Alaska Cruise Blog

If your upcoming vacation plans include an Alaskan cruise, you will almost definitely be visiting Juneau along the way.

1.Tramway to Mount Roberts

The Mt. Roberts Tramway has so much to offer- views in all directions, great hiking, and an exceptionally reasonable price, all of which make it one of the very best day trips in Juneau.The tramway car picks you up from the waterfront right by the cruise docks, brings you from the waterfront up up to a high peak, passing some of the most amazing scenery you will ever see along the way as you are lifted up into the mountains above Juneau.The vista from the top of the tram is worth the entire trip, and there are activities for visitors of all abilities.

2.Helicopter Tour of Four Glaciers

This is incredible aerial tour takes you above the seemingly endless and utterly amazing Juneau Ice Fields. The trip visits four special glaciers: the shrinking Norris Glacier, the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier, known for it’s amazing ice spires, the Taku Glacier, and the floating glacier.These glaciers are in reality rivers of ice and are changing on a daily basis, always creating new spectacles to behold. This really is utterly unique and unforgettable journey.

3. River Rafting Adventure on the Mendenhall River

This is another incredibly special and memorable tour. From your boat, you’ll be bussed to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor’s Center.There, you will get on a river raft for a journey down the Mendenhall River that will bring you past the immense face of the glacier. Along the way, you’ll take in truly spectacular vistas and also have more than a few wildlife viewing opportunities.

4. Heli-Tour and Trek to the Glaciers

This port excursion includes a 30 minute heli-tour that will give you the most amazing views of glaciers from high above - and you really haven’t viewed glaciers until you’ve seen them from the air. Next you’ll head to the top of a large glacier wearing full ice climbing clothing, all of which is provided by the excursion operator. You will exploring the glacier close up, from a perspective only a few ever get to experience. There’s an training session during which they will teach you all the skills you’ll need to totally enjoy this thrilling, amazing experience.

5. The Helicopter Dog Sledding Excursion

What says “Alaska” more than a dog sled tip?This might just be the most exciting tour in all of Alaska, and it’s made all the more thrilling by the addition of an aerial tour of the glaciers. What an adventure!

Clients are always asking me how early they should plan an Alaskan cruise.  In the past, I would advise budget-minded people to consider waiting until the last minute if they had their hearts set on getting the absolute lowest prices on their cruise.

However, having watched booking patterns over the past couple years, during which more and more cruises have sold out well in advance, I’ve now begun to advise everyone to book as early as possible.

This past year, May was one month during which last minute deals were actually available.  It is possible that this trend will continue next year, so if you are willing to consider an Alaskan cruise in May, particularly early in the month, you might be able to get the best deals by waiting.  Of course doing so is a risk, as prices might instead go up if sailings start to fill up earlier next year.

So your nest bet is to plan early and make your reservations as soon as possible.  You can generally hold your spots on the cruise worth just a deposit until a couple months before your sail date, so you don’t have to pay the entire amount far in advance.

Alaska cruises generally go on sale around May of the prior year, so start planning now, and you can get the best possible rates.

Technorati Tags: Alaska cruise, planning an Alaska cruise

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Here’s a great guide to Alaska’s Southeast, which covers much of the area that is popular with Alaska cruises, including the Inside Passage.  This guide is a great gift for anyone planning a cruise or other vacation to this part of Alaska.

Discover the rich landscape and scenic beauty of Alaska’s Inside Passage, including Skagway, Haines, Juneau, Sitka, Petersburg, Wrangell, and Ketchikan. “Alaska’s Southeast “details the region’s history, culture, geography, and flora and fauna. It also provides extensive information on when to go, what to bring, how to get there and how to get around, where to eat, and where to stay. With more than 10 million acres of forest, 1,000 islands, 10,000 miles of shoreline, 50 to 70 major glaciers, and thousands of brown bears and eagles, Alaska’s Southeast offers much to be explored.

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Here’s a good guide for anyone considering an Alaska cruise.  While there is a lot of information online, you probably won’t have much access to the internet during your cruise (it’s very pricey to log on via the ship’s WiFi).

