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Gold panning attractions in Juneau, Ketchikan, Anchorage and Fairbanks all provide visitors a pan, rudimentary instruction along with history and humor, and a sack of so-called pay-dirt. Most of these venues “salt” the dirt with gold flecks — generations of Fairbanks teenagers have done this as a summer job — and most will provide a joke or two in response if you ask. Black bears can be seen in Southeast Alaska near ports of call such as Wrangell and Ketchikan. Brown bears are ubiquitous anywhere along the coast all the way to Nome, especially in Kodiak and (as grizzlies) in Denali National Park. Polar bears can only be seen along the Arctic coast, in Utqiagvik or Kaktovik or, sometimes, near Bethel. Alaska is one of just two places on the planet to see the three northern latitude ursids, and you can see all three in one trip if you are lucky, determined and select the right excursions and shore extensions well ahead of time.
Things to Do on an Alaska Cruise with Silversea Cruises
Do people really make a point of having a dip in the Arctic Ocean? That way they can claim they may be able to claim they have in all the world’s oceans… something that, if it seems important to you, can be accomplished on Silversea journeys. Alaska glacier tours provide safety guidance and sometimes equipment, and it’s really no more difficult than any other moderate wilderness excursion. The views like the ones in the video below are incomparable.
Can I pan for gold?
Keep in mind, this is just a sample of the sights waiting for you on a luxurious Silversea Cruises Alaska cruise vacation. Beach greens are found in their namesake environment and lend weight to salads. Rarest of all is the legendary, semi-mythical nagoonberry, patches of which coastal residents guard knowledge like sorcery. If you somehow encounter this (in ice cream, maybe) treasure the experience. By the way, a sightseeing flight over glaciers is a fine way to see them — but not to experience them. Anchorage has one of the best urban bike trails in North America.
7 Best Luxury Cruises - Cruise Critic
7 Best Luxury Cruises.
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Travel Deeper
Silversea has “Door-to-Door” pricing on many of its Alaska cruises, meaning the cruise fare includes airfare, hotels, and all transfers—including transfers from home to the departure airport. Onboard the all-suite ships, there’s butler service in every suite, fine dining, and select shore excursions included. The largest Silversea ship sailing to Alaska also carries just under 600 guests, allowing for port calls at lesser-visited stops like Wrangell, Haines, and Valdez. Travelers who choose thoughtfully and come to Alaska with open hearts and steady eyes — exactly the travelers for whom Silversea designs its journeys. It’s a blend of luxury with discernment, especially in shore excursions, so guests can explore as much of the real Alaska in a brief time.
Misty Fjords National Monument
There are numerous ways to see Alaska that give you both broad and narrow views. The deck of your ship may give you a perspective on its size and variety of its terrain, and, if you’re lucky, some of its wildlife, including bald eagles and numerous varieties of whales. Silver Whisper and Silver Muse are classic ships holding, respectively, 392 and 596 guests. Silver Wind is a specially outfitted expedition vessel that sails the Bering Sea in September, carrying 274 guests. Most Alaska journeys sail between Seward and Vancouver, Canada, comprising seven days one way or 14 days round trip. Find out more details about the Alaska luxury cruises Silversea offers.
Sea otters, whale or bear sightings are guaranteed while kayaking on Sitka Sound will take you across kelp forests to uninhabited islands, with up-close encounters with sea life also frequent. Hiking tours into the lush backcountry are also rewarding. A favorite Juneau excursion of mine is the floatplane trip to Taku Lodge, a fishing and hunting camp built in 1923. The scenic flight visits five of the glaciers sitting between Juneau and the lodge, and after landing at the riverside camp a salmon bake is prepared. The fish is bathed in brown sugar, butter and wine, and about midway through the meal one or more bears reliably descend on the camp to lick the grills clean.
THE 25 BEST Silversea Cruises to the Caribbean (with Prices) 2024 & 2025 on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
THE 25 BEST Silversea Cruises to the Caribbean (with Prices) 2024 & 2025 on Cruise Critic.
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When Scottish naturalist John Muir first visited Alaska in 1879, the land had been in American possession for a dozen years, having been purchased from Russia for $7.2 million. So vast was this forbidding possession, a nuisance to the Russians, really, that the sale worked out to a mere 2 cents an acre. Let’s dive deeper into all you need to know to choose the perfect Alaska cruise. See the hidden gems and iconic sights we offer by downloading all the sailings and highlights of our New Voyages Collection for Summer 2025.
