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Feed your hunger for adventure on a roundtrip Alaska cruise from Vancouver, B.C. Wind your way through fjords, by bright-green forests and through quaint Gold Rush-era towns on your way to the wonders of Glacier Bay National Park. Alaska is a special place to cruise because it’s very different from standard tropical cruise destinations. Cruises to Alaska don’t occur during the months of January, February, March, November and December. The dark and cold winters are not ideal for cruises because travelers aren’t able to enjoy the wonders of the state of Alaska. Weather in Alaska in August may keep some cruisers away, but there are still many excursions and experiences to enjoy.
The Great Land awaits – set sail with Princess, the #1 Alaska cruise line
What's New for the 2024 Alaska Cruise Season - Cruise Critic
What's New for the 2024 Alaska Cruise Season.
Posted: Mon, 11 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Embark on an unforgettable Alaskan cruise adventure departing from Juneau in October 2023. Juneau is situated in the heart of the Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in the United States. From here, you can set sail and explore the wonders of Alaska, including pristine wilderness, majestic glaciers, and unique wildlife. October marks the end of the Alaskan cruise season, with the arrival of colder temperatures and the start of winter.
Visiting Scenic Restaurants in Alaska
Revel in the beauty of Mother Nature’s masterpiece and listen closely as the scenery whispers secrets of times long ago during your cruise to Alaska. On dry land, bears are more common in May, though not as frequently spotted as they are in peak summer. Temperatures are relatively mild, with daytime highs in the upper 40s and into the 50s depending on where you're visiting and cloud cover. Discover the top tips for planning a cruise to Alaska and uncover the best times of the year to spot Alaskas wildlife, locate must-see attractions, find Alaskan cruise deals and more. Embark on an unforgettable Alaska adventure cruise and experience the ultimate vacation. Immerse yourself in the thrilling destinations that Alaska has to offer, each brimming with its own unique style and vibe.
Skagway, Alaska
Please trust me and adjust your travel plans to make it an unforgettable trip for all the good experiences you have on an Alaska summer cruise (not any of the potentially/inevitable bad ones you might have on an end of season cruise). Extend your Alaska cruise vacation, and simplify your travel plans with a hotel stay at the beginning or end of your cruise. With a Cruise Plus Hotel Package, a Princess representative meets you at the airport and pier, transporting you to and from your hotel. The package includes the cost of your hotel stay, transportation, luggage handling and the services of the representative. The best time to see salmon spawning on an Alaskan cruise is typically between mid-July and mid-September.
This means that cruising during the summer is a very popular – and pricey – activity, and will probably give you some sticker shock even if you find a good deal. However, they start making their way back to warmer waters from late September to early October, so you’ll see far fewer whales on an October cruise (you may still see some though – I did). Anyway, last year I decided to hop on the very last Alaska cruise of the season in late October to experience what it’s like to cruise to Alaska so late into the fall (my prior latest season cruise was in September).
The major operators—Princess, Holland America, Celebrity, are all premium-tier cruise lines, but the luxury cruise lines have also deployed ships to Alaskan waters. It’s worth noting that shoreside transportation outside of cruise line-operated transfers can be more limited in Whittier, so passengers embarking there may wish to ensure they include transfers from Anchorage in their cruise package. From Seward, travelers wanting to spend a few days exploring Kenai Fjords National Park or one of the wilderness lodges can book Alaska Railroad transfers on their regular scheduled service. Whittier is closer to Anchorage, and some itineraries even take disembarking passengers directly to Denali or Talkeetna the same day. Whittier is also a convenient port for cruising College Fjord, which most northbound sailings do on the final day before arriving in Whittier. Whittier is, however, a tiny community that is little more than a deep-water port, while Seward is a larger community and regional base for a more diverse collection of tours and activities.
Dive Into Alaska Traditions on Your Next Cruise Royal Caribbean Cruises
Sail into the Last Frontier from Seward or Vancouver onboard Radiance of the Seas®. With over three acres of windows and glass exterior viewing elevators, you can watch for whales along Alaska’s Inside Passage when you aren’t wandering wilderness paths from Ketchikan to Juneau. And for the ultimate outdoor adventure, take a CruiseTour into Alaska’s interior where you can hang with huskies in Denali, and scale glaciers in Alyeska. Adventuring in Alaska is all about getting to know this state's stunning landscape. It might seem cold and unforgiving at first glance, but the best Alaska cruises allow you to explore the quiet lakes, imposing glaciers and breathtaking mountain views, you'll have only warm impressions of this wilderness. Don’t just see the Great Land’s glaciers, feel them come alive on an Alaska cruisetour.