Therefore, it’s a great idea to bring a guidebook along on the cruise with you.  The publisher’s description of this book is as follows:

Enjoy every minute of your Alaska vacation With this comprehensive guide to the sights and stops on Alaska and Northwest Passage cruises, you can plan your trip and choose the ports and excursions that you find most appealing. With the author’s own wonderful Alaska stories and information on wildlife, native culture, landmarks, historical sites, shopping, and more, you won’t miss a thing. Upton’s HANDBOOK traces the route used by most Alaska cruises, with maps and text keyed to a route numbering/navagational system that is frequently announced on board, allowing the passenger to easily follow his ship’s progress from Mile One. The wonderful illustrated maps and color photography throughout keep you informed throughout your journey, making a wonderful souvenier when it ends.

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Here’s an amazing video of flightseeing over Denali National Park and the breathtaking Mt. McKinley from the town of Talkeetna, Alaska.

Flightseeing tours are by far and away the best way to take in McKinley.  Not only can you rise above the clouds to see the massive peak, but you can also view huge glaciers from above.

You can even land on a glacier and walk on the half-mile thick river of ancient ice.

It’s a great addition to an Alaskan inland tour or the land portion of an Alaska cruisetour.  You can book the trip through your cruise line or directly through the flightseeing company (and often save some money in the process).

Duration : 2 min 20 sec

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Technorati Tags: alaska, Alaska cruise tours, Denali National Park, flightseeing, Mt. Mckinley, Talkeetna

Here’s a cool video of Glacier Bay Alaska, taken aboard Holland America’s MS Noordam. 

The video shows the amazing process of huge chunks of the glacier “calving” and breaking off, plummeting into the bay waters below.

This is one of the highlights of any Alaskan cruise and is a truly spectacular and surprisingly loud event.

Glacier Bay is the most popular (and, in my opinion the best) of the glacier viewing spots in the Inside Passage of Alaska.

Duration : 0:2:23

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Technorati Tags: alaska, glacier bay, holland america, Noordam

Here’s a video taken by a family on an Alaskan cruise on the week of July 6th. in NCL’s Norwegian Star.

This ship sails from Seattle to the Inside passage and back, from May to September, and usually stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Tracy Arm Fjord (for glacier viewing).

NCL offers its unique style of “anytime” cruising, providing for greater choice of dining options and more flexibility in dining times.

Duration : 0:3:59

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Technorati Tags: alaska cruise vacation, NCL, NorwegianStar

Here’s a cool video of the amazing and vast Denali National Park in Alaska’s great interior, several hours north of Anchorage.

The video provides a nice intro to the park if you are considering an interior Alaska tour or cruisetour that stops at the park.  (Denali is the single most popular stop on Alaska cruisetours, and Princess Cruise Line even owns several great lodges in the area.)

Let me tell you, this park is simply awe-inspiring.  The landscapes are amazing, and the wildlife is abundant as anywhere on Earth.

So take a look at the video and enjoy your first look at one of the most beautiful spots on the planet.

Duration : 0:2:20

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Technorati Tags: alaska, Bus, denali, Hotel, Hotels, Lodging, National, Packages, Park, Railroad, tour, Tours, travel, Vacation, Vacations

John Hall’s Alaska Cruise and Tour Company is one of several great little independent tour operators that offer incredible small-scale tours of Alaska.

John Hall promises to show you the “Real Alaska”, through cruises and land tours which visit coastal and interior Alaska, along with Canada’s magnificent Yukon.

In addition to small-ship cruises of the Alaskan Inside Passage, the company offers some of the most comprehensive tours of Denali National Park, affording you more  chances to see wolves, grizzly bears, moose, and Dall sheep - all of which are incredibly abundant in this amazing park (which is home to the massive Mt. McKinley).

Best of all, John Hall’s Alaska tour packages are all-inclusive (meals, transportation, lodging), so you won’t be hit up by lots of unexpected charges afterward (and Alaska can be EXPENSIVE!).

Duration : 0:0:30

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Technorati Tags: adventure, alaska, Anderson, bear, cruise, glacier, grizzly, Hall's, holiday, House, John, Land, moose, pictures, plane, tour, Tours, travel, trip, Vacation