Six must-do experiences to include on your next Alaskan cruise!

There are several reasons why an Alaskan cruise is on the bucket list of world wanderers. After all, where else will you see glaciers shimmering in the sun that you can touch and feel or, spend a day observing wildlife go about their business?

A cruise through Alaska will open your eyes to some of the most majestic, unforgettable sights and never-before-seen experiences that will stay with you long after your cruise vacation is over. So, make sure you’ve included these six experiences in your Alaskan cruise itinerary that are among the global travellers’ most recommended to-dos!

An Alaskan cruise is incomplete if you haven't connected with the tranquility and peace of nature on a Kayak! Your cruise ship should be able to arrange a boat for you, so you can Kayak through secluded coves that are home to some of Alaska’s most amazing wildlife. See amusing sea otters lazing in their kelp beds, or watch how a sulky harbour seal keeps an eye over fish prey. Kayaking along the banks of a glacier can be among the most meditative and rejuvenating experiences, so don’t miss out on it.

A hike through the Alaskan wilderness is the stuff dreams are made of! In Ketchikan, a four-hour Wilderness Exploration and Crab Feast in America’s largest national forest —Tongass National Forest, will show you sights you’ve never imagined in Alaska! Enjoy the snow-capped peaks and thunderous waterfalls teeming with feasting bears at a leisurely pace through this abundant and vibrant rain forest, breathing in fresh mountain air and unwinding in scenic campsites at regular intervals to allow you to catch your breath.

To see images of glaciers on paper or on TV is one thing, but to feel the icy chill that glaciers emit when you come in close proximity to them is an altogether different ball-game. The raw power and beauty of Hubbard Glacier, a colossal river of ice that is North America’s largest tidewater glacier, will leave you breathless and forever changed! You can view the sheer face of this glacier that rises hundreds of feet above the waterline, from the comfort of a heated cabin on an expedition-style boat with panoramic windows. Sail to the mouth of Disenchantment Bay with an accompanying naturalist telling you everything you want to know. Enroute, North America’s ten tallest peaks will surely humble you!

Alaska is home to a diverse variety of flora and fauna, so don’t miss the chance to observe otters and seals flapping about in the waters around the ship, or to catch a humpback whale breaching just off the bow of your ship with a soaring bald eagle scouting for his next meal! A pair of binoculars will give you glimpses of bears, moose, caribou and gray wolves preying or frolicking on the glacier rocks or shoreline. Cruise itineraries take you past otherwise inaccessible tidewater glaciers and through deep fjords, that are home to local wildlife. Expert naturalists on board and smaller vessels allowing for closer encounters, make this cruise all the more memorable.

If you think that on this cruise, adventure activities would be asking too much, you are mistaken! Aboard NCL’s ships that offer seven-to-16-day itineraries in Alaska, you can enjoy multiple activities and attractions at Icy Strait Point that will give you an adrenaline high you never imagined! On this destination cruise you will experience the Mountain Top Gondola, backcountry jeep and ATV excursions, high-speed ocean raft tours and even have the chance to ride the world’s largest and longest zipline, the ZipRider! If you’re lucky, you’ll even spot some brown bears, whales and eagles from the new Wilderness Landing Pier.

Every year, the mystery and magic of the emerald greens, fluorescent yellows and violet swirls of the Aurora Borealis flashing across a crystal-clear night sky draw hordes of travellers to Alaska. Imagine watching this celestial spectacle aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line ship that sails to Fairbanks just so you have front and centre view of nature’s most special dance! A September cruise will offer you the best opportunity to get lucky with the lights. Set the stage for the viewing in your cabin balcony with champagne and some midnight snacks and catch the magic unfurl between 12:30 AM and 4:30 AM.