The Best Small Ship Alaska Cruises
Why a small ship? These nimble vessels carry fewer passengers than large ships, offer more frequent and more up-close glacier viewing, and make unplanned stops whenever wildlife appears. Itineraries call on less-visited ports where large ships can’t go and wild, secluded coves where you can go ashore for nature hikes, custom excursions, and intimate wildlife viewing. Ships carry 50-150 passengers, so you’ll really make friends.
Best Small Ship Inside
Passage Cruises
9-Day
Juneau–Ketchikan (Or Reverse): Perfect
for the first-time Alaska visitor to get an overview
of this world-renowned area. You’ll see
lots of wildlife and you’re guaranteed
to spot a whale!
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dates & prices
9-Day Juneau Round-trip: Take
more time to explore the Alaskan wilderness.
If you’re averse to big crowds, this cruise
skips the busy ports in favor of less-visited
ones.
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5-day Juneau Round-trip: Don’t
have lots of time? Don’t compromise. You
can still explore gorgeous Glacier Bay National
Park on this tour, and you can combine a short
Inside Passage cruise with your land tour.
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Best Small Ship Cross-Gulf of Alaska Cruise
12-day Vancouver–Whittier: Maximize
your glacier viewing and wildlife viewing. Aboard
this 5-star vessel, you’ll visit three
major glacier attractions, including Glacier
Bay National Park, and cruise the icy waters
of mystical Misty Fjords National Monument.
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dates & prices
Other Great Alaska Small
Ship Cruises
4- and 5-day Prince
William Sound Cruise (Round-trip
from Whittier): Just
as spectacular as the Inside Passage, but only
an hour from Anchorage. Marvel at the world’s
largest concentration of tidewater glaciers and
abundant marine wildlife—all in a less-traveled
area.
Hint: Combine it with a land tour; you’ll
avoid having to spend time flying between Juneau
and Anchorage.
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13-Day Bering Sea Voyage
(Round-trip from Anchorage): Think
you’ve seen it all? Think again. This is
a one-of-a-kind itinerary through some of the
most remote waters on earth. Aboard one of the
world’s most luxurious small ships, you’ll
visit places where you’re the only tour
ship to call on ports all season. You’ll
meet Alaskan and Russian natives living in isolated
Bering Sea villages, learn their traditions,
and get to know them better than on any other
Alaska trip. Rich wildlife viewing opportunities
abound, including most kinds of marine and land
mammals.
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