There’s a lot of exciting news coming out of Alaska for the upcoming 2018 small ship cruise season. The experts at AdventureSmith Explorations have just announced the following. The 2018 expedition cruise season in Alaska will begin earlier than ever, an increased number of vessels will now be navigating Alaskan waters, there will be increased opportunities for exploring Glacier Bay National Park and more multi-sport options for active cruise adventures will be offered.
“Instead of waiting until Memorial Day to enjoy the experience of a small ship adventure in Alaska, guests will be excited to learn that they can sail as early as mid-April of 2018. This longer season adds a full month to take advantage of traditional early season savings,” noted Todd Smith, Founder/President of AdventureSmith Explorations.
Longer Season & Savings
Historically small expedition vessels begin plying cruise routes in Alaska in mid-May; however next year the first Alaska sailing of the season is set for April 14, 2018, aboard Wilderness Adventurer’s new Glacier Bay National Park Adventure Cruise route. (Note: for real early birds, some positioning cruises from Seattle will sail as early as April 7, 2018.) A major benefit of cruising in April will be opportunities to see more wildlife. Sightings usually differ from spring into summer as do cruise rates. In the spring, moose, wolves and bears with cubs are active along with these 2018 savings:
- Select April and May cruises aboard the Wilderness & Safari small ship fleet are $400 off per couple when booked by Dec. 15, 2017.
- Select May sailings of Exploring Alaska’s Coastal Wilderness offer free airfare when booked by Dec. 30, 2017.
- Select April and May Treasures of the Inside Passage departures sailing from Seattle to Alaska offer free one-way airfare when booked by Dec 31, 2017.
- Select May and June land-based trips on the Kenai Peninsula and/or exploring Denali National Park offer a per person savings of up to $650.
Expanded Small Ship Inventory
Helping to expand the overall Alaska small ship passenger capacity is the returning 88-guest S.S. Legacy, a replica turn-of-the-century coastal steamer which features a dance floor, full bar and a new complement of adventure equipment for kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. There will also be more charter options with the addition of the 8-guest Golden Eagle and its Golden Eagle Custom Alaska Cruise to the Alaska Charters inventory. These small ships join the popular 100-guest National Geographic Quest whose inaugural 2017 Alaska voyages sold out. Her sister ship, the 100-guest National Geographic Venture, is under construction and currently scheduled to sail Alaskan waters in 2018. AdventureSmith Explorations will release further news on the Venture as her cabins become available for booking.
More Ways to Explore Glacier Bay
New Glacier Bay National Park permit allocations opened the door for AdventureSmith Explorations and its partners to create for 2018 more itineraries exploring the park.
- The new 8-day Glacier Bay National Park Adventure Cruise aboard the 60-guest Wilderness Adventurer spends three days exploring the park.
- A new 15-day Alaska’s Inside Passage & San Juans Cruise between Seattle and Juneau (northbound in spring, southbound in fall) allocates one full day inside Glacier Bay. The selection of small ships for this cruise ranges from 36 to 88 guests.
- The 8-guest Westward spends four days in the park on a special 10-day alternative itinerary round-trip from Juneau on May 19, 2018.
- A new 11-day Alaska’s Frontier & Wilderness Quest itinerary aboard the 74-guest Chichagof Dream on June 3 and June 13, 2018, extends the classic Glacier Bay & Island Adventure journey to include two days in Glacier Bay and includes excursions north up the Lynn Canal to Skagway and down the Inside Passage south to Wrangell.
- A new 18-day Great National Parks of Alaska journey by sea and land explores Glacier Bay, Kenai Fjords and Denali national parks via the 60-guest Wilderness Adventurer and wilderness lodges. The first of the 13 departures is set for May 26, 2018, and the season’s final is Aug. 18, 2018.
More Multisport Options
Small ships have always been base camps for adventure, but AdventureSmith Explorations is reporting even more adventure options on board, and ashore, for the coming 2018 cruise season. A new 8-day Whales, Wildlife & Glaciers itinerary aboard the 84-guest Safari Endeavour or the 88-guest replica steamer S.S. Legacy includes river rafting and biking in Haines. The S.S. Legacy has been newly outfitted with kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and skiffs. A new 9-day Alaska Yacht: Bears, Bergs & Bushwhacking aboard the 22-guest Safari Quest offers guests the included activities of flightseeing or charter fishing in Petersburg before they embark the ship.
For a full listing of all the various adventure options in Alaska, by sea and by land, see: https://www.adventuresmithexplorations.com/alaska. For information on all of AdventureSmith’s small ship cruises worldwide including itineraries, availability and reservations, please call 1-877-620-2875 toll-free or visit http://www.adventuresmithexplorations.com/
