When is the best time to cruise to Alaska?

Cruise lines offer Alaska sailings between May and September but the fringe seasons can be cold and wet so we have scheduled Catch the Wave for the peak tourist period when days are long, warm and sunny.

Can I stay on in Alaska after the cruise?

Many passengers often choose to extend their Alaska cruises by adding a land tour to the beginning or end of their cruises. These "Cruise Tours" let you explore the interior cities and National Parks of Alaska allowing you to visit such places as Mt. McKinley, Denali National Park and Fairbanks. These cruise tours can range from three to 5 days in addition to your 7-day cruise vacation. If you have the time and a sense of adventure, a cruise tour is well worth it.

Will I get cold in Alaska?

The Sapphire Princess will visit places with lots of ice and you can take tours which give you the opportunity to trek across a glacier. With this said, you would expect it to be very cold in Alaska. But it is usually warm and sunny in June/July when we are holding Catch the Wave.

Is it true it doesn't get dark in Alaska?

Alaska is known as the Land of the Midnight Sun because of the really long days you may experience in April through September. It's really quite a feeling to be cruising the Inside Passage, stepping out to your private balcony and enjoying the view at 11:00 pm at night!

The amount of daylight you experience while in Alaska depends upon where you are and when you traveling. Here are the number of average daylight hours in Alaska major ports and cities during the Alaska cruise season:

With this said, you can't use the excuse "There are just not enough daylight hours in the day." Longer days give you even more opportunities to bask in the beauty of His creation and enjoy all that Alaska has to offer.

Is a stateroom with a balcony really worth it?

A cruise to Alaska is about enjoying the unspoiled natural wonders of America's last, great frontier. What a better way of enjoying it than from the privacy of your own private balcony stateroom.

The view on an Alaska cruise is always changing. When you're sailing along the Inside Passage or College Fjord, you have an almost constant view of mountains, wilderness, glaciers, or quaint waterfront communities. You never know when you may see humpback whale or a pod of Orca whales. And with the longer, daylight hours in Alaska, you may see wildlife at almost any time of day or night.

With a balcony, it's almost as though you have a floor to ceiling window to the most magnificent views in the world to enjoy the peace and beauty around you. Quietly sitting on your own private balcony while enjoying a little something from the room service menu is a great way to experience Alaska.

What will I see on my Alaska Catch the Wave cruise?

An Alaska Cruise not only gives you the opportunity to see Wildlife, Wilderness, Mountains and Glaciers, Alaska's natural beauty, but it also gives you a chance to enjoy attractions and museums that pertain to the Native American Culture and Gold Rush History that is unique to the area.

All Alaska Cruises and Cruise Tours will give you varying tastes of each of these depending upon the options you choose. On an Alaska cruise you may see:

• Wildlife - moose, caribou, dall sheep, grizzly bears, puffin, seals, humpback and killer whale, eagles and more.
• Mountains - 7 of the tallest mountains in North America are located in Alaska and the Yukon, some of which are visible from your cruise ship. To see Mt. McKinley, North America's largest mountain, you'll need to take a cruise tour into Denali National Park.
• Glaciers On our itinerary you will see Glacier Bay, College Fjord and Mendenhall Glacier.
• History - All of Alaska is rich with Native American and Gold Rush history. Totem Bight Park, and the White Pass Railroad are just two of the many attractions you can see.

You'll see many of these right from onboard the Sapphire Princess or on your own, just wandering around the ports. Alaska Park Rangers will be onboard and you are invited to attend a series of educational lectures.

What is an Alaska Cruise Tour?

An Alaska Cruise Tour combines your Catch the Wave cruise with an Alaska land vacation to make a "Cruise Tour." These are 3 to 5 days at the end of the cruise that give you an opportunity experience both the coastal and interior areas of Alaska.

You can explore the heart of Alaska including Mt. McKinley and Denali National Park. You will travel by deluxe motor coach and/or trains, stay at exquisite, mountain lodges and view wildlife in its natural habitat. You will participate in adventurous and culturally rich shore excursions. Additional excursions can be purchased along the way to help complete your Alaska adventure.

Will I get to see Mt. McKinley?

Mt. McKinley, North America's largest mountain at 20,360 feet is located in Denali National Park, in the interior region of Alaska between Anchorage and Fairbanks. Tours in Denali National Park are only available to Alaska Cruise Tour passengers and not to 7-night Alaska Cruise-Only passengers.

