11 Tips From a Princess Cruisetour in Alaska
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The International Café is a quick-service spot offering small sandwiches and snacks 24 hours a day. Of course, there is always the World Fresh Marketplace, the cruise line’s buffet, where the staff are ready to serve up your selections. However, if you are like us and tend to avoid buffets, there are still plenty of other options.
Children's Programs on Princess Alaska Cruises
Extend your cruise vacation, and simplify your travel plans with a hotel stay at the beginning or end of your cruise. Don’t just see the Great Land’s glaciers, feel them come alive on an Alaska cruisetour. Get up close to Mother Nature’s masterpieces and listen for the crash of “white thunder”. Visit wilderness playgrounds like Glacier Bay National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – along with even more natural wonderlands like Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier, College Fjord and Hubbard Glacier. Between the natural masterpieces and the animate personalities, every part of Alaska tells an extraordinary story.
Explore Your Cruisetour Options
You’ll then climb aboard a tour boat and head out onto the water in search of whales. Today, remnants of Juneau’s past can be explored at the Last Chance Mining Museum, which showcases mining artifacts and provides insights into the gold rush era. From the charming city of Juneau to the historic town of Skagway, and the awe-inspiring Glacier Bay National Park to the cultural hub of Ketchikan, a cruise to Alaska aboard Princess is a breathtaking experience. Every day, a daily newsletter listing all the activities on the ship is delivered to your room, so it’s easy to find and choose what performances or classes you’d like to take part in.
Dining & Drinks on Princess Alaska Cruises
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You’ll also want to take advantage of the unique experience of soaking in the hot tub while surrounded by glaciers or swimming in the heated pool in the shadows of the snow-covered mountains. This is the most scenic portion of the cruise, so be sure to take in the views on the top deck during sunset. The tour begins at the cruise terminal where you’ll board a shuttle bus and take a narrated drive through town. For an active adventure, try a hiking excursion along a portion of the historic Chilkoot Trail, retracing the footsteps of gold seekers. You’ll find colorful restored buildings from the gold rush era, including the Pantheon Saloon, and the infamous Red Onion Saloon. The humpback whales lose 30% of their body weight in Hawaii, so once they arrive in Juneau they spend hours a day looking for food and eating.
One of the biggest reasons people visit
Travel back in time and pan for gold like a prospector during the Gold Rush. Snuggle sled dog puppies in the ship's Piazza, or see the Northern Lights in the planetarium. At the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, explore our treehouse and enjoy unmatched views of Denali. Dive deeper into what makes the Great Land special on your cruise to Alaska. Only an hour and a half from the cruise port of Whittier lies the largest city in Alaska – Anchorage. Visit the Chugach National Forest, the second largest national forest in the United States.
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The Royal Princess Alaska Cruisetours are a combo land and sea experience. Canada's third largest city feels like a North American metropolis mixed with a small European town. — Stanley Park — and visit the continent's second largest Chinatown during your Alaska cruise vacation. Soar above the city's lush natural environment in a sky gondola for panoramic views, or get up close to the local sea life at the Vancouver Aquarium. Known as Alaska’s crown jewel, Glacier Bay National Park is otherworldly in its beauty and breadth. This UNESCO World Heritage Site covers millions of acres and contains seven tidewater glaciers as well as mountains and deep fjords.
It’s important to book as far in advance as you can to ensure your vacation isn’t affected by your first option being sold out. While Alaska’s natural sites are not necessarily moving around in the same way the animals do, the constantly changing weather means a lot is left up to chance. During our tour, we were part of the unlucky 70 percent of visitors who didn't get to see the mountain Denali since it was constantly shrouded in clouds. That said, we did see some fantastic scenery both during our land tour (especially the turquoise waters of the Kenai River) and from the ship, and I was blown away by Alaska’s dramatic and expansive landscapes. Combine a cruise + train + lodge + Denali for an in-depth Alaska experience.
Shore Excursions on Princess Alaska Cruises
The Sitka, Alaska Raptor Center is home to view birds of prey, including bald eagles, up close. Sitka is also noteworthy among Alaska towns for its strong Russian and Tlingit heritage. This tour combines the work done at the raptor center with Sitka's cultural side. You are hauled up a mountain in a 4x4, geared up with a harness, gloves and a helmet, and with the direction of trained guides are sent to glide down a mountain on a zipline that runs between tree-top platforms.
