Which Cruise Line or Ship? In the 2006 season there are 8 major cruise lines and more than 27 ships from small intimate yachts of 12 passengers to large mega ships of 2000 or more sailing the Alaska waters on a scheduled basis. All of them deliver a quality product. Which one to choose depends upon your expectations. The small ship offers the intimate, close to nature experience, while the larger ships are floating resorts offering a large variety of activities and facilities on board thereby in themselves become the destination of your vacation. In between, the medium sized ships of 1200 passengers, offer you the best of both worlds. Because of the environmental sensitivity of areas such as glacier bay only a small number of ships are allowed to explore this beautiful area. ...The right ship for you? Let us know your expectations and we will find it. We know the ships from personal experience.

What itinerary?There are two major itineraries with some variations available. The 7 day INSIDE PASSAGE cruise, Vancouver to Vancouver, Seattle to Seattle or a longer itinerary of 10 days or more from San Francisco, is the least expensive since there is no extra airfare involved. It does not go as far north as the other itinerary, but in many ways it is more relaxing. The NORTH/SOUTHBOUND itineraries depart from either Vancouver (northbound) or Seward/Whittier (ports for Anchorage-Soutbound). They offer the majority of Alaska and also have the option of a pre- or post cruise tour of Alaska.

Shore Excursions? A wide range of shore excursions is offered by all the cruise lines. Flightseeing over glaciers and rugged landscapes, helicopter glacier trekking, sport fishing, mountain lake canoeing, mountain biking, sea kayaking or shopping for arts and crafts are available for you, depending on your expectation and desire for adventure.

Pre and post cruise excursions? Extend your Alaska experience! Luxury Rail & Coach travel to Denali National Park, wilderness lodges, escorted wildlife observation tours are all part of Denali Park. Most of the cruise lines now offer extensions to your cruise through cruise-tours. Some of these are fully escorted by a professional tour guide but all try to continue the level of luxury that you experienced on the cruise.Flights to Nome, Mt McKinley Flightseeing, White water rafting, jet boat wilderness safaries, guided horseback tours, the bears of Katmai National Park present experiences that will enrich your holiday. Want to do it on your own? We can arrange RV rentals, various exciting nature expeditions or whatever your heart desires. Please enquire as to the possibilities. But without major itinerary changes these excursions in Alaska are only available on the north/south boud itineraries.

The best time to travel Alaska? Like the Goldrush days of Alaska, the weather is also a gamble. The cruise season starts as early as the end of April, beginning of May and finishes around the end of September. The most popular months are July and August. But if you are looking for the best cruise specials try for the beginning or the end of the season. The early months are often nice. Longer days (the longest day in June) with only a few hours of darkness are the experience that is Alaska. July and August are typically the warmest months. That is when most families take advantage of their summer holidays to get away. Nature excursions, the salmons spawning in August, the bears fishing for lunch that is the wildlife experience.

Best time to book? The best time is now! Our many years in booking Alaska cruises have taught us that more and more people are booking earlier every year. If you think it is too far out from the time you actually want to go, put down a deposit. Most cruise lines have a policy of full refunds until a few months before the cruise. Ask us for individual policies. Hoping prices are going to drop? Alaska is becoming more popular every year and sell-offs are becoming increasingly rare.

What is the Weather like? Whenever and wherever you travel in "The Great Land," clothing is always a primary consideration. Emphasis should be based on comfort because the dress code is informal and casual. A layered technique is extremely effective. Temperatures in Alaska during the summer range from 60°F-80°F. Nighttime and early mornings are cooler, from the 40's - 50's. Late August and September departures could encounter cooler temperatures and slightly fewer hours of sunlight, as fall arrives early at these latitudes.
This link will give you some indication of the weather.

Approximate Cost? An average cost as guide is US$150 per person per day. But costs vary from cruise line to cruise line based on a large number of factors, just as in a land based resort. What is included in the price you paid? Your lodging, all the facilities and entertainment, and meals. But in the small incidentals, which make your experience fabulous, that is where the differences come in. All cruise lines give value for the dollar you pay, price alone is not the criterion. Pricing of a cruise also depends on specials that may be made available either as promotionals or due to volume buying of the agency.

Seasickness? Today's new cruise ship is equipped with the most modern stabilizers, and besides is travelling to a large extend in protected waters. So unless you are extremely sensitive to motion, seasickness should be not much of a concern.

Family Cruising? The majority of cruise ships have supervised children's programs with their own facilities and sometimes even own shore excursions. Enthusiastic clients have told us that they hardly saw their children during the cruise and at the end of the cruise the children didn't want to leave. Ask us for our recommendations as to the best programs afloat. We can also offer special amenities such as upgrades, special pricing etc for families traveling together as a group.

What is there to do on a cruise? Really the question should be... what can't you do on a cruise. You can be as busy or relaxed as you want to be. Activities offered vary by size and type of ship. ....Fully equipped gyms.... Jogging Decks.... First-Run movies... Alaska history and wildlife lectures... dance lessons... choice of two nightly shows...singles mingle... Karaoke... game shows... Las Vegas style gaming... Bingo... await your participation. Award winning spas ... covered pools (some ships have retractable roofs, a plus in Alaska), sumptuous cuisine are the cruise experience. There is often so much to do you will not want to leave the ship. Here is a sample day in the Alaska experience. (Check out a sample of a daily cruise itinerary.)

Tipping?The tipping policies vary from but in the majority of cases tips are automatically added to your bill and pooled among the staff. Typically you should count on US$10 - $15 per person per day, although as with any tipping policy the amount of the tip should be based on the quality of service rendered. A must tip are your dining room waiter and assistant as well as your cabin steward as well as any other staff that has given you exceptional service. Most cruiselines now add an automatic $10 per person per day to your shipboard account. You can increase or decrease this amount through the front office.