Alaska cruise vacations have something to please everyone. There are luxury cruises with all the amenities, or smaller vessels that can go deep into Alaska’s interior.

The best way to find the right cruise for you is to learn everything you can about what is available.

Perhaps you imagine a colossal ship with an excess of 2000 passengers when you think of Alaska cruise vacations. Or maybe you think of shopping centers, movie theaters, and even casino gambling. That’s partly true. While you can find Alaska cruise vacations that give you all that, you have other options too.

Smaller ships, rather than huge cruise liners, are the travel option of choice for many Alaska cruise vacations. You can have an even better vacation for less money. It simply depends on what you have to spend and the kind of experience you want to have. Each kind of Alaska cruise vacation has unique offers. If money is no object, you might want to consider Alaskan cruise packages on a luxury liner. But an Alaska cruise on one of the smaller vessels is the right choice if you want to get close to nature and you also have a limited budget.

You’ll have a much more personal experience on Alaska cruise vacations that take place on the smaller ships. You can reach areas much closer to shore and enjoy the experience of seeing the wildlife first hand. Small ships can dock in ports which don’t accept the large liners. On shore sightseeing tours are included in the price of these Alaskan cruise packages. Because of their size, you wont find big casinos and shopping malls in the smaller ships. But if what you want is a romantic vacation with excellent service, then an Alaska cruise tour on a smaller ship is the way to go.

If you choose the Alaska cruise vacations that take place on the big ocean liners, you will naturally spend more money on them. You’ll be deprived of the opportunity to get a close view of the wildlife. The most you can look forward to is seeing is some bald eagles and perhaps a few humpback whales. The large ocean liners don’t include onshore sightseeing tours, or any other extras, in the price of their Alaska cruise packages. You might not notice this until you receive your final bill. Then you will find that even the small things you indulged in will have blown up your expenses.

But one must admit that Alaska cruise vacations on the luxury liners are a very grand affair and offer amenities you wont find on smaller vessels. They offer every conceivable amenity, like spas, casinos, nightclubs, movies, even shopping malls. There are swimming pools on the ship, and you may also request a private deck and lounge. Basically it comes down to what you want when you book an Alaska cruise vacation.

Alaska cruise tours on smaller ships can get to places that a bigger ship would never be able to reach. But small ships only carry about 100 passengers compared with about 2000 on a large ship, so they fill up fast. So its always smart to book as early as possible when planning Alaskan cruise vacations.