If you are considering an Alaska cruise, you can choose from a wide array of ships and itineraries.
There are two main Alaska itineraries. One is a round-trip Inside Passage cruise featuring a glacier visit (such as Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm or Hubbard Glacier) and port calls at Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.
Some itineraries may include Sitka, Haines, Icy Strait Point, Prince Rupert or Victoria.
Or consider a one-way cruise between Vancouver and Seward or Whittier (near Anchorage) with calls at several Inside Passage ports and glacier viewing in Prince William Sound or Yakutat Bay (location of Hubbard Glacier).
Cruise rates do not vary much for similar staterooms, and most lines offer specials cruise prices in May and September. If you don't mind taking a chance on the weather, some great deals are on offer.
CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES: This is a casual, family-oriented cruise line and Carnival's 'Fun' ships often attract a high number of first-time and younger cruisers. The line is known for good children's facilities. Carnival Spirit (2,124 passengers) sails mostly seven-day one-way cruises between Vancouver and Whittier, with glacier viewing in Prince William Sound and stops at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Sitka.
CELEBRITY CRUISES: An upscale cruise line which offers both a sophisticated ambiance and good facilities for children and teenagers. The fleet's ships feature modern decor and gourmet cuisine. Mercury (1,870 passengers) sails seven-day round-trips from Vancouver with calls at Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka and Hubbard Glacier. Millennium (1,950 passengers) offers seven day one-way cruises between Vancouver and Seward.
CRUISE WEST: This Seattle-based line offers a casual atmosphere on board its small ships which travel on a variety of itineraries that explore less-travelled waters of the Inside Passage, Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea. Evening presentations are designed to enhance the daytime sights and activities which include wildlife viewing by Zodiac. Spirit of Oceanus (114 passengers) offers 12-night voyages between Vancouver and Anchorage.
HOLLAND AMERICA LINE: This premium line offers spacious, immaculate ships with a high level of personal service. HAL's distinctive dark blue-hulled ships have classic lines, contain extensive artwork and are finely appointed with amenities. HAL has been a major presence in Alaska since 1973 with extensive infra-structure supporting land tour and shore-side activities for its passengers. HAL currently bases five mid-sized ships in Vancouver throughout the summer. Servicing the Inside Passage on seven-day round-trips are the Ryndam and Statendam (1,258 passengers), with visits to Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Glacier Bay. Servicing one-way line cruises between Seward and Vancouver are three ships -- Zaandam and Volendam (1,432 passengers) and Veendam (1,258 passengers)
NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE: This mainstream line is an industry leader in innovative cruising, offering unstructured dining in its many restaurants and a casual dress code. Ideal for families, NCL is home-porting one ship in Vancouver this season. The Norwegian Sun offers seven-day round-trip cruises from Vancouver which stops at Tracy Arm, Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.
PRINCESS CRUISES: This Los Angeles-based company appeals to all age groups with its well-designed ships featuring an abundance of private balconies, attentive service and extensive children's facilities. Five Princess ships are sailing from Vancouver this year, four of them on one-way cruises between Vancouver and Whittier (Anchorage). A unique 14-day round-trip cruise from Vancouver is being offered on Tahitian Princess, an intimate ship carrying 670 passengers on an extensive itinerary that includes Glacier Bay and the major Inside Passage ports as well as Kodiak Island, Seward, Valdez, Sitka and Victoria. One-way Gulf of Alaska cruises between Vancouver and Whittier are available on sister ships Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess (2,670 passengers) and on sister ships Coral Princess and Island Princess (1,970 passengers). This seven-day itinerary takes you to Glacier Bay, College Fjord in Prince William Sound, and the Inside Passage ports of Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. The company's extensive services in Alaska include luxury rail service to custom-built wilderness lodges.
