Alaska Cruises Central

Cruise West Alaska is a division of Cruise West, a cruise line that specializes in Alaska.  It’s an alternative to the larger cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Holland America and Norwegian, and in some ways, is a complete departure from the big line style of cruising.

The Inside Passage is one of the more famous cruise routes that is available from Cruise West Alaska.  This is the area between Juneau and Ketchikan, and is full of secluded little bays and inlets, and presents beautifully rocky shores.  You’ll see humpback whales, bears, seals and other unique animals here.

This cruise takes you to Misty Fiords National Monument and Metlakatla where you’ll see unique rare communities, followed by Petersburg, where you’ll find Norwegian culture wrapped with gigantic mountain peaks.  From there, on to Tracy Arm and Frederick Sound through unbelievable fjords and between glaciers, then on to Sitka, where you’ll get to explore this exceptional unique city.  Glacier Bay National Park follows, then Skagway and Haines, where you can check out the location of the Klondike Gold Rush, then finally back to Juneau.

Cruise West Alaska also has cruises specializing in glaciers, that last about four to five days, and also unique “grand Alaska voyages” that last 12 to 24 days!  These will take from Vancouver to some incredibly isolated spots, and even Russia!

Cruise West Alaska has ships that are a lot smaller than the huge cruise lines of America.  That is often a good thing, as the most expensive cruise lines of the world use smaller ships as well, for a more personal experience.  Sure, you don’t have a bazillion-foot night club with Tom Jones performing live, but you only share the ship with 80 to 138 other people.  Many of the ships have private teak balconies for all rooms, and luxurious bathrooms done entirely in marble, so it’s much more of an intimate, luxurious experience.  It’s the difference between the Las Vegas Hilton and Camp George.

For the remainder of 2009, Cruise West Alaska is offering 25% off all cruises, as the recession has hit the cruise industry pretty hard.  It’s a great time to take a cruise as a result of the prices, so check them out!