What Royal Caribbean Ship Is Best For Alaska?
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During the peak summer months, Alaska is not nearly as cold as most people think, and you might even find yourself warm when walking around ports on sunny days. Your budget for an Alaska cruise can affect your ship choice, sailing date, stateroom category, excursion options, and onboard add-ons. Knowing how much Alaska cruises cost in advance is helpful to ensure you can budget and save for such an incredible vacation. They also feature RipCord by iFLY, an indoor skydiving simulator, and the North Star, a 360 degree observation pod taking guests 300 feet above sea level.
The Royal Caribbean Gold Standard in Alaska: Radiance-class Ships
The 7-night Alaska Glacier Experience itineraries visit four ports in Alaska along with a visit to Tracy Arm Fjord for glacier viewing. Exact ports vary by itinerary, but every Brilliance of the Seas cruise includes a stop in Alaska’s capital of Juneau. Ovation of the Seas will also return to Alaska for the 2023 cruise season to offer 7-night Alaska Glacier cruises departing on Fridays.
Helicopter and flightseeing tours
Unlike most of Royal Caribbean's smaller ships, there's no deck with a wide outdoor walkway tucked under the lifeboats allowing passengers to circle the ship outdoors. There are a couple of doors on Deck 5 that let you step outside onto a narrow walkway behind the lifeboats, but that's not a true promenade. Even when at max capacity, there are plenty of places passengers can spread themselves out, leaving room to roam in between. The distance between venues and activities is shorter, which might make these ships a better fit for anyone who cannot walk long distances. Both ships have miniature golf, which might come in handy for entertaining the kiddos on those long summer evenings.
Planning an Alaska cruise from Seattle? Check out more of our top tips & tricks:
Regardless of how bad the weather outside may be or if you have already visited a port before, always get off the ship when you can. Even if you don’t have anything planned, just walking around the historic port towns can be a nice way to spend a few hours. In 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for a price of $7.2 million. Before this purchase, though, Russia had significant influence on the state, bringing architecture, food, and religion to the region. Visiting Alaska today offers visitors the chance to learn more about Russia’s impact on the state. If your cruise visits Skagway, you may want to take the chance to visit Canada’s Yukon Territory, located just 15 miles from the center of town.
What’s it like sailing to Alaska in the early season?
In Alaska, on the other hand, you will want to lower your expectations when it comes to weather. It’s challenging to predict whether your cruise will encounter sunny skies and 70 degrees, or seven days of straight rain. Sure, booking your cruise in June usually results in better weather compared to one in September, but weather conditions are never guaranteed.
Visiting Alaska in the early season will come with several differences compared to visiting in the peak season. While it’s impossible to predict the exact weather conditions you may encounter on an Alaska cruise, it’s possible your ship will sail through choppy waters. When planning an Alaska cruise, you will have to choose between either a roundtrip or one-way itinerary. Each of these itineraries comes with advantages and disadvantages, so you should weigh the pros and cons of each before booking an itinerary.
Brilliance of the Seas
Almost all itineraries stop in Juneau, Alaska, but other ports vary from itinerary to itinerary. Some cruises may visit Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan whereas others may call upon Juneau, Icy Strait Point, and Sitka. One-way itineraries on Radiance of the Seas have offered cheap cruise deals a few months before the sailing. If you want to book a balcony or suite, then booking early becomes even more important.
Royal Caribbean has four cruise ships offering cruises to Alaska, and each has a compelling reason to choose either of them. On the chance a Royal Caribbean excursion runs late, the cruise ship will wait for the tour group before leaving port. If for some reason the ship is unable to wait, Royal Caribbean will make arrangements and cover the cost of the tour group's return to the ship.
Traveling to Alaska will have different daylight hours than what you are used to on a Caribbean cruise, especially if you’re traveling in the middle of summer. With as many as 19 hours of daylight in the summer months, don’t forget to wake up early and stay up late to be amazed by the scenery around you on an Alaska cruise. Ships like Serenade of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas may be smaller, but don’t let that deter you from choosing one of these ships. Many passengers find that cruising to Alaska on a smaller ship comes with its own set of benefits.
There’s really no need to spend hundreds of dollars on new winter gear just for an Alaska cruise, especially if you’re traveling with children who will quickly outgrow clothing. In Seattle, for instance, you’ll want to research the best way to get from the airport to your hotel, and from your hotel to the cruise port. In most instances, a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft is the most convenient option. However, your hotel may also provide a shuttle, or you could even take the light rail from the airport to downtown.
Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of the best free and low-cost activities to do in each Alaska cruise port, which should help give you some ideas. Fortunately, after nearly a dozen Alaska cruises, our staff are well versed in the ins and outs of cruising to Alaska. From booking your pre-cruise hotel to utilizing Seattle’s stress-free luggage service, here are our top 24 tips for an Alaska cruise this year. Each night passengers can choose between the show in the Royal Theater, the incredible robotic shows in Two70 or a wide range of musical acts in venues like The Music Hall or Schooner Bar. There are spaces that can feel crowded on smaller ships, even though they carry fewer passengers.
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Alaska is a massive, stunning state that offers so much to see not only by cruise, but also on land. In 2023, you can find Alaska cruises on Quantum of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, and Brilliance of the Seas. These ships were specifically designed to sail in cold climates, so you’ll find a nice balance of indoor and outdoor activities and amenities on each cruise ship. You can choose to book an Alaska shore excursion directly through the cruise line or through an independent tour company.
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Alternatively, you can try to bid on a cabin upgrade through Royal Caribbean’s RoyalUp program, although there’s no guarantee your bid will be successful. Nothing back there to placate the masses longing for an affordable balcony overlooking the wake of the ship. These have big round windows looking out over the bow of the ship and the ocean beyond.
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