Alaska, properly done
Research driven guides to every cruise line, port and glacier on the Alaska circuit, written by people who have stood on the cold decks. And when you are ready, specialists who price every line and book the whole thing for you.
Alaska cruise planning is six decisions in a sensible order. Each card below is one of them.
The complete first timer walkthrough, from choosing a month to your first port day.
Month by month weather, wildlife, daylight, crowds and pricing.
Twelve operators compared on what actually differs in Alaska.
What every stop on the circuit is really like, and what to do there.
The whole trip budget, not just the fare. Worked examples included.
Seattle, Vancouver, Seward, Whittier and the logistics of each.
Eight comprehensive guides that anchor everything on this site.
Every stop on the Alaska circuit, from the busiest port to the quietest fjord.
Port town
Juneau is Alaska's capital and the busiest cruise port in the state. The two things worth doing are Mendenhall Glacier, roughly 12 miles from downtown, and a whale watching trip in Auke Bay, where humpback sighting rates through the summer are exceptionally high. Most ships dock downtown, and a typical port day runs seven to eleven hours.
Port town
Ketchikan is a compact, highly walkable cruise port known for totem poles, the historic Creek Street boardwalk and access to Misty Fjords National Monument by floatplane. Ships usually berth within a few minutes of the town centre, and port calls typically run six to nine hours. It is also the rainiest port on the circuit, averaging roughly 140 inches a year.
Port town
Skagway is a preserved 1898 gold rush town at the northern end of the Inside Passage. Its defining attraction is the White Pass and Yukon Route railway, a narrow gauge line climbing nearly 3,000 feet in 20 miles through tunnels and over trestles. Ships berth within a short walk of the historic centre and typically stay eight to twelve hours.
Port town
Sitka is a former Russian colonial capital on the outer coast of Baranof Island, combining Russian and Tlingit history with some of the best wildlife viewing in Southeast Alaska. Many ships tender rather than dock, so the effective port day is shorter than the schedule suggests. Highlights are Sitka National Historical Park, the Alaska Raptor Center and boat trips into Sitka Sound.
Private destination
Icy Strait Point is a Tlingit owned cruise destination next to the village of Hoonah on Chichagof Island. Its main draws are exceptionally reliable whale watching in Icy Strait, the ZipRider zipline, and a quiet, uncrowded setting. Revenue stays with the local community, which makes it one of the more genuinely beneficial stops on the circuit.
City
Victoria is included on Seattle round trip Alaska cruises because the Passenger Vessel Services Act requires a foreign port call. Calls are typically short, often four to six hours, and frequently run from early evening into the night. Butchart Gardens and the Inner Harbour are the two things worth doing, and both work after dark in summer.
Reporting and analysis on the questions that decide an Alaska trip.
First Timers
The mistakes that most often spoil or cost money on an Alaska cruise, ranked by consequence, with what to do instead.
Updated
Money
Twenty specific ways to reduce the cost of an Alaska cruise, ranked by how much they save and what they cost you in experience.
Updated
Destinations
What a Glacier Bay cruise day is actually like hour by hour, from rangers boarding at dawn to the afternoon transit out, and how to make the most of it.
Updated
Destinations
The best shore excursions on an Alaska cruise, ranked, with prices, durations and honest assessments of which ones are worth the money.
Updated
First Timers
Which Alaska cruise line suits families best, compared on youth programmes, wet weather facilities, cabins and cost, with picks by child age.
Updated
First Timers
Which Alaska cruise to book for a first visit, covering line, route, month, cabin and the specific booking we would make ourselves.
Updated
Prices, itineraries and seasonal facts are rechecked before every season.
