Alaska small cruise ships allow from 10 to 200 passengers to explore remote wilderness inlets where big ships can’t travel. Cruise solo on the Alaska Marine Highway, where passenger and auto ferries afford individualized trips.
When to Take a Small Alaskan Cruise
Early to mid-May through mid-September is when small Alaskan cruises are offered. A few tips about cruising in Alaska:
- More affordable fares are available when the season opens in May and at season closing in September.
- Fewer visitors come to Alaska in May and September.
- More sun and less rain occur in May and early June, but temperatures are lower.
- July travel in Alaska affords 18 to 24 hours of daylight.
Advantages of Alaska Small Cruises
Small cruise lines traveling to Alaska offer more individualized travel itineraries than large and mid-sized ships:
- Exploration of Alaska’s Inside Passage on small cruise ships offers an intimate travel experience.
- Visit remote islands, ports and waterways that big ships can’t reach.
- Onboard naturalists, historians and/or park rangers provide educational enrichment.
- Excursion craft (zodiac inflatables and kayaks) take passengers close to glaciers and wildlife.
- Take advantage of more opportunities for shore activities at port calls.
Where Alaskan Small Cruise Go
Smaller vessels offer more varied itineraries along Alaska’s coastline:
- Some vessels sail through Glacier Bay National Park and Prince William Sound.
- Seattle to Juneau Inside Passage15-day, 12-day and 10-day cruises are some of the longest small ship voyages to Alaska.
- 7-night cruises from Juneau to Prince William Sound and 4-night cruises from Anchorage are offered.
- Inside Passage 8-day cruises between Ketchikan and Juneau are popular.
- Prince Rupert, B.C. is the departure for 11-day cruises to Sitka, Alaska.
Alaska Small Cruise Lines
There are many small cruise lines operating Alaskan tours — from charter-type yachts to ships accommodating more than one hundred passengers:
- Cruise West has the largest number of Alaska-bound ships of all the small ship carriers. Tours include a 10-night Seattle to Juneau tour of the Inside Passage, 7-night roundtrip Inside Passage tour from Juneau, 4-night round-trip from Anchorage, and round-trip 10-day and 4-day tours of Glacier Bay from Juneau.
- Lindblad Expeditions operates 62-passenger vessels offering 12-day, one-way extensive explorations of the Inside Passage between Seattle and Juneau, and 7-night, one-way cruises between Juneau and Sitka with glacier touring, kayaking and beach hikes.
- Discovery Voyages offers 5-night and longer tours of Prince William Sound for 12 guests on a refurbished missionary vessel.
- American Safari Cruises’ 3 luxury yachts for 12, 22 and 36 guests have 8-day voyages to the northern Inside Passage, including Glacier Bay National Park, Admiralty Island and the remote Dawes Glacier.
- All Aboard Yacht Charters accommodates 10 guests on its vintage yacht for 9-night and 7-night Inside Passage cruises.
- The Boat Company emphasizes environmental awareness on 7-night cruises for 20 or 24 guests on two vessels, with fishing available.
- Maple Leaf Adventures utilizes an authentic “tall ship” schooner on one-way voyages between Prince Rupert, B.C., and Sitka, Alaska.
Alaska Marine Highway Ferries
Comfortable passenger and vehicle ferries sail the waters of Alaska’s coastline along the Alaska Marine Highway for a more individualized travel experience:
- Alaska ferries operate multiple sailings daily, year round.
- Ferries connect Bellingham, Washington (90 miles north of Seattle), with southeast Alaska and the Inside Passage.
- Ferries also service southwest Alaska’s Prince William Sound, the Gulf of Alaska, Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak Island and the Aleutian Islands.
- From Canada, travelers can connect from Prince Rupert, B.C., to an Alaskan-bound ferry.
- All Alaskan ferries have cabins, some with windows, bathrooms and showers.
- Recliner lounges and covered solariums offer sleeping spaces on ferries.
- Most ferries offer food and beverage services, including full-service and self-service dining areas.
- Observation lounges, gift shops, educational programs, feature films, reading and card rooms are also available on many ferries.
Small Alaska cruise ships offer a unique view of glaciers, whales, wildlife and port towns, as well as kayaking adventures, hiking in forests and soaking in hot springs. Travel along Alaska’s rich coastline on one of the many ferries for an individualized trip.
Susan Lynne Hamilton - Award-winning writer Susan Lynne Hamilton is the Topic Editor of Suite 101's Northwest U.S. travel section, showcasing its rich ...
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