Those prospectors did it on foot and often, in wet, muddy conditions or frigid temperatures. This shore excursion flies over the massive and impressive Juneau Icefield and see the advancing Taku Glacier up close. You might also see the cascading Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier, the floating Dead Branch Glacier or the river-like East Twin Glacier before landing on Norris Glacier, home to a mushing camp. From the helicopter, you could also spot bears, moose, mountain goats and other wildlife.
You can also journey for multiple nights into the awe-striking wilderness on a Princess Alaska cruisetour. From the gold rush tales of Skagway to the native heritage of Ketchikan, each destination tells a unique story that adds depth to your Alaskan adventure. I hope this guide will help you discover the best Alaska cruise excursions with Princess Cruises. This bus tour will allow you to get a taste of the city as you uncover its captivating history during your short time at port.
While the Royal Princess ship boasts 1,346 crew members from more than 30 different countries, some of the lodges had problems filling spots, which led to slowdowns, some maintenance issues, and longer wait times. As if to answer me, the telltale poof of water shot out of the sea, followed by the dark, subtle hump of the whale as he followed alongside our massive 1,083-foot long ship. You're not likely to see any scenery prettier than this, and you'll stand a good chance of spotting wildlife like eagles, bears, mountain goats, deer and wolves.
Returning to Glacier Station, you'll end the day with a ride back to Skagway on the White Pass & Yukon Railway, which makes a special stop to pick you up. The five-hour, Skagway-based outing begins with a transfer from your ship to a nearby helicopter pad, where you'll find a helicopter waiting to whisk you high into the surrounding Sawtooth Mountain Range. Experienced climbing guides will meet you at your ship and drive you up the Klondike Highway to an area of granite cliffs that's the perfect playground for beginner and more seasoned climbers alike. Upon arrival, the guides provide you with all the gear you need — climbing shoes, helmets and harnesses — for a safe scramble up a 70-foot-high wall. They'll also offer plenty of instruction (and encouragement) plus a snack of trail mix and hot chocolate.
I should also be clear that the towns themselves aren't devoid of attractions. While I highly encourage Alaska-bound cruisers to get out into the wilderness, there are plenty of worthwhile things to do in each of the main port towns. The largest tidewater glacier in North America, Hubbard Glacier has been moving its mass towards the ocean at a rate faster than most of its kind. Towering above the water over 30 stories, the glacier often calves 100-foot chunks of ice into the ocean. What lies beneath the waves is almost as impressive, where ice plunges 1,200 feet beneath the surface. This 30-mile waterway is surrounded by cliffs, valleys and dozens of waterfalls.
Misty Fjords National Monument is a Kethickan must-see, and on this flightseeing tour you view the magnificent scenery with a bird's-eye view from a seaplane. This pristine park encompasses nearly 2.3 million acres of sheer granite cliffs, imposing waterfalls, sparkling fjords and thick forests. The seaplane will also briefly land on water within the park to give you a taste of the serenity down below. There's good fishing off Sitka, and with this full-day, small-group excursion, you hit the waters in search of king, silver or chum salmon, as well as Sitka is known for its salmon and halibut fishing trips.
When you cruise to Alaska with Princess, sail through one of the most iconic locations in the Great Land — Glacier Bay National Park. Listen to Margerie Glacier’s signature crack and boom rumble across the waves. Bring binoculars and scan both the shore and the waves for wildlife like brown bears and migrating whales while Park Rangers teach you the history and geology of the park. Tour a working Alaska homestead and learn how the Great Land’s residents have become so self-sufficient.
Princess offers the option of booking an “on your own” tour as well as a “Connoisseur Escorted” tour. The first doesn’t come with meals and other extras — and those can quickly add up — so it’s a good idea to be prepared. Between the weather and the dress code, the clothes you need for your land tour may be very different from the clothes you need on the ship. No one does seafood quite like Alaska—which is why we brought the best of the Great Land on board, so you can experience it all with Princess. This bar offers a large seating area to admire the wake views and surrounding vistas.
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