REGENT SEVEN SEAS: This luxury line made its Alaska debut in 2000, where it currently positions Seven Seas Mariner, which accommodates 700 passengers -- all in outside suites with a balcony. It offers mostly seven-night Gulf of Alaska cruises between Vancouver and Seward and one round-trip cruise from Vancouver. Ports of call include Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Sitka, with glacier viewing in Tracy Arm.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL: RCI's modern megaships feature a casual atmosphere and the company's hallmark rock-climbing wall. Family suites, a large playroom and teen centre make these ships ideal for passengers with children. RCI has a strong presence in Vancouver with Serenade of the Seas (2,500 passengers) sailing seven-day round-trip cruises from Vancouver with stops at Skagway, Juneau, Icy Strait Point and Hubbard Glacier. Radiance of the Seas (2,112 passengers) sails seven-day one-way cruises between Vancouver and Seward, with calls at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point and Hubbard Glacier.
Celebrity is offering the industry's first roundtrip Alaska cruise out of Los Angeles.Hubbard Glacier is the reigning beauty in Celebrity Cruises' Alaska, where the breathtakingly rugged splendor of the natural world meets the comfortable sophistication of a top- notch cruise. Guests on all three Celebrity ships that will sail in the region in 2009 will have the opportunity to gaze at the glacier, which is the only advancing glacier in Alaska. Hubbard Glacier is but one of countless must-see sights in the region, and much of Alaska's coastal magnificence is featured in Celebrity's 2009 season there. Unique cruisetours will afford guests the opportunity to experience inland Alaska, the Canadian Rockies, and Whistler, British Columbia. Celebrity Cruises' 2009 Alaska sailings opened for sale today.Celebrity Infinity, Celebrity Mercury, and Celebrity Millennium will sail Alaska in 2009, from a total of five ports. The season's cruise highlights include the following:
-- Celebrity is offering the industry's first roundtrip Alaska cruise out of Los Angeles, with a 14-night roundtrip "Ultimate Alaska" sailing on Celebrity Mercury. The voyage includes visits to five Alaska ports as well as Seattle, Washington and Victoria, British Columbia, on April 27. Immediately following that cruise, the ship will sail a 13-night "Ultimate Alaska" voyage from Los Angeles to Vancouver, also visiting five Alaska ports, among others. Celebrity Millennium will sail the line's first 10-night roundtrip-from-Vancouver sailing with an "Ultimate Alaska" voyage on September 18, visiting six Alaska ports and one Canadian port. At the core of Celebrity's 2009 Alaska season is a series of seven- night sailings between May and September that include stunning views of Hubbard Glacier, with the itineraries varying between the three ships. Celebrity Infinity will depart Fridays roundtrip from Seattle, visiting Juneau and Ketchikan, Alaska, and Victoria, British Columbia. Nearly all of these sailings also feature a call at Icy Strait Point, giving guests the opportunity to experience Alaska's only wilderness port. -- Adjacent to the largest Tlingit Indian settlement and home to the historic salmon cannery and carefully restored museum, Icy Strait Point offers numerous shore excursions, including flightseeing, whale watching, sport fishing, biking, kayaking, and rides on the world's longest zip line, which measures 5,330 feet in length and includes a 1,300-foot vertical drop. Celebrity Mercury will depart Sundays roundtrip from Vancouver, calling at Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan, and cruising the famed Inside Passage, one of National Geographic Traveler's highly rated destinations. In Juneau, the "Taku Glacier Lodge Flight and Feast" excursion lets guests board a floatplane and enjoy 50 minutes of flightseeing over five glaciers before landing at the historic Taku Lodge for a King salmon feast. Celebrity Millennium will cruise between Seward, Alaska and Vancouver, British Columbia, departing on Fridays, calling at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, and cruising the Inside Passage. In Ketchikan, guests can taste local seafood in an intimate setting with the "Alaskan Chef's Table" excursion. Celebrity Mercury will reprise