Content Produced in Partnership with Celebrity Cruises
Traveling through a foreign land doesn’t get much easier or more comfortable than from the deck of a Celebrity Cruise. These ships bring people from all walks of life together for a vacation of luxury and extravagance. It’s a chance to meet new friends, enjoy plenty of food, and explore as many ports and places as possible in a short period of time.
Few places are better explored by cruise ship than Alaska. The northernmost expanse of America's wilderness flourishes with life and energy. It's exactly why this untamed wilderness is perfect to enjoy from the comfort of your sweeping stateroom veranda.
Maximum Comfort
Comfort and ease are two of the biggest attractions of cruise vacations. What better way to see Alaska than right from your stateroom veranda? Celebrity Cruises offer more veranda rooms than anyone else in Alaska with 85% of those on the Celebrity Solstice. With multiple restaurants on board, spa services, and bars aplenty, you'll never be too far from a frosty beverage or chair to lounge upon as you gaze at the magnificent Alaskan scenery.
Get Up Close and Personal with Glaciers
The huge chunks of ice leftover from the last Ice Age are some of the biggest attractions in the state. Celebrity Cruises takes its guests up close and personal with the millennia old behemoths to photograph the rare (and diminishing) breed via helicopter, seaplane, kayak, bike, hike, canoe, raft, or even hovercraft. Some of the frozen giants are actively calving, so if you catch it at the right moment you just may witness a spectacular sight as the frozen water goes plummeting into the ocean.
See Wildlife Like Never Before
Alaska is rich with diversity, and cruise guests have the opportunity to take in both the land and marine creatures. As the ships cruise along the coast and wend between islands, guests can expect to see a wide variety of wildlife. Birds like seagulls, golden eagles and pelicans will flutter, perch and squawk while jellyfish bob past indifferently. Sea otters float on their backs cracking open mussels with pebbles as moose and bear wander in and out of the forests. Keep your eyes peeled and you may even get lucky enough to see a gray or orca whale breaching on a whale watching tour or get to know the rivers on a salmon sportfishing expedition.
Cover Vast Distances
At more than twice the size of Texas and more than four times the size of California, Alaska is easily the biggest state in America. Traversing the state is a several day endeavor. Unfortunately, some of the terrain can be tenuous for cars. Some sections of the state are simply inaccessible without a bush plane, helicopter, or cruise ship. Cruise ships cover a lot of distance, and make it possible to see much of the state than a long road trip ever could. Cruisetours are the best of both worlds: they combine a cruise vacation with a multi-night land tour that allows you to experience the scenery, local flavor, cultures and historic landmarks by train or deluxe motorcoach either before or after you sail.
Leave the Gear at Home
The Last Frontier is rugged. Many people who travel to Alaska have to prep, plan and prepare for remote backcountry survival, lugging tents, backpacks, dehydrated food, and all the other essentials. It's a bit different for cruisers, though. Sure, you’re going to want to pack enough warm clothes and layers to cope with the ever-changing weather, but besides that, you can leave all the heavy outdoor gear at home.
Unmatched Excursions
One major advantage of cruising is the ability to experience a variety of places and ports in a short period of time. Each stop boasts its own attractions so you can tailor the experience to your interests. The hardest part of your whole trip will be simply deciding which of the amazing activities you want to partake in. Thanks to the cruise line amenities, you can get the best of all worlds with excursions on land, sea and air. It all depends on your interests. You can get rugged exploring the backcountry on an ATV tour or see the marine life and the fjords up close on a jet boat. For the ultimate adrenaline rush, learn to mush a team of sled dogs. Of course, if you'd rather pass the time lazing at the spa or enjoying a relaxing day of fishing and whale watching that's totally acceptable as well.