Through this UnCruise excursion, passengers can explore one of the most remote national parks in the US. Adventurous couples relish Celebrity’s adult-oriented amusements, including inviting bars and lounges, fine restaurants, and relaxing spas. Big spenders book the Retreat, a luxurious private enclave—its Luminae restaurant showcases dishes by famed French chef Daniel Boulud. In Ketchikan, a four-hour Wilderness Exploration and Crab Feast in Tongass National Forest (America’s largest national forest) scores big buzz.
North America Travel Guide
Few places in the world can match its appealing blend of metropolitan pursuits and outdoor living. Anchorage is at its most exuberant during the summer, when locals make the most of the mild temperatures and long days to stay out late into the sunny night. The big city also boasts Alaska’s biggest and most diverse dining scene, from great burger joints and craft breweries to classic steakhouses and cosmopolitan cuisine. Castle Hill, where the post-Alaska Purchase flag was first flown by the U.S. in 1867, is another popular spot, while Tlingit stories and songs can be seen in a traditional-style clan house in Sitka. This is the tour to take if you want to combine a train trip with some action. Then, when you reach the top, get outside and ride a mountain bike back down.
Gold Rush History
Get up close to Mother Nature’s masterpieces and listen for the crash of “white thunder”. Visit wilderness playgrounds like Glacier Bay National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – along with even more natural wonderlands like Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier, College Fjord and Hubbard Glacier. Sail 500 miles deeper into the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound on our top-rated Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska cruise vacation. Spend seven days traveling from Anchorage (Whittier) to Vancouver, B.C., stopping in historic port cities like Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. Along the way, enjoy two glacier-viewing experiences on every itinerary – including Glacier Bay National Park, and Hubbard Glacier or College Fjord.
Skagway Sled Dog and Musher’s Camp
All these species, plus lingcod, rockfish, and others feed heavily in Sitka Sound throughout the summer. Another way to see the Preserve is by jetboat tour, which goes up the Chilkat River into a wetland environment that’s an excellent place to see moose and bald eagles. It’s a great way to explore Alaska’s capital city, with lots of scenery and history along the way. There’s a bike and brew tour, which includes seeing the Mendenhall Glacier as well as a tasting of Alaskan beers. Or ride your bike out to Douglas Island for a tram ride, 1,800 feet up Mt. Roberts for some spectacular views.
Adventure through Chugach National Forest, cruise past Kenai Fjords National Parks’ glaciers or fish along the Kenai River. Take in the sights of this natural masterpiece at a leisurely pace only on an Alaska cruisetour. Board a custom-built enclosed expedition boat for a 60- to 70-minute ride through fjords and rainforests with an abundance of wildlife and spectacular views.
Juneau? No, I’m Asking You
The road drops about 3,000 feet in 10 miles—it’s an exhilarating ride. Best of all, there are dozens of options to combine the train tour with another activity. History buffs can add a visit to Liarsville, a re-created gold rush camp complete with Vaudeville entertainment and a salmon bake. When cruising, taking a dedicated bear viewing tour is your best chance of seeing a bear. On this tour, you’ll travel to the Juneau Icefield by helicopter, don your crampons, learn to use your ice axe, go for a walk in this beautiful, surreal environment. There are different activity levels depending on how active you want to be.
A Comprehensive Guide to Alaska Cruises - AARP
A Comprehensive Guide to Alaska Cruises.
Posted: Mon, 21 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Near the very end of the Turnagain Arm Waterway, along the scenic Seward Highway, this center provides a sanctuary for native Alaskan animals in need. Here you can get up close to the orphaned, injured or displaced animals, all under expert care in their natural habitats so that they can be reintroduced into the wild. The resident population varies by the season but can include caribou and moose calves, fawns, porcupines, birds, lynx, and brown and black bears. Barnette ran aground in the shallows of the Chena, so he set up a trading post.
Zodiac Boat Adventure
You then transfer to the glacially carved Chilkat River on a flat-bottom boat where you will traverse a remote section of the renowned Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. The goal of the guided boat ride is to spot as many bald eagles as you can (keep an eye out for nests in the trees) and -- if you're lucky -- bears, moose and other wildlife as well. Lunch is served in a heated pavilion, and staff also stoke a roaring campfire to help you beat the chill and relax.
On an Alaska cruisetour, encounter wildlife in their natural habitats and experience their unique personalities for yourself. Attracting high-energy explorers drawn to less conventional shore excursions, this expedition-driven small-ship line visits bays and coves inaccessible to larger cruise ships. Count on a full day of activities like kayaking, paddle boarding, skiff expeditions, and beach strolls. Expert-led hikes take you deep into the breathtaking beauty of the backcountry of one of Alaska's most remote national parks.
It boasts the shortest rod-hour to catch ratio for King salmon in the entire state of Alaska. So, if you dream of catching an Alaska salmon, this is a great place. (Your tour operator will process, freeze, and ship the fish back home for you.) Sitka sits directly on the open ocean, so you can go after all five species of Pacific salmon in an easy outing from Sitka. The halibut fishing grounds are farther from shore, requiring a longer tour.
Like Whittier (farther below), Seward is most often used as an embarkation and debarkation port. As such, this is an excursion that's also limited to participants who are sailing on back-to-back cruises to/from Seward if you buy through the line. It's also open to those who are ending their sailing in Seward with a late-night flight out of nearby Anchorage (or with an overnight stay in the city), in which case the tour includes an airport transfer, too. Unlike Prince William Sound in Whittier, note that those with motion sickness should take precautions since the Resurrection Bay waters can be a bit choppy. For those seeking a more active way to see the White Pass, we highly recommend you book the White Pass Train & Bike Tour.
Go flightseeing by Denali’s snow-covered peak, fly-fish for Arctic grayling, raft the Nenana River or venture into Denali on a park tour. The best Alaska cruise excursions can range from the thrilling to the serene. Passengers can fly on sleds led by huskies, ogle bald eagles and salmon-gobbling grizzlies, and soar over towering glaciers in a helicopter.
Then Ketchikan's Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour is the shore excursion for you. Those who book it will ride along on Aleutian Ballad, a fishing boat featured in the second season of "Deadliest Catch." You're not likely to see any scenery prettier than this, and you'll stand a good chance of spotting wildlife like eagles, bears, mountain goats, deer and wolves.
