Alaska Cruises

Not Just for Old People

Alaska Cruises have gotten a reputation through the years of being a vacation for senior citizens. While the natural beauty and tranquil environment of Alaska has a lot to offer older visitors, America's 49^th state has a lot to offer younger visitors and honeymooners as well. You can explore the glaciers on a helicopter tour; take the narrow-gauge railroad through the Chilkoot Pass; and pan for real gold in a peaceful alpine stream.

Alaska Cruise Honeymoons

Alaska cruise season runs from mid-May to mid-September each year. Alaska Cruises generally come with a choice of three basic itineraries. You can cruise the Inside Passage one way from either Vancouver northbound or from Seward (the port nearest to Anchorage) southbound. You can cruise roundtrip from Vancouver to Juneau and return to Vancouver. Or, you can combine either of these cruise itineraries with a tour package to parts of the interior of Alaska.

• Glacier Bay – These one-way cruises travel between Vancouver and Seward, Alaska and cruise past the spectacular Hubbard Glacier and through Glacier Bay and call at the capital city of Juneau, the former Russian town of Sitka, the 1890s Gold Rush outpost of Skagway, and the traditional Alaskan town of Ketchikan.

• Inside Passage – These cruises depart from Vancouver and travel partially up Alaska's Inside Passage before returning to Vancouver. This itinerary calls at Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway.

• Alaska Cruise Tour – Alaska cruise tours combine one of the above itineraries with tours of Denali Park and Mt. McKinley, the Yukon Territory, the Klondike Trail, and/or Kuane National Park.

Activities on an Alaska Cruise

There's always something happening on a cruise vacation. Shipboard activities include live entertainment, lectures on cruise ports, shopping, poolside activities in the warmer months, cooking classes and demonstrations, and first-run movies.

In addition, a variety of optional shore excursions are offered. These include dog-sledding on the Mendenhall Glacier, whale-watching trips, gold-panning in some of the same streams the gold-rushers frequented, helicopter flightseeing, and wilderness fly-fishing.

Booking an Alaska Cruise

A honeymoon cruise is easy to book. Most cruise vacations include airfare, cruise accommodations, meals, activities and entertainment on board, and transportation to and from the ship in one price. Add-ons include pre and post-cruise accommodations in the port city, shore excursions and adventures, and romantic honeymoon packages (with Champagne, breakfast in bed, and other amenities).

Reservations may be confirmed via the ship line's Web site, via telephone, or with a travel agent who specializes in cruise vacations. In virtually all cases, a travel agent's services are free to travelers and she can help you sort through the myriad of ship and itinerary choices as well as make sure that you have the best cabin, dining room seating, and short excursions.

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