Alaska Cruises

Alaska cruises, on both large ships and small, are very popular. The country is beautiful and lots of it can be seen from a ship. Whether you are on an Alaska's inside passage cruise, an Alaska glacier cruise, or an Alaska adventure cruise, the experiences are unique.

If you are comparing small ship to large ship cruising experiences, Alaska offers more dramatic differences than any other location because many of the biggest ships sail side by side with many of the smallest.

Cruise West, one of the premier cruiselines in Alaska, has a wonderful ad that sums up the difference very graphically. They show a picture of a big hillside with a little bitty bear way up on the hill. The caption reads "Their Bear". Next to it is another picture of a bear that pretty much fills the frame. That caption is "Our Bear". The point is that the small ship is going to bring all of your Alaska cruise experiences up close and personal.

Much of the beauty of Alaska is hidden up long, deep fjords. Large ships sail up a fjord until it starts getting narrow and turn around. The smaller ships can go much further into the less explored areas.

Small ships can alter their course to follow a pod of whales or pull closer to shore to get that close-up of a bear. Several of them will anchor in a cove so the passengers can get out on kayaks to explore the shoreline or take a hike in the woods.

Everybody should take an Alaska cruise but, if you really want to experience Alaska, take a small ship cruise.

Small Ship Cruiselines in Alaska

American Safari Cruises - ASC is a small company with small ships (the largest will accommodate 21 guests). Their ships are often chartered by companies or small groups. They are as close to yacht cruising as any company in Alaska. While they offer many opportunities for adventure, the atmosphere is definately elegant.

Sample Itinerary Juneau to Ketchikan

Sample Itinerary Alaska Wilderness Inside Passage

Sample Itinerary Exploring Alaska's Coastal Wilderness