Alaska Cruises - Holiday Destination

The vast ice kingdom of Alaska is unlike any place on earth, with a variety of snow encrusted mountains, glaciers, and sprawling tundra home to an incredible diversity of wildlife. From grizzly bears fishing in clear mountain streams, to humpback whales migrating south for the winter, the untamed wilderness of Alaska is an experience like no other.

Aside from a few cities much of Alaska is unsettled and, as a result, has remained largely untouched since the time the Americas were first inhabited.

Most cruises of Alaska call in at Hubbard Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in Alaska, with an open calving face over six miles wide. The glacier offers views of some of the most spectacular natural landscapes in the world, and warrants the cost of a cruise on its own.

Skagway, the gateway to the Klondike, is another stop on an Alaskan cruise, and one of the few with a rich heritage. With a population of less than 1,000, Skagway is a real frontier town.

From 1897 when gold was discovered in the Klondike thousands of miners from all across North America made the epic journey to the arctic north, many of them dying along the way. The town has a historic district of about 100 gold-rush era buildings, as well as the cemetery, which are well worth looking around.

Other stops along the way include Juneau, Ketchikan and Anchorage. Few of these towns and cities have recognised tourist attractions, but all boast some of the most spectacular settings of anywhere on earth. Furthermore, some cruise lines run escorted tours into the heart of Alaska, giving passengers the opportunity to get to grips with this untamed, yet magnificent wilderness.

• Celebrity Cruises
• Holland America Line
• Princess Cruises
• Royal Caribbean Cruises