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Alaska Inside Passage CruiseAn Alaska Inside Passage Cruise: Ice Candy For The Eyes This is not the Caribbean. Snow-covered mountains. Glaciers. Vast wilderness. An Alaska Inside Passage cruise is a chance to see nature's icy wonder. (Some would say it might be your last chance. Global warming could mean this won't be such a spectacular trip in the future. Though you might be able to score a real discount Alaska cruise tour if you wait a decade or so. "Honey, look at that beautiful puddle!")
This is not a "water for as far as the eye can see" kind of cruise. The Inside Passage is a coastal path between the Alaskan mainland (and its rugged coastline of rocky coves, bays and fjords) and more than a thousand unique, beautiful islands. Your Alaska Inside Passage cruise ship will share the waters with freighters, fishing boats and ferries. You'll pass by many isolated communities filled with people who still live off this breathtaking and wild land. You might even get to see the Northern Lights. Wouldn't that be something! Shore Excursions Perhaps the best way to appreciate how an Alaska Inside Passage cruise differs from a warm water cruise is to consider the kind of shore excursions available to you. Think about
And believe it or not...
"Honey, we definitely aren't in the Bahamas!" Lots to choose from Carnival, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Princess and Norwegian all run Alaska cruises. An Alaska Inside Passage cruise is generally a 7 night trip, though you can find longer. Itineraries are highly variable, so you'll want to do your research. Ports of embarkation are much varied as well, so you'll have lots of options. There are round trips cruises available (Vancouver to Vancouver, Seattle to Seattle), but you can find plenty of voyages that start or end in sunnier climes, like Los Angeles and San Diego. San Francisco is also an option. Prices, of course, are all over the map. But, as of this writing, all six cruise lines are offering 7 night trips for less than a thousand a person. You can find cruises running as early as May and as late as September. When you schedule your Alaska Inside Passage cruise is a big decision. If you're looking for warmer weather, the warmest month tends to be July. If you're looking for a discount Alaska cruise tour, being willing to set sail in May or September can reduce your costs significantly. These tend to be the same cruise ships that head south for winter, so they have pools and hot tubs. Bring a bathing suit if you're so inclined. (If you're like me though, you'll spend more time in the hot tub.) Alaska. The Inside Passage. A jaw-dropping experience.
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The scenery is spectacular. Some of the cruise lines even have an onboard naturalist available to explain and interpret the natural wonders you'll be seeing.
