The Luxury Travel Magazine
The Luxury Travel Magazine
Alaska Cruises are an unforgettable experience, and the best time to visit Alaska is during the summer season. From mid-May to mid-September the sun shines 16 to 24 hours a day. The midnight sun brings a wealth of warm weather, scenery and active wildlife. The change of the season transforms the entire state into the ultimate mixture of summer and winter. One of the best ways to sit back and enjoy that splendor is by boarding a luxury Alaska Cruise.
Although the tourist season in the Last Frontier is short, it is one of the most popular cruise destinations in the world. But, despite its nickname, and rugged, uncut beauty, one does not have to compromise comfort and indulgence when visiting the state. From mega yachts to small sailboats, the best cruises to Alaska offer adventure, intimacy and sumptuousness. Here are four of the best luxury cruise liners sailing to Alaska.
The Regent Seven Seas is one of the largest luxury cruise liners in the business. Spanning three decades, the company has sailed to every continent and hundreds of ports of call, including Alaska. Regent sails to Alaska from May to September. The most popular itineraries leave from Vancouver, Canada, and sail through Seward, Alaska. The trip often includes sailing around the state in seven to 12 nights. Guests experiencing the great wilderness of The Last Frontier through Regent can expect to choose from a handful of shore excursions.
Shore excursions on Regent Alaska Cruises focus on culture, food and wine, activity and nature. As one of the only lines to offer free unlimited shore excursions in every destination, guests can take advantage of as many onshore adventures as possible. Some of the most memorable options include exploring Denali with real American sled dogs, sportfishing in Sitka, getting a birds-eye view of the wilderness on a helicopter and hand-feeding puffins at the Alaska Sealife Center.
Upon returning to the ship, guests aboard the Seven Seas Mariner or Seven Seas Navigator can enjoy fine dining, unlimited beverages, valet laundry service and numerous onboard activities. Entertainment options include cooking classes, catching an evening show, relaxing on the pool deck, or visiting the onboard casino and spa and fitness center. Accommodation includes elegant suites, king-sized beds, spacious closets and ocean views.
While large luxury cruises are often all-inclusive, there is little that compares to the intimacy of sailing the great wilderness on a small, ultra-luxe cruise liner. Seabourn combines luxury with adventure on their Alaskan Cruises. Founded in 1986, Seabourn prides itself on creating an unforgettable experience where style, history and exhilaration are the frontrunners for exploration.
Guests who book travel to Alaska will board the Seabourn Odyssey. The ship sails to some of Alaska’s most famous, and hidden, destinations. Stops include visiting the Inside Passage, Glacier Bay, the famous Alaskan Fjords and the Canadian Inside Passage. From port to port, seven to 14-day itineraries include following the route from Vancouver to Seward anchoring in Sitka, Ketchikan, Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Inian Islands, Rudyerd Bay and more.
Aside from the extraordinary destination list, guests can experience Alaska alongside true experts. Seabourn’s world-class expedition team includes a marine biologist, ornithologist, geologist, historian, photographer and wildlife naturalist expert. Guests can also participate in Seabourn’s Conversation program to learn more about the destination before embarking. Ventures by Seabourn is another option for guests. In select destinations, the expedition team escorts invitees to view the wilderness up close by kayaking or hiking. In Alaska, options include kayaking in the Misty Fjords, Tracy Arm and Holgate Glacier or hiking to Wrangell Island to photograph wildlife in their natural habitat.
Onboard, guests are served by a plethora of hand-picked, award-winning crew members. Each suite includes a personal suite host and attendant with nearly one staff member assigned per guest. As an added amenity, guests on the Alaska Cruise are gifted a Seabourn all-weather jacket as a souvenir.
“(Cruises) for those who delight in the thrill of discovery while indulging mind and body in the most lavish surroundings imaginable.” Silversea is an all-inclusive luxury cruise liner with ships that range in size from 51 to 364 suites. It is the ultimate option for those looking to sail to Alaska in an intimate and comforting environment.
The ultra-luxe cruise line offers 66 different Alaska Cruise options. The basic seven-night choices include stops in Juneau, Skagway, Sitka and Ketchikan. Excursions include a Tundra Wilderness Tour, a train ride on the Deluxe Dome Railcar and a guided tour into Denali National Park. Guests looking to elevate their stay can participate in Silversea’s exclusive shore excursions called “The Collection.” These private and unique excursions include a wilderness safari in Glacier Point, floating the Chilkoot Trail, participating at Iditarod’s Dog Summer Camp, or experiencing Hot Italian Glass with a Twist in Sitka. Silversea’s also offers tours specific to the active explorer, philanthropic traveler, or culinary enthusiast.
The all-inclusive Alaska package also includes the standard onboard amenities including around-the-clock Butler service in all suites, complimentary champagne and a dining and beverage package. Guests visiting The Last Frontier are also entitled to one free shore excursion per day and special savings on all Denali packages.
In between the large and small luxury cruise liners is a company that prides itself on being situated between the two. Windstar is one of the only luxury cruise liners to offer a trip aboard an authentic sailing yacht. With its tagline, “180 Degrees from Ordinary” guests who choose to visit Alaska onboard the small Star Legend can expect a unique and once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Due to its smaller size, Windstar is trademarked for its ability to bring guests closer to the action and scenery. In Alaska, the ships cruise far up narrow fjords to the twin Sawyer Glaciers, launch Zodiacs right into the water and get guests up close and personal to the wildlife. All Alaskan itineraries include eight onboard expedition experts. Windstar Cruises also offer some of the longest Alaskan tours with extended stays ranging from 15 days to 23. Shore excursions include dog sledding on the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, looking for totem poles in Ketchikan, feeding humpback whales and seeing the native artistic expression in Wrangell.
Alaska is nicknamed The Last Frontier for many reasons, but mainly because it remains one of the last places left on Earth that is not entirely mapped and explored. And while it has become a more popular destination in recent years, it remains an untouched beauty. Cruising to Alaska, in comfort and luxury, dances along the line of wildness and ease. Guests wanting to straddle that line can expect to jump from experiencing the unknown wilderness to the relaxation of a reimagined yacht.
