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In most cases, Seattle is the best embarkation port for most American passengers, as it’s usually easier to travel to Seattle compared to Vancouver or Seward. There are ample direct flights to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, making traveling to the city easier and more affordable. There’s no right or wrong itinerary to book for Alaska, but it’s important to know what to expect in each port before booking one cruise over the other. Last week, our readers submitted their top questions about Alaska cruises to our Facebook page.
Top 10 Most Beautiful Port Cities Royal Caribbean Cruises
In short, a sea day on an Alaska cruise isn’t drastically different from a sea day in the Caribbean. There are a few ways to prepare so your cruise goes as smoothly as possible. Smaller ships tend to sail from Vancouver whereas larger ships sail out of Seattle. This is due to the fact that Quantum Class ships are unable to fit under Vancouver’s Lion Gate Bridge outside of a very low-tide. Therefore, ships like Radiance of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, and Brilliance of the Seas sail out of Vancouver instead.
What do we pack?
Dine on Alaskan salmon jerky, a local delicacy, before you enter into the depths of the Alaska national parks. Enter the Alaskan national parks through the beautiful Village of Hoonah, located near Icy Strait Point on Chichagof Island. Visit the village to take part in a traditional Tlingit dance performance, or watch for whales as they wave from the surrounding waters.
Royal Caribbean Cruisetours: Visit inland Alaska and Canada
Jenna DeLaurentis enjoys exploring new ports of call around the world on a cruise ship, learning about new cultures, discovering beautiful landscapes, and trying diverse cuisine. She loves to get active while at port, whether cycling through mountains in the Caribbean or scuba diving under the sea. Exploring ports through independent tour operators or on your own is another option. All Alaska cruise ports have complimentary attractions and nature activities right near where the ship docks, so it’s not always necessary to book an excursion. Alaska cruises tend to favor outdoor activities, whether getting active on a hike or taking a relaxing canoe ride down a river.
Royal Caribbean cancels second sailing on Radiance of the Seas ship - USA TODAY
Royal Caribbean cancels second sailing on Radiance of the Seas ship.
Posted: Fri, 08 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Be sure to consider where your cruise begins and ends the sailing before booking. If you have never cruised to Alaska before, you may find the decision of which ship, embarkation port, and itinerary a tough decision. There are many considerations when choosing an Alaska cruise, but ultimately the decision may come down to budget, convenience, and time. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices.
To ensure you don’t miss out, consider booking a later dinner time, or simply eat dinner elsewhere on the nights the sailaway overlaps with your dining time. The Windjammer buffet can be an excellent place to enjoy dinner in Alaska, as the buffet has floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the venue, in addition to outdoor seating on select ships. One of the best ways to become acquainted with Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships is to watch a full tour of the ship on YouTube. On our YouTube channel, we have full, high definition tours of each Royal Caribbean ship sailing to Alaska. If your flight doesn’t arrive until 11PM the night before your cruise, it probably isn’t worth it to travel to the city center. Instead, consider a hotel near the airport so you can simply land and head straight to bed.
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Exploring the state’s mountains, glaciers, trails, and lakes is a fantastic way to spend a day in port, although choosing the best tour to book can be a tough decision. Starting your cruise in Seward is recommended for those who plan to travel in the interior of Alaska ahead of time, whether independently or on one of Royal Caribbean’s organized Cruisetours. One-way Alaska itineraries tend to be more port-heavy, as well, as there is less distance to cover than on a round trip sailing.
Don't pass up an opportunity to watch these giants feed and play in the water. In some parts of the state, dog sledding is still the primary mode of transportation through the winter months. Visit Alaska and get the experience for yourself at the Skagway Yukon Discovery and Dog Sled Tour. Exploring the interior of Alaska will give you an entirely different perspective on this vast and rugged state. Take an Inside Passage cruise and gaze upward at the sky that is as blue as the lakes below. Hop on the Alaskan Railroad near Anchorage and see the spruce-lined, mountainous landscape whir by from a new perspective.
Even if you arrive at 3PM the day before your cruise, you will have around twenty hours in either city before embarkation begins. One of my favorite aspects of cruising to Alaska is the pre-cruise stay in Seattle or Vancouver. Not only do both of these cities offer breathtaking natural scenery, but they boast an impressive amount of things to do within the city, too.
As days become shorter and temperatures cool down, cruise crowds and prices tend to be lower. Cruising to Alaska in the early season, April and May, brings lower crowds and prices. Expect to see daily temperatures with highs in the mid 50s and lows around 40 degrees. Less rain is expected during the early season, as April, May, and June are among the driest months of the year in Alaska. Daylight hours will increase each day leading up to the summer solstice, with daylight hours from 4AM to 10PM in late May. Embark on an unforgettable Alaska adventure cruise and experience the ultimate holiday.
Alaska cruise ports such as Juneau and Ketchikan are small cities with their own personalities. Anchorage is the state's largest city and a gateway to the rest of the state. Denali National Park takes you out of the city altogether, into a wilderness full of spruce forests and snow-capped mountain peaks. Even though booking shore excursions is popular on an Alaska cruise, you can still have a great time in port without an organized tour.
If you have not done so yet, we recommend booking flights as soon as possible. In Sitka, for instance, you can enjoy a leisurely walk through the Sitka National Historic Park, which comes at no extra cost and is within walking distance from the town center. Likewise, you could take a shuttle bus to Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau for $45 roundtrip, which is much cheaper than excursions booked through the cruise line. Of course, you’ll want to look at the terms and conditions of each tour operator before booking. Check the tour’s cancellation policies—and whether or not they provide a guaranteed arrival back to port before your ship's departure—before booking. The last thing you want to happen is have your dream excursion sell out, leaving you scrambling to find other plans.
Take up an excursion out of Misty Fjord in Ketchikan, or soar above the massive Denali mountain with a Talkeetna adventure tour group. 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. Royal Caribbean offers two quite different classes of ships sailing a variety of itineraries in Alaska. There are also slight differences between the individual ships themselves, even within the same class. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site.
Both ships have outdoor movie nights at the pool, as well as actual cinemas for afternoon matinees. Plus, there are climbing walls, sports courts, and kids' pools for use when weather allows. Many cruises from Vancouver can be open-jaw sailings, which means they begin in Vancouver and end in Anchorage. You could book the next sailing to return to Vancouver, but that would require two weeks.
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