What Is an Alaska Inside Passage Cruise?
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This roundtrip Inside Passage cruise from Vancouver delivers spellbinding scenery from narrow fjords to scattered islets and towering peaks. Get close to massive glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park and wait breathlessly for ice to calve off and plunge into the ocean. Inside Passage waters are as smooth as it gets, while on shore you’ll find endless thrills and chills.
Plan Your Cruise to Alaska’s Inside Passage
The largest national forest in the country, Tongass National Forest, blankets the entire southeast Alaska portion of the Inside Passage, and many glaciers can still be seen. Many adventurous cruisers join an Inside Passage Alaska cruise visit or view majestic glaciers. These cruises usually sail northbound or southbound between either Vancouver or Seattle and Anchorage (via the port towns of Whittier or Seward). Itineraries include many of the same stops that a round-trip Inside Passage cruise does, plus extras such as Valdez, Hubbard Glacier, College Fjord or another town in the gulf. You can also take some 14-day versions that depart from San Francisco or San Diego. Alaska's portion of the Inside Passage extends 500 miles (800 km) from north to south and 100 miles (160 km) from east to west.
Top Things To Do In Alaska
Premium lines like Princess Cruises, Disney, Celebrity Cruises and Holland America along with luxury cruise lines, such as Regent Seven Seas, Viking Ocean Cruises and Oceania Cruises, also visit Alaska’s Inside Passage. Stop into three iconic ports of call and see Alaska’s remote wilderness areas. We'll match you with a local itinerary expert to help you plan your trip.
Similar to Alaska Inside Passage, Alaska
You can arrive or depart on a different unique route – through Alaska’s glacier-lined, wildlife-filled, and smooth-sailing waterways of Alaska’s Inside Passage. Alaska’s Inside Passage is a water route between the Gulf of Alaska and Puget Sound. This popular Alaska cruise ship route usually features stops at a handful of Alaska and British Columbia ports and is known for its calm waters, boundless history, and spectacular scenery. The average cruise through the Inside Passage takes around seven days, but you can go beyond the cruise with shore excursions featuring an array of outdoor adventures (kayaking, fishing, and bear viewing, to name a few).
Best Deals to Alaska Inside Passage, Alaska
Wildlife viewing in the region ranges from birding to whale watching and bear viewing. Designated bear viewing is available at Anan Creek near Wrangell and at Pack Creek Bear Sanctuary on Admiralty Island near Juneau. Sailing with Princess, you’ll marvel at the breathtaking scenery and encounter ports of call like Gold Rush-era Skagway, Salmon Capital of the World Ketchikan, the capital city of Juneau and British-flavored Victoria. Simply put, cruisers aboard these sailings witness some of the most astounding wildlife and scenery. Along the Inside Passage, cruise passengers can see countless wildlife in the water (whales, orcas, sea lions, and seals), on the ground (bears), and in the air (eagles, raptors, and many water birds).
(home to Butchart Gardens and the storied Fairmont-Empress Hotel) or Vancouver. You're very likely to see some Alaskan wildlife on any Inside Passage itinerary, whether that be whales, bald eagles, sea lions, porpoises or spotted harbor seals. On Mediterranean cruises, we make it easy to schedule transfers between the airport and cruise ship.
Get an up-close view of Alaska’s wild seascapes, no matter which direction you look. Tongass National Park is filled with lofty spruce, hemlock and cedar trees, while giant calving glaciers pack Glacier Bay National Park. Alaska's Inside Passage is a renowned cruising route through a protected network of waterways, featuring glacier-cut fjords, lush rainforests, and diverse wildlife. Stops along the route showcase Alaska's rich history, including Native Alaskan culture in Ketchikan and Skagway's Gold Rush era legacy.
Find Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam Cruises to Alaska (with Prices) - Cruise Critic
Find Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam Cruises to Alaska (with Prices).
Posted: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 09:23:22 GMT [source]
There are over a thousand islands, millions of trees, dozens of glaciers, and a handful of Alaska’s quieter or hard-to-reach communities – Ketchikan, Wrangell, Prince of Wales Island, Sitka, Juneau, Haines, Skagway, Glacier Bay, among others. In 1881, the first cruise drifted into the still waters of Alaska’s Inside Passage — but, these seafarers did not experience the wonder of modern-day cruises. In the height of the Klondike Gold Rush, these passengers were making history, not reliving it. Since then, journeys through these breathtaking lands have become more exhilarating. In Juneau, venture underground into historical gold mines and see for yourself just how treasure was extracted from rugged walls. Or, take a scenic railway tour up snow-capped mountains and through lush landscapes, retracing the footsteps of early explorers in Skagway.
Fish for salmon in Ketchikan, helicopter onto Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, or ride the rails along the rugged White Pass Summit in Skagway. Some of Southeast Alaska's coves are too shallow for huge ships, so small-ship passengers get to enjoy less-traveled ports and a more personalized, up-close experience than what's possible when journeying with thousands of people. Small-ship cruises are usually confined to localized areas within the Inside Passage and start out from Juneau, Ketchikan or Sitka. The Inside Passage is one of the few routes in the world where large cruise ships requiring relatively deep water can safely sail next to steep mountainsides. It was heavily used by prospectors from the American West Coast during the Klondike Gold Rush.
Glacier Bay National Park, or another scenic cruising area like Tracy Arm Fjord, is normally part of the itinerary. Visit a Native village, learn about the triumphs and tragedies of Alaska’s Gold Rush heyday or go dog sledding with a real musher. Touring the Inside Passage on an Alaska cruise is your gateway to the fascinating and colorful culture, history and sights of the Great Land. Read insider tips and recommendations for things to see and do in breathtaking Alaska. Choosing to depart for the cruise to Alaska’s Inside Passage from Seattle over Vancouver can save U.S. residents a little more money on airfare and enables them to take an Alaskan cruise without a passport. During the Klondike Gold Rush the passage was one of the sea routes from Seattle and California, carrying American prospectors northward.
The term "Inside Passage" is also often used to refer to the ocean and islands around the passage itself. Add a hotel package to your Mediterranean cruise and indulge in an unforgettable overnight departure or arrival city. As you’re booking your dream Alaskan cruise to the Inside Passage, consider what comforts, food and adventures you're seeking. Each cruise line offers unique programs and amenities, and some will be better suited for your budget and level of comfort.
Cruise past archaic, granite glaciers and step into protected lands. With exclusive access to some of the most famous glaciers — including Glacier Bay National Park — Princess offers a close-up, undisturbed view to spectacular scenery and adored wildlife. Sail into sheer serenity amidst the Inside Passage on an Alaska cruise from Princess. The alternative to an Inside Passage cruise is a Gulf of Alaska cruise. These cross-gulf cruises hit some Inside Passage stops but also ports farther north. They're usually one-way trips starting or ending in Seward or Whittier, Alaska.
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