Discount Cruises to Alaska
If you’ve been pining to visit North America’s last great frontier but fear such an ambitious trip is just out of your price range, take heart, get out your parka and read on about some fantastic discount cruises to Alaska!
The Basics
Nearly all available Alaskan cruises last seven days and depart mostly from Seattle, Washington or Vancouver, British Columbia and head north, skirting along the Canadian west coast, making several stops at Alaskan port towns, including Juneau, Skagway and Seward along the way.
Accommodations
Accommodations aboard most seven-day Alaskan cruises range from as low as $600 and as high as $3000. The least expensive cabins will invariably be located lower on the ship and closer to the center; therefore they usually lack windows and the more spacious floor plans of higher end rooms. Upgraded rooms and suites with large windows and even balconies can be well worth the extra cost, however, offering guests a one-of-a-kind view of the pristine Alaskan coastline and wildlife from the privacy and comfort of their own cabin.
Activities on Board
Though Alaskan cruise ships venture into cooler territory, they offer the same lavish amenities of their tropical sea faring counterparts, plus some unique treats of their own. You’ll find no end of things to do on your voyage, from playing the tables at the Las Vegas style casino, mingling at the deck parties, scheduled daily, or catching a full scale musical. For those passengers searching for true relaxation, consider getting a facial or massage at the full service spa or maybe indulging in the unique thalassotherapy, a technique that uses sea water to rejuvenate the skin.
Families will find that Alaskan cruises are well suited to their needs as well. All ships offer daycare and babysitting services and many feature detailed programs tailored specifically for kids. When enrolled in these programs, which are often similar to camp, kids are broken into age-specific groups and usually get their very own section of the ship to play in safety and without mom and dad getting in the way.
Wildlife Viewing
One of the most unique and alluring advantages of an Alaskan cruise is its proximity to virgin arctic forests and the teeming wildlife that naturally resides there. It’s not uncommon to spot grizzly bears, bald eagles, moose or majestic breaching humpback whales from the deck. When the animals don’t catch your eye, however, the awe-inspiring and unspoiled landscape will. You’ll marvel at dense coniferous rainforests, glaciers slipping slowly into the sea and maybe a stray remnant ice berg or two from the luxurious, safe and relaxed atmosphere of your ship.
Tour the Glaciers
Alaskan cruises that make a stop in Juneau offer the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tour a glacier both from the air and on foot. These excursions feature a guided helicopter ride through canyons and mountains populated by glaciers and the fantastic rock formations they formed. You’ll be invited to come along on a three hour hike across an actual active glacier, witnessing one of the most powerful geologic forces on earth first hand. Don’t worry if you forgot your helmet and ice axe in your cabin — expert guides will outfit you with everything you’ll need.
Dogsledding
For those Juneau visitors who prefer to skip the glacier, a guided dogsledding excursion awaits. After a helicopter whisks you to an inland dog mushing camp, you’ll learn how to control your own pack of dogs and experience one of the world’s rarer forms of travel for yourself.
Snorkeling
It’s true. Snorkeling may be an activity that tends to be associated with tropical cruises, but passengers visiting the port of Ketchikan will have the opportunity to pull on a wet suit and explore the colorful and abundant sea life that thrives on Southeast Alaska’s shores.
Culinary Tours
Another special feature that Alaska’s rich coast offers is some very out-of-the-ordinary and hands-on culinary tours. One tour in Juneau invites guests to dine creekside in the middle of an arboreal rainforest where you can watch your freshly hooked salmon steam over an open fire while you try not to spoil your appetite by saving the marshmallow roasting for dessert.
Other dining opportunities include tours where you can test your hand at commercial crabbing and help pull up some crab traps before you chow down on the very morsels you helped catch. Of course, if you don’t feel like getting your hands a little dirty, you can also take advantage of some of the world’s freshest and tastiest seafood in comfort at many fine dining restaurants and culinary tours.
Offering a bit of something for everyone: luxury, fun, spectacular vistas and one-of-a-kind experiences, discount Alaskan cruises let you decide on the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure for you. For your next vacation, consider heading north rather than south.
About the Author
Matt Cragle is a freelance writer who writes about vacationing and discount cruises.
