Four Royal Caribbean Ships Will Cruise Alaska in 2023

Table Of Content

• Before your Alaska cruise, you will need to spend a night in Seattle or Vancouver.
• Active shore excursions in Alaska
• Cons of a Radiance-class Ship in Alaska
• Next Norwegian Ship Will Sail with New Restaurants
• Cultural and historical tours in Alaska
• Are we missing out by not doing Glacier Bay?
• What Royal Caribbean Ship Should You Pick in Alaska?

For this activity, passengers enter a skydiving chamber that blows strong wind upwards, allowing them to “skydive” in the chamber. The buffet’s large windows offered the perfect spot to watch Alaska’s scenery, and I preferred the quick service and wider range of cuisines at the restaurant. Due to the risk of additional landslides, passengers are not permitted to walk the length of the pier. Therefore, passengers must board shuttle buses outside the ship that will drive down the pier. In my second port of call, Sitka, I booked a shuttle bus for $20 that took me to Fortress of the Bear, a bear rehabilitation center outside of downtown.

Before your Alaska cruise, you will need to spend a night in Seattle or Vancouver.

Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve is one of Alaska’s cherished national parks, but you cannot visit the park on a Royal Caribbean cruise. The White Pass & Yukon Route Railway is a historic railroad built in 1898 that links Skagway to Whitehourse, Yukon Territory. Cruise line excursions take guests to the summit of the White Pass and back to Skagway, and the trip takes around three hours.

Active shore excursions in Alaska

Knowing what to expect when it comes to the check-in process, dining, ports, cabins, and activities will prepare you for everything you may encounter on your vacation. Here is a breakdown of the four ships sailing to Alaska in 2023 so you know what to expect from each ship. The Alaska cruise season has just begun in 2022, and all this excitement might be the impetus you need to book a cruise to The Last Frontier in 2023. Be sure to consult the Royal Caribbean website or your travel professional for further assistance with itinerary options and booking. Both Quantum Class ships will visit scenic cities and towns along the Northwest coastline, including Victoria, British Columbia; Sitka, Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau, Alaska. Ovation of the Seas will return to Alaska in 2023, offering 7- and 8-night Alaska glacier cruises from Seattle.

Cons of a Radiance-class Ship in Alaska

Unlike most of Royal Caribbean's smaller ships, there's no deck with a wide outdoor walkway tucked under the lifeboats allowing passengers to circle the ship outdoors. There are a couple of doors on Deck 5 that let you step outside onto a narrow walkway behind the lifeboats, but that's not a true promenade. These have big round windows looking out over the bow of the ship and the ocean beyond. That's in addition to the shallow pools and hot tubs in the adults-only, forward-facing Solarium with its incredible ocean views.

The thrills continue on board Radiance with an exhilarating, 40-foot-tall rock climbing wall, poolside movie nights under the stars and guest-favorite dining venues, such as Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table and Izumi. Plus, on deck are endless views through expansive ocean-facing glass elevators and floor-to-ceiling windows. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to be a useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean.

On a roundtrip cruise, you’ll still visit Alaska’s most popular ports, such as Juneau and Skagway, and most itineraries include a scenic glacier viewing as well. In most Alaska cruise ports, you will find stands selling tours as soon as you disembark the cruise ship. These tours can be booked day-of and may be priced significantly lower than those booked onboard. Instead of booking directly through Royal Caribbean, search shore excursions on websites like Tripadvisor, Viator, and Shore Excursions Group. By going through these websites, you can find tours that may be priced lower compared to those offered by the cruise line. Alaska Glacier cruises visit three Alaska cruise ports and include a scenic sightseeing experience at Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier.

