Alaska is Still Calling You

Canada has extended it's ban on cruise ships docking until February 28, 2022. Cruise ships that have overnight accommodations for more than 100 people will not be allowed to operate in Canadian waters during the ban.

“As Canadians continue to do their part to reduce the spread of COVID-19, our government continues to work hard to ensure Canada’s transportation system remains safe,” Omar Alghabra, federal minister of transport, says in a statement. “Temporary prohibitions to cruise vessels and pleasure craft are essential to continue to protect the most vulnerable among our communities and avoid overwhelming our health care systems. This is the right and responsible thing to do.”

 Since foreign flagged cruise ships must stop at a foreign port before sailing between two U.S. ports, the Canadian ban puts the Alaskan Cruise Season and the Canada / New England cruise season in jeopardy. The Canadian government could rescind the order should conditions improve but until then, this announcement leaves the major cruise lines scrambling to see what operations can be salvaged.  Many of them also operate lodges in Alaska, which initial indications are they will continue to do to allow for land-based itineraries to proceed.

The cruise industry is key to the economic recovery in Canada and Alaska, so this announcement is a huge blow to the hospitality industry in both countries. 

 So You Had Your Heart Set on Seeing Alaska 

While it appears that a cruise to Alaska won't be possible again this year, there is a vast amount of Alaska still waiting for you to explore it. I always recommend that my guest include a land portion to their Alaskan vacation plans, so my suggestion is that you continue your Alaskan vacation plans for 2021.  As an Alaskan expert, I can help you plan an amazing Alaskan trip.

Majestic Beauty

Imagine gazing out the window of your railcar and catching this glimpse of Denali (Mount McKinley).   We were fortunate enough to capture this view many years ago, and I can still remember the thrill of seeing this amazing site.

Let's begin your Alaskan vacation with Natures Best: Alaska tour. 

Peaks. Glaciers. Whales. Wildlife. 

You couldn’t see more of the great state of Alaska in one week if you were an Iditarod sled dog.

Fairbanks to Anchorage (7 Days)

FAIRBANKS: Your Alaskan trip of a lifetime begins in Fairbanks with a hotel stay along the banks of the Chena River.  The tour continues with a scenic sternwheeler cruise on the Chena River. Visit the Chena Indian Village and then continue with a scenic drive to Denali National Park. 

DENALI NATIONAL PARK: A must see for any stay in Denali National Park is the Tundra Wilderness tour which is included. You'll have free time in the evening. in the morning you'll visit the home of an Iditarod Musher before heading for a train ride. 

ALASKA RAILROAD: All aboard for a scenic train ride to Talkeetna. View breathtaking scenery as the train takes you comfortably to your next stop where you'll have free time that evening. 

TALKEETNA–SEWARD: Start your day with an Alaskan treat at the Talkeetna Roadhous and continue with a scenic drive along the Kenai Peninsula en route to Seward. 

SEWARD: Day 6 begins with a scenic cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park. Following the cruise you'll return to Anchorage. 

ANCHORAGE: Your vacation ends with breakfast but the memories will last a life time.

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Alaska Family Adventure 2013

Experiencing Alaska through the eyes of a child

Alaska Family Adventure — 2013 Celebrity Millennium®

We invite you to bring the entire family with you on a Celebrity Cruisetour to Alaska's interior.

You will be greeted by a local expert who will serve as your tour guide throughout your land-based portion of your vacation. 

Cruise Ports

Departing from Vancouver, British Columbia; Inside Passage (Cruising); Ketchikan, Alaska; Icy Strait Point, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska; Hubbard Glacier (Cruising); Seward, Alaska

Cruisetour Cities

Seward, Alaska; Alyeska (Girdwood), Alaska; Anchorage, Alaska; Denali, Alaska; Fairbanks, Alaska

Dates: May 24; Jun 7, 21; Jul 5, 19; Aug 2, 16, 30

HIGHLIGHTS:

 

7-NIGHT NORTHBOUND HUBBARD GLACIER CRUISE

• Exclusive Rail travel between Seward & Anchorage
• Included Activities – Alaska SeaLife Center, Resurrection Bay Wildlife Cruise, Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Mt. Alyeska Tram Ride, Anchorage Museum & Imaginarium Discovery Center, Discover Denali Tour, Gold Dredge No. 8
• 1-Night The Hotel Alyeska, 1-Night Anchorage, 2-Night Denali & 1-Night Fairbanks

Experience much more of Alaska
 Watch our "Cruisetours: The Complete Alaska Vacation Experience" video

See what a difference a Tour Director can make.
 Watch our "Alaska Cruisetours the Celebrity Way" video

See Alaska with the Whole Family

 Plan An Alaska Cruisetour for the Family

Royal Caribbean’s Alaska Family Style Northbound Cruisetour brings together the Last Frontier’s best family experiences by land and sea, in one easy-to-book vacation.

