When asked about a trip to Alaska, the conversation naturally leads to Holland America Line or Princess Cruises.  Those two sister cruise lines take more travelers to the land of the midnight sun than all others on the planet combined.  Soon, ultra luxury Seabourn will be sailing to Alaska after 17 years away, adding a new option.  Also unique, an interesting new choice for fans of Carnival Cruise Line; one usually only offered by cruise lines with a far more extensive presence in Alaska. The new Carnival Alaska sailing promises the trademark FunShip experience, focused a bit differently.

 

 

For the first time, Carnival Cruise Line will offer a 14-day Alaskan adventure round-trip from Long Beach in September 2017 featuring Glacier Bay and the line’s first visit to Icy Strait Point.  The one-of-a-kind voyage  will be part of the Carnival Journeys cruise enrichment series aboard Carnival Miracle departing Long Beach Sept. 2 and returning Sept. 16, 2017.

In addition to a full-day sailing Glacier Bay the new Carnival Alaska sailing includes the line’s inaugural call to Icy Strait Point.  The 14-day cruise will also feature the popular and stunning Alaskan ports of Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau and Sitka, as well as Vancouver, British Columbia.

Uniquely different features that qualify the sailing as a Carnival Journeys Enrichment sailing include:

• Intense Itinerary-Each of these destinations offers a rich history and culture, along with awe-inspiring natural wonders, including calving glaciers, magnificent fjords and native sea and animal life.
• Focused Shore Excursion Menu– A wide range of exciting shore excursions – from helicopter flightseeing and rainforest canopy tours to hiking, canoeing and kayaking expeditions, and alpine lake snorkeling  – will be available.
• Themed Culinary Events- Guests sailing on the special 14-day Carnival Journeys cruise will also enjoy unique on-board experiences where they can sample Alaskan cuisine and enjoy local entertainment and cultural opportunities within the various ports of call.
• Onboard Programming- Activities focusing on a broad range of topics – everything from photography and cooking to arts and crafts and celestial navigation — along with a 1980s-themed “Throwback Sea Day” will be offered, as well.

 

 

The Carnival Alaska lineup actually has two ships in Alaska.  In addition to Carnival Miracle,  one of our favorite Carnival Cruise Line ships, Carnival Legend will also offer 38 seven- and eight-day Alaska voyages in 2017 and 2018, including seven week-long Glacier Bay cruises.  The most requested part of sailing in this part of the world, the Carnival Alaska program features majestic glaciers and other ice formations and is home to numerous whales, bears and other wildlife.  Get those right and odds are the trip to Alaska will be a good one as glaciers/ice formations seem to go hand-in-hand with wildlife.

 

 

Carnival Alaska- A Step Further

The seven- and eight-day voyages operate either round-trip from Seattle or they can start in Vancouver and end in Seattle, visiting a variety of stunning ports, including Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria, BC, plus a full-day cruising Tracy Arm Fjord or Glacier Bay.  Seattle is always a win for round-trip sailings as we have seen multiple times with Alaska favorite Holland America Line.  The idea of beginning in Vancouver and ending in Seattle should be especially popular for cruise travelers who would like to see more of either or both of those wonderful cities.  A one to three day extension on the front and/or back end should be easy to fill with plenty to do and see.

Uniquely Different But Familiar Carnival Alaska

Both Carnival Miracle and Carnival Legend feature a wide range of dining and entertainment choices, including an elegant American steakhouse serving U.S.D.A. prime aged beef and other gourmet cuisine and the Caribbean-inspired RedFrog Pub.  Kids can have an unforgettable cruise experience with exhilarating water slides as well as fun supervised programs catering to three age groups and the popular Seuss at Sea program with fun activities like the Seuss-a-palooza Parade and Story Time and more.

Cruise lines that send one or two ships to Alaska every year do so for a couple main reasons. Loyal fans of any given cruise line like the idea of traveling the world with them.  They feel comfortable with the elements of cruising unique to that line.  Cruise lines also want to have a well-rounded book of available itineraries, catching travelers focused more on destinations than a particular cruise line.  Carnival seems to have hit the mark and gone a bit further with this new addition.

 

 

 

Booking Carnival Alaska

While we always recommend using a good travel agent to book any cruise, for additional information and reservations for Carnival Cruise Line’s Alaska cruises readers canalso call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit https://www.carnival.com/alaska. Frankly though, when planing a trip to Alaska of any sort, cruise travelers nearly always gain more from using a travel professional to assist in the booking process.  Only international travel for those who have not done that rank more important.

Carnival can also be found on:

• Twitter: www.twitter.com/carnivalcruise
• Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/carnival
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/carnival
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/carnival

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