Cruising Alaska – Big Ship VS Small Ship

After choosing your itinerary, choosing the right ship is the number one factor in making sure you get the vacation you’re looking for. Alaska cruises range from small adventure-type ships to mega-resort-type ships, and the cruise experience varies widely depending on the type of ship you select. There are casual cruises and luxury cruises; educational cruises in which you attend lectures and cruises in which you attend music reviews; adventure-oriented cruises where hiking, kayaking, and exploring remote areas are the main activities; and resort-style cruises where aquatic therapy and mud baths are the order of the day.

You will need to decide what overall cruise experience you want. The itinerary and the type of cruise are even more important than the price. After all, what kind of bargain is a party cruise if you’re looking for some quiet time? Your fantasy vacation can be someone else’s nightmare and vice versa.

Unlike the Caribbean, which generally attracts people looking to relax in the sun, people who want to spend all their time scuba diving and snorkeling, and people who want to party until the cows come home, visitors to Alaska generally have one goal. different: They want to experience Alaska’s glaciers, forests, wildlife and other natural wonders. All cruise lines recognize this, so almost any option you choose will give you the chance to see what you’ve come for. The main question, then, is how you want to see those views. Do you want to be on the waterline, watching them from the deck of an adventure ship, or do you want to watch them from a warm lounge or, better yet, from your own private terrace?

The large ships that operate in Alaska vary in size and scope, and include everything from a classic cruise ship to really big, really new mega-ships. All offer a comfortable sailing experience, with virtual armies of on-duty employees monitoring your well-being and the boat’s stabilizers ensuring smooth sailing.

The size of these boats can keep Alaskan wildlife at a distance (you’ll probably need binoculars to see the whales), but they offer plenty of deck space and comfy lounge chairs to sit on while taking in the beautiful views of the mountains and glaciers and drink a cup of coffee or cocoa. Because of their deeper drafts, large ships can’t get as close to the sights as smaller ships, and they can’t visit the more pristine fjords, inlets, and straits. However, these ships’ more powerful engines allow them to visit more ports during each voyage, usually popular ports where your ship may be one of several, and where shopping for souvenirs is a main attraction. Some of the less massive ships in this category can also visit alternative ports, away from the typical tourist crowds.

Regardless of port size, big-ship cruise lines put a lot of emphasis on shore excursions, which allow you to get a closer look at different aspects of Alaska: nature, native culture, and more. It is essential to disperse passengers to different places on these ground trips. When 2,000 passengers disembark in a small Alaskan town, much of the atmosphere goes out the window; on particularly busy days, when multiple ships are in port, there may actually be more cruise ship passengers ashore than locals. Due to the number of people involved, disembarkation can be a lengthy process.

With capacity for more than 2,000 passengers, the mega-ships look and feel like floating resorts. Big on glitz, they offer a ton of activities, attract a lot of families (and, especially in Alaska, a lot of seniors), offer plenty of public rooms (including luxury casinos and fully equipped gyms), and provide a wide variety of entertainment options. food and entertainment, and although they usually have one or two formal nights per trip, the atmosphere is generally casual. Alaskan ships in the Carnival, Celebrity, Princess and Royal Caribbean fleets fit into this category, as do most Alaskan ships in the Holland America and Norwegian fleets.

Just as large cruise ships are primarily for people who want all the resort amenities, small or alternative ships are more suited to people who prefer a casual, crowd-free cruise experience that gives passengers the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Alaskan natural environment and wildlife.

Thanks to their smaller size, these ships, which carry fewer than 150 passengers, can go places that larger ships cannot, such as narrow fjords, uninhabited islands, and smaller ports that primarily serve small fishing boats. Because of their shallow draft (the amount of ship below the waterline), they can sniff up sheer cliffs, bird colonies, rocking icebergs, and waterfalls you can literally reach out and touch. Also, marine animals aren’t as intimidated by these boats, so you might have a fairly close encounter with a humpback whale or spot other marine mammals floating in the wake of the boat. The decks of these ships are also closer to the waterline, giving passengers a more intimate view than from the upper decks of large cruise ships. Some of these ships stop at ports daily like larger ships, and some avoid ports almost entirely, exploring natural areas instead. They also have the flexibility to change their itineraries as the opportunity arises, for example to go where whales have been sighted and stay a while once the sighting has been made.

The alternative ship experience comes with a sense of adventure, though it’s usually a soft rather than rugged kind of adventure, and offers a generally casual cruising experience: no fancy dress nights, food can be prepared Quite simple, and because there are so few public areas to choose from, usually just one or two small lounges, friendships tend to develop more quickly between passengers on these ships than on board larger ships, which can be as anonymous as a large city. Staterooms on these ships typically don’t offer televisions or phones and tend to be very small and, in some cases, downright spartan. Meals are usually served in open seating only (meaning seats are not assigned) and dress codes are generally non-existent.

None of these ships offer exercise or spa facilities like you’ll find on the larger ships (your best bet for exercise is usually a brisk walk around the deck after dinner), but you can compensate by offering more active opportunities off the ship, such as hiking, fishing, crabbing, or kayaking (on three of Glacier Bay Tours and Cruises’ ships, aft launch pads allow you to kayak directly from the ship). Alternative ships are also more likely to host expert lectures on Alaska-specific topics such as marine biology, history, native culture, and other intellectual pursuits.

There are no outriggers on most of these smaller ships, and the ride can be bumpy in open water, which isn’t much of an issue on Inside Passage itineraries, as most of the sailing area is protected from waves. from sea. They’re also difficult for travelers with disabilities, as only three (Cruise West’s Spirit of ’98 and Spirit of Oceanus and Clipper’s Clipper Odyssey) have elevators. And the alternative ship lines don’t offer specific activities or facilities for children, although you will find some families on some of these ships.