Why Cruise to Alaska?

The Inside Passage of coastal British Columbia and Alaska is a calm inland waterway protected from the mighty Pacific Ocean by numerous offshore islands. The tranquil natural scenery along the Inside Passage is so beautiful and breathtaking that it has to be counted as a large part of the whole reason in taking an Alaska cruise in the first place. These Alaska cruises that sail roundtrip from Vancouver mainly visit the towns (such as those ports mentioned above) and the coastline of Alaska's Panhandle, which is the most scenic and historic region of the state.

The Seattle Alaska roundtrip cruises tend to sail on the outside far off the coast of Vancouver Island and do not allow for the scenery and wildlife viewing opportunities of the Inside Passage cruises. These itineraries often include the same ports of call as the Vancouver roundtrip cruises, and will include one of the more southern glaciers like Sawyer Glacier or Hubbard Glacier.

Glacier Route cruises, also known as Gulf of Alaska cruises, do not double-back to Vancouver and instead disembark at the port of Seward or Whittier, thus going beyond the Panhandle and across the Gulf of Alaska, which allows for the chance to visit Prince William Sound and possibly feature the addition of College Fjord to the cruise itinerary. An Alaska cruise is the ideal way to see coastal Alaska. However, to complete the picture and see the "Heart of Alaska" you need to travel into the interior of Alaska. We recommend an Alaska cruise tour (also known as a cruisetour), which is an Alaska cruise plus a three to six day escorted land tour. Alaska cruise tours include travel by motorcoach or by special designed glass domed rail cars on the Alaska Railway. These Alaska cruisetours allow you to visit Fairbanks and spend time in or near Denali National Park. Here in Denali one can find the tallest peak in North America, Mount McKinley, standing at 20,320 feet high.

Many of the cruise lines and other tour companies have exclusive lodges in the park and offer some great tours through the wilderness. To learn more about the different cruiselines visiting Alaska click on the following links:

• Princess Cruise Lines
• Carnival Cruises
• Celebrity Cruises
• Holland America Line
• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Regent Seven Seas Cruises
• Royal Caribbean