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HomeTopics...Us Vacation SpotsAlaska Cruises
Alaska Cruises: Sailing with the Midnight SunWhether you want to watch the spectacle of calving icebergs, enjoy the haunting sound and playful antics of the humpback whales, witness the majesty of secluded fjords or visit the towns of the gold rush, an Alaska cruise awaits you. In the last decade, cruises up the Inside Passage and along the Alaskan coast have become increasingly popular.
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. 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 close-up view of the diverse plants and wildlife. These yacht cruises attempt to give the traveler a feeling of being part of Alaska rather than merely an observer.
The Inside Passage: Cruise Route of ChoiceThe 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.
Typically, such a cruise might begin at Ketchikan. 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. Alaska has more active glaciers and ice fields than any other location in the world with the largest, Malaspina, measuring 805 square miles. Your next port of call might be Skagway with evidence of its gold rush past there for the viewing. Then it's on to 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. After that, you'll cruise 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 unequalled anywhere else in the world. Alaska's state motto is "North to the Future." A more appropriate saying could not be imagined for the Land of the Midnight Sun. 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 exceptional vacation destination.
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