Alaskan Celebrity Cruises are very highly rated both by critics and by customer satisfaction surveys. Five of the line’s vessels are rated among the top ten large ships, and there are two new ones yet to be assessed. With many on-board amenities, the three night to over two weeks excursions are popular from May to September.
There are three departure points, Vancouver, Seattle, and Seward. Each of these ports are fun to visit for their own sake, if you have some extra time. Vancouver, for instance, has the second largest Chinatown in North America, its historic Gastown district, and and harbor ferries that are fun to get around on to the many other sights.
Two routes are followed by the ships that sail during the summer months of open water. You can choose to cruise through the Gulf of Alaska or board a ship that will wend its way up and back through the Inside Passage, an inland sea that widens and narrows as the mountains crowd in.
Alaska Gulf Cruise ships are seven-day, one-way trips through the Inside Passage and out to the Gulf for getting up close and personal with as many glaciers as possible. In fact, they are also known as Glacier Cruises. The return journey starts in Seward and ends in Vancouver. Breath-taking scenery all along the inland sea passage will include sightings of bald eagles, seals, whales of different species, black-tailed deer, and maybe bears.
The round-trip Inland or Inside Passage cruises go as far as Juneau, the capital city of Alaska that can only be reached by boat or plane. This is true of much of the Inland Passage area, with only a few cities being linked by road to the interior. This part of Alaska is made up of islands and archipelagos, with long stretches of uninhabited coastline where the many Indian tribes used to live, hunt, and fish.
Sights to see include wildlife (porpoises will swim to meet the ships), several cities and towns, artist colonies, totem poles and native art, gold strike museums, national parks, and of course the geographical wonders of mountains, glaciers, fjords, and passages just barely wide enough to sail through. Alaskan skies are wondrous enough to enthrall visitors every morning and every night.
The vessels themselves are entertaining, with dining options, actual on-deck lawns (for croquet, putting, and picnics), conservatories, lounges, observation decks, and spas and fitness centers. Starting at under $80 a night, the cruise may not be much more expensive than a hotel room on land.
Alaskan Celebrity Cruises offer an experience that anyone will cherish in memory for the rest of their life. The cruise line promises to make the whole excursion memorable.