So why Alaska then?  Well, Alaska offers perhaps the most unique destination in my opinion, and here’s why.

History – You may or may not know that Alaska, even though it’s the 49th state, did not always belong to the United States.  It was formerly a part of Russia, with Sitka where the Russian culture was centered.  Many cruises call at Sitka, and you can still see plenty of Russian-era remnants, which can be just the coolest thing!

Culture – In addition to the aforementioned Russian culture in Sitka, there are many other cultures to be found in Alaska.  While Sitka is pretty interesting by itself, native establishments in Alaska are even cooler.  The chance to check out native cultures and how they’ve evolved in a different direction is very humbling.

Landscapes – Alaska has extremely varied and wonderful landscapes.  When you start in Seattle or Vancouver, you’ll see the coastline get rockier and rockier, and taller and taller, and eventually turn into beautiful snow-capped mountains.  You’ll see majestic fjords, amazing flora and fauna unique to the region, with an area where there’s a flower that blooms for just one day in the year.  There are places where there is 24-hour daylight too!

Wildlife – Alaska has amazing wildlife, and for me, this reason alone is big enough to hit up Alaska.  Sea lions, otters, whales, killer whales, brown bears, grizzly bears, sea eagles, moose and polar bears are just some of the things you’ll see.  Sometimes you’ll see bears fishing for salmon and trout from your balcony, and sometimes you’ll see them lazing around on the hills of the fjords, but you’ll love your first sight of beluga whales… trust me!

That Most Special of Phenomena – The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis.  Alaska is one of the few places you’ll be able to see this strange, still not fully-understood phenomenon.

Royal Caribbean – They depart from a number of coastal cities including Seattle and Vancouver, and you can choose from three different ships – Radiance of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas. All of the trips are around a week and you can choose from routes that include a port of call at Icy Strait Point.

Celebrity Cruises – As with many other lines, Seattle and Vancouver are main starting points for the Alaska cruises, and you can choose from three different ships. More in-depth information here.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises – Regent uses the wonderful Seven Seas Mariner ship, which is not as big as the ships suffering from gigantism, but is far more charming.  It has balconies for all the rooms, and just looks fantastic – it feels like you’re on a luxury cruise.  Regent has less departures than the other big guys, but if you can score a good price, it’s more personalized and unique.  The cruises leave from Vancouver, often named the best city in the world.

Princess – Most of Princess’ cruises, and there are a lot of them with seven ships, will cruise along the Inside Passage, the most common route with Alaska cruises.  Just because it’s common though, doesn’t mean that it’s not interesting.  You’ll get to see glaciers, sea lions, otters, whales, sea eagles, bears and a whole lot more!

Holland America – With no less than eight ships, Holland America offers up a ton of options for the Alaska cruiser.  Most of them follow the Inside Passage route, but there are a couple of very unique routes offered, as well as some interesting excursions.  More information here.

Norwegian Cruise Line – NCL ships start from Vancouver and you’re offered a choice on one of three ships.  All routes use the Inside Passage routes, but some nice excursions will offer some exclusivity.

Skagway is a great place to check out it’s wacky history, which resembled a town in the old west, with saloons, brothels – the whole nine yards. One of the best things though, is that there is still a lot of gold there! A lot of tourists will actually come try their luck at finding gold, and it’s not impossible to find some. While some people walk away with nuggets worth $20,000, others will find small pebbles that they keep as a souvenir, so this is a worthwhile excursion if you can try it.