The Alaska cruise is a breathtaking adventure that you'll never forget.
Giant snow-capped mountains, sparkling glaciers, thick pine forests rising up from the shoreline and abundant wildlife vie for your attention in this dramatic landscape.
Towns and villages brimming with history tell a story of the Great Land that will endear Alaska to you forever.
An Alaska cruise typically departs from Seattle in Washington State or from Vancouver in British Columbia.
Due to Alaska's harsh winters, the main cruising season occurs between May and September.
The most popular Alaska cruise route takes passengers on a one week round-trip up the Alaskan coastline and through the Inside Passage.
Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Sitka are all ports on this route.This route takes in the ports of Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Sitka in the extreme southeast of Alaska.
In addition to the Alaska Peninsula and the Bering Sea, other cruise routes run to Prince William Sound near Anchorage.
It is common for these longer cruises to be one-way, so passengers will have to return by train or plane.
Ketchikan alone is worth a visit for the Tongass National Forest - North America's most northerly rainforest..
It is more than eight times the size of the Yellowstone National Park, and offers the ultimate in adventure tours where you'll find rich salmon runs and grizzly bears.
Ketchikan has the world's largest collection of totems. These can be found at the Totem Heritage Center Museum.
Juneau, often known as 'little San Francisco', is Alaska's capital.
A true northern city awaits you here.
The Mendenhall Glacier is sure worth a visit, as is the Sawyer Glacier a little further to the South.
Skagway is Alaska's gold-rush town.
It is well preserved and offers access to the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.
Your adventure begins at this port. Discover the legendary White Pass Railroad before seeking your fortune in the goldfields of this northern frontier.
And when you're done with the gold, why not take time out to watch the whales near Sitka - a haven for these beautiful creatures all year round.
For the more adventurous, an Alaska cruise can take in Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska.
Known as Alaska's 'Emerald Isle' Kodiak Island takes visitors back to the time when the first inhabitants settled on the island more than 7,500 years ago.
You can even locate Alaska's oldest parish here on Kodiak Island.
About the Author:
John Metcalfe,
Reach out John Metcalfe at A to Z Cruises which is the No 1 resource for Australia cruise related Information on the Internet. Be sure to visit his site here: http://www.azcruises.com/australiacruise