Royal Caribbean's Alaska "Family Style" Cruisetour packs an abundance of educational opportunities and experiences in with a whole lot of fun. Expert Adventure Specialists create an intimate setting for all families traveling together, providing family focused insider tips and suggestions throughout the journey.

Your 12 night Alaska Cruisetour package includes the 7-night Northbound Alaska cruise onboard Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas with the Adventure Ocean program, fabulous onboard entertainment and a visit to the mighty Hubbard Glacier. The cruise is complimented with a 5-night escorted land tour featuring rail travel on the Wilderness Express^® glass domed  railcars along the scenic journey between Seward and Alyeska. Two nights in Denali provide the younger travelers with ample opportunities to engage in the all the National Park has to offer. In addition the hotel properties have been carefully chosen to provide families with comfortable accommodations as well as easy access to all the sites and attractions unique to each of the stops along the way.

"Family Style" Cruisetour includes the following Alaskan experiences:

• Alaska Sealife Center (Seward)
• Bay Wildlife Cruise and lunch at Fox Island (Seward)
• Wildlife Conservation Center (Alyeska)
• Mt. Alyeska Tram (Alyeska)
• Museum and Imaginarium Discovery Center (Anchorage)
• Denali Program (Denali)
• Dorado Gold Mine (Fairbanks)

Somethings, like Alaska, are best shared together.  Watch this video to see what a cruise vacation can include on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (activities vary by ship).




  We would be happy to tell you more about an Alaska CruisetourJust Select the Time and We'll do the Rest Alaska bookings are open through 2013 currently

Celebrity Cruises 10th Anniversary Alaska Cruisetours

Photos courtesy Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises
Alaska Cruisetours

“A Rare Glimpse into the Wild Interior”

Travel in luxury onboard Celebrity’s Millennium®, for a 7-night Northbound/ Southbound voyage along Alaska’s Inside Passage and beyond. Venture into the heart of Alaska onboard the Wilderness Express® custom, glass-domed train cars, and lodge at deluxe hotels in prime locations.

Alaska Cruisetour Map

Celebrity's Alaska Cruisetour Packages

By land and by sea, a Celebrity Cruisetour offers a truly unique Alaska Vacation – cruise, rail, and superb accommodations – so that your Alaska Experience is a true departure from the ordinary.

Why Select Celebrity Cruisetours?

Throughout the land portion, one of the dedicated Tour Directors will serve as a guide along the way for guests, acting as a direct point of contact throughout the program.

They travel on the motorcoaches, the Wilderness Express train cars and even overnight in the same hotels as the guests.

As an expert Guide and Historian, they provide narrative of Alaska’s history and culture. As Concierge, they facilitate all baggage requirements, hotel check-ins, recommend restaurants and arrange optional land excursions. Many of Celebrity's Tour Directors are Alaskans and have their own personal stories to tell.

Unlike competitors who charge up to $400 per person for an escorted cruisetour, Celebrity Tour Directors are already included with every Cruisetour. Be sure to consider this when comparing prices with other operators as guests are already getting a better value by booking their Alaska cruisetour with Celebrity.


Celebrity Millennium® 7-Night Northbound/Southbound Alaska

Ports of call include: Seward, Alaska · Vancouver, British Columbia · Hubbard Glacier (cruising) · Juneau, Alaska Skagway, Alaska · Icy Strait Point, Alaska · Ketchikan, Alaska · Inside Passage (cruising)

Onboard Credit $200 USD
Per Stateroom

Valid on select 3 to 7-Night Alaska Cruisetours
Fairbanks · Denali · Talkeetna · Anchorage · Alyeska
When you book between January 1 and March 31, 2010

As always, offers are subject to availability and may be capacity controlled and subject to other Cruise Line restrictions. When planning an Alaska cruise vacation, it is best to plan early. Keep in mind that the cruising season goes from May through September, so there are limited opportunities to visit the last frontier on a cruisetour.

