Alaska cruises and cruisetours

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For more great photos of Alaska and Alaskan wildlife visit this photography site dedicated to Alaska

Price
Alaska season, which runs from May to September. In general, you'll find the lowest rates on departures early and late in the season.  Early booking such as the previous fall will get you the best fares as fares tend to rise as sailings get closer.  Certainly recent economic times have changed that but we are seeing more and more the traditional price escalation versus nearness of sailing occur.

If you must sail on a specific ship on a specific date, or you require a cabin that accommodates four or more people or a passenger with special needs, or you need two adjacent or adjoining cabins or more than four cabins on a single sailing, you should call us and lock in your rate prior to February  while there is still space on nearly every ship.

However, if you are flexible about date and ship and don't fall into any of these categories, then  waiting until about 90 days prior to departure to book an Alaska cruise, as rates for many sailings will be reduced again to fill in space.

There's a chance that well-timed connecting flights could sell out if you wait, but I'd personally take that risk in order to wait for a terrific late-breaking deal to emerge.


Itinerary
There are two types of itineraries for Alaska cruises: Inside Passage cruises that sail roundtrip from Vancouver, Seattle or San Francisco; and Gulf of Alaska cruises that sail one way between Vancouver and Seward or Whittier.

The roundtrip cruises offer two advantages: 1) you can book closer to departure because there are many flights daily into, and out of, Vancouver, Seattle and San Francisco; and 2) they require less-expensive airfare because no long flight into Anchorage or Fairbanks is involved.

Air into (and out of) Anchorage and Fairbanks is quite limited and flights fill early with cruise passengers, which makes it a bit more risky to wait for a last-minute deal on a one-way, Gulf of Alaska cruise.

The biggest advantage of one-way cruises is that they allow the opportunity to explore the interior of Alaska on a pre- or post-cruise land tour. Between 1/3 and 1/2 of all Alaska cruisers opt to extend their cruise with a tour of inland Alaska (out of Anchorage or Fairbanks) or British Columbia or the Canadian Rockies (out of Vancouver).

If you are leaning toward one of these cruise tours, keep in mind that tour buses, rail cars and lodges in Alaska are very limited in supply and can sell out early. I recommend booking cruise tours no later than the end of February to ensure availability.

Sights

While either the Gulf of Alaska and Inside Passage itineraries will all have great views, the inside passage provides a great views of Vancouver Island and the Pacific coast of Canada as you transit.  Both itineraries will get to see Glaciers, but the Gulf of Alaska transit will be able to get you to the what I feel are the best views and types of Glaciers such as Hubbard Bay, College Fijords and othes.

Certainly the direction of travel north or south will put some preference to the side of the ship for your birth, especially if a balcony.  While the ship will rotate and turn at all the major sites, if you wish to sit and just watch the whole coast sail by then being on the landward side might be chosen. 

Weather
Alaska weather is unpredictable, but in general you'll find the warmest temperatures in July and August, when average highs are in the low- to mid-60's. Precipitation levels usually rise towards the end of the season, especially in late August and early September. The important part about Alaska weather is its variability at all times.  Thus the key to Alaska is layers, with an outer shell that is water resistant but breathable and a small pack to keep some of the clothes in when not needed. That pack can also hold your camera or binoculars and a snack or two.

Wildlife
Wildlife is one of the big attractions of Alaska, and different species of wildlife are active at different times throughout the cruising season. Humpback and killer whales are seen throughout the summer in large sounds and straits along the coast, as they migrate between their winter homes in the south and their summer homes in the north. Brown and black bears can be seen in grassy tidal flats starting in May and near salmon streams and berry patches in July and August. Moose and caribou begin calving in May and cow moose and their young can be seen near thickets along roadsides and rivers in May and June.

Bald eagles are plentiful and can be spotted at the water's edge throughout the summer, particularly near salmon-spawning streams. Tufted puffins and other seabirds begin nesting colonies on coastal islands in May. Shorebird watching is popular in August and September, as various species begin their migrations south for the winter.

Harbor seals are visible throughout the season and can be seen with their pups on and around the icebergs of Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay during the month of June. Sea lions start to become visible in September.

Fishermen will be happy to know that at least one variety of salmon -- the prized king salmon -- runs from May through August. Late May through June is the best time for saltwater king salmon fishing, and July through August is best for freshwater king salmon fishing. Sockeye (red) salmon fill freshwater streams and rivers on their spawning run from late June through July. Saltwater fishing for chum and pink salmon is best in July and August, and freshwater fishing for these species is at its peak in August. Coho (silver) salmon can be found in saltwater areas from late July through early September, and are abundant in freshwater areas during September and October. Halibut is most abundant in saltwater areas from late June through August.

Passports
Passports are required for all travelers who enter or re-enter the U.S. by air from any other country, which means that U.S. citizens and residents who fly back to the U.S. from Vancouver or another Canadian city after an Alaska cruise or cruise tour are required to have a valid passport.

We highly recommend having a passport although there are exceptions to requiring a passport as below, a passport eliminates so many of the possibilities where you would not be able to reenter the US in a special circumstance that may have nothing to do with you or your current travel, but someone else in your family or friends for which urgent return travel would be reuired.

Also, passports are now required for anyone who enters or re-enters the U.S. by land or by sea. There are a few exceptions to the passport requirement pertaining to land and sea border crossings:

First, U.S. citizens on cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port and travel to destinations in Canada (and select other countries) are able to re-enter the U.S. with proof of citizenship other than a passport, such as a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID. Passports are required for cruises that begin in one U.S. port and end in another.

So, U.S. citizens on cruises that sail roundtrip from Seattle or San Francisco are not required to have a passport. U.S. citizens who drive to Vancouver for a roundtrip Alaska cruise or who cruise one way between Vancouver and an Alaskan port (such as Whittier or Seward) do need a passport.

Next, children under the age of 16 who are citizens of the U.S. or Canada are exempt from the passport requirement for land and sea border crossings. In lieu of a passport, children are able to use a birth certificate as proof of citizenship for entry into the U.S. by land or by sea. Children entering or re-entering the U.S. by air are still required to have a valid passport.

Finally, a passport card, is acceptable for entries into the U.S. by land or sea. Compared to passports, which cost $135 for first-time applicants ($105 for children), passport cards cost just $55 ($40 for children). The passport card is not acceptable for air travel. We do not recommend it as its value is far less than a full passport and the costs are not that different.

In all cases where a passport is not required, the cruise lines recommend that all passengers have them anyway. While highly unlikely, an emergency could arise in which a U.S citizen needed to disembark early and fly home from Canada, and a passport would be required for that flight.

Passports are required for citizens of all o