5 Alaska Shore Excursions That Will Make You Book an Oceania Cruise Now

Cool-weather Alaska is one of the hottest cruising destinations. It's in our own backyard, with pristine and inspiring natural wonders, and a sailing season May-September perfectly aligned with family summer vacation time.

Oceania Cruises has a twist on discovering America's 'Last Frontier' by sea. Oceania ships are smaller than the mega-ships sailing Alaskan waters. That means they can cruise into small ports and fjords, and get closer to coastal vistas.

 

Oceania's ship in Alaska is the sleek and elegant Regatta. It accommodates only 684 guests, and they're calling it the only 'Better Than New' ship in the region. It's emerged from the OceaniaNEXT program of $100 million of enhancements, and features brand new suites and staterooms along with dramatically re-fashioned public spaces, with new Italian crystal chandeliers and designer furnishings in its four unique, open-seating restaurants, eight lounges and bars, as well as its world-class fitness center/spa.  

 

On land, the cruise line has also taken a highly customized approach to Alaskan itineraries, where guests can sail from a variety of West Coast ports round trip or in one direction up or down the coast: roundtrip from Seattle or Vancouver, or between Vancouver and Seward, Seattle and Vancouver, San Francisco and Vancouver, or Vancouver and Los Angeles. That creates opportunities for a variety of cruise durations: 7, 10, 11, 12, or 14 days… as well as more ports, more experiences and longer stays in ports – sometimes as late as 11 pm - for greater immersion into Alaska's marine and land adventures.

The destination-focused cruise line has curated a collection of unique shore excursions that are essential reflections of Alaska. From nature to adventure to history and legend, here are 5 Oceania Alaska shore experiences that will make you realize you can't let another summer go by without cruising to Alaska.

The stupendous Mendenhall Glacier, just outside Alaska’s capital city of Juneau, is a slow-moving river of ice emptying into a lake, making it a vision of natural beauty in this US National Park. You'll get to see it from the best angles, flying high above rugged terrain in a helicopter with amazing views over indigo blue crevasses, fanciful ice spires, intriguing icefalls, and jagged rock formations rising thousands of feet into the sky. Upon landing,  you'll see the glacier up close in a guided hike, wearing boots specially designed for comfort and traction on ice. Where else but Alaska can you hike a glacier from your helicopter?

 

You may have watched the Discovery Channel series the Deadliest Catch, and on this excursion, you embark on one of the crab boats from the series – except unlike the series that takes on the wildest challenges, you'll be sailing only in calm, protected coastal waters, past the stunning scenery of southeastern Alaska, hearing the legends of crab fishing. Crew haul up crab pots and long lines, bringing onboard not just crab but shark, octopus, prawns, and rock fish, carefully placing them into an on-deck aquarium so you can view and interact with these marine creatures before they are returned, unharmed, to their natural habitat.

 

Alaska is American today, yet it was once part of Russia before its purchase in 1867, and Russian influences, architecture and culture remain throughout the state. At the Kodiak Inn, you can enjoy a traditional Russian tea, a variation on the English classic, where scones and finger sandwiches are replaced by borscht, Russian teacakes and pirozhkis as you're entertained by Balalaika Players' music.

 

Push off from the beach along Icy Strait Point in a two-person kayak with your local expert guide, and paddle the protected waters around Port Fredrick in bays and coves so unspoiled that you’ll feel as if you’re the first to ever explore the region. The nutrient-rich waters are home to humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, porpoises, sea otters, and seals and bald eagles.

 

The Stikine River is the fastest flowing navigable river in the United States and your customized, purpose-built jetboat, both heated and covered, is the perfect vehicle for exploration of the 500,000-acre Stikine-LeConte Wilderness. You may see moose, bear, deer and spawning salmon as you enjoy spectacular views of mountain peaks and thundering waterfalls. Ashore, celebrate the moment with a wine and cheese break in the grand surroundings of Nature.