When it comes to cruise vacations, not all boats are created equal and it will depend on what type of adventure you are looking for when you determine which of the Alaskan cruise lines you want to board. Many of the companies offer combination cruise, meaning they cover both the ocean trips as well as land excursions at certain ports where passengers can spend a day or so exploring the wilds of Alaska and then return to the boat and move on to another area.

While it is not unusual for cruises in many parts of the world to stop and spend a few hours in a port, allowing passengers to get a taste of the local flavor, some of the Alaskan cruise lines to put passengers on a train or bus and take them inland for a day or two before continuing their ocean voyage. Some of the owners of Alaskan cruise lines also operate the trains, buses and lodges and include these excursions into the cruises around the icy state.

These options are available on many Alaskan cruise lines, vacationers will want to review all of their options before choosing which trip to experience. Depending on how much of the untamed state they want to see will help them decide if they want to while away a day or so in the frozen Yukon or stay on a boat the entire voyage.

Small Ships To Get Close To Nature

Many of the Alaskan cruise lines also use small passenger boats, only about 100 passengers, to take visitors into inland waterways where they can get close to the natural wildlife. These cruises allow them to experience a different type of environment than seen from the deck of the traditional cruise ship without having to strap on snowshoes and wander through the cold.

On northern Alaskan cruise lines into ports such as Prudhoe Bay in the Artic Ocean, there are fewer available ports from which to view and there may be limited availability due to the extreme weather conditions above the arctic circle. The majority of the Alaskan cruise lines stick to routes at the southern end of the state for safety of the cruise ships as well as the passengers.

While many believe they have to start out in Alaska to tour the outline of the state, a few of the Alaskan cruise lines offer boarding at ports in the states of Washington, Oregon and northern California. There is some limited sir travel into Alaskan ports and starting out closer to major cities may help costs for Alaskan cruise lines vacations.