Alaska Inside Passage Cruise

The Alaska Cruise takes you through a unique coastline endowed with incredible natural features. Talk of several fjords, landscapes of glaciers, forests spreading far beyond the horizons and isolated villages.

The cruise can be an once-in-a-lifetime family encounter or a memorable romantic trip for a couple or a hot adventure for a single fun seeker. The peak time for the Alaska Cruise is in the summer months but tickets often sell out well before spring.

Before choosing a ship, you should be sure of what you want. The medium to mega ships with between 1000 and 2000 passengers have shops, casinos, night clubs and spas. There is no dull moment. Smaller ships which take up less than 200 passengers are appropriate for specialized group cruises. They take you closer to the seashores and can access smaller fjords.

There are two routes you could choose for the Alaskan Cruise. You could try the Vancouver-Vancouver route which takes about 7 days. The ship moves north from Vancouver and docks at Juneau, the capital of Alaska. From Juneau, you cruise down south to Sitka, the former Russian frontier outpost. From there, you move to Ketchikan, the fish packing port. At these ports, you get to see many wonderful types of scenery.

For more land tours, you could take the 7 to 10-day Vancouver-Seward route. On this route, you start a one-way cruise from Vancouver in Canada or Seward in the heart of Alaska. You get more time to visit tourist destinations inside Alaska. You can take that train trip to the Denali National Park or lodge near Mount McKinley and take animal spotting treks in the wilderness.

Life onshore is simply terrific. You can go fishing with the rest of the family in Ketchikan or pan for gold in the creeks outside Skagway. The family could take a guided tour, go shopping or listen to folklore.

Native American and Russian dishes could be a wonderful treat at Sitka. A romantic couple could hang out on the beaches or ride horses miles across the coastline. You could listen to a live band or dance the night away in a nightclub.

As a single adventurer, you could search ancient villages, ride rafts over river rapids, bicycle down the side of a 10,000 feet volcano, climb a waterfall or learn windsurfing!

On-shore activities can be booked on the ship. At the end of the day, you can retreat to your cabin or join the never-ending parties on the ship till daybreak.

The night life on the cruise ships off the Alaskan coastline beams with pleasure beyond measure. There is a rich diversity of activities you could indulge in. There are nightclubs, cinemas, parties, casinos and passenger talent shows you can participate in. There are also late night buffets that last till sunrise. In each of these events, you get to meet new friends and get to know known people better.

The Alaska Cruise indeed takes you closer to heaven than to the North Pole!

Samuel Owusu-YeboahFor The NGOAE