Planning Alaska small cruises is a great way to take a cruise to Alaska and has its own specific advantages. Alaska cruises small ships never carry more than 150 passengers, often as few as 120, and for this reason tend to offer more personalized service. Another advantage to Alaska small ship cruises is that the smaller size of the ship makes it possible to maneuver through tighter areas, bring the ship closer to glaciers and land. Smaller groups of passengers are also less overwhelming to local wildlife and communities, making Alaska small ship cruises a less invasive way to see Alaska.
Alaska small cruises can last between 4 days and 9 days. Experienced cruise goers recommend taking the longer cruise, since the travel time to reach the cruise port often makes a longer cruise worth it. For Alaska cruises small ships, there are a few different options and itineraries, however, and different prices depending on when you travel during the year. Winter is the least expensive time for an Alaska small ship cruise. Most specifically, the months between September and April will be the best time to find discounts and deals. This is due in large part to the weather, which dips below 0 degrees at times. If this is not a noticeable factor for your trip, consider a winter cruise as a way to cut costs. You can still enjoy many of Alaska’s finest attractions, including wildlife tours and snowmobiling activities.
Cruise routes for Alaska small ship cruises include
a tour of Prince
William Sound off the coast of Anchorage
for 4 or 5 days, or a tour of the Inside Passage for up
to 9 days. Prices start at $1800 per person for the 4
four person cruise. The Prince William Sound cruise starts
in Anchorage and heads toward the town of Whittier, sailing
during the night so that travelers can enjoy sights and
towns during the day. The first stop is Blackstone Glacier,
one of the largest glaciers for viewing that cruise passengers
can sail close to. Next are Prince William Sound and the
College Fjord Glacier. Next is the town of Cordova. This
is a popular stop for additional hiking and fishing tours,
booked in advance. After cruising to Whittier the next
day, your cruise ship will head back to Anchorage. Included
in the Alaska small cruises price is your private cabin,
all meals and information from your ship captain about
the surrounding wildlife and geography.
A longer Alaska cruises small ships option is the 9-day Inside Passage cruise with heads south from Juneau to Ketchikan. With only a few passengers onboard (about 120), this Alaska small ship cruise for more than a week quickly becomes a small community. Tours include breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a private cabin. Tours do not include extra activities such as white water rafting tours or bear watching hikes in the various towns and ports along the way. The itinerary for Alaska small ship cruises through the Inside Passage starts in Juneau and stops at ports in Skagway (a major site for the 1898 gold rush), Glacier Bay, Sitka, Frederick Sound, Petersburg and more. Special tours and hikes can be booked in advance and will cost extra. Expect to pay between $3000 and $5000 per person for a longer Alaska small ship cruise.
