Alaskan Cruises: Deals, Cheap Tickets, And Alaska Cruise Ships

Alaska is perhaps the most magnificent state in the union. It is the last vestige of the wild west, where glaciers calve into fjords, Grizzly bears forage, killer whales spout, and moose graze unfazed by the modern world. Imagine experiencing all of this from the luxurious stateroom of a cruise ship! Alaska cruises make it possible to be both pampered and awed by nature at the same time.

Alaska became the 49th state in 1959, but much of the land was purchased from the Russians in 1867 for less than two cents per acre in a deal brokered by Secretary of State William H. Seward. At the time of the purchase, this was known as Seward's Folly, and Alaska was called Seward's Ice Box . But the honorable Mr. Seward got the last laugh, as history has validated his foresight.

Alaska today is a tourist's paradise, and Alaskan cruises are one of the favored ways to tour this glorious state. There are a variety of choices for Alaskan cruises to suit time and budget restrictions. A popular port of departure is Vancouver, British Columbia, because Vancouver has an excellent port and an International Airport. Alaskan cruise ships depart from Vancouver and travel up the Canadian Inside Passage all the way to Juneau, Alaska. Alaskan cruises also depart from San Francisco, Seattle, Whittier, Alaska, and Seward, Alaska. Alaskan cruises may be a seven day, one way trip from Vancouver to Whittier or vice-versa, or a 14 day round trip.

Alaskan cruises do not have to empty one's bank account. Alaskan cruise deals are available with a little help from a qualified travel agent or by doing a little research on the Internet. A number of companies compete for business in Alaskan cruises including Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, and Carnival Cruise line. Princess Cruises offer the newest Alaska cruise ships for Alaskan cruises.

Cheap cruise tickets can be found online at web sites like Alaskatravel.com, Travelocity.com, and Expedia.com. Seven day Alaskan cruises for September 2007 are available now for right around $500. Alaskan cruise deals include room, food and entertainment, not to mention the one-of-a-kind scenery that will be gliding past day and night throughout the journey. Cheap cruise tickets often do not include the airline tickets to and from the port of departure.

Imagine sitting on the deck of the cruise ship in a teak deck chair, sipping a warm beverage, and watching whales spout and glaciers calve ice bergs into Glacier Bay. Glacier Bay National Park boasts more actively calving glaciers than anywhere on earth. Alaskan cruises place lucky tourists right in the heart of the Alaskan wilderness, all from the comfort of a floating five star hotel.


Sources:
Alaska. InfoPlease.com. 2007. Pearson Education, Inc. 27 June 2007.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108178.html
Cruise Search: Alaska. OVS Cruise. 27 June 2007.
http://www.myovscruise.com/cruises/cruisedefault _nolist.jsp?cobrand=33209&pid=586&langrecn />Alaska Tour & Travel. 2004. 27 June 2007. http://www.alaskatravel.com/alaska-cruises/alaska- cruise.html
Glacier Bay Inside Passage Cruises. Holland America Line. 2001-2007. 27 June 2007.
http://www.hollandamerica.com/dest/dest.do?dest= A&region=G
Discover Alaska: America's Last Wilderness. Holland America Line. 2001-2007. 27 June 2007. http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-destinations/ alaskacruises
Alaska History Timeline. Kodiakisland.net. 1999-2004. 27 June 2007.
http://kodiakisland.net/timeline.html