Discover the Joys of a Cruise Vacation

An Alaska cruise vacation is a magical experience! You could look over the side of the ship and see whales, bald eagles, seals, and possibly moose or bears at no a cost. Captains will typically make announcements when whales are spotted, and then you'll nearly feel the ship list as everyone races port or starboard to see the critters.

Scenic cruising days through the Inside Passage, Tracy Arm, Hubbard Glacier or Glacier Bay will also yield wildlife views, while you enjoy hot chocolate (or pea soup on Holland America) on deck. Or just keep an eye out as you relax on your balcony or a sip a cocktail up on deck -- and you might just spot something interesting in the water or on the shoreline.

Forget city tours and beach breaks. If you're into fishing or just cooking and eating fish, active pursuits like hiking and kayaking, and taking in beautiful scenery and wildlife, Alaska presents tour opportunities not found on many other (if any) cruise itineraries. Take a helicopter ride up to a glacier, where you can go ice-trekking or dog-sledding. Seek out bears in their natural habitats.

Take a trip from Skagway to the Klondike Gold Fields to meet Iditarod sled dogs, experience temperatures of 40-below in a cold chamber and pan for gold like the miners of yore. And one of Disney's new family tours lets passengers join actual fishermen on a crab-catching boat ride and for a crab dinner afterward.

Yes, Alaska's cruise tour excursions are pricey. But if you prefer to skip official tours and see each port on your own, you've got lots of options here, plus you'll still get a good feel for the Last Frontier. In Ketchikan, you can hit the shops on Creek Street and visit a Gold Rush brothel-turned-museum. In Juneau, you can take the tram up Mount Roberts where you can watch a short movie, check out educational displays and presentations, and explore the mountaintop trails. Skagway is a great place for DIY hikes and shopping; many cruisers rent a car here to drive the scenic Klondike Highway -- that roughly mirrors the path taken by gold prospectors in the 1898 gold rush -- rather than take the White Pass Railway tour. Just pick up some tips and brochures by contacting the local visitor centers or tourism bureau before you go.

In addition to the cruise experience, Alaska cruise homeports that are located farther south, such as Seattle, Vancouver and San Francisco, are also wonderful cities to spend a few days shopping, eating, exploring and taking in the local culture.

Alaska's glaciers are among the biggest attractions for cruisers. Yet with global warming and other environmental changes -- not to mention new laws to protect animals from cruise ships -- this is an experience in transition. And by most accounts, not for the better.

Visit any Alaskan glacier and your guide (or informative plaques) will point out how much the glacier has receded. Many may be on track to disappear altogether. New studies showing the possible dangers of cruise ships to seals may lead to ships being forced to stay farther away from the creatures or even to cease cruising to Hubbard Glacier altogether. And various Alaskan animals -- like whales, sea otters and sea lions -- are on the endangered list.

While cruise lines do their best to soften their environmental footprint, following laws about where to dump wastewater and how to keep a safe distance from marine life, great forces -- such as climate change -- are the real threats to Alaska's marquee natural attractions. So if you want to see the wild side of Alaska, the most compelling reason to go now is that soon it may all be gone!

To plan your next Alaskan cruise adventure contact [email protected] or visit the website of cruiseshipcenters.