Archive for the 'Alaska Cruises' Category

Denali, on a flight-seeing tour. Majestic and awesome.

Cruising America’s ‘Great Land’ could just be one of your life’s greatest journeys. It was for me.

By sea, it is nearly 850 miles from Seattle to Ketchikan, at the southern tip of the Alaskan Panhandle. Nearly a decade ago, I endured the journey by ship, and I was ready to do so again.  Read more... (1756 words, 4 images, estimated 7:01 mins reading time)

From gazing at a lone bald-head eagle perched in a tree in Sitka to admiring calving glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska cruise vacations create memorable moments that last a lifetime.

MISSED YOUR CHANCE TO CRUISE IN ALASKA THIS YEAR? Perhaps not.

While Alaska cruises fill fast for the summer months, you can often find space available during the spring and late summer.

There are a number of reasons to cruise Alaska during the off-peak season.  Read more... (169 words, 1 image, estimated 41 secs reading time)

When is the best time to book your cruise? The answer depends on where you’re going.

The only part of your cruise where you can’t relax is in booking it. Planning on cruising Europe’s rivers in the summer of 2010? Better hurry, or you’ll miss the boat.

You’re somewhat better off if planning an ocean cruise in Europe — or if you’re wanting to skirt the Alaskan coast. Ocean-going vessels have more capacity than European river cruisers, but even on big ships, it pays to book early.  Read more... (196 words, estimated 47 secs reading time)

From Fairbanks, it’s only a five-mile drive to see Mary Shields on a tour that carries her name. In 1973, Mary became the first woman to finish the 1,049-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race. She lives in a modern log cabin that she and her former husband built. There, she tends to her garden and to her team of huskies.  Read more... (188 words, estimated 45 secs reading time)

Who's responsible for obtaining visas and proper paperwork for your cruise?

We all like to think that if we, as Swedes, Americans, Italians or Germans, book a cruise, the travel agent or the cruise line we book with will let us know everything we need in order to get on the ship and into the destinations where we’re sailing.  Read more... (399 words, 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

It appears that what you’ll pay for a cruise vacation has reached bottom and is slowly trending upward. The upshot: Book now for the best deals.

In a conference call to Wall Street analysts Carnival Corporation CEO Micky Arison said, “We have started tweaking pricing on a variety of brands.”

Read: Prices are increasing. However, some incredible deals are still to be found.  Read more... (199 words, estimated 48 secs reading time)

Windstar already provides a luxury cruise vacation that is at least partially organic, if you consider the wind power that fills the ships’ sails organic. Now, Windstar has a spa partner providing certified-organic products and treatments.

OnboardSpa Co. is a new partner with Windstar Cruises, providing a full menu of products and services through the spas, salons and fitness centers aboard the Windstar ships.  Read more... (299 words, estimated 1:12 mins reading time)

Most of us understand that you get what you pay for in life. If, for instance, you find something in the bargain bin, you are not entirely surprised if it doesn’t stand up to hard scrutiny or use. Well, times being what they are, we have had to readjust some of our thinking on the values that are now available in the luxury cruise market. We would never equate a vacation with Regent Seven Seas Cruises with a found item from the bargain bin, but we would say that the incentives that Regent is offering are some of the most attractive we’ve ever seen for a luxury cruise.  Read more... (537 words, 1 image, estimated 2:09 mins reading time)

 

Alaska cruises are extremely popular, thanks to a landscape that presents breathtaking beauty and natural wonders on a grand scale. The Last Frontier’s majestic landscape is perhaps best viewed on Alaska cruises, especially for first-time visitors.  Read more... (305 words, 1 image, estimated 1:13 mins reading time)