Do you dream of visiting Alaska on a cruise? Where do you begin your planning? What’s there to check out?
 Some quick facts about the “Great Land”:
• Home of 19 of the 20 tallest mountains in the US
• 4x size of California
• One-half of all US natural parkland is in Alaska
• Highest Concentration of bear and Bald eagles on Earth and more Caribou than people in Alaska
Alaska is one of a small amount of experiences left on earth that offers you the privilege of viewing nature just as it was hundreds of years ago. Visiting Alaska between the months of May and September gives you the opportunity to see this pristine beauty at its finest.
There are exciting ports and “viewing” opportunities on a cruise. “Inside Passage” Ports may include:
Juneau - featuring Mendenhall Glacier.
Skagway - Klondike National Historical Park commemorates the place where the prospectors first arrived.
Ketchikan - venture outside town to see a forest of hand-carved totem poles.
Other ports include Sitka with its totem pole lined paths, and Icy Strait Point (prime for whale watching). Various itineraries also may include Glacier viewing days featuring Glacier Bay National Park (with the 40 story high Margerie Glacier), the five mile long Hubbard Glacier, and College Fjord – 16 dramatic Glaciers named after Ivy League Colleges.
Cruises are 7 Days cruise plus optional 4 Day or more land tours
There are three basic ways to "do" Alaska:
1) Roundtrip from Seattle or Vancouver (limited from San Francisco):
Experience the scenic inside passage
2) North bound and end in Anchorage (Whittier/Seward)
You can then continue North bound on a luxury rail for a land tour of Mt McKinley, and/or Denali National Park and motor coach to Fairbanks - less $$ than option (3)
3) Southbound from Fairbanks
Fly to Fairbanks, Land tour first (as in (2), then cruise and fly home from Seattle or Vancouver (More $$ than (2), but a more convenient flight home).
Dave Rosenthal is a professionally trained cruise specialist with CruiseOne. The only thing he enjoys more than travel itself is travel research and planning. He also loves to flip over all of the rocks and understand what's out there to formulate the best options. Want more? Please visit http://www.daydreamexcursions.com
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