its popular 2007 and 2008 wine cruise with an 11-night sailing from Vancouver to San Diego, California on October 12, 2009. Celebrity Mercury will continue to alternate between three- and four-night Pacific Northwest sailings out of Seattle in September and October, with calls at Nanaimo and Victoria, British Columbia.In Victoria, the "Butchart Gardens, Wine and Chocolate" shore excursion gives guests an introduction to the city's charms, including the renowned Butchart Gardens and a unique wine-and-chocolate-pairing experience at a local winery.Combining a cruise with a multi-night, land-based journey enhances the Alaska experience. In 2009, Celebrity is increasing its cruisetour offerings. Highlights include the following:
A total of 21 Alaska cruisetours are available to guests sailing seven-night voyages on Celebrity Millennium out of Seward and Vancouver. In 2009, these offerings include a new seven-night post-cruise tour through Seward, Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali National Park and Fairbanks, Alaska. Three Canadian cruisetour journeys (two Canadian Rockies and one Whistler) are available to guests sailing seven-night voyages on Celebrity Mercury out of Vancouver. A five-night Canadian Rockies package featuring rail travel on Rocky Mountaineers' RedLeaf will visit Calgary, Banff and Vancouver. A three-night Whistler package features rail travel on Rocky Mountaineers' Whistler Mountaineer Coast Classic and visits the 2010 Winter Olympics sites of Vancouver and Whistler.To learn more about Celebrity's 2009 Alaska and Pacific Northwest cruises and cruisetours, guests are encouraged to visit http://www.alaskacruisetoursonline.com.Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale cruise experiences with highly personalized service, exceptional dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity sails in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South America. The line also offers unique cruisetour vacations in Alaska, Australia, Canada, Europe and South America. Noted for "The Top Cruise Ships in the World," as voted by the readers of Conde' Nast Traveler (February 2008 readers' poll), Celebrity's current fleet will be joined by Celebrity Solstice in 2008, Celebrity Equinox in 2009, Celebrity Eclipse in 2010, and a fourth Solstice- class ship in 2011. For more information, call 800.365.1445or visit http://www.alaskacruisetoursonline.com
Did you know that Denali National Park has over 9,500 square miles, but a population of just 350 brown bears.
Most people viist Alaska with high expectations of seeing an abundance of wildlife. Some even think they might see bears just minutes after landing on the pier, or pods of whales swimming beside their cruise ship, whereever it goes
If you go, you should be prepared for the possibility that you might not.How can you improve your chances of viewing wildlife? Just be in the right place at the right time.
First, call your cruise line and ask to talk to the shore excursion desk about your expectations. They know what to to do and when.
Let's take a look at some possibilities....
Sea Otters
Want to see Otters? Try the Sea Otter Quest from the town of Sitka. You will cruise through one of the world's most beautiful coastal environments.
You'll have the opportunity to observe sea otters, whales, sea lions, porpoise, harbor seals, brown bears, blacktail deer, bald eagles and a variety of marine birds. An onboard naturalist explains the workings of this remarkable ecosystem. Learn about the sea otter's recovery following their near extinction at the hands of Russian fur hunters in the early 1800s.The waterjet-driven boat, offers wildlife viewing at close range. Go topside and use the observation deck for photo ops and to fully enjoy a 360 degree viewing experience.
You are guaranteed to see an otter, a whale or a bear. If not, the tour operator offers a $100 cash refund ($50 refund per child) as you disembark the vessel. Complimentary admission to St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral is also included.
Whales
Summer is a great time to see whales. Summer is the time when humpbacks and orcas are feeding, so there’s a good chance you’ll see them.
Consider the Whale Watching & Wildlife Quest out of Juneau. Whales are so plentiful that this tour comes with a limited money-back guarantee.
