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Everyone can come back together for dinner and evening entertainment or onboard activities suitable for all ages. If you want a more active trip in less touristed areas, a great choice would be a small-ship expedition line, including Alaska specialists such as Alaskan Dream Cruises and UnCruise Adventures. Alaska cruise weather can be chilly (in the 40s to 50s) first thing in the morning and at night.
Our Family Alaska Cruise: A Vacation We'll Never Forget Royal Caribbean Cruises
These ships are much smaller than Carnival’s mega-ships of recent times, like Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration, which are more than twice the size of Spirit Class ships. Carnival has four ships sailing to Alaska, including Carnival Miracle, Carnival Legend, Carnival Luminosa, and Carnival Spirit, spread across varied itineraries over the next couple of years. With an overwhelming world of choices, we understand you may need some personal assistance to plan your perfect vacation. From finding the right destination to choosing the best departure date, we're here to help.
Day 6: Ketchikan
Glacial ice carved this passageway long ago, and today, cruise ships and fishing vessels thread their way through the islets and channels to see some of the most spectacular natural sights in the world. One of the key reasons to cruise Alaska versus taking a land tour is to visit destinations along the Inside Passage that you cannot reach by road. While there are slight variations in Carnival Miracle and Carnival Freedom cruises to Alaska, these differences aren’t too significant. So, pick one that contains the activities that you and/or your family will enjoy the most. Some of the day excursions will have you zip-lining, glacier trekking, airplaning, or kayaking in the outdoors. Others will have you on a seaplane exploring five different glaciers in Juneau or simply viewing wildlife in its natural habitat.
6 best Alaska cruises for families - The Points Guy
6 best Alaska cruises for families.
Posted: Thu, 19 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
What to know when picking a Carnival cruise to Alaska
The best time to book an Alaska cruise is when a cruise line first opens bookings on that sailing, often more than a year in advance. You'll have your pick of itineraries and cabins — balcony cabins are popular in this scenic destination — and often the best fares. For a view of the city and cruise port, take a ride in the sky on the Mount Roberts Tramway. Various wildlife-viewing trips (whale, bears and more) and visits to dogsled camps and salmon bakes leave from Juneau. Alaska cruises provide plentiful opportunities to learn about native Alaskan culture.
day Alaska cruise from Seattle
There's nothing quite as exhilarating as a helicopter tour over Alaska's sprawling landscapes. For all the beer lovers planning an Alaskan cruise vacation, we’ve curated the ultimate zythophile guide to visiting 5 of the best craft breweries in Alaska. Plan your romantic Alaskan cruise with our adventurer’s guide to discovering the coziest vacation spots and most scenic restaurants for couples traveling in Alaska. Planes are plentiful in Alaska, where they're a common form of transportation across the state. Charter a helicopter or fixed-wing flightseeing tour at Juneau and get an unforgettable perspective of the mountains and glaciers of this vast landscape.
You can get a taste of the Gold Rush life by trying your hand at panning for gold, attending a salmon bake or visiting a dogsled camp. A hike on the Chilkoot Trail or ride on the White Pass Railway lets you follow in the footsteps of the miners who came to seek their fortunes. Floatplane and helicopter tours take you around scenic areas like Misty Fjords or land you on a glacier, perhaps for a dogsledding or hiking adventure on the ice. If you prefer to stay grounded, you can find informative trolley tours of ports like Skagway.
Carnival’s Alaska Shore Excursions Program Is Solid
The historic district still has a Wild West feel, though that's been a bit commercialized for the modern era. This port can get crowded in summer when several ships can call on the same day. The luxury cruise lines are your best bet if you're a couple and enjoy spacious suites, gourmet food, pampering (many luxe lines hire butlers to cater to every passenger) and the opportunity to meet other like-minded cruisers. The personalized service and all-inclusive nature of luxury voyages may also be attractive to anyone celebrating a milestone, such as an anniversary, big birthday or retirement.
Rates & offers are subject to select dates & categories, cruise only, per person, based on double occupancy, in US Dollars, & include NCCF. All rates & offers are capacity controlled, are subject to availability & confirmation, & may change without notice. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed -- please confirm details at time of booking. Stateroom photos are for sample purposes only -- actual design and layout may vary. A total of 123 individual shore excursions are offered on our sailing, and choosing really is the hardest part. We ended up doing the Bordello Breakfast and Historical Tour in Skagway, a reasonably-priced morning excursion that includes breakfast at the famous Red Onion Saloon along with a tour of the former Gold Rush-era brothel.
