Alaska Cruise Ships

Several new and old ships ply the Alaskan waters taking cruisers along. There are ships are of all possible classes. There are big and small ships, luxury ships and ships with balconies in their cabins and more deck space. People who wish to go on a cruise must ascertain, in advance, what kind of a ship they would be on.

One of the ships currently offering Alaskan cruises is the Radiance of the Seas, belonging to Royal Caribbean International. It is a huge ship, with the space to accommodate 2,100 people. Its glass elevators look out into the sea and provide a breathtaking view. Onboard entertainment facilities include the Jakarta Lounge and the Singapore Sling. Besides these it has the Aurora Theater and the Art Nouveau Casino Royale. It has two sister ships, Serenade of the Seas and Vision of the Seas, which ply exclusively in Alaska.

Another famous Alaskan cruise ship is the Celebrity Infinity. It can accommodate 1,950 people. Its features include an aromatherapy session named AquaSpa, a musical library called Enjoy Notes, and the Trellis Restaurant. Its sister ships, Summit and Millennium, also sail on Alaskan cruises.

Other big ships that offer Alaskan cruises are Radisson Seven Seas Mariner, Carnival Spirit and seven ships from the cruise company Princess. The Norwegian Cruise Lines also sends its ships for Alaskan cruises. Some of them are Norwegian Dream, Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Star, and Norwegian Sun.

Apart from the mainstream big ships, there are several small ships offering Alaskan cruises for those on tighter budgets. Small ships provide more adventure and offshore activities than bigger ships. They may carry less than 100 passengers. Some companies providing small ships for Alaskan cruises are Lindblad Expeditions, the Clipper Cruise Lines, and Cruise West.

The experiences of cruising in Alaska on mainstream ships and small ships are totally different. Big ships are designed for people who are looking for more luxury and comfort, while small ships are designed for adventure seekers. Big ships have better facilities to keep everyone amused all the time, while small ships give opportunities to build more friends and camaraderie.

Alaska Cruise Lines

Among the famous cruise lines offering services in Alaskan seas are the Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, Radisson, Norwegian, Holland America, and American Safari. Each cruise line has its own ships and itineraries, and is most active in the peak season between May and September.

The Royal Caribbean Cruise Liner is one of the most famous Alaskan cruise liners. Its main ship is the Radiance of the Seas, with sister ships Serenade of the Seas and Vision of the Seas. Royal Caribbean provides an eight-day, seven-night Alaskan cruise. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line specializes in cruising along frontier towns, and glacier cruising.

The Princess Cruise Line is highly recommended by cruise critics. Its huge ships are often called floating cities due to the vast number of restaurants, Broadway theatres, casinos, health spas, movie halls, lounges, discotheques and other forms of relaxation present onboard. Their popular ships are the Diamond Princess, Sapphire Princess, Coral Princess, and Island Princess. They have weeklong itineraries, and people can book them either during their northward or southward voyages.

The Celebrity Cruise Line is known for its fleet of large opulent ships like Zenith, Mercury, Infinity, Constellation, Summit, and Millennium. Celebrity has recently launched ships in the Xpedition class, which are made for adventure cruises.

Besides the huge cruise lines, small ships are also very popular. Small ships have better navigation ability and hence are favorites among adventure seekers. Lindblad specializes in its small cruise ships that can hold up to 120 guests. Holland America has five ships, namely Statendam, Veendam, Ryndam, Zaandam, and Volendam, which offer small cruises on the Inside Passage and Glacier Bay.

American Safari provides long as well as short Alaskan cruises in yachts. Their yacht Safari Quest has both five day-four night as well as eight day-seven night cruises. Safari Spirit and Safari Escape also conduct fortnightly cruises to Alaska. Most cruises conducted by American Safari are chartered, and the charter rates for the Safari Quest are about $58,000 for five days.