Welcome to Alaska

If you or someone you know has been to Alaska, there is a very strong chance that it was by cruise ship. I invite you to imagine new ways of experiencing this magical state. Cruise ships travel along the smallest and southernmost region, the Inside Passage. The adorable port towns are surrounded by fjords, glaciers, and the Tongass National Forest, make it well worth the trip. The landscape allows for few roads, so it makes sense to experience this region by boat.

The larger cruise lines, with 2-5K passengers, tend to have very similar northbound itineraries from Vancouver or Seattle, southbound itineraries from Whittier or Seward, and closed-loop itineraries out of Seattle or Vancouver. 

May I recommend an expedition cruise instead? My favorite expedition cruise companies for Alaska have vessels that carry 12 - 100 passengers with unique itineraries that often concentrate on specific areas and activities. Since these boats are small and outfitted with their equipment: zodiac boats, kayaks, etc.., they don’t need to adhere to a strict schedule and can take time to appreciate an opportunity should it arise. I’ve heard reports of captains going slightly off course to follow a pod of orcas as well as passengers getting notified in the middle of the night to view the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). An expedition cruise itinerary might include: 

• One day in Glacier Bay National Park
• Get close up to glaciers: Dawes, Margerie, and Grand Pacific
• Bushwhack in the Tongass National Forest
• Fords Terror Wilderness Area by skiff and hike inland on Chichagof Island
• Humpback whales in Frederick Sound and Chatham Strait
• Wildlife searches: black and brown bears, eagles, sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions, sea birds
• Kayak, paddleboard, and skiff remote inlets
• Beachcombing, tide pool, and forest ecology discoveries

Let us not forget the other regions of the state because with 17 national park units and 16 national wildlife refuges as well as 20 distinct native cultures, Alaska is very large with much to see and do. The Alaska Railroad travels from the southernmost stop in the port town of Seward through Anchorage in the Southcentral region of  Alaska through Denali National Park and ending in Fairbanks in the interior region of Alaska. The classic Alaskan land tours, guided or self-guided, often include activities that encompass these regions such as:

• The Native Heritage Center in Anchorage
• Visit a musher training camp and meet the pups.
• Take the Wilderness Express (Anchorage to Denali)
• Denali National Park and Tundra Wilderness Bus Tour
• Whitewater Rafting at Denali National Park
• Kenai Fjord Cruise
• Whale Watching cruise
• Naturalist hike at Seward Exit Glacier