Icy Strait Point
From Alaska’s incredible natural wonders and awe-inspiring landscapes, to its rich cultural heritage and history, nothing beats a cruise to this wild northern paradise. Embrace the grandeur of Alaska with Carnival Cruise Line, a trusted name in the industry that ensures a luxurious yet cost-effective cruising experience. From Carnival's wide range of amenities and services to diverse package options and exciting Alaskan destinations, we're committed to creating the vacation of your dreams. Your enchanting journey through Alaska's breathtaking landscapes begins at Carnival Cruise Line convenient departure ports.
However, what really sets Carnival cruises apart are their attentive stewards, comfortable staterooms, and fresh, colorful décor. These ships still offer lots of fun entertainment and activities that Carnival is famous for, like waterparks, slides, family venues, adult areas, and much more. All of Carnival’s ships sailing to Alaska are part of the cruise line’s Spirit Class, built in the early 2000s.
If you book a Gulf of Alaska voyage, you'll also enjoy exploring parts of the Inside Passage and its ports that could include a mix of Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Ketchikan, Haines and Icy Strait Point. Ships like Carnival Miracle have more balconies than the fleet average, a plus for Alaska cruises. The cruise lines do not have the same suite selection that other cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line are known for in their vast fleets. Since there are quite a few different options for a Carnival cruise to the Land of the Midnight Sun, here is a breakdown of what you need to know when picking Carnival for an unforgettable Alaska cruise vacation. Carnival is, like every other cruise line, having some issues in Alaska with shore excursions needing to be modified or changed or, in some cases, canceled entirely due to tour operator staffing availability. While passengers won't find Alaskan beers onboard -- or even Alaskan seafood, for that matter, Carnival has managed to tweak some of its entertainment programming to offer a more Alaskan bent.
So, buckle up for the ultimate Alaskan adventure that you've always dreamed of. Most Alaska itineraries include some "scenic cruising," where your ship sails past incredible natural sights. Carnival's mid-sized cruise ships provide a good balance of activities to suit both kids and adults, although some are at an additional cost, such as the Seuss-themed brunch and Deal or No Deal game show.
Carnival, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean all have extensive kids clubs aboard their ships that cater to all ages, from babies to teens. Little kids will adore meet-and-greets with beloved characters onboard Disney cruises or hanging with Dr. Seuss characters when sailing with Carnival. Older kids will love the rock climbing walls, video game stations, sports courts, go-karts and laser tag on Royal Caribbean and NCL ships. In keeping with their mission to deliver fun vacations at sea and ashore, Carnival offers a sizeable range of excursions for a variety of activity levels, ages, and interests.
Alaska's capital city is interesting because no road leads from here to the rest of the state. It's located at the base of Mount Juneau, and you can only get there via boat or small plane — even residents have to bring their cars to Juneau via ferry. Home to Mendenhall Glacier, this is a popular port for hikes by, kayak tours to and helicopter landings on the glacier. Active travelers can explore Alaska by sea kayak or canoe, hike on glaciers and through rainforests, zip line, bike, ride an ATV and even snorkel (you'll need a dry suit). Gulf of Alaska sailings — especially those in late August and September — can encounter rough seas in the gulf portion of the voyage.
In 2023, Carnival Spirit will once again return to Seattle, where it will offer a standard weeklong itinerary to Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Victoria and Tracy Arm Fjord. Sister-ship Carnival Miracle returns to San Francisco to offer 10-day sailings that visit Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, and Victoria. The ship will also operate two one-off cruises from Los Angeles (Long Beach) as part of the line's Carnival Journey's product of unique, longer sailings. Fortunately, Carnival's new triple-threat Alaskan cruise season isn't just a one-off. Next year, the line will continue to send three of its cruise ships to the Last Frontier.
Moreover, both tours were completely sold out, with two boats chartered for each departure. Seeing the Sawyer glaciers up close and personal is a moving experience and was worth it despite the cold and the rain. Thanks to the relatively ice-free conditions, Carnival Spirit was even able to make it all the way to the South Sawyer Glacier for the tour boats to rejoin the ship. Given its value-driven price point, we wouldn't have expected Carnival to offer much in the way of destination immersion aboard Carnival Spirit.
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