With snowcapped mountains, endless forests, majestic glaciers, and exquisite landscape, Alaska is one of the most scenic regions in the USA. It is also amongst the world’s top listed destinations for cruise vacations.

A vacation to Alaska tends to leave people spellbound with its spectacular views, including the glaciers of Tracy Arm Fjord, College Fjord, and the Glacier Bay National Park. Visitors can also explore the many coastal towns such as Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan and experience the Alaskan way of life. There is plenty of action such as skiing, mountain biking, backpacking, mountaineering and river rafting for those who seek adventure.

Nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts must make it a point to spend a lot of time at the massive Denali National Park and Preserve. The park, which has completed a hundred years in 2017, is home to an array of exotic wildlife, such as the grizzly bear, caribou, arctic ground squirrel, Dall sheep, golden eagle, tundra swan, green winged teal, etc.  The park also gives visitors a great view of Denali (Mt. McKinley) the tallest mountain in North America.

A cruise vacation is one of the best ways to explore Alaska. Millions of people visit Alaska every year, with a significant proportion of visitors opting for a cruise holiday. The cruising season to Alaska starts towards the end of April and continues till September. This period has the best weather for sightseeing, mountaineering, adventure sports, etc.  And to soak in the Alaskan experience, most cruise liners offer an array of shore excursions, many of them are once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Some of these excursions include:

• A small-boat excursion in Juneau for whale watching
• A helicopter ride in Juneau for breathtaking views of Herbert, Taku, Norris, or Mendenhall glaciers
• The White Pass & Yukon Route vintage train ride (a journey that is known as "the railway built of gold.") in Skagway for breathtaking scenery of mountains, gorges, glaciers, waterfalls & tunnels
• Salmon fishing tours in Ketchikan
• Visits to totem villages and even snorkeling in Ketchikan.
• A small-boat excursion in Whittier to see 26 glaciers in 5 hours!
• Experience the longest and highest zip line cable ride in the world in Icy Strait Point, at 5,330 feet long and with a vertical drop of 1,300 feet!
• Glacier Bay National Park proves a highlight. If you’re patient you may get to see ‘Calving’ glaciers in the water and bears and mountain goats along the shoreline. More common are whale (especially humpbacks) sightings.
• Sitka’s Sea Otter and Whale Quest excursions
• The guided kayak excursions through the Sitka Sound
• A vintage 1973 Checker Marathon cab tour of Sitka from end to end.

Those booking cruise packages for the first few sailings in April & May have the advantage of getting shoulder season discounts. A lot of families like to book Alaska packages early, so that they can take a week-long cruise holiday with added benefits like balcony stateroom upgrades and onboard credit offers at highly competitive prices. Here are the Top 10 Alaska cruises in 2018:

CruiseBay’s pick of Alaska cruises in 2018

1. Star Princess (Princess Cruises)
   7 nights "Voyage of the Glaciers" Northbound cruise from Vancouver, Canada to Anchorage, Alaska from just US$ 694 per person*. 2018 summer sailing dates: 12, 26 May; 9, 23 Jun; 7, 21 Jul; 4, 18 Aug; 1 Sep (2018)
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Apr - Jun 18 sailings
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Jul - Sep 18 sailings
    
2. Norwegian Bliss (Norwegian Cruise Line)
   Experience an Alaska cruise aboard the newest ship from NCL, Norwegian Bliss. 7 nights inside passage cruise, round trip from Seattle from US$ 1099 per person*. 2018 summer sailing dates: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 June; 7, 14, 21, 28 Jul; 4, 11, 18, 25 Aug; 1, 8 15, 22 Sep (2018)
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Apr - Jun 18 sailings
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Jul - Sep 18 sailings
    
3. Norwegian Pearl (Norwegian Cruise Line)
   7 nights "Alaska with Glacier Bay" round trip from Seattle, USA from just US$ 879 per person*. 2018 summer sailing dates: 29 Apr; 6, 13, 20, 27 May; 3, 10, 17, 24 Jun; 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Jul; 5, 12, 19, 26 Aug; 2, 9 Sep (2018)
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Apr - Jun 18 sailings
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Jul - Sep 18 sailings
    
4. Explorer of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
   7 nights "Alaska Glacier Cruise" round trip from Seattle, USA from just US$ 724 per person*. 2018 summer sailing dates: 18, 25 May; 1, 8, 15 Jun; 6, 13, 20, 27 Jul; 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 Aug; 7 Sep (2018)
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Apr - Jun 18 sailings
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Jul - Sep 18 sailings
    
5. Ms Westerdam (Holland America)
   7 nights "Alaska Glacier Discovery Northbound cruise" from Vancouver, Canada to Seward, Alaska from just US$ 899 per person*. 2018 summer sailing dates: 13, 27 May; 10, 24 Jun; 8, 22 Jul; 5, 19 Aug; 2 Sep (2018)
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Apr - Jun 18 sailings
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Jul - Sep 18 sailings
    
6. Celebrity Millennium (Celebrity Cruises)
   7 nights Southbound Alaska cruise from Seward, Alaska to Vancouver, Canada visiting Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Icy Point Straight. From just US$ 1029 per person*. 2018 summer sailing dates:  18 May; 1, 15, 29 Jun; 13, 27 Jul; 10, 24 Aug; 7 Sep (2018)
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Apr - Jun 18 sailings
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Jul - Sep 18 sailings
    
7. Regatta (Oceania Cruises)
   7 nights Inside Passage Alaska including The Tracy Arm Fjord & Sawyer Glacier from Vancouver, Canada to Seattle, USA from just US$ 1569 per person*. 2018 summer sailing dates:  12 Jun (2018)
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Apr - Jun 18 sailings
    
8. Disney Wonder (Disney Cruise Line)
   7 nights Alaska cruise, round trip from Vancouver visiting Tracy Arm Fjord, Juneau, Skagway & Ketchikan from US$ 2044 per person*.  2018 summer sailing dates: 21, 28 May; 4, 11, 18, 25 Jun; 2, 23, 30 Jul; 6, 13, 20, 27 Aug; 3 Sep (2018)
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Apr - Jun 18 sailings
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Jul - Sep 18 sailings
    
9. Silver Shadow (Silversea)
   7 nights Southbound Alaska cruise from Seward, Alaska to Vancouver, Canada visiting Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka & Ketchikan from just US$ 4400 per person*. 2018 summer sailing dates:  24 May; 7, 28 Jun; 19 Jul; 2, 16, 30 Aug (2018)
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Apr - Jun 18 sailings
   Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Jul - Sep 18 sailings
    
10. Seabourn Sojourn (Seabourn)
    12 nights "Ultimate Alaska & Inside Passage" cruise round trip from Vancouver, Canada from US$ 6499 per person*. 2018 summer sailing dates:  4 Jun (2018)
    Click here for cruise itinerary and prices for Apr - Jun 18 sailings