Alaska Helicopter tour
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Alaska helicopter tours sound measurements Juneau, Alaska, June 1993 … |
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Niagara Falls Helicopter Ride $118 For over 45 years, Niagara Helicopters has been thrilling passengers from all over the world with the highest, longest, most scenic, and most exciting helicopter sightseeing experience in the Niagara Region! |
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Grand Canyon Helicopter & Ranch Adventure $400 Experience a spectacular Helicopter flight below the rim of the Grand Canyon with a landing at our exclusive 106,000 acre Grand Canyon Western Ranch. |
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Romance Over Manhattan Helicopter Tour $995 Take this opportunity to celebrate an anniversary, wedding engagement, birthday or just a romantic night out on the town. Experience the thrill of a private helicopter flight and see the grandeur of Manhattan’s famous skyline!! |
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Grand Canyon Chariot of Fire Helicopter Tour $365 Extensive Helicopter Flight Into Depths of The Grand Canyon! Includes views of Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. Featured By The BBC’s Worldwide Journeys! |
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Grand Canyon Helicopter & Sunset Ranch Adventure $349 World Exclusive Helicopter ride below the Rim of the Grand Canyon and an evening of cowboy hospitality at the Grand Canyon West Ranch. |
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New York, New York Helicopter Tour $215 View the Five Boroughs, Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Empire State Building, Hudson River, Brooklyn Bridge, Ellis Island and more as you experience the thrill of soaring in a helicopter above Manhattan. |
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The Big Apple Helicopter Tour of New York $150 Experience the excitement of helicopter flight over New York City. See the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, the Manhattan Sky Scrapers, Central Park, Governor’s Island and Ellis Island from a unique perspective! |
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Helicopter Lifting Off, Juneau, Alaska, USA $24.99 Terry Eggers Helicopter Lifting Off, Juneau, Alaska, USA – Photographic Print |
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Hoffstadt Bluffs – Helicopter Tours – Mount St. Helens, Wa, c.2009 $19.99 Lantern Press Hoffstadt Bluffs – Helicopter Tours – Mount St. Helens, Wa, c.2009 – Premium Poster |
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Canoes at Dock for Tours, Harriet Hunt Lake, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA $29.99 Savanah Stewart Canoes at Dock for Tours, Harriet Hunt Lake, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA – Photographic Print |
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Helicopter Skiing in Alaska $4300 From the moment you set eyes on Alaska’s Chugach mountains from your flight, to your first big mountain turn, these peaks will change to way you look at skiing forever. Imagine skiing the best terrain of your life, with an A-Star helicopter whisking you away to over 2.6 million acres of pristine Alaska terrain. The awe inspiring Chugach Range holds 40% of the world’s glaciers, with endless 7,000 foot vertical peaks jutting straight up out of the Pacific Ocean. Over 65 feet of annual snowfall blanket this winter wonderland.You will ski or board an average of 6 runs a day, averaging 20,000 feet of vertical per day. You’ll be greeted at Valdez airport by one of our friendly staff, have access to the finest ski and backcountry safety gear, comfortable lodging in Valdez, and have breakfast and lunch provided every day.Your heli-tour operator has the best safety record in the industry. We maintain this high level of safety with recurrent guide training and strict adherence to our operating protocols. Our policies allow us to be conservative with weather, and our snow safety program is cutting edge with full time avalanche forecasters on staff.We also run an eco-friendly operation, leaving only tracks behind and offsetting the carbon emissions from our adventures.With terrain ranging from moderate slopes to the most heart-pumping steeps on the planet – your guide will take you to the terrain of your dreams. With a small client to guide ratio, and taking an educational approach to the backcountry, we will guide you through the most exciting and intensely beautiful mountains on the planet. Come heli-ski or board Alaska, where every run is the best run of your life! |
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Grand Canyon Drive, Fly & Float $354 This thrilling tour is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. You get all the excitement of the Grand Canyon Classic tour, plus the exhilaration of a helicopter flight that soars down into the canyon and a picturesque boat trip on the mighty Colorado River. |
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Las Vegas Strip Apollo Night Tour by Air $100 Luxury Helicopter Night Flight Tour Over Dazzling Las Vegas! Rise above the City of Lights, you will see spectacular views of the dazzling Las Vegas Strip from the comfort of your jet copter! |
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Liberty Helicopter Tours NYC – The Big Apple $150 Helicopter rides of New York City, with views of the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Chrysler, Woolworth, and Met Life (Pan Am) Buildings, Ellis Island along with the New York Harbor, George Washington Bridge, and Central Park. |
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Overview of Portage Glacier from Helicopter, Portage, Alaska, USA $19.99 Alison Wright Overview of Portage Glacier from Helicopter, Portage, Alaska, USA – Photographic Print |
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All Around Town Tour + Liberty Helicopter Tour (The Big Apple) $199 New York City day tours and helicopter tours of New York Combo package. |