Alaska Small Ship Cruises Best Selection & How to Choose

Table Of Content

• Pros and cons of small-ship cruising in Alaska
• Why Cruise with Natural Habitat Adventures
• Crew & Guides Review
• Alaska Small Ship Cruises
• Overnight River Boat Cruising In Canada On A Classic Small Ship — The Canadian Empress

Although the phrase has been used so often it’s become a cliche, taking a small-ship cruise really is the best way to discover “the real Alaska,” close-up and personal. Some also include alcoholic drinks in the fares — American Cruise Lines and Lindblad Expeditions do, while Alaskan Dream Cruises offers a complimentary glass of wine or beer at dinner. All the lines covered in this story include daily guided tours in their fares, from hearty hikes to kayaking and skiff explorations.

The 8 Best Alaska Cruises to Take in 2024 - AFAR - AFAR Media

The 8 Best Alaska Cruises to Take in 2024 - AFAR.

Posted: Wed, 27 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Pros and cons of small-ship cruising in Alaska

They have developed super unique nature driven itineraries in remote areas inaccessible to the mass tourist crowd. The cruises offered by this mutigenerational family of local Alaska Natives are authentic and personal. Because of their Tlingit Alaska Native heritage, Alaska Dream Cruises include unique access and more visits to rural towns and villages than other small ship Alaska cruise lines. On board they employ naturalists who will focus on science and wilderness plus True Alaskan Guides who will offer insight into the region’s compelling history and distinct Native cultures.

Why Cruise with Natural Habitat Adventures

The visibility was not great and we really didn't see that much. Consult this month-by-month guide for help planning your Alaska travel with tips on everything from weather, wildlife, daylight and the benefits of each month. Thus, the best type of Alaska cruise review is a personal referral. Ask your booking agent to put you in touch with a past client that has traveled on a comparable trip. Reputable Alaska small ship cruise agencies will gladly refer their past clients; you can read some of our traveler testimonials below and on each trip and ship page.

Crew & Guides Review

Guided skiff tours will take guests in search of Alaskan wildlife in remote bays and secret coves. A trip to Alaska is at the top of many travelers’ bucket lists, and for good reason. An open bar, all shore tours, hotel accommodations and airport transfers are included in the price. The ships cruise between Sitka and Juneau, stopping for nature activities at places like Admiralty and Brothers Islands, with glacier-viewing at Tracy or Endicott Arms along the way. There are no traditional port calls on these cruises; your time is almost entirely spent on the water, with stops for hiking, wildlife-viewing and from-land fishing.

The 8 Best Alaska Cruises For Every Travel Style 2024 - Forbes

The 8 Best Alaska Cruises For Every Travel Style 2024.

Posted: Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Alaska Small Ship Cruises

These “positioning” cruises offer a longer expedition covering the entire Inside Passage as well as British Columbia and often the San Juan Islands. Small ship cruises from Seattle to Alaska range from 13 to 15 days and often represent a significant value. For two options, see Treasures of the Inside Passage aboard National Geographic vessels and Inside Passage with Olympic National Park & 2 Days in Glacier Bay. Wave goodbye to busy ports to instead view bears, hike, paddle by glaciers and forge local connections in small towns. Enjoy a flexible schedule, capitalizing on wildlife encounters and the collective whims of the group.

We'll match you with a local itinerary expert to help you plan your trip. Our Clas­sic Dis­cov­ery Voy­age is the per­fect wilder­ness sam­pler. Spend the after­noon, or a few days explor­ing the waters of Res­ur­rec­tion Bay and Prince William Sound aboard the M/V Car­o­line, a beau­ti­ful cus­tom-built yacht set for adven­ture! It’s the per­fect set­ting for a fam­i­ly or small group vaca­tion. Fill your days loung­ing on the fly­bridge, fish­ing, kayak­ing, strolling beach­es and cruis­ing to your next fan­tas­tic destination. 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.

Because of their small, yacht-like size, Windstar Cruises ships grant unparalleled access to Alaska’s glaciers and fjords; other ships can’t squeeze into some of these special places. I’m not a travel agent—I’m a journalist who has spent the past 30 years reporting on how to travel smarter. To maximize your experience, click to Ask Wendy for a personalized recommendation for trip ideas and custom-trip designers, tailored to your location and preferences. The Wilderness Discoverer offers the unusual opportunity to snorkel in Alaska, with 7mm wetsuits for the 55- to 65-degree seas. You’ll see an abundance of vibrantly colored intertidal marine life, including ochre sea stars, rockfish, sea anemones, giant barnacles, jellyfish, and kelp crabs. Ashton Palmer is a Seattle-based T+L A-List travel advisor who specializes in expedition cruises.