Whether visiting Russian Orthodox churches, the Baranof Castle State Historic Site, and the Sitka National Historic Park, there’s plenty of history and culture to explore in this small Alaskan town. From saloons to historic hiking trails and Ketchikan’s red-light district, you don’t need to travel very far off the ship to spot remnants of the gold rush era. Flightseeing tours take visitors up and over majestic destinations including Hubbard Glacier and Misty Fjords National Monument in Ketchikan. Here’s what you need to know about Alaska cruise excursions before deciding what (and when) to book. Each night passengers can choose between the show in the Royal Theater, the incredible robotic shows in Two70 or a wide range of musical acts in venues like The Music Hall or Schooner Bar.

With a $15 entrance fee, I was able to watch brown and black bears up close, a fascinating experience with a relatively low cost. Upon reaching Pier 91 in Seattle, I quickly dropped off my luggage with the porters and entered the cruise terminal. I was pleased to see minimal lines at the terminal’s entrance, although I noticed check-in times were not being enforced, so we probably could have arrived earlier than our scheduled check-in time. During the evening and the following morning, I explored downtown Seattle, visiting popular attractions like Pike Place Market and the Olympic Sculpture Park. I also ate dinner and breakfast in the city; my favorite restaurant in Seattle is Din Tai Fung, a Chinese dim sum restaurant serving freshly made dumplings and noodles.

What Royal Caribbean Ship Should You Pick in Alaska?

Kayak tours are offered in most cruise ports, offering passengers the chance to feel connected with nature by the gentle rock of a kayak. Helicopter and flightseeing tours are both popular shore excursions in Alaska, offering the unique opportunity to view the state’s nature from above. Helicopter tours often include a landing atop one of Alaska’s glaciers, where visitors have the chance to walk–or dogsled–on the glacier itself. The itineraries of both Radiance-class ships go a bit farther north than the larger ships, allowing both ships time at Hubbard Glacier on at least some of the sailings. On its one-way route, Radiance has two sea days -- the least sea days of all the itineraries.

Unsurprisingly, these excursions are not cheap, and it’s not uncommon to pay hundreds of dollars for a spot on a smaller boat. But because what is “worth it” for one guest may seem like a waste of money to another, we cannot say for sure whether or not a glacier excursion will be worth the cost. While there’s no right or wrong direction to book for a one-way cruise, a southbound itinerary may be more relaxing. The popular “train excursion” on an Alaska cruise is the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway, and it’s located in Skagway, Alaska. If you’re wondering whether you really need to pack accessories like gloves and a hat, we’d recommend putting them into your suitcase.

Royal Caribbean Canceled Cruise After Passengers Were Already on Board, Couple Says - Business Insider

Royal Caribbean Canceled Cruise After Passengers Were Already on Board, Couple Says.

Posted: Thu, 14 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

As soon as your ship leaves port and enters international waters, the casino will open. Alaska cruises often have a reputation of being for adults, but they can be a wonderful vacation for families with kids, too. As far as wildlife, you may catch a glimpse of Alaska’s annual salmon run as well as bears, and it’s possible to see whales in Alaska’s waters, too. In April and early May, you can expect lower chances of rain and temperatures with lows in the 40s and highs in the mid-50s There are around 15 hours of daylight in southeast Alaska during this time of year. If on a one-way itinerary, you may also encounter rougher seas while crossing the Gulf of Alaska to and from Seward.

These small vessels allow passengers to get up close and personal with Alaska’s wildlife and scenery in a way that is impossible to experience on a large ship. Southbound itineraries travel from Seward to Vancouver, meaning you can spend time in Alaska’s interior before the cruise begins. Predicting the weather in Alaska is nearly impossible, and you may encounter all four seasons in just one day while visiting the state. That being said, they do appear from time to time in the later part of the cruise season, usually around September. Because of their unpredictability, we wouldn’t recommend getting your hopes up about seeing the northern lights.

In September, you can expect to see more rainfall compared to other months and temperatures will be chillier compared to peak summer. Nonetheless, the fewer crowds and lower prices make visiting at this time of year appealing for many guests. When planning an Alaska cruise, you will have to choose between either a roundtrip or one-way itinerary.