Is it better to go northbound or southbound on an Alaskan cruise?

I especially recommend sailing northbound if you do plan to stay and visit Alaska by land after your cruise. You can disembark in Seward or Whittier, explore each small town for a day or two, then catch the Alaska Railroad to Anchorage to begin your adventure. So the short answer: cruise northbound.



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Alaska Cruises Can Be Bumpy in the Gulf of Alaska Rough Waters: The majority of sailing on an Alaska cruise is done in the protected waters of the Inside Passage, but ships sailing to Seward, Whittier or Anchorage must cross the Gulf of Alaska, which is much rougher.

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Seeing the Northern Lights on an Alaska cruise is pretty rare because it doesn't get dark enough. We were on a land tour in May and sunset was at 11pm. May is a completely different situation than September, especially if it's late September.

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Juneau, Glacier Bay National Park, Haines, Sitka, Wrangell, and Thorne Bay are the best ports of call for cruises throughout Alaska.

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Royal Caribbean: Has some of the most feature-filled ships and is suitable for families. Princess Cruises: Offers more Alaskan cruises than most other lines, good for guests with no young kids. Holland America Line: Among the best cruise lines for Alaskan food and culture, good for older cruisers.

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10 Days. This is a very popular vacation length, and no wonder: 10 days is enough time to combine a cruise with a land tour and experience both sides of Alaska. Trips of this length usually include a whirlwind tour of some of Alaska's popular interior and Southcentral destinations, plus a 7-day cruise.

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A cruise isn't a cruise without time in sparkling pools, so don't forget your swimsuit and non-slip boat shoes that provide good traction. You'll want to bring sun protection when you're soaking up rays and splashing around in the Twister Waterslide.

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Midship staterooms on the lowest passenger deck are the most excellent spot to be on a cruise ship in this instance because you don't feel the vessel sway as much.

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