Alaska Cruise Aboard a Small Ship

Have you ever wondered why some people choose small sailing vessels when the giant ships look so impressive?

The answer is that smaller ships oftentimes have all of the luxury of the cruise ship, with more charm. Here are just a few of the ways that booking a small cruise ship for your Alaska travel can outshine the mega-ships.

Smaller Ships have More Flexibility

Mega ships, by necessity, take up a lot of room in the water. This means that they are unable to navigate narrow channels or shallow sounds (depths) like the smaller vessels can. Smaller cruise ships often avoid the major shipping lanes, taking you off the beaten path to see small villages, remote sea passages, and wild surroundings such as the Misty Fjords State Park.

Wildlife can be expected to be more abundant, since fewer people will be traveling the same path. You'll share the water with local fishermen and fellow explorers, rather than other floating cruise cities. This gives you the feeling of the true Alaska, rather than a manufactured commercial experience.

Avoiding the Crowds

One of the main reasons why people usually go to Alaska in the first place is to enjoy the remote beauty of the northern state. It seems ironic that so many go to such a sparsely populated area, just to surround themselves with crowds. On a large cruise ship, you may have to wait in line for snacks, drinks and stores. You'll wait in one line to disembark the ship and another to get back on. Your dining hall may be crowded, and you might need to make appointments for most activities.

And don't expect your vacation to get any quieter when you leave the boat. Because the mega ships can only dock at the largest ports, there are a limited number of possible places to visit. That means that the cities where you stop will probably be jammed not only with your fellow passengers, but also with those from a number of other cruise lines.

A smaller cruise ship, on the other hand, has many more choices when it comes to places to dock and things to see. You won't be elbow-to-elbow with other tourists on board or on shore. Most of these ships accommodate between a dozen and a hundred people on board, meaning that you can mingle without feeling suffocated.

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Alaska Travel in a Relaxed Atmosphere

Many people enjoy dressing up in evening clothes for dinner on their vacation. But for those who would prefer to leave the tuxes and ball gowns at home, a small cruise ship tends to have a more cozy and relaxed atmosphere. They usually put a higher premium on homey surroundings than on glamour and glitz.

See Alaska up Close with Small Cruise Ships

You can expect large cruise liners to be packed to the gills with casinos, spas, on-board boutiques and other activities. Smaller cruise ships have no room for much more than the basics. However, they also focus more on the environment around you than on the things you can do on board. This helps round out your experience of Alaska itself, instead of focusing your trip on activities that you could do anywhere in the world.