The captain of the ship was quick to change course if an interesting opportunity came up. The rain sometimes found it's way through "waterproof" jackets and rain-skirts on all day kayak trips, etc. - COLD!!!!! I have always wanted to cruise the inside passage of Alaska but did not want to go on a large ship and could not afford the National Geographic cruises.

Princess Cruises

Even though passengers during this season will have to content themselves with sharing Alaska’s beauty with others, it is the ideal time to catch the best weather for sightseeing and exploration. Fewer passengers also means that shore excursions will be more time-efficient, enabling you to see and do more during each excursion. Alaska cruises have grown significantly in popularity over the last decade. As the largest U.S. state by area at 665,384 square miles, Alaska boasts 6,640 miles of coastline, making it an ideal destination for cruising and land expeditions.

Most cities on major cruise line routes are known for their endless rows of jewelry, souvenir and specialty shops — many of which are not locally owned. If you love to spend hours looking for deals and gifts to bring home, you'll find the most variety in the big-ship ports. The flip side of getting off the beaten path is you won't find the same shopping options in small ports that you would in the major cruise ports of Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway.

Finally, in addition to classic ports like Juneau and Ketchikan, Viking Ocean Cruises’ Alaska itinerary also calls on Valdez, which is chock-full of natural beauty and outdoor adventure. Larger expedition-style Alaskan cruise ships in the 50 to 100 passenger range typically have larger cabins, many with view windows, more deck space for watching wildlife and more common areas. Not to mention additional adventure gear aboard and more guides to diversify your experience. Smaller motor yachts carry 8 to 22 guests and range from rustic floating B&Bs to luxurious yachts. Paying attention to the varied amenities, cabin sizes and other features that are important to you is key in choosing among the many small cruise ships to Alaska. Southeast Alaska is by far the most popular cruise destination in Alaska.

The experience and demeanor of the guides on your Alaska small ship cruise will have a profound impact on your overall experience. All of the small boat Alaska cruise options we offer have naturalist guides on board. The quality of onboard guides is one of the most important criteria we think about when considering which Alaska small ship cruises we represent. You can combine itineraries, take longer small ship cruises to Alaska from Seattle or consider a cruise plus a land extension into Alaska’s interior or other national parks.

Dawn Gabree is a travel advisor who specializes in Alaska cruises at Travels by Danielle. Today both vessels are equipped with diesel engines and battery power that allow them to cruise silently through the wilderness for up to 12 hours. The company’s five cozy vessels were built in the 1970s and '80s, getting refits over the years to carry 12 to 76 passengers each. Ships have stern marinas for easy access to kayaking, paddleboarding, and even swimming for those brave enough to take the chilly plunge. New late winter sailings in March and April come with opportunities to ski and snowshoe.

Glacier Bay National Park - Marvel at the awe-inspiring scenery as you cruise Glacier Bay, the largest UNESCO-protected biosphere in the world. With some luck, you’ll see brightly-colored puffins, mountain goats, eagles, bears, and sea lions, all with a stunning backdrop and the amazing sounds of nature. Sailing the Inside Passage - shaped by huge glaciers millions of years ago, the Inside Passage stretches from Puget Sound, Washington, through British Columbia and into the Gulf of Alaska. The Inside Passage delivers stunning and ever-changing scenery. Home to whales, bald eagles, sea lions, and porpoises, the Alaskan Inside Passage covers more than 500 miles and encompasses over 1000 islands.

The average cruise ship carries around 3,000 passengers — far from most people’s definition of intimate. A small cruise, on the other hand, may have closer to two or three hundred passengers aboard (though, technically speaking, small cruise ships may be able to carry up to 1,000 passengers). Large boats tend to deliver adequate but impersonal service — wait staff and guides will be polite but aren’t going to go the extra mile to make you feel welcome. On the other hand, small ship cruises to Alaska prioritize personalized service, with the crew and shore guides doing their best to help you feel comfortable and at home onboard. Alaskan adventures come in all shapes and sizes, so if you’re planning a cruise to Alaska, there are countless options to select between.

The MS Roald Amundsen is a cutting-edge hybrid ship, enabling it to cut down on CO2-emissions by around 20% and making it a superior, more eco-friendly way to cruise Alaska. Here, pristine waters reverberate with life, animals migrate across the shores and distant peaks are clad in dazzling glaciers — the welcoming spirit of Alaska is palpable. To discover Alaska’s rich historyYou can’t skip Ketchikan, Juneau or Skagway on an itinerary. Ketchikan once was a major player in the timber industry and has a sordid past steeped in bootlegging and brothels.