Archive for the 'Alaska Cruises' Category

From gazing at a lone bald-head eagle perched in a tree in Sitka to sliding and splashing in pools on board ships, cruise vacations create memorable moments that last a lifetime.

Whether we’re on a nature walk in Alaska, doing a belly flop into the pool or spiraling down a waterslide, ships transport us to a place that is far from our busy and chaotic lives back home.  Read more... (128 words, 2 images, estimated 31 secs reading time)

Celebrity Cruises’ Millennium is in drydock this week for a $10 million makeover. A highly rated large ship in the premium-service category, the Celebrity Millennium is not yet 10 years old, but it will be refreshed with new carpeting throughout and new upholstery in every stateroom and several common areas, including the Lido deck and main dining room. The wood trim and rails throughout the ship, as well as the marble and stone floors, will all be refinished. Suites will be updated with 32-inch flat-panel televisions, and ConciergeClass staterooms will be set up with 26-inch screens.  Read more... (181 words, estimated 43 secs reading time)

Alaska is celebrating its 50th year of statehood, and Princess Cruises will be working hard to help its guests appreciate all that the state has to offer. With ships arriving for the start of the Alaska cruise season last weekend, Princess is pulling back the curtain on a comprehensive effort to provide a rich Alaskan experience this summer whether on land or at sea.  Read more... (346 words, 1 image, estimated 1:23 mins reading time)

Holland America is folding free airfare from 11 Western cities into some of its Alaskan Explorer itineraries through the Inside Passage this summer, creating some attractive and unusual values during the 50th anniversary celebration of Alaska’s statehood.  Read more... (104 words, 1 image, estimated 25 secs reading time)

A Kid’s View Of The Great Land: Seeing Alaska through the eyes of my 10-year-old son.

[Editor's Note: I've been getting a lot of requests about family travel lately, so I have updated and reposted a story I wrote last year about travel to Alaska with my son. Also, you may want to check out Family Cruise Advisor for additional resources, referring back to to check rates and dates.- Ralph Grizzle]  Read more... (908 words, 2 images, estimated 3:38 mins reading time)

Chris, a young contractor who did some work on my home last summer, told me about his most memorable cruise. It came as a result of a question he had asked his wife: “What’s your dream?”

“A Caribbean cruise,” she replied. It was a dream that Chris was determined to make come true: his wife, suffering from Cystic Fibrosis, had only a few months longer to live.  Read more... (355 words, 1 image, estimated 1:25 mins reading time)

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Cruising Alaska with their grandmother, these two teens say that despite the reputation it once had, Holland America Line isn’t just for “mature” travelers.

A Kid’s View Of The Great Land: Seeing Alaska through the eyes of my 10-year-old son.  Read more... (854 words, 3 images, estimated 3:25 mins reading time)

The first cruise ships sail to Alaska in May and the last ones depart in September. And though the weather can be unpredictable during the months that mark the bookends of the Alaska cruise season, shoulder season is a good time to visit for a variety of reasons, according Tania Hancock, tourism sales manager with the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Read more... (549 words, 2 images, estimated 2:12 mins 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 2009? 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)