There are three Alaskan cruise itineraries from which to choose: The Inside Passage, the Gulf of Alaska or the Bering Sea cruises.
1. The Inside Passage Cruise is a seven-day round trip from Seattle or Vancouver to the southeast Alaskan panhandle and includes Glacier Bay National Park and its 16 majestic glaciers. Stops may include Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and either Sitka, Haines or Victoria, BC. This cruise spends more time at sea, and if you prefer taking in scenery, this is the trip for you.
2. The Gulf of Alaska cruise is a seven- to 10-day trip, sailing north from Vancouver to the Inside Passage and adds the south central coast of Alaska, the Gulf of Alaska and Hubbard Glacier. It is one-way between Vancouver and Seward, requiring separate transportation home. This cruise makes more stops, including many of the Inside Passage ports, as well as Valdez, College Fjord and one other town. If your object is to see more of Alaska proper, this is your trip.
3. If you're in for a real adventure, the 2,000-mile North Pacific Bering Sea Cruise takes expedition ships between North America and Asia. You'll see some of the most remote islands on earth, rarely visited by other cruise lines. Retrace Vitus Bering's voyage and learn about the Russian conquest of Alaska.
Zodiac trips take you to shores where grizzlies roam, and you will be introduced to the cultures of native Aleuts and Inuits and the far Northern Russians. Experts are on board for evening lectures and slide shows.
Most cruise lines offer age-appropriate facilities, programs and activities, and "kids-only" shore tours give parents a break. Children often travel at reduced rates, and the Princess Cruise Line offers an 85 percent reduction for the third and fourth passengers in a cabin, be they a child or an adult.
Thirteen cruise lines with more than 30 ships sail the Alaskan seas and gulfs, ranging from medium-sized ships that carry 800 to 1,500 passengers to mega-size ships that carry more than 2,000 passengers. Smaller, nature-trip-oriented ships carry fewer than 200 passengers.
The mega- and medium-sized ships are floating resorts with nightclubs, casinos, spas and shops, and shipboard activities are as much a focal point as the glaciers and scenery. Smaller ships do not have the resort facilities of the larger ships and concentrate more on cultural and nature activities, getting closer to shore and exploring some fjords that larger ships can't enter.
The Alaska cruise season runs from May through September, and cruises are generally seven to 12 nights long. In June the daylight lasts up to 23 hours. Arrival at your departure port city at least a day or two ahead of boarding is recommended, and most cruise lines offer pre-cruise hotel packages.
