Wittering based Travel Counsellor recommends a cruise to Alaska
Alaska is on many peoples wish lists and may well be on yours; naturally beautiful, its landscape has towering glaciers, snow-capped peaks and abundant wildlife, writes Travel Counsellor Emma Savage.
Alaska is vast – its seven times larger than the UK, and known for outdoor activity, nature and the northern lights.
Cruising is one of the best ways to make the most of your time here – Alaska has more coastline than the rest of the United States combined, so it makes sense to cruise. Its convenient too, with a range of ships at different price points and sizes and a host of on shore excursions to help make the most of each port of call. The popularity of cruising here is growing fast, in 2022 there were 25,000 UK visitors sailing Alaska’s shores compared to 31,000 in 2023.
If you’ve toyed with booking an Alaska cruise, you might wonder what’s the best way to ‘do it’? Well, the first thing to know, is that they operate in the summer time only and generally sail out of Vancouver or Seattle. A stay in either or both of these cities is an excellent idea pre or post cruise; both have much to offer and are definitely worth an extra few nights on the itinerary, if you have the time. In fact, you would need to overnight at the beginning of your holiday anyway, due to the flight schedules, so why not make it two, three or four nights?
The most popular cruise itinerary is the Inside Passage; past islands, coves and fjords it is a spectacular experience. This route follows the southeastern coastline and takes between seven to ten days. Glacier viewing is one of the key things you’ll want to do on an Alaskan cruise, so look out for Dawes Glacier, Hubbard Glacier and the twin Sawyer Glaciers. Ports of call include the only US state capital which cannot be reached by road – Juneau. There’s also Skagway – what was once a gold prospecting town with its old style saloons and the White Pass railroad to the Yukon. Then there’s Ketchikan; a small town of lumberjacks, salmon and totem poles and there are a range of excursions here, including fishing, kayaking and ‘flightseeing’.
There are a number of cruise lines operating Alaska cruises; be sure to book your stay on one which fits your needs as they are all quite different. For example, at the luxury end of the market Regent Seven Seas and Silversea cater to those seeking the most indulgent experience at sea; the best service, exquisite food and fine wine together with exciting shore excursions. Celebrity cruises offers modern luxury in a more informal way and at a more affordable price point, so is a popular choice. Other cruise lines to consider include Royal Caribbean, Holland America and Princess cruises. If you are wanting an adventure, look for the expedition cruise lines such as HX, which offer comfortable, smaller ships and experiences like hiking, kayaking and rib boat adventures seeking out wildlife. They don’t have glitzy casinos and such like, found on some bigger ships, but some would say that is reason alone to sail on them!
Happy travels!