The best places to try to see it are from Anchorage, Fairbanks, Talkeetna and many spots along the Alaska Railroad route between Anchorage and Fairbanks. Ironically, from the tourist town at the park entrance (called “Denali Park” on maps) the mountain is obscured by low ridges, and visitors must travel into the park about 15 miles to reach the first viewpoint. More important, you’ll learn how and why Alaska holds all these wonders still. The state guards its wild seafood zealously, perhaps better than any other place on Earth — especially its famous salmon and crab. Alaska Native culture is both an authentic and a powerful economic force in the Great Land, a nickname derived from the Aleut word alyeska, describing the mainland of Alaska. Silversea's oceanview suites are some of the most spacious in luxury cruising.
Silversea Cruises to Alaska
Will you see bears, glaciers, whales, eagles, and more? Savor Alaskan seafood that may be the best on the planet? Then it’s across the gulf to see the immense Hubbard Glacier, followed by a visit to Elfin Cove, the northernmost entrance to the Inside Passage. It’s a safe harbor for side trips to the uninhabited Inian Islands, which are renowned for wildlife, especially whales on their way to nearby Glacier Bay National Park. Our Alaska voyages are filled with enriching experiences and rare opportunities to immerse yourself in each destination, both offshore and onboard.
The Russians settled here on Baranof Island, eventually transferring the capital of Russian America from Kodiak Island to Sitka in 1808, using it for lumber, fur and shipbuilding. Sea kayaking out of Skagway through the Lynn Canal can be memorable. My experience kayaking here rewarded with me a visit by a humpback whale and calf, one of the most thrilling moments of my life. For anyone who loves wilderness at its most epic, Alaska is America’s fantasyland, the place where dreams of a wild, limitless frontier thrive magnificently, even well into the 21st century. Please contact us for assistance with Transfers, Hotels, and Shore Excursions for your Silversea Cruises Cruise. We have many different choices and would love to assist you with all the options available.
All these wonderful creatures are just the start of the list of possible wildlife sightings in Alaska. It’s difficult to visit Alaska and not see quite a few of the animals above, especially when you take advantage of Silversea’s curated shore excursions run by wildlife experts. Alaska weather is famously temperamental but widely misunderstood. Skeptics derided it as a “frozen wasteland”when the U.S. bought it in 1867, but it is anything but that. The generally accepted record high temperature is 100 (in Fort Yukon, above the Arctic Circle, in 1919) but visitors will mostly experience moderate daytime highs, cool evenings, showers and sun. As an excursion guide in Juneau puts it, the all-purpose summer travel forecast is 67 degrees, partly sunny, chance of showers.
Larry details the onboard entertainment, the type of passenger you will find, and comments on the fantastic service. These are journeys of breathtaking encounters with the natural world - after all, Alaska's great spectacles need little introduction. Adventure, culture, history and glaciers are just part of your Alaskan cruise vacation. This is a big state known for both its fabulous scenery and its rich history – dating back as early as 181,000 BC. Not forgetting the highlight of any Alaskan cruise, a train ride through the Alaska Kenai Peninsula. Silversea's luxury Alaska cruises take you on an insider's path along the Inside Passage.
From here, it’s a very scenic 2.5-hour ride to the Anchorage airport for your flight home. There’s also a hike on Mendenhall Glacier, accessed by helicopter — you’ll stroll across the frozen blue river, passing crevasses and free-flowing streams and within eyesight of climbers tackling ice falls. Or visit Mendenhall from below — a kayak trip in the lake at the foot of the immense glacier is an exciting encounter with nature’s grandeur.
Australia has its Outback; Alaska has the Bush, the regions of the state that remain unconnected to the U.S. road network — that is, most of Alaska. The cruise starts in Nome, a dusty and desolate one-time boomtown with a backstory that far exceeds its trifling name. Some of Skagway’s buildings date to the gold rush, and the six-block historic district is worth exploring. The other must-see in Ketchikan is Misty Fjords National Monument, a spellbinding, 2.3-million-acre wilderness, where 3,000-foot glacier-carved cliffs are riven by waterfalls. \John Muir compared Misty Fjords to the glacial morphology of Yosemite Valley in California. Totem poles are Ketchikan’s icon; there are said to be more here than any other place on Earth, and you’ll find them at several parks on the outskirts of town, some standing for more than a century.
Real Travel Expert Larry Jackson of Cruise Holidays of Viera joins Ken to review his recent cruise to Alaska aboard Silversea’s Silver Muse. Larry details the ports of call, the best time of year to cruise in Alaska, and some of the do-not-miss sights and sounds in Alaska. Ken and Larry spend time discussing Silversea Cruises, a luxury all inclusive cruise line, and their Door to Door all inclusive program.
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