In addition to the outdoor activities, October offers the chance to experience the local cuisine and indulge in hearty dishes such as stews, soups, and roasted meats. Visitors can also attend festivals and events celebrating the local culture, such as the Alaska Day Festival, which commemorates the purchase of Alaska from Russia. However, it is important to note that some attractions and activities may be closed or limited during this time, and weather conditions can be unpredictable. Visitors should come prepared with warm clothing and be flexible with their itinerary. Silversea has “Door-to-Door” pricing on many of its Alaska cruises, meaning the cruise fare includes airfare, hotels, and all transfers—including transfers from home to the departure airport. Onboard the all-suite ships, there’s butler service in every suite, fine dining, and select shore excursions included.
WHERE ARE THE WHALES AT?
On the banks of the Chena River lies the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge®. With riverside dining and frontier décor, the Fairbanks Lodge is the perfect excuse to extend your Alaska cruise vacation and dive deeper into your surroundings. Cruise down the Chena River on a sternwheeler riverboat, pan for gold at Gold Dredge 8 or ride ATVs through surrounding forests underneath the midnight sun. With glass-domed railcars, our exclusive Direct-to-the-Wilderness® rail service takes you into the heart of Alaska without juggling multiple tickets or confusing transfers.
Denali National Park takes you out of the city altogether, into a wilderness full of spruce forests and snow-capped mountain peaks. Plan your romantic Alaskan cruise with our adventurer’s guide to discovering the coziest vacation spots and most scenic restaurants for couples traveling in Alaska. When planning a trip to Alaska, many travelers wonder if it's better to explore the state by land or by sea. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. 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. In this post, I’ll cover the basics of “end of season” Alaska cruises, to help you decide if the timing of these cruises will be right for you, given other considerations you might not be aware of with these itineraries.
Discover the wonders of Alaska with the Best Cruise Line for 20 years running. In the center of the state, Denali National Park is blanketed in wildflowers punctuated with mountains, raging rivers and serene lakes. Denali, "The Great One," formerly known as Mt. McKinley, rises to the tallest peak in North America and can be seen from as far away as Anchorage on a clear day. To illustrate how the weather differs at the end of the season compared with the peak season, I’ve pulled data using Juneau as a representative community for the entire Inside Passage.
During the cruise season, popular cruise lines assist travelers in enjoying all of the unique sights, wildlife, excursions, events and food. The Alaska cruise season is a little over six months long, but choosing the best time to cruise Alaska is surprisingly not that simple. 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. A trip to Alaska is at the top of many travelers’ bucket lists, and for good reason. Every Princess Alaska cruisetour takes you to Denali National Park so you can enjoy a land beloved by millions but only seen by the adventurous. With some of the most stunning wilderness in existence and famous wildlife, it’s part of the definitive experience of traveling to the Great Land’s wild interior.
Enjoy convenience and comfort from ship to train and then directly to your Princess Wilderness Lodge in the Denali-area. We’ve taken care of everything on your Alaska cruisetour, so you can spend less time worrying and more time exploring. Experience the breathtaking scenery of Banff National Park in the heart of the Rockies on our 14-night cruisetour with a 7-day Alaska cruise and luxury Rocky Mountaineer rail travel. With no roads connecting it to the rest of Alaska or North America, it is truly a protected destination. Founded as a gold mining town and now the state’s capital, Juneau has one foot in history and one in the future. Embark on a whale watching tour, or sail past Mendenhall Glacier on an Alaska cruise.
If you're on a budget, stick to interior rooms and look for the big cruise ships, which tend to have more inventory. If you want to spot herds of caribou, book an Alaska cruise that puts you in range of Denali National Park. And with salmon runs in full force, you can catch fishing bears in the southeast. You will find local asparagus on some menus in southeast towns later in the month, and fiddlehead season also begins in Alaska in May.
Extend your cruise vacation, and simplify your travel plans with a hotel stay at the beginning or end of your cruise. From the sweeping mountains of Juneau to the fish-bearing seas of Ketchikan, discover our Alaska cruise ports and set sail into the adventures that await you. 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.
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