADVENTURES - Royal Caribbean Press Center
ROYAL CARIBBEAN OPENS 2025 ALASKA SUMMER ADVENTURES.
Posted: Wed, 01 Nov 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Having booked the cruise only three months before I sailed, it offered a fantastic value. When packing for an Alaska cruise, we recommend bringing a pair of sneakers that are water resistant. Unless you plan on doing some serious trekking in each port, there’s no need to bring hefty hiking boots or rain boots. A pair of sneakers made from a water-resistant material will keep your feet dry and warm under most weather conditions. If you live in a warm climate or don’t wear winter jackets often, consider purchasing gently-used cold weather gear at a thrift shop or on eBay. There’s really no need to spend hundreds of dollars on new winter gear just for an Alaska cruise, especially if you’re traveling with children who will quickly outgrow clothing.
GLACIERS WILL MOVE YOU
A year later, the nearby discovery of gold transformed the remote settlement into a boomtown, and Barnette the first mayor. Fairbanks today remains a destination for adventure seekers, as the gateway to Alaska’s northern wilds and some its most isolated terrain. While home to just 32,000, Fairbanks is the big city of the interior and cultural hub for the sparsely populated region. You can still go for the gold in Fairbanks, panning just like the early prospectors did.
Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. While it could be tempting to sleep in, we advise starting your port day earlier rather than later. Although the service comes with a small fee in addition to any airline baggage fees, it offers unparalleled convenience for travelers. Dreading transporting your luggage from the cruise terminal to the airport check-in desk? Royal Caribbean and the Port of Seattle offer a luggage valet service, which allows you to bypass standard airport check-in.
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. Only select cruise lines, including Princess Cruises and Holland America, can visit Glacier Bay. The national park issues permits to cruise lines, and Royal Caribbean does not currently have a permit. If you value being able to see scenery more up close and have the budget to spend on an extra excursion, there’s no harm in booking the tour. If you are choosing between a glacier excursion and an excursion in another cruise port, though, we advise booking an excursion in a different port instead.
These land tours are arguably the best way to see Alaska's interior and the most popular destinations. Depending on your cruise itinerary, there may be a chance to book an excursion on a scenic cruising glacier day. Some glaciers offer a “Wilderness Explorer” excursion, during which passengers disembark the cruise ship and embark a small vessel, allowing them to get up close and personal to glaciers.
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