Alaska Cruises: Sailing With the Midnight Sun

Whether you want to watch the spectacle of calving icebergs, enjoy the haunting sound and playful antics of the humpbacked whales, witness the majesty of secluded fjords, or visit the towns of the gold rush, there is an Alaska cruise for you. In the last decade, cruises up the Inside Passage and along the Alaskan coast have become increasingly popular.

Vacation Time: Alaska Facts: Its weather, the Arctic Circle and other natural wonders The State of Alaska: Its people, history and geography Cities & Towns: Explore the towns and cities of Alaska Alaska Cruises: Discover the Land of the Midnight Sun and the Inside Passage Related Sites: Cruises to Bermuda Mexico Cruises and Vacations Luxury Panama Canal Cruises Tahiti Cruises and Vacations Choosing Luxury Cruises Mediterranean Cruises Jamaica Vacation Resorts Hawaii Vacation Resorts Christmas in New York European Cruises Botswana African Safaris

A hallmark of this growing cruise industry is the variety of choices a traveler has, both in terms of the types of cruises and where they go. Alaska cruises can take you to Anchorage while allowing you to bask in the luxury of shipboard amenities. On the other hand, people who wish to explore the historic towns along the coast can opt for side trips to native villages, gold rush towns, gift shops, and hiking trails. You can pack in a day trip to Portage Glacier, not far from Anchorage, fly over Mt. McKinley, or shop for unique items.

For those vacationers who want an intimate experience, a growing number of tour operators offer yacht cruises. Although smaller than the cruise ships, these vessels have the advantage of being able to go into some of the more obscure fjords and channels closer to shore to give passengers a closer view of the diverse Alaskan flora and wildlife. More to the point, these yacht cruises want to give the traveler a feeling of being part of Alaska rather than merely an observer.

The Inside Passage: Cruise Route of Choice
The most popular Alaska cruise route in recent years has been the Inside Passage. This route follows a winding course through the Southeastern part of Alaska and allows travelers the opportunity to experience the great diversity of the natural and historical heritage of the state.

Alaska has more active glaciers and ice fields than any other location in the world with the largest, Malaspina, measuring 805 square miles.

Typically, such a cruise might begin at Ketchikan. Long before the gold miners came to the region, the ancient Totems of native Alaskans stood sentinel over the bays and fjords. Meeting your vessel, you might next travel up to Frederick Sound in search of whales with a stop at the native village of Kake to experience a modern day Tlingit community.

From there, another port of call might be the former capital of Russian America, Sitka, on Baranof Island. Along the way, visitors might see bears and moose foraging for food along the water’s edge. Then your journey might take you to Glacier Bay National Park where active glaciers can be seen and your traveling companions are icebergs that may split or “calve” right in front of you.


Your next port of call might be Skagway with evidence of its gold rush past there for the viewing. Or, maybe onto Tracy Arm Fjord—one of the most dramatic and active fjords in the world. Here the great wings of the eagle in flight over the crashing icebergs compete for your attention with the calls of seals echoing off the narrow walls rising thousands of feet on either side of your ship.

Alaska’s state motto is “North to the Future”—a more appropriate saying could not be imagined for the Land of the Midnight Sun.

Then it is on to the state capital, Juneau where the Mendenhall Glacier is part of the city and modern day buildings are framed by the ancient mountains in a blend of man and nature that is hard to duplicate anywhere else in the world. Even as you leave from Juneau airport on the return flight home—wherever that may be—the memories of this land of ice and snow, of history and nature, and a true sense of eternity will stay with you, calling you back again and again to this unique vacation destination