Mt. McKinley is so large it creates its own weather. With this said, cloud coverage is unpredictable and full view of Mt. McKinley is never guaranteed by any cruise line. But when she's "out," viewing North America's highest peak in its full glory is truly an awesome sight!

When is the best time to see whales?

Whales begin their Northbound migration Alaska in February with the cows and calves beginning around April and continue their trek through May. In late June early July, you may see Humpback and Minke Whales, Orcas, Pacific White-Sided Dolphins, Dall's and Harbour Porpoises. You may even enjoy the rare sight of bubble-netting Humpbacks.

When you're cruising in Alaska, it's not uncommon to see whales right from the deck of the ship or your private balcony. To increase your chances of seeing whales, you may want to take an optional whale watching tour that will take you and group of other passengers on a small boat in search of whale pods. This a very exciting especially when the captain of your boat starts following a pod and getting close to a whale as it makes a terminal dive or comes up for air.

Should I bring my kids?

Absolutely! Alaska is not only a fabulous, unforgettable vacation destination full of cool, high adventure activities, it's also an unbelievable educational opportunity for the kids. If your children are active and love adventure, they will enjoy an Alaskan cruise.

Princess Cruises provides wonderful facilities and services for families with children of all ages including toddlers, youth, tweens and teens. This includes expansive kids programming, kids facilities, kids menus and even special Alaska Shore Excursions and activities for the kids. See the Onboard Experience section for details.

The Sapphire Princess has cabins that can accommodate three or four passengers in one cabin. This means that children can travel at substantially reduced rates when they share a cabin with their parents, making it more affordable to take the whole family to Alaska.

Which side of the ship is best for viewing glaciers?

This is one of the most common questions asked. While we can understand that you may think that the right side of the ship (starboard side) is better for scenery on a Northbound cruise this isn't true. When cruising the Inside Passage, there is scenery on both sides of the ship and when you are entering the fjords in Alaska, the viewing will be equally good from both sides of the ship over the duration of your cruise vacation.

Can I bring my wheelchair to Alaska?

Princess Cruises do their best to accommodate wheelchair passengers wherever possible. The Sapphire Princess is built with numerous wheelchair-accessible staterooms that include wide doors and large bathrooms with roll-in showers with handrails, hand-held shower heads, and fold-down seas and stools.

They will also do their best to accommodate wheelchairs on the Cruise Tours as well. Many of the rail cars used by Princess Tours are accessible to the lower levels including the dining, restroom facilities and viewing platforms. Whenever possible, they will use motor coaches or vans equipped with lift-platforms to assist passengers in boarding and departing the coaches.

The cruise line requires advance notice of wheelchair passengers for all travel in order to ensure appropriate accommodation. Note that while all guests are provided assistance in boarding and departing the cruise ship, motor coaches and rail segments on the land tours, passengers with disabilities must be able to travel independent of assistance in other situations or travel with a companion who is capable of providing assistance.

Can I go fishing in Alaska?

If you love fishing, you will love Alaska. There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy full- or half-day fishing excursions in all the Alaska ports of call. You can fish for King Salmon, Pink & Silver Salmon, Sockeye, Halibut, Rainbow Trout, Char, and Steelhead depending on the port or city. This is one of the most popular activities on an Alaska cruise. Not only is it a high adventure sport that gives you a chance to land "the big one," it also combines the benefit of exploring some of the most beautiful scenery in Alaska, and maybe some glacier viewing or whale watching depending upon your fishing guide and tour.

Fishing excursions can be booked onboard through the cruise line or independently.. An example is a tour in Ketchikan, the salmon capital of the world, where you can go out on a charter boat spending 4 hours fishing for salmon in Alaska. These boats are fully guided and all gear and licensing included. If you have good day, which we hope you will, you can have your fresh catch packed and shipped back home or you can have the chef onboard the ship prepare your fresh fish for dinner. The cost of the fishing excursion is approx. $180 per person. Packing and shipping your fish home will be additional.

Is Alaska affordable and a good vacation option?

Yes! A cruise offers the best travel value for your money. Your fare includes all meals, your cabin, onboard daytime activities, nighttime parties and entertainment. And it includes the Catch the Wave conference as well as the Outreach. So, you'll know what your vacation will end up costing you before you go. (Your only extra expenses will be drinks, optional shore excursions, and personal services such as massage or hairstyling.)