Cruise to Alaska for 50th Birthday Celebration

Alaska’s celebration of 50 years of statehood

It's the morning of January 3, 2009, and the temperature in Anchorage, Alaska ranged from a low of -14.4 °F to a high temperature of -4.7 °F. That did not stop the native Alaskans from celebrating a historic event - the 50th Anniversary of Statehood. The celebration actually began the night before with the 50th Anniversary Gala at the new Dena’ina Convention Center. National and International dignitaries attended this historic event for a sit-down dinner and entertainment which included dance, symphony, and opera.

January 3rd saw the downtown area of Anchorage taken over for a huge birthday bash. A procession of Alaska’s diverse people kicked it off with performances at three separate venues. And, of course, there was a fireworks show.

50 is a landmark birthday to celebrate, and Alaskans plan to do it in style. Alaska’s 50th birthday will be celebrated all year long so there's plenty of time to join in the festivities which will be held around the state.

We were in Alaska in September, 2008, for our National Conference. Celebrity Cruises was our host for our 8 Night Alaska Northbound cruise. You can see the Alaska 50 banner on the lightpost in Juneau.

The cruising season in Alaska is from May - September. The cruises usually book up fast, but there are still cabins available. I always recommend extending your stay in Alaska to include some time on land. A cruisetour is the best way to really experience Alaska if you can spare the time.

Road to Alaska Statehood

The road to statehood began on May 28, 1958 when the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill proposing that Alaska become the 49th state of the union. The bill was passed by the Senate in June of that year. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill making it official on January 3, 1959.

For more information about Alaska consult the following websites:

• Alaska Statehood Celebration Commission (ASCC)
• State of Alaska
• Alasks Turns 50
• Arctic Focus
• Cruise Destination - Alaska

In a future column I'll describe our most recent Alaska cruise on Celebrity Mercury.

Cruising Alaska

If you have only cruised in tropical destinations, I'd like to suggest widing your horizons to the Last Frontier, Alaska. What images come to mind when you think of Alaska? You probably think of Eskimos, cold days, glaciers, snow and ice. Quite a contrast to the palm trees and sandy beaches of the Caribben you are probalby thinking.

Yes, depending on when you go to Alaska you may experience some chilly temperatures. You'll definitely be able to see glaciers, since they've been around for thousands of years. Even with global warming, they won't completely melt for some time, I'm sure.

If I told you that you could also experience 70-80 degree days, would you be surprised? Cruising season goes from May to September. During the summer months, it wouldn't be surprising to have warm days like that.

The Inside Passage is Alaska's biggest cruise destination, but popular cruises also visit Prince William Sound, the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea. Many passengers choose to extend their time in Alaska before or after the cruise. I highly suggest that because the cruise ships can only go to certain destinations. You want to go to Fairbanks to experience the all night twilight or if you are extremely lucky, the Northern Lights.

Denali and Mount McKinley are probably the second biggest Alaskan destination, but those can only be reached by land - usually by train. While in Denali on our first visit to Alaska, we experienced a light snow shower, saw a mama bear with her baby cub, saw several sheep and other wildlife. We stayed overnight in Denali and had a marvelous time.

While cruising the inside passage, we saw Hubbard Glacier calving, ice floating in the water, eagles feeding just off the ships port side, whales, seals and other wildlife. The great thing about Alaska is no two days will be exactly the same. You never know what Mother Nature has in store for you to see.

There are many options when doing a cruise / cruisetour in Alaska. Because of the complexity of these options, I strongly encourage you to work with a professional cruise specialist. Because of the short cruising season, you will want to plan early. For best cabins and options, I'd suggest booking a year in advance. If your budget of vacation and money will allow it, I'd suggest getting a balcony cabin and extending your stay so that you can really experience Alaska.

In a future article, I'll tell you more about our first trip to Alaska. We did a pre-cruise tour of the Canadian Rockies, a 7 night Inside Passage cruise, and a post-cruise tour that included Fairbanks, Denali, and Anchorage. We are going back to Alaska this year for our National Conference, so I'll be writing you about that trip also. If you have questions in the meantime, please contact me.

Definitely put Alaska on your list of cruises to do beyond the Caribbean. Write me when you get back to tell me if you are glad that you did. My husband didn't want to go, but after we went, he can't stop talking about it, even years after the cruise.