While the stereotypical image of a cruise vacation invariably includes palm trees, tropical turquoise seas and skies, and dazzlingly white clouds floating over even more dazzling beaches, one of the surprisingly popular and anything but stereotypical cruise destinations is Alaska.
Alaska, as anyone who’s been there realizes, is a world unto itself, even though it’s officially the 49th of the 50 US states. They keep the clouds dazzlingly white, but replace the white sands with the shimmering white of their magnificent glaciers and the turquoise seas with their endless lakes, coastal inlets and primeval rivers.
Alaska Cruise Attractions
You will be taken to one of the last remaining virgin wastelands on Earth, where you can begin to understand solitude in the presence of endless forests and mountain peaks. You will be taken on a view of the magnificent humpback whales of the Inland Passage and Frederick Sound.
You can marvel at the Ketchikan totem poles or explore the remnants of the Yukon Gold Rush with one that combines your sailing experience with a trip aboard the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad.
Or you can arrange to spend time at a land lodge in the six million acres of Denali National Park, where you can enjoy wildlife bus tours, take a Natural History hike to Primrose Ridge, or watch a demonstration. dog sledding and learn how these beautiful and intelligent animals have become an integral part of the Park’s management system. You can also get out of the park and indulge in horseback riding, rafting, or aerial sightseeing.
when to sail
Alaska cruises are limited to the warm weather season between May and September, and while summer is the most popular time to cruise, if you cruise in May, you’ll be spellbound with brilliant views of wildflowers. End-of-season Alaska cruises will be just as resplendent when mountainsides shimmer with fall foliage.
However, you’ll need to weigh the positives of early or late-season Alaska cruises against the negatives of an increased chance of unsettled weather. In the height of summer, you can enjoy the amazing experience of the midnight sunlight and spend hours on deck enjoying the incomparable scenery and crystal clear air. You all alaska cruise It’ll be enhanced every time with a non-stop stream of food as good as you’ve ever eaten, and onboard entertainment in case your brain gets overloaded trying to process so much natural beauty.
If you’re from a part of the world where summer seems to be getting hotter and more uncomfortable with each passing year, why not do some research on Alaska cruises and make plans to beat the heat next summer with your personally designed itinerary? ?