All About Cruises

Tag: alaska cruise lines

  • Why You Should Choose The Small Ship Cruise Lines To See Alaska

    Why You Should Choose The Small Ship Cruise Lines To See Alaska

    Everyone in the lower 48 thinks of Alaska as the last rugged frontier in the United States, which makes it hard to believe that some million plus passengers stop in the port of Juneau each year. And hundreds of thousands of those people also traipse through Ketchikan and Skagway. It is only the smaller cruise lines, such as Alaskan Dream Cruises that stop in the tiny town of Kake which has a population of only 500. But this is where cruise travelers get to witness the true Alaska that we all dream of.

    With 2000 or more fellow passengers on a mega ship, you might not even see the captain of the ship. But on the smaller cruise lines with under 100 guests, you will not only meet the captain, but he will most likely know your name by the end of your adventure. And the rest of the crew will quickly become familiar with your preferences for things like table location at dinner, your drink order, and the types of excursions and activities that you enjoy.

    Another awesome benefit to the smaller ships and crews is that they are busy taking care of passengers every need, not collecting extra fees or charges for every last activity or drink that you request. Most of the smaller cruise lines are really all-inclusive. This means that there are no charges for special meal requests, airport or hotel transfers, excursions or drinks with your meals. And with under 100 guests, you will not spend half of your trip standing in line for meals, activities or to speak to a crew member.

    If you just want to see snow and ice, then the deck of a mega ship meets your needs. But for the true explore’s heart, the small cruise lines will offer what you desire. Fewer passengers allow these cruise lines to take excursion groups on hikes, walks and kayak adventures far beyond the end of the cruise ship dock. Often times a crew member doubles as the onboard naturalist and provides a guided adventure to witness the wildlife and natural beauty found only deep in the heart of Alaska. You will even have the opportunity to join the “Five Percent Club”. Sadly, only a meager 5% of all visitors to the world-famous Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve actually step on land at the park. The remaining 95% glide by and get only a view from afar as the ship sails right past all of the majestic glaciers.

    For an authentic view of Alaska, smaller ships offer many benefits that cannot be found on the larger cruise ships. While the amenities might not be as extensive, the intimate experience with nature will certainly make up for the lack of waterslides, nightclubs and other big city entertainment that makes mega ships the choice of many travelers.

  • Alaskan Cruises and Why People Take Them

    All of the major cruise lines offer cruises to Alaska. Alaska is a common cruising destination, appealing to people who want to experience first hand the stunning vastness of Alaska’s beauty. Alaskan cruises (sometimes called “Alaska cruises” by those who, for good or ill, pay no heed to the suffixes that often distinguish parts of speech) come in many different forms, so in this article we will explore what unites Alaskan cruises by noting some of the attractions of Alaskan cruising.

    To people who associate cruise vacations with the Caribbean, it may come as a surprise that Alaska is such a popular cruise destination. Aren’t cruises, such people might ask, about sunbathing, drinking fruity cocktails, and exploring exotic beaches? Aren’t cruises, in other words, about enjoying the warm weather offered by the tropical regions of the world (and, to be sure, a little casino gambling too)? Is not the very idea of a cruise inextricably tied to decidedly un-Alaskan locations? In a word, no – cruises carry willing passengers all over the world, and in point of fact Alaska is an extremely popular place to which to take a cruise.

    Why take a cruise to Alaska? (In answering this question, we hereby swear not to make any remarks – flattering, critical, or otherwise – about Sarah Palin.) First, you might be drawn by the overwhelming beauty of America’s largest state. No matter where you look, your eyes can’t fail to behold enormous mountains (16 of the country’s largest 20 mountains are in Alaska) and awe-inspiring glaciers, of which there are 100,000. There is also an enormous amount of wildlife in Alaska, ranging from the fish that populate the freezing rivers to the enormous grizzly bears that roam the forests. What’s more, your view of all these amazing displays of nature will likely be uninterrupted by the sight of a human, as Alaska is the least densely populated state in the U.S. Basically, if you are interested in nature as it exists in the Northern Hemisphere, you’re probably interested in taking a cruise to Alaska.

    The wildlife and natural beauty of Alaska probably draw the most people to Alaskan cruises, but there are a couple of other reasons that people might take a cruise to Alaska. The first has to do with the length of cruises. Depending on your departing port, a trip to Alaska may constitute a long or short voyage. So, your decision to go to Alaska may have less to do with Alaska itself than with the desired length of your trip. Of course, this reasoning applies to other cruise destinations, but that’s neither here nor there. Second, many people are drawn to cruises to Alaska for the same reasons that people are drawn to the Caribbean: the climate. It may be the case that the stereotypical traveler is on the hunt for sunshine and beaches, but a stereotypical traveler is just that – a stereotype. Many people enjoy the brisk and refreshing air of the North, and Alaska offers this in abundance.

    The beauty and climate of Alaska, coupled with more practical concerns (e.g., the length of a cruise), incline many people to head north on a cruise voyage, and we suspect that this will continue to be the case.

Skip to content