Roaming Boomers sailing Alaska with Crystal Cruises

The 2017 Alaska Cruise Season Expected to be a Record-Breaker

If you’ve been a reader of ours for any period of time, then you’re surely aware that we’re big fans of Alaska cruising.

While we don’t believe cruising is the end-all and be-all to those who desire to explore the world, an ocean cruise is really the only practical way to explore Alaska’s Inside Passage.

Carol and I have taken three Alaska cruises, and I’m quite confident that we’ll do it again.  For those who are willing to get away from the expensive dock-side shopping at the ports, Alaska offers some of the most stunning scenery in the world.

Our White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad Journey

We’ve been close enough to humpback whales to smell their breath (article link), our seaplane journey to the Taku River Lodge was beyond stunning (article link), watching and hearing ice calving in Glacier Bay National Park was humbling (article links),  and riding the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad is an absolute must.

I was reading an article this morning in Travel Market Report, and they’re reporting that the upcoming 2017 Alaska cruise season is on track to be a real block-buster:

“A spokesperson for CLIA Alaska told TMR that the cruise sector will break its all-time record in 2017, welcoming 1.06 million passengers. The previous record was set in 2008, with 1.03 million. The numbers have been steadily rising in recent years, she said. In 2015, cruise passengers numbered 999,600 and last year the total broke 1 million.”

Moral to the Story?  If you’re thinking about an Alaska cruise for 2017, book now!

We photographed these humpback whales in Juneau.

Alaska Cruise Tips

• Go in May – if you can, take your Alaska cruise in May. Travelers have an incorrect perception that there must still be snow in Alaska in May.  The truth is, while the mountain tops will still be dusted with snow, the temps on sea are most likely to be 55-65º.  The crowds haven’t arrived yet, and this is the best time to see mamma bears with their cubs along the shore.
• Go all the way to Anchorage – if you have the time, take a cruise that will take you all the way to Anchorage, rather than a journey up and back the Inside Passage.  If you do this, then you’ll likely get to see the town of Sitka (our favorite).
• Include Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve – for those looking to see glaciers, Glacier Bay National Park is the best place to visit to observe glaciers in a concentrated area (article link).  Glacier Bay National Park restricts the number of cruise ships that can visit the park each day.  Therefore, most cruises do not visit this remarkable site.  Our article link above with give you access to our cruise search tool that you can use to find cruises that visit the park.  In our opinion, Glacier Bay National Park is a must!
• Denali National Park and Reserve – if you want to visit Denali, then my suggestion to visit in May is bad advice.  Both of the times that we sailed in May, Denali National Park was still closed.  Hence, why I’m fairly confident we’ll be back.  If you want to see Denali, go later in the season.

Cruise Search Tool

“OK”, you ask, “so how much does it cost to take an Alaska cruise, and what are the available options?”  Perhaps the easiest way for us to answer that question is with our cruise search tool: CLICK HERE.

This handy tool will allow you to search across all cruise lines and sort them by brand, date, price range, and much more.

Lastly, the easiest way to get information is to give us a call.  We don’t bite, and we’re happy to help.

For more information, or to book a fun Alaska cruise, call our travel agency office at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
 
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