You will be taken to Auke Bay, board a waterjet-powered catamaran specially designed for wildlife viewing. Along the way, take in the majestic backdrop of snow-capped peaks and glaciers as you cruise through the island-studded waters of Stephens Passage. An onboard naturalist explains the habits and habitat of the wildlife you may encounter, which may include humpback and killer whales, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, porpoises, and on the shore: bald eagles, Sitka blacktail deer and, occasionally, bears.Or try a whale-watch tour out of Juneau, where you can see so many humpbacks you may lost count. These humpbacks spout, surface and dive all around your boat. Watching their huge tails fan out as they go down is exciting.
Bears
Take the Bear Search tour out of Icy Strait Point. Remember, all wildlife tour descriptions clearly state that wildlife viewing cannot be guaranteed.
You will come to Spasski River. This area offers prime bear viewing opportunities when the salmon are running and the meadows are alive with plump, juicy berries and new-growth plants. Look for Sitka blacktail deer, land otters, salmon, bald eagles, and brown bears. The river valley offers prime bear viewing opportunities.
The standard tour costs about $100 per person. If you want spend more, you can take a fly-in tour to remote areas like Pack Creek on Admiralty Island or the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary. Bears do gather in these places. Visit Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, to view the bears feeding as the salmon run upstream in the summer.
Consider this: From Ketchikan, take a floatplane to Neets Bay in Tongass National Forest. Begin a quarter-mile walk to Neets Creek, the site of a world-class salmon hatchery whose annual release of fish is a huge draw for the region's most plentiful concentration of black bears. Watch bears fishing for and feeding on salmon and view the abundant bald eagles.
6 Steps to improve you chances of viewing wildlife...
1. Early morning ( 6-7AM ) and dusk are the best times for viewing. The bears are catching salmon for breakfast, and you don’t want to miss it.
2. Know when to go. Bears can be seen in Denali from May to September, but July through late August is the best time to see them at the Wildlife Observatory in the Tongass National Forest.
3. Experience Alaska's wild and majestic bald eagles in their natural habitat while rafting gently through the world famous Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve at Haines..
Your adventure begins with professional guides aboard the Yukon Queen for a narrated marine wildlife-spotting cruise en route to picturesque Haines. On arrival, you will be driven along the coastline into the heart of the "Valley of the Eagles." Take in the towering mountains, hanging glaciers and lush forests from the comfort of an 18-foot raft. Naturalist guides share their extensive knowledge of the area's plants, wildlife and rich Native history. This float trip has no whitewater and the mild nature of the glacial river provides amazing opportunities to photograph eagles in the wild. The preserve is also home to moose, bears, wolves and a host of other animals. Watch for wildlife and take lots of pictures while your guide rows the raft downriver.
Want to see the thousands of eagles? Visit in October.
4. You might see wildlife just by driving or walking around. People have seen moose and bear in towns, wolves and eagles hanging out by the rivers to catch salmon.
5. Increase your odds. Choose longer tours. When you plan your Alaskan vacation, don't miss Denali National Park. Its a place so expansive that it shelters more than six hundred-fifty species of flowering plants and thirty-seven mammal species. The park includes a dizzying six million acres filled with large caribou, moose, and grizzly bears, and offset with startlingly small flowers, miniaturized to suit Alaska's short growth season. You should make Denali National Park, the focal point of your Alaska Cruisetour. You will go deeper into Denali National Park on the six-to-eight hour Tundra Wilderness Tour than on the three-to-four hour Natural History Tour. Some Tundra tour buses also come equipped with high-powered video cameras hooked up to screens throughout the bus so you can get close-up images of animals that are far away. You can even purchase a DVD afterwards with footage from your trip. On the bus tour, you might see moose, caribou and Dall sheep in addition to a bear.
6. Bring binoculars, be quiet on trails, be patient and don't set the expectation bar too high. That way, you won't be disappointed if you don't see everything on your first visit to Alaska.
It take a lot of planning and a small amount of luck, to increase your chances of viewing the beautiful animals and breathtaking scenery that is Alaska. Take the time to do it right