Alaska Cruises

You go to Alaska for the contrast between the wild, natural environment outside and the civilized comfort of your cruise ship. On an Alaska cruise, you're an explorer, a witness to a world that has not been tamed, has not even been much explored. And you are all this and, at the same time, warm, well-fed and snug.

An Alaska cruise satisfies your desire for adventure, for the natural world, for escape. It is like no place else on earth, like no other experience. And a cruise ship offers the best possible perspective on Alaska. From it, you can see the land, the shore, the ocean, the glaciers that come down to the sea and the towns edged along the coastline.

To get the most out of your Alaska cruise experience, it's essential that you choose the cruise that most closely matches your interests and your expectations; otherwise, you risk the chance of being disappointed. It's not hard to find the best cruise for you. It's just a matter of finding out, first of all, what your options are and then matching the options to your interests, expectations and budget.

The Biggest Decision

Are you looking for a large ship or small ship Alaska experience?
This is a very important question because large ship and small ship cruises are VERY different from one another, and most people don't even know small ship cruises are an option.

Large ships focus on the cruise experience itself, on being on the ship and enjoying its amenities: the convenience, the exciting atmosphere, the food choices, the nightlife, the fully equipped gym, the casino, the evening entertainment and, from a distance, the spectacular scenery.

The small ship cruise by contrast is mostly about experiencing Alaska. Small ships take you places big ships can't reach. They can visit not only major destinations like Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway and Sitka, but also small towns with shallow ports like Petersburg and Metlakatla and narrow passages into places like Misty Fjords.

Small ships can get right up to the shore in many cases, and because you're nearly at water level, rather than 10 stories above it as you are on a large cruise ship, you can really see seals, whales, puffins and 30 other species of wildlife up close.

With small ships, shore excursions are included so, from your ship, you can board a Zodiac and travel along the coast or go ashore to explore. And because small ships are not on a tight schedule, they'll linger or stop along the way if a pod of whales is cavorting nearby or eagles are soaring overhead.

Small ships always have expert naturalists onboard to give talks and provide 24-hour information and commentary on what you're seeing. And I mean 24 hours. If there are wildlife sightings during the night, you can request to be alerted so you don't miss anything. Pajama wildlife viewing parties are not uncommon on small ships Alaska cruises.

Don't misunderstand either. Small ship cruises offer their own kind of luxury. Cabins are comfortable, though not generally grandiose, the food is good, and so is the company. There's only one seating for dinner, dress is always casual and comfortable, and you can sit with anyone you like and change as often as you like. In other words, small ships are about fun, camaraderie, exploring, learning and having a very hands on experience that you won't forget.

A Note about Pricing. Small ship Alaska cruises are generally more expensive than large ship Alaska cruises. However, when you take into consideration that small ship cruises include in the price shore excursions at every port, all non-alcoholic beverages and all gratuities, the difference narrows.

And, finally, when you consider that large ship cruises are designed to extract about $200 a day per passenger in charges, and small ships are not designed to extract no extra expenditures, and the small ship cruise becomes very close to a bargain. In other words, price should not be a deciding factor in choosing between a large and small ship Alaska cruise.

Would you like to learn more about our Small Ship Cruises