Thursday, April 18, 2024

7 Alaska Small Ship Cruises To Consider

best small ship alaska cruise

Look for wildlife, hike, explore with kayaks and pad­dle­boards, and enjoy bon­fires on the beach. Explore Alaska’s hot springs and glac­i­ers aboard a unique ship that puts you behind the helm and lets you man the sails. This South­east Alas­­ka-based tour oper­a­tor will leave you with a new def­i­n­i­tion of what it means to have a once-in-a-life­­time Alas­kan adven­ture. You’ll explore away from the crowds, get­ting an up-close view of wildlife, scenery, hot springs, and glaciers. UnCruise Adventures, located in Juneau and Seattle, fields Alaska’s largest small-ship fleet with seven vessels carrying 22 to 86 passengers. As its name suggests, UnCruise focuses on outdoor activities like satisfying hikes and kayaking in hidden coves and secluded bays for a different kind of cruise experience.

Small Ship Cruises Alaska FAQs

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. Be sure to check your itinerary beforehand, as different routes can offer different departure/arrival options. Itineraries vary from round trip departures, for example, Juneau to Juneau, or one way, such as Seattle to Juneau and Sitka to Ketchikan. Which type you choose can depend on whether you intend to incorporate further land-based options at either end of your trip. Also worth considering is a (re)positioning cruise where the boats move from operating in one area/country to another and can offer a unique trip normally not part of regular itineraries.

The Best Small Cruises You've Never Heard of, As Ranked by Travelers - Business Insider

The Best Small Cruises You've Never Heard of, As Ranked by Travelers.

Posted: Wed, 25 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Alaskan Luxury Cruises

It carries 24 passengers in 12 staterooms with private facilities. The naturalists, meanwhile, shared our sense of anticipation for the next day’s adventure. Alaska Travel Advice - Alaska is a US state, so if you’re traveling from outside the US, you will need a valid passport with at least 6 months left on it. If you’re not a US passport holder, you will also need the correct visa to enter the US.

best small ship alaska cruise

Northern Latitude Adventures

Some of the countries visited on this itinerary may require travelers to provide proof of vaccination against certain diseases in order to enter the country. These requirements are subject to frequent change as outbreaks occur and subside in different areas, and it is therefore crucial that you obtain the very latest information on entry requirements as you prepare for your journey. For your day-to-day travel while on tour, we recommend that you limit your hand luggage to a small, soft-sided carry-on piece, and that you bring only those items you need handy during the day such as make-up, medications, cameras, film, etc. Items too large to fit under the motor coach seat or on the overhead rack must be stored in the luggage bays beneath the motor coach, and may be inaccessible during daytime travel. If you like planned activities and want a larger choice of tours, the small-ship experience is not for you. But for me, the ability to wander the streets of the less tourist-oriented towns was better than any group tour.

American Cruise Lines in Alaska

Watch whales, hike, fish, vis­it local com­mu­ni­ties, and more. By Heidi Sarna I had a chat with travel advisor Kevin Flink about travel insurance. I met Kevin on a recent UnCruise in Alaska, where we had the opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of travel insurance.

Flights to Juneau and Anchorage are common, while the smaller ports used by many Southeast Alaska small ship cruises may require a bit more padding on your travel days. A pre-cruise overnight is always recommended in case of delays. Travelers east of the Rockies will certainly require one in order to safely embark their Alaska small ship cruise on time. The bulk of small ship Alaska cruises fall within this range, so if you will have the most choices if you have right around a week’s time, with some flexibility reaching into a second week. About 50% of our set itineraries fall at the sweet spot of 8 days, which allows for 6 full days of sailing and exploring.

AdventureSmith Explorations

Plus view a complete list of all 2024 & 2025 small Alaska cruises. 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.

A Note about Your Travel Days

Adults can linger in the glass-walled Solarium, relaxing in the indoor pools and whirlpools, while their kids zoom around the SeaPlex in bumper cars. Immerse your­self in a mul­ti-day Alaskan adven­ture that promis­es incred­i­ble views and jaw-drop­ping bear view­ing in Kat­mai Nation­al Park, along with a warm cama­raderie that only a small group expe­di­tion can cre­ate. Explore from your home base on the Island C, a research ves­sel that gets you close to the action while pro­vid­ing com­fort­able lodg­ing and deli­cious meals. Mul­ti-day bear view­ing and wildlife expe­di­tions aboard a well-appoint­ed research ves­sel with com­fort­able lodg­ing and deli­cious meals.

best small ship alaska cruise

Alaska Adventure Sailing

Best in Alaska! UnCruise Adventures Clinches Four Prestigious Travel Awards - Yahoo Finance

Best in Alaska! UnCruise Adventures Clinches Four Prestigious Travel Awards.

Posted: Tue, 20 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Evenings are spent reading in your room or listening to a naturalist talk. Learn about the rich history of the area, visit Glacier Bay, the world’s largest biosphere to see whales, seals, eagles and bears and visit local tribes of the Inside Passage. The action and adventure of Alaska is never-ending, and the memories will also last a lifetime.

Other than pre- and post-cruise city tours in Sitka and Vancouver, our 10-day sailing on Ocean Victory only had three days with excursion options. Each included one free basic highlights tour of the port and a few premium experiences, including sport fishing, a nature walk and two different jet boat tours. These reviews can not only help you plan the perfect small ship Alaska cruise but also inspire you for the journey ahead. Get a feel for what it’s really like on the ship and off on shore excursions by hike and kayak.

Ocean Victory, for example, has only two dining venues — the main dining room and a more casual bistro-style area with indoor and outdoor seating on the top deck. The menus vary daily, serving a wide range of options at every meal, and I certainly never lacked for food I enjoyed. The in-port experience wasn't the only positive of seeking out a small ship in this huge state.

Best splurge cabinThe Owner’s Suite on stylish, French-flagged Le Boreal measures 484 square feet, with a 97-square-foot balcony, a separate living-and-dining area, two bathrooms (one with a soaking tub), and a double-width teak balcony. We'll match you with a local itinerary expert to help you plan your trip. Fly from Anchor­age by sea­plane to the North­west Odyssey, anchored off the coast of Kat­mai Nation­al Park. This lux­u­ri­ous yacht will be your home base for spec­tac­u­lar bear view­ing and fish­ing in uncrowd­ed waters. 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.

Seattle - As a major US city, Seattle offers numerous ways to get there, from planes and trains to trams; there are plenty of options to get to Seattle. PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, Fast becoming one of the most exciting cruise destinations in the world. Moss and moose, thunderous glaciers and tufted puffins—Alaska is full of surprises.

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