Alaska Cruises, Ports of Call, and Shore Excursions

Alaska cruise 2012 planning information, including details of large and mid-sized cruise ships cruising to Alaska

Small ship cruises to Alaska in 2012, including luxury and adventure ships with less than 500 passengers

Alaska cruises are usually of three different types--Inside Passage, Gulf of Alaska, or Bering Sea. Learn more about each so you can plan your Alaska cruise.

Alaska cruise travel journal from a 7-night Alaska Inside Passage cruise between Ketchikan and Juneau on the small adventure ship the Wilderness Discoverer of InnerSea Discoveries.

Alaska cruise photos from a small ship cruise of the Inside Passage on the Wilderness Discoverer

Comprehensive cruise travel log of a 7-day small ship eco-cruise on the Mist Cove from Juneau to Sitka, covering the marvelous Alaska scenery and wildlife viewings, along with the many hiking, fishing, and kayaking opportunities we enjoyed on the Mist Cove.

Southeast Alaska scenery and wildlife from small ship 7-day cruise on the Mist Cove of The Boat Company between Juneau and Sitka

Southeast Alaska Inside Passage photo gallery of fishing pictures from a cruise on the 24-passenger M/V Mist Cove of The Boat Company, which sails 7-day cruises between Juneau and Sitka

Photo gallery from a day in Southeast Alaska visiting Dawes Glacier in Endicott Arm from The Boat Company's Mist Cove small eco-cruise ship

This cruise log is from a Seven Seas Mariner cruise from Seward, Alaska southward down Alaska's Gulf Coast and through the Inside Passage of Alaska to Vancouver. This seven-day itinerary was a combination of wonderful "upscale but not uptight" service and amenities onboard along with remarkable adventures and sights ashore in Alaska.

Overview of the Cruise West Spirit of Yorktown and a cruise logbook of an Alaska Inside Passage cruise on the small cruise ship, including information and photos about the Alaska ports of call and shore excursions. Although Cruise West ceased operations in September 2010, other small ship cruises in Alaska provide similar cruise experiences.

Humpback whales are commonly seen on Inside Passage cruises of Southeast Alaska. Most visitors never tire of watching these magnificent creatures.

The About.com guide to the Northwest USA takes her first cruise on the Norwegian Pearl to Alaska.

Cruising through Alaska, from your About Guide to Honeymoons/Romantic Getaways.

The "northern lights" or aurora borealis is visible in the northern hemipshere to those lucky enough to see it. This article from the About Guide to Weather shows the best times of year to view this atmospheric phenomenon.

Ten Alaska travel guide books to help plan your Alaska cruise tour vacation.

Cruise passengers don't always have a lot of time when embarking or disembarking their cruise ship in Vancouver. Luckily, Vancouver's main cruise terminal, Canada Place, is in the middle of the city. Our About.com Guide to Vancouver Travel has compiled this list of 10 excellent things a cruise passenger can do within 15 minutes walking distance of the pier.

Southeast Tours offers a wide variety of sightseeing and adventure tour alternatives to the cruise ship passenger or the casual tourist coming to Skagway, Alaska.