Princess Cruises to Alaska: The Pros and Cons

princess cruise lines alaska

Venture into the backcountry of this Alaska national park for a glimpse into lives of the gold miners. Or cast your rod into Kenai River, one of the most popular destinations for fishing in Alaska, and reel in your own souvenir. Alaska national parks, stunning wildlife and natural diversity have been preserved with great effort so they may continue to be enjoyed by visitors and locals alike.

The Great Land's greatest treasures

Find out what it takes to capture some of the best images the Great Land has to offer, from the very photographers who took them. Our North to Alaska program welcomes award-winning photographers Mark Kelly, Carl Johnson, Daryl Pederson and Kim Heacox on board to share their Alaska photography experiences. Learn tips and tricks on how you can take your own frameable Alaska snapshots. We have the answers so your first  time will be nothing but smooth sailing. Alaska’s largest tidewater glacier rises hundreds of feet from the ocean floor and towers above the waves, radiating a brilliant blue in the daylight. Thanks to its exceptional movement speed — for a massive river of ice — the face of this Alaska glacier calves at an incredible rate, providing a breathtaking show for the lucky onlookers.

6 best Alaska cruises for families - The Points Guy

6 best Alaska cruises for families.

Posted: Thu, 19 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

What to Pack for an Alaska Cruise

With 3.3 million acres to explore, cruise to this world-renowned landmark — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — and let the landscapes inspire your next adventure. Princess Cruises is an authorized concessioner of Glacier Bay National Park. All the usual cruise activities like nightly production shows in the main theater, trivia, game shows, Bingo, Movies Under the Stars, and live music will still occur. You can also find a spa, fitness center, and casino onboard Princess ships. Though, you won’t find all the flashy bells and whistles found on some other cruise lines.

Inside Passage Roundtrip Vancouver

This buffet serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday; however, the venue is not well laid-out in our experience. This made it rather congested at peak meal times during our recent Majestic Princess sailing. Compared to some other ships cruising the region, Princess ships tend to have fewer dining options. Of course, Princess Cruises has main dining rooms that offer multi-course meals each evening with some featured “Local Eats Alaska Flavors”. Further, cruisers who have sailed with other lines might be surprised that even the newer ships in the Princess fleet still feature shower curtains in the bathroom.

Or choose a cruisetour which combines a 7-day cruise with scenic rail travel and overnight stays in our Princess wilderness lodges near Denali National Park. Every ship will feature our MedallionClass™ technology for a TrulyTouchless™ experience. It's no wonder why more guests choose Princess in Alaska than any other cruise line. Visit the ghost town of Kennecott and learn about the region’s gold rush history. Ride through the wilderness on an ATV while looking out for the Dall sheep, moose and other wildlife that call this region home.

It is the newest of the Royal class of ships, the largest in the Princess fleet. Princess Cruises will offer several sailings to Alaska in 2023, adding the Sapphire Princess this season, for a total of seven ships. The Alaska Cruisetour I was on started from Vancouver and sailed through Alaska’s Inside Passage through some of the most beautiful scenery I’d ever seen. With glaciers, waterfalls, misty mountains, and otters and whales frolicking in the waves, it would be a crime not to take it all in. The Royal Princess is a Princess MedallionClass™ ship with a capacity of 3,560 guests.

Discovery & animal planet excursions

Explore the charming waterfront area and take in the flavors of Valdez through culinary experiences at restaurants such as the Valdez Brewery and the Fat Mermaid. Known for its timber, Ketchikan hosts the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, where athletes throw, race and chop their way to victory. Explore one of the world’s oldest collection of totem poles at the Totem Pole Heritage Center, or stroll along Creek Street. As the salmon capital of the world, Ketchikan’s waters make for incredible fishing. If you usually cruise newer ships in the Royal Caribbean or Norwegian Cruise Line fleet but were considering Princess for your Alaska cruise, you may be disappointed in the onboard offerings. While Princess cruise ships do feature all the cruise staples, you won’t find any bells and whistles on its ships.

The MedallionClass ships use touchless technologies in the form of a small, quarter-sized customizable Medallion and an app to enhance and personalize individual experiences and health protocols. I get why people dream of cruises and just how easy it is to relax and just enjoy when you are being pampered, cared for, and catered to by a cruise ship company. Coming from the eyes of a brand-new cruiser (this won’t be my last cruise, I guarantee you), here are the seven things I loved — plus the four things I didn’t — during the Princess Alaska Cruisetour. Princess also offers a North to Alaska program, which includes special excursions like the chance to head out on the water and experience what it’s like on the Discovery Channel program, Deadliest Catch. While Alaska’s natural sites are not necessarily moving around in the same way the animals do, the constantly changing weather means a lot is left up to chance. During our tour, we were part of the unlucky 70 percent of visitors who didn't get to see the mountain Denali since it was constantly shrouded in clouds.

princess cruise lines alaska

From the natural wonders of Glacier Bay National Park to the historic charm of each port, our best Alaska cruises have a lot to offer. Every turn awards unparalleled views of Alaska’s monumental glaciers, majestic wildlife and picturesque scenery. That’s why we carefully crafted our Inside Passage roundtrip and one-way cruise itineraries so you can experience just that. One-way itineraries offer two glacier viewings and three ports of call. With more balconies than any other Alaska cruise line, all of our ships allow you to relish in the beauty of the great land from almost anywhere on board. Between exclusive shore excursions and plentiful onboard activities, your time spent cruising Alaska will be nothing short of memorable.

Like many cruise ships, the Royal Princess has a buffet that features Asian, Indian, American, and Latino cuisine, as well as breakfast items, fresh fruit, a pastry bar, and more. On the fifth floor in the central Vista, a small deli is open 24/7 for the late night/early morning crowd. These lodges are situated riverside near the legendary Denali National Park and Preserve, on the stunningly beautiful Kenai Peninsula, and in Fairbanks. Instantly, I ran inside to wake my travel buddy, but by the time he got to the balcony, the whale was long gone. However, that whale sighting was a premonition of extraordinary adventures to come on the Princess Cruises’ day Connoisseur Alaska Cruisetour. Tours fill up fast in Alaska, and that’s especially true for some popular ones like helicopter excursions that land on a glacier.

With over six million acres of diverse landscape, Denali National Park is filled with impressive wildlife and the tallest mountain in North America — Denali. At roughly 20,310 feet, Denali serves as a reminder that the Great Land is of near-mythic proportion. Find your home base for adventure at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge®, located less than one mile away from the entrance of this Alaska national park.

The whole time I was in Alaska, I just kept saying it was like a movie set,” said Cohen. I had my Medallion customized with an astrological symbol and ordered the rubber wristband. As if to answer me, the telltale poof of water shot out of the sea, followed by the dark, subtle hump of the whale as he followed alongside our massive 1,083-foot long ship.

With a Cruise Plus Hotel Package, a Princess representative meets you at the airport and pier, transporting you to and from your hotel. The package includes the cost of your hotel stay, transportation, luggage handling and the services of the representative. Tour a working Alaska homestead and learn how the Great Land’s residents have become so self-sufficient.

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