Looking for nature and adventure on an Alaska cruise? Choose a smaller ship
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We'll match you with a local itinerary expert to help you plan your trip. Our Classic Discovery Voyage is the perfect wilderness sampler. Explore a wildlife rich slice of Alaska, set in the scenic wilderness settings of Lake Clark National Park, and the Chugach National Forest Wilderness of Prince William Sound. Cruise in Alaska with as little as 30 fellow passengers.
Tauck Directors – Simply The Best
National Geographic Sea Lion is a tried and true educational-based 62-guest expedition ship. Onboard experts from National Geographic make this ship, and its twin the National Geographic Sea Bird, unique. Alaska Cruise Packing Tips By Heidi Sarna I’ve been to Alaska many times over the years, having done nearly a dozen cruises there, on big and small ships, but mostly on the small ones, my favorites. And I've learned some things along the way; what to pack and what to... Bar Harbor To Limit Cruise Visitors By Anne Kalosh For many years Bar Harbor, with a year-round population of just 5,500, was Maine's busiest cruise port, handling hundreds of thousands of passengers a season. I have traveled between all continents by sea and cruised along three dozen rivers.
Silversea Cruises
We recommend that you make at least two photocopies of all the travel documents that you bring with you. Include copies of the photo page of your passport that contains the date of issuance, the date of expiration and your citizenship. Secure one set of copies in the safe in your room while traveling and leave one set behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your documents are misplaced, lost or stolen.
A Note about Your Travel Days
Select departures even venture across the Arctic Circle. Southcentral Alaska’s terrain ranges from volcanic landscapes in Katmai National Park, home to an impressive population of brown bears, to the windswept Aleutian Islands that make a 1,000-mile sweep toward Asia. In between lies a massive bay of blue ice, which can be experienced on a Prince William Sound glacier cruise.
Dive into the heart of Alaska with itineraries meticulously crafted just for you. At Alaska Uncharted, we believe in creating not just trips, but personalized adventures that resonate with your unique desires and dreams. Whether you yearn for the thrill of wildlife encounters, the tranquility of secluded fjords, or the excitement of glacier exploration, every detail of your journey is shaped around what you want to do. Discover the freedom of a truly customized Alaska cruise experience, where your aspirations set the course. A cruise on a small ship is not filled with elaborate distractions, sleek resorts and packaged tours. Rather, small ships are perfect for intimate exploration of off-the-beaten track waterways, narrow channels and tiny ports that passengers on large ships will never see.
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Hiking Mt. Riley in Haines was also a highlight (challenging hike, with a rewarding view up top). Can't say I enjoyed any of it the least, but if I had to choose, there were two days where we really only had one off the boat activity. More full day excursions should be offered when the boat is anchored in the same place all day. An AdventureSmith Specialist is 1 of only 8 passengers on this Katmai bear viewing cruise in Alaska. See his incredible grizzly bear photography and read stories of the bears in this detailed trip review. Small ship Alaska cruises make the most of the summer months when passengers can enjoy warmer temperatures, long days with late sunsets and accessible wildlife.
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It’s also a great time to admire nature in full bloom and be inspired by the native wildlife. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Never Settle For Ordinary
Traveler Editors' Favorite Cruise Ships in the World: Gold List 2024 - Condé Nast Traveler
Traveler Editors' Favorite Cruise Ships in the World: Gold List 2024.
Posted: Wed, 13 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
If you want intimate and unparalleled wilderness access in Alaska this is the company for you. The hallmark of Lindblad expeditions is their team of experts. You will pay a premium for an intellectual and educational experience alongside seasoned naturalists and intellectual guides who are professionals in their field. The off-vessel explorations are less about the activities and work out and more about the up-close educational experiences using state-of-the-art tools. You can’t talk about the best small Alaskan cruise lines without mentioning Lindblad Expeditions.
Here are seven small-ship cruise lines in Alaska to consider. The majority of Alaska cruises last a week (though there are longer itineraries), exploring southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage via round-trip or one-way journeys from Juneau, Sitka, Seattle, and Vancouver. The small, agile ships themselves get you closer, and so do excursions via even smaller Zodiac boats and kayaks. That experience in the 1990s hooked me on small-ship cruising and inspired me to start QuirkyCruise.com to share reviews and news about this special corner of the cruise world.
To see Alaska from the comfort and mobility of the Discovery boat, set a new standard of travel….so unique, personal and experiential. I simply loved the entire trip you created for your guests. So exciting to watch the glaciers and so much wildlife.
Exclusive offers valid on new bookings only, subject to availability, and combinable with other select offers. See all Alaska cruise deals for a comprehensive list of current savings on this and other adventures. Although the cabins were small, we had what we needed and the public spaces were sized to handle the passengers comfortably, and there were so many activities we didn't spend much time in our rooms. The ship cruised smoothly in the inland passages, and even an overnight relocation cruise didn't interrupt sleep.
There are countless straits, canals, narrows, fjords, and sounds in the maze-like Inside Passage that only small ships can fit through. And while big ships spend no more than half a day in Glacier Bay National Park, the smallest ships can linger a full day and sometimes more. Small-ship cruises in Alaska offer you the luxury of access and serenity. When the captain cuts the engines near a shushing waterfall or a surfacing whale exhaling gusts of air through its blowhole, you not only see nature but hear it, too. As we scurried up top and grabbed binoculars, I realized the bear was right in a clearing we had passed just minutes before returning to the boat.
Enjoy a flexible schedule, capitalizing on wildlife encounters and the collective whims of the group. The atmosphere is casual and all inclusive in cost, encouraging everyone on board to participate. Ted & Heidi are long-time travel writers with a penchant for small ship cruising. Between them they've traveled all over the world aboard hundreds and hundreds of small cruise ships of all kinds, from river boats to expedition vessels and sailing ships. If you're energized by the idea of diverse entertainment, plentiful onboard activities, and exploring Alaska's port towns as well as its scenic wonders, then you'll likely love the experience of cruising on a large vessel.
There are no roads or cars, and the only way in and out is by seaplane or boat. Beautiful anchorages, great crabbing, brown bear viewing, and nature walks. Take a stroll through the quaint town while watching float planes navigate the waterway as the primary mode of transportation. Offer valid on new bookings only, subject to availability and cannot be combined with any other offers except UnCruise’s Loyalty and Referral savings.
What was it like to take a small Alaska cruise during the pandemic? There’s a big difference between last-minute Alaska cruises and our curated choices of the best small ship Alaska cruise itineraries. These guides will help inform you as you begin your research. During my 10-day cruise from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Sitka, Alaska, I quickly came to appreciate the nature-oriented focus of small-ship Alaska cruising. Navigating through the serene waters of Alaska, the MV Sikumi offers exclusive itineraries tailored to the interests and preferences of its guests.
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