I will like to go to Alaska in a cruise? Do you recommend a cruise and any detail can help me?

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TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only

I have been to Alaska twice, once on a cruise on a small ship, and then on a Princess cruise-tour. In my opinion the best cruise for you would be a cruise-tour. The cruise tour allows you to see more of Alaska by land (bus and/or train) either before or after the cruise. They typically afford an opportunity to stay a night or two in/at Denali National Park, Anchorage, Talkeetna, or Fairbanks, Alaska. There are four cruise lines that use the train to transport you from/to the cruise point to/from the park and Fairbanks. The train ride is magnificent and when you do the cruise tour you will have the best opportunity to see wildlife like bears, caribou, moose, fox, wolf, and a few others. These cruise-tours can be from 12 to 15 days or more while normal cruises are 7 days.

There are several ways to have a cruise to Alaska. You can cruise north from San Francisco, Seattle, or Vancouver Canada or cruise south from Anchorage (Whittier or Seward). Cruises typically cruise the "inside passage" which is a waterway much like a river where you can in most places see land on both sides of the ship. It provides a very smooth ride on that part of the cruise. Cruises typically go to Juneau (the capitol), and Ketchikan, Skagway, and stop at one or more glaciers like Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord. Some cruises do other port stops. So you need to pay attention to which itinerary (port stops) the cruises will have.

The 4 cruise lines which offer the cruise-tours and all would be good; Princess Cruise line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Holland America.

We did our cruise tour with Princess and it was very good. We did the cruise part first and then had a day and night in Anchorage, a great train ride from Anchorage to Denali National Park, and after a night at a lodge owned by Princess We took the train the next day to Fairbanks for a night there. My recommendation is do fly to the start point a day early so you don't get caught in a flight delay.

All four of the cruise lines that I have mentioned use the train for the land tour. But Royal Caribbean, Princess, and Celebrity have special domed train cars that provide great visibility. Not all tour segments are the same so you really have to pay attention to how the land tour is organized and whether it uses the train or buses.

The best time to go on an Alaska cruise is when you can get the best price. The Alaska cruise season is from May to Sept. Some cruise lines do have specials and do consider them as they can save you hundreds over the exact same itinerary on a different date.

The best prices will be in May and Sept but you will see the same things as other times. The weather is generally warmer in June, July and Aug, but it can also be pleasant in May and Sept. When we went a few years ago in May it was shirt sleeve weather (70's) in Anchorage and Fairbanks.

You will do well to book your cruise now because all of the cruise lines give the best prices for very early bookings.

Alaska cruises and tours are mostly scenic and cultural. The usual stops for the inside passage portion are Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and College Fjords. The scenic parts are the animals, mountains, glaciers, fjords, and waterfalls. The cultural parts are the Alaska Native, gold rush, fishing industry, and historical sites. The cruises generally have more seniors and families. The ships generally have a solarium (covered pool and hot tub area) so you can enjoy the ship about the same as when you go to the Caribbean.

These are the other cruise lines that most people go on:

HOLLAND AMERICA

CELEBRITY:

ROYAL CARIBBEAN:

NORWEGIAN:

PRINCESS:

CARNIVAL:

My advice is look for a cruise going in Sept this year, OR a discount, OR consider going in 2010 but look to book early. Also I recommend Celebrity, Princess, and Royal Caribbean, all cruise lines I have been on and enjoyed.

jonasbrothers1202

Here are some cruise lines you might want to check out.

Royal Caribbean - http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/search/vacationSearchResult.do;jsessionid=0000RZJ_29G20t5Otu_OkTdnafC:12h3g0fq2?qvsHome=yes&cS=QVS&date=ANY&dest=ALCAN&port=ANY&ship=ANY&cruiseTourOnly=false&btn_findcruises.x=55&btn_findcruises.y=7

Carnival - http://www.carnival.com/find_a_cruise/Search_Results.aspx?SaveSearchToProfile=true&src=qp&dest=A&destinationText=A&startDate=03/25/2009&cruiseMonth=March&endDate=03/25/2012&Senior=N&PastGuest=N

Princess - http://www.princess.com/pb/searchResults.do?time=232&trade=A&ship=&duration=&port=&date=&orderBy=&filterBy=&resType=C&pageOffset=

Regent Seven Seas - http://www.rssc.com/cruises/default.aspx?RegionId=ALSKA&MonthId=&ShipId=&DurationId=&PortId=

Celebrity - http://www.celebritycruises.com/search/vacationSearchResults.do;jsessionid=0000SY_12TipjwTF5DjnezdClLZ:12hdebebp?dest=ALCAN&date=ANY&port=ANY&ship=ANY&x=20&y=9

Hope you find what you are looking for :]

palmyrafan

Check out NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line) they have an excellent itinerary to cruise Alaska. Check out one of the bigger ships like the NCL Pearl.

Time travler

Princess, by far is the best for an Alaskan cruise. If you can swing a cruise/tour, then that is the ultimate Alaskan experience. This August, I will be going to Alaska from San Francisco, round trip. My first Alaskan cruise was a cruise tour that started in Fairbanks, then took a train to Denali where we stayed for 3 nights. Princess owns their own lodges in Alaska, so that is part of the reason I highly recommend Princess. They take care of everything for you. I'm doing a 3rd cruise to Alaska next year, but a different route. That is how much I love Alaska.

Green eyed Tlingit

Well personally never been on a cruise, but I actually live here in Alaska. I live in Juneau as of this moment, but have lived all over. There are a few different options avail to you for which cruise you will be taking. One is called the Inside passage, which is this part of Alaska....the South East. Very beautiful. But if you are wanting to get the most out of your experience, then Go for the cruises that ports in places like SEWARD, and Anchorage. This is in South Central Alaska, and you have more options of day trips only because you are not land locked into that port city as you would be on the Inside passage trip. many towns in southeast alaska are land locked, meaning it usually has mountains on three sides and water on the other...no road out.

NOW for the best time....july is our hot month, meaning its in the high 70's for the most part. it can get up into the 80's and sometimes the 90's so dont overdress...cant tell you how many times we see tourists get heat stroke! If you are wanting to shop and get the best deal, the end of the season, or sept trips are the best, stores usually slash prices in half....just dont be on the last few ships, cuz alot of the stores will have closed by then.

As for what ships, I believe the gentleman above listed them all.....from soooo many of the tourists that have come through our towns.....princess lines are nice, and of the Caribbean cruise lines are top notch....and any of the Norwegian cruises are economy lines. I talked to one couple that comes up every year and they compare the Norwegian cruises with the Greyhound...it just gets you there.

dave.greg

Lots of people love the Alaskian cruise, I don't. The ship food and crew were great (Royal ). But to me the scenery and temp. was not cruise material. (I've worked in the mountains for years, I find them boring)
There never will be sun bathing temp.
Sorry

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