Alaska Cruises vs. Cruise Tours

How To Choose Your Ultimate Alaska Cruise Vacation.
by: Howard Moses, The Cruise Authority

Take the time to think about what you want to experience in Alaska and research the options to match your desires, or let a professional travel consultant make suggestions. In most cases they've been there and can offer first-hand advice. Whether your schedule and budget is open-ended or finite, whether you are interested in wildlife, glaciers or the gold rush and whether you enjoy shopping, museums and guided tours or dog sledding, glacier hiking and sport fishing we have the perfect Alaska adventure to satisfy every need.

Alaska Cruises vs. Cruise Tours

A great Alaska adventure can be had on either a cruise-only itinerary or on a cruisetour itinerary. Both options offer spectacular views of Alaska, cruise-only itineraries are typically 7 nights and focus on magnificent glaciers and fascinating frontier ports Cruisetour itineraries combine cruising itineraries with 3 to 10 days of land touring to also explore the vast inland wilderness of Alaska and the Canadian Yukon.

The advantage of choosing a cruisetour is that you'll see a greater variety of Alaska. In addition, most cruisetours include the personal services of a tour director who helps with logistics, enlivens the interpretation and helps you select your optional excursions.

What to think about
Alaska is unique among world destinations. Remember that you are coming to see natural wonders and wildlife in its natural habitat. Glaciers don't calve on a schedule and grizzly bears and mountain vistas do not show up just because you do. Give yourself the most unhurried itinerary possible to be sure you have the best opportunities for unforgettable wildlife and scenic viewing. To help you determine the best duration of your Alaska vacation, ask yourself what you want to see and if you think you will ever be back. For many people, Alaska is a once-in-a-lifetime destination, and you want to see as much as possible.

Determine if creating a personal connection with nature is important to you - if it is, chose one of many "Personal Wilderness" cruisetours available. These exciting new itineraries take you beyond Alaska's well-known attractions and give you extra time to explore exquisite and rarely visited national parks and wilderness areas off the beaten track. Travel with a small group of like-minded explorers and discover your own favorite spot to commune with nature in Kenai Fjords, Kluane, Gates of the Arctic, Tombstone, the Klondike and the Yukon River.

And finally, if there are Alaska specific activities that you have always wanted to experience, such as dog sledding, salmon fishing, panning for gold, glacier hiking or searching for bears, be sure to pick an itinerary which will allow you to experience these once-in-a-lifetime adventures. The more you personalize your Alaska adventure, the more memorable your Alaska vacation will be.

Inside Tip: As soon as you have booked your cruise or cruisetour, visit the cruise line web site and reserve your favorite excursions; all excursions have limited capacity and they tend to fill up fast. Or, speak with your travel consultant about arranging private shore tours.

Time and Budget
Experiencing Alaska by sea and by land is a traveler's "must do" experience. There are a large selection of Alaska cruise and cruisetour itineraries with numerous tour options to meet every schedule and budget.

All cruise-only itineraries are 7-days with the option to travel round-trip to and from Seattle, to and from Vancouver or one-way between Vancouver and Anchorage (Seward or Whittier). Cruisetour itineraries run from 10- to 20-days. You should consider taking as much time as your schedule and budget will allow to ensure you have the best opportunity to see as much of the Great Land as possible.

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