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Take advantage of the daylight with a flightseeing tour to view the brown bears of Redoubt Bay or to explore magnificent Mt. McKinley. Whether by train, floatplane or motorcoach, you are moments away from Alaska's abundant wildlife and amazing scenery. There’s a world of sights to be seen in the Great Land and our Alaska cruise excursions give you a front-row seat to it all. Bring history books to life when you tour Skagway, the former gateway to the gold rush, and visit Gold Dredge 8 in Fairbanks to learn even more about mining. Travel along the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway, or aboard a riverboat sternwheeler for sweeping views of Alaska’s greatest treasures.
Outdoor adventures
Now, as much as these animals are prevalent in the area, sightings cannot be guaranteed. While certain times of year are better than others, it’s really the luck of the draw. With Ocean Now, guests can order their favorite food and drinks to be delivered to them just about anywhere on the ship. What could be better than cuddling up with your loved ones in the crisp Alaska air to enjoy a movie on the big screen? With comfy lounge chairs and provided blankets, this is a perfect low-key evening activity. Alfredo’s Pizzeria is a sit-down restaurant that is open well into the evening with delicious personal-sized pizzas on the menu.
Children's Programs on Princess Alaska Cruises
A ride into the mountains on this narrow-gauge railroad is the tour everybody takes when visiting the Gold Rush town-turned-tourist hub. Note that if you have a big enough group, it sometimes pays to arrange a private boat out of Juneau to take you to see humpback whales. Many lines offer a private boat charter for whale watching as a tour option, or you can arrange one through a local company. The boat used for this excursion has both inside and outdoor viewing areas.
Ketchikan, Alaska
You might also see the cascading Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier, the floating Dead Branch Glacier or the river-like East Twin Glacier before landing on Norris Glacier, home to a mushing camp. From the helicopter, you could also spot bears, moose, mountain goats and other wildlife. Read on for our favorite Alaska shore excursions at some of Alaska's most visited ports. Below, I've listed six of my all-time favorite Alaska shore excursions. These all are tours that you'll find in the tour lineups at every major cruise line that operates in Alaska.
Princess Cruises is an authorized concessioner of Glacier Bay National Park. Travel the Inside Passage on 10 or 11-day Alaska cruises from San Francisco and allow the natural landscapes to inspire your day’s adventures. Begin by sailing beneath the Golden Gate Bridge and along the Pacific Coast. As you voyage into the Inside Passage, enjoy one of the best ways to explore the fjords, small towns and natural landmarks with your favorite people. Only an hour and a half from the cruise port of Whittier lies the largest city in Alaska – Anchorage.
With no roads connecting it to the rest of Alaska or North America, it is truly a protected destination. Founded as a gold mining town and now the state’s capital, Juneau has one foot in history and one in the future. Embark on a whale watching tour, or sail past Mendenhall Glacier on an Alaska cruise. The Harriman Expedition discovered College Fjord in 1899 and named the towering glaciers after the great East Coast universities of the United States, like the Harvard Glacier. With the largest collection of tidewater glaciers in the world, your scenic Alaska cruise through the fjord will make a lasting memory.
You'll find a small armada of floatplanes waiting to take you to nearby Misty Fjords National Monument. For the listings below, I've used the tour names and pricing listed in the current tour sheets at Princess, which along with sister line Holland America, is the biggest cruise operator in Alaska. I should also be clear that the towns themselves aren't devoid of attractions. While I highly encourage Alaska-bound cruisers to get out into the wilderness, there are plenty of worthwhile things to do in each of the main port towns.
Don’t just see the Great Land’s glaciers, feel them come alive on an Alaska cruisetour. Get up close to Mother Nature’s masterpieces and listen for the crash of “white thunder”. Visit wilderness playgrounds like Glacier Bay National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – along with even more natural wonderlands like Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier, College Fjord and Hubbard Glacier.
Upcoming Princess Cruises: 2024 Prices, Itineraries + Activities on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
Upcoming Princess Cruises: 2024 Prices, Itineraries + Activities on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Mon, 23 Oct 2023 14:30:45 GMT [source]
All Princess Alaska cruises include at least one glacier-viewing experience. To get the most out of an Alaska cruise, you'll want to sign up for a tour in most if not all of the ports you visit. You'll be looking for the best Alaska shore excursions that get you out into the Alaska backcountry. Fly-fish for Arctic grayling in one of the rivers near this Alaska national park.
Excursions cancelled within three (3) days prior travel are subject to a 100% cancellation fee, unless the operator, at their sole discretion, is unable to operate the program due to unforeseen circumstances. All sales of tours booked while on your land tour are considered final at the time of purchase and are 100% non-refundable except in the case of an operator approved cancellation. Seattle is known as "The Emerald City" thanks to its green forests and lush surroundings. Pike Place Market buzzes with merchants while coffee shops house locals drinking espresso in America's coffee capital.
We have a 50-year legacy of sharing the best places and experiences with our guests. On an Alaska cruise, unpack once and explore glaciers, wildlife and national parks. For those voyagers seeking to sail from Southern California all the way up the Pacific coast to Alaska, try a new 16-day roundtrip Inside Passage voyage from Los Angeles. Alaska's seafood is famous, and we bring the best to you with locally inspired dishes from the state’s best eateries.
As if the ride in a helicopter over glaciers and landing on an actual glacier weren't exhilarating enough, you can also pretend you're in the Iditarod by getting on a real dogsled. Ketchikan is known as Alaska's "First City" because it's the first major community travelers come to as they journey north. Located on an island, Ketchikan began life as an Indian fishing camp. The Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian are all a part of the city's colorful history.
After your sledding experience, you'll have a chance to play with sled dog puppies. This is also a nice (and more affordable alternative) if you're unable to take the glacier dog-sledding flightseeing excursion in Juneau. Your assigned musher will introduce you to the dog team, fill you in on the sport of sled-dog racing and snap some photos of you along the way. Indeed, in some cases, the cruise lines own the tour operators in Alaska ports, or at least a piece of them.
