Alaska small ship cruise advice
What to pack
Powell Ettinger, Director of our leading Alaska small ship cruising vacations supplier, The Small Cruise Ship Collection:
What to pack
"The weather is changeable and sunshine does certainly happen – so pack layers so that you can easily remove them when out doing activities such as hiking or kayaking that will warm you up. Hiking trousers that unzip into shorts are great, as are moisture wicking base tops, because the air is pretty damp up here and that doesn’t work well with cottons. Good waterproofs are a must and do remember an extra pair of gloves, as they nearly always get wet. Same goes for socks; get moisture absorbing ones, and bring plenty of them. If you are brave, pack a swimsuit for a polar dip. The less brave will enjoy the on deck hot tub though."
Why go on a small ship cruise
Why go on a small ship cruise
“How would you like to see Alaska – through binoculars from the observation lounge of a large cruise behemoth a mile or two offshore? Or to be close enough while drifting silently to be able to hear the crunch as a bear chews a fish? Traveling on small ships will introduce you to an Alaska that others never see, much less experience. You’ll do more than just see Alaska through an observation lounge; you’ll be an active participant in all that it has to offer, from Zodiac rides around impossibly blue ice to savouring locally caught seafood at dinner.”
Our Alaska cruising Vacations
Alaska Glacier Bay small ship cruise
Get close up to Alaska where the big ships can't go
From
£2925
8 days
ex flights
Inner Reaches Western Coves cruise in Alaska
Some of southern Alaska's iconic destinations by small ship
From
£3461
8 days
ex flights
Southeast Alaska cruise
Spectacular scenery and amazing wildlife in remote Alaska
From
£4265 to £6149
8 days
ex flights
Inside Passage, Seattle to Juneau cruise, Alaska
The classic Inside Passage cruise from Seattle to Juneau
From
£6000 to £12000
13 days
ex flights
Alaska's Islands cruise, whales & glaciers
Wild Alaska on one of the world's smallest cruise ships
From
£2845
6 days
ex flights
Alaska Glacier Bay and wildlife cruise
Glaciers, Humpbacks, grizzlies and mountains - Get up close
From
£2309 to £6005
8 days
ex flights
families
Advice for families
“For families, small ship cruises are great because you only unpack once, and yet you still get to explore different places. But of course, these boats aren’t adapted to have things like kids clubs and that kind of thing. The kids clubs are getting off the boat, exploring and seeing what’s out there. There are age restrictions with some boat operators, however, so we always check that.”
Accessibility tips
Accessibility tips
“Some of our boats are old Russian expedition ships which just don’t have access, but a lot of the newer ships do, so it is great that people with accessibility issues don’t have to do the massive cruise liner thing. They want the different experience that we offer on small ship cruises, and to actually get off the boat and not just point to a destination from onboard – which is completely what we don’t agree with. The boat is just a means to get from A to B and it is all about exploring and getting off the boat, more than anything.”
Traveler review
And a review from one of our travelers, Sarah Taylor:
“If you love scenery, wildlife and relaxing with a great crew book it tomorrow... The whole trip was outstanding from start to finish. The boat was great - large enough to give everyone space but small enough to be personal...We saw killers whales, black and brown bears catching salmon and had amazing interaction with the humpback whales. Most important of all it was all done intimate and sensitive manner so it felt like we were part of their world without intruding on it.”
“If you love scenery, wildlife and relaxing with a great crew book it tomorrow... The whole trip was outstanding from start to finish. The boat was great - large enough to give everyone space but small enough to be personal...We saw killers whales, black and brown bears catching salmon and had amazing interaction with the humpback whales. Most important of all it was all done intimate and sensitive manner so it felt like we were part of their world without intruding on it.”
Our top Alaska cruising Vacation
Alaska Glacier Bay small ship cruise
Get close up to Alaska where the big ships can't go
From
£2925
8 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2022: 29 May, 5 Jun, 12 Jun, 19 Jun, 26 Jun, 3 Jul, 10 Jul, 17 Jul, 24 Jul, 31 Jul, 7 Aug, 14 Aug, 21 Aug, 28 Aug, 4 Sep, 11 Sep
2022: 29 May, 5 Jun, 12 Jun, 19 Jun, 26 Jun, 3 Jul, 10 Jul, 17 Jul, 24 Jul, 31 Jul, 7 Aug, 14 Aug, 21 Aug, 28 Aug, 4 Sep, 11 Sep
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Alaska cruising or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
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More about Alaska cruising
This Alaska cruising vacations travel guide takes you on a journey around the archipelagos, coves, glaciers down the Pacific Coast of Alaska.
Our Alaska cruising map and highlights is packed with archipelagos, whales, coastal forests and an all round labyrinth of littoral loveliness.
The Eastern Coves are the most popular route to explore Alaska’s southeast coast, the Alexander Archipelago, Misty Fjords National Monument and Fords Terror.
The Western Coves route is not only west of Juneau, the port of embarkation, but also north into Glacier Bay National Park. One gigantic wilderness.
So many bears, bald eagles, whales and dolphins to see. Thankfully small ship cruises in Alaska are in the season when the sun hardly sets.
The biggest responsible tourism tip on an Alaska cruising vacation is think small, think slow and think sustainable. Read on for more details.
