Let’s Travel Around Alaska By Ship!

One of the more popular ways to tour Alaska is by boat! Many Alaska tour packages from the USA are by cruise. Cruises are a popular way for people to travel because the cruise line takes care of everything for you – from food and lodging to activities and on-shore travel arrangements. Cruises are also a great way to see Alaska’s spectacular coastline, tidewater glaciers, marine wildlife, and the many ports of call that fall within your itinerary.

Typically, most roundtrip Alaska cruises depart from Seattle, but some do leave from California cities like San Francisco. The most popular and best rated Alaska tours are seven nights long and are bundled with affordable airline tickets to the city from which your ship will depart. The cruises that leave from Seattle start in Puget Sound, pass through the Salish Sea near Vancouver, and then follow the British Columbian coastline to Southeast Alaska. Along the way, the ships generally make stops at Skagway, Ketchikan, and Juneau. During the cruise, passengers are treated to daily views of native wildlife that includes whales, orcas, sea lions, and seals in the water as well as eagles and raptors in the air and bears along the shore.

Is A Cruisetour An Option For Me?

Many cruise lines and tour operators offer travelers a cruisetour option. Simply put, a cruisetour means that you add a land tour to your cruise package – generally after the cruise is done. Many cruise lines have dedicated lodges and travel itineraries lined up for those who want to add a land tour (or tours) once the cruise is finished. For those who want the luxury of a cruise and the adventure of touring Alaska’s unique land treasures in one trip, a cruisetour might be the easiest way to book the best rated Alaska tours for you and your family!

Alaska cruisetours include options to visit Denali National Park, experience the state’s mighty glacial rivers, and see moose, caribou, grizzly bears, Dall sheep, and wolves. These popular Alaska travel tours also offer travelers to chance to meet native Alaskans and learn about their culture and heritage. Additionally, you’ll get to visit Alaska’s bigger cities, including Anchorage and Fairbanks, and take in all the cities have to offer. Simply put, cruisetours are the best value for your dollar and give you the best of both worlds!

Planning Your Post-Cruise Land Tour

Most tour operators that help travelers plan Alaska tour packages from the USA have a variety of land tour options. They can help you figure out how much time to budget, based on the sites you want to visit or the activities you want to pursue. Here are three of the most popular land tour packages that travelers can add to a cruisetour:

• Two nights – after your ship docks, check into a hotel in Anchorage. From there, you’ll explore Alaska’s biggest city and its nearby parks. Tour operators offer a variety of exciting day trips for visitors, including glacier cruises, flightseeing, bear viewing, hiking, and scenic drives. Buyer beware, however – two nights is not enough to plan a visit to Denali National Park.
• Three-four nights – this is the most popular span of time people budget for a land tour. Again, making Anchorage your base camp is a great idea, because it allows you to ride the Alaska Railroad to Denali National Park! (Pro tip – plan two nights in Denali if the park is on your must-see list.) However, if Denali is not on your bucket list, you can use the extra time to take a day cruise through Kenai Fjords or Prince William Sound, and then rent a car to travel to the pioneer town of Talkeetna.
• Seven Nights – one of the best rated Alaska tours, however, spans seven nights! If you’ve got the time, most tour operators recommend you book a full week for your post-cruise land tour. If your ship docks in Seward or Whittier, you then have the option to travel through Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali, and Fairbanks for an epic, week-long travel experience.

Still Not Sure? Contact A Tour Operator Now!

A cruisetour is a wonderful way to experience two vacations in one: by land and by sea. These unique trips include a cruise portion with all the fabulous amenities you’ll find at sea – casinos, live shows, spa treatments, and fantastic cuisine. But in addition to all of that, you’ll have time to stay in a city or town and take day trips from that area. Or, you’ll stay overnight in several cities that aren’t accessible by ship and have the opportunity to explore fascinating locations that ship-based Alaska travel tours would miss. It’s the perfect combination for the traveler who wants the best of both worlds.

Still not sure? Here are a few benefits of a dedicated cruisetour:

• Explore two different worlds in-depth, and get to know Alaska from two very different perspectives!
• Have the time to become immersed in a region's land, culture, people, and history.
• All of your travel arrangements (including luggage transfers) will be made for you.
• Cruisetour packages are generally lower than booking an individual cruise and then adding a land tour on your own.

Some of the best rated Alaska tours are cruisetours! These Alaska travel tours let you explore the interior cities and National Parks of Alaska, and allow you to experience stunning coastal views like marine wildlife and glaciers from the comfort of a luxury cruise liner. If you have the time and the desire to experience two vastly different modes of travel, a cruisetour is well worth it.