Planning A Trip To Alaska: Land Vs. Sea

Touring southeast Alaska's Inside Passage by land can be logistically challenging and quite pricey. Many of its islands are only accessible by air or sea — there are no roads that you can drive to reach these ports — and food in Alaska is expensive.

In contrast, visiting Alaska by sea on a cruise ship is convenient and a great value, considering meals, accommodation and entertainment are included in the fares.

Alaska's capital, Juneau, is a popular cruise port that can only be reached by air or sea as it is surrounded by glaciers and rugged terrain; likewise, you couldn't drive to Sitka or Haines from the lower 48, either.

Whether you're out on one of the expansive open decks or in a warm observation lounge watching the world float by, a cruise ship affords front-row views of the massive glaciers, iceberg-choked straits, sheer rock faces, miles of forest and wildlife that have made this state such a popular cruising destination.

From your floating home base, a trip to Alaska provides opportunities to witness breaching humpback whales sending their powerful gusts of breath spraying into the air. Keep your eyes open for seals floating along on chunks of ice and for brown bears trying to catch fish along the shoreline. Look up to spot bald eagles soaring overhead or perching high up on treetops.

You can also take it all in from the comfort of your stateroom's balcony or a window-facing treadmill in the gym that offers a panorama topped with blue skies.

In port, you can see more of Alaska's bounty on one of the optional shore excursions that get you out into the woods to go hiking, cycling, kayaking, fishing or panning for gold. Expert guides lead the way, enhancing your experience and understanding of the region.

You can also wander around ports like Sitka, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan on your own, taking in the crisp air as you revel in Alaska's forests, mountains and icefields. Stop for lunch at a local joint to dig into a plate of fresh halibut served with fries and wash it down with a local microbrew (if that's your thing).

I have fond memories of my family and I enjoying fish and chips at Juneau's Hangar on the Wharf after taking the Goldbelt Tram 1,800 feet up to the top of Mount Roberts for a walk around the alpine forest, where we enjoyed sweeping views of the Chilkat Range and Gastineau Channel. It was a great day for the whole family and, at the end of it, just a short walk back to the ship.

Discovering the Last Frontier by cruise ship means you have access to Alaska's national parks, massive glaciers and the deep fjords that spread out along its scenic coastal areas.

Cruising allows you to visit remote areas of Alaska that are difficult or impossible to access by land. There are numerous islands, wilderness areas and small towns and communities that can only be reached by water — whether by small speed boats, cruise ships or float planes that land on the water.

Close-up access to glaciers, the stars of the show for many travelers, is another benefit of cruise travel. Ships can often cruise close enough to a glacier's terminal moraine that you can hear and see the movement of the ice. And for glaciers that you can't see from the ship itself, you can sign up for an excursion that will get you there by a small boat, kayak or motorcoach.

The many glaciers to behold include Hubbard Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in North America, and the Margerie and Johns Hopkins glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park, which gets its name from the hundreds of ice fields across its more than three million acres.

Here, the journey is as good as the destination. Sailing through the deep, narrow Tracy Arm Fjord, for instance, reveals some of the most breathtaking scenery you'll find in Alaska, with steep cliffs covered in evergreens and streaked with waterfalls, and the twin tidewater Sawyer glaciers capping the fjord's end. If you're lucky, you'll witness the glaciers calving and get to see huge chunks of ice break off and crash dramatically into the water with a splash.