Travel Bug: Alaska by sea: Bears, glaciers and everything in between

Clockwise from top left, a stop at the ‘I Love Prince Rupert’ sign in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, with the ship standing by in the background; morning coffee on deck while cruising the glacier fjords of Holkham Bay in Alaska; a black bear works a salmon run, gorging on eggs before winter; an eagle spreads its wings atop a Tlingit totem pole at Icy Strait Point in Alaska; and a path through the flower beds at Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia. (via Marybeth Bond-Sheppard)

Alaska is America’s last wild frontier — and a land of sublime, overwhelming beauty. The 10 highest major peaks in the U.S. are all in Alaska; many places can be reached only by boat or plane. You can’t even drive to Juneau, the state capital.

We sailed in August, on our fourth trip to Alaska, and we weren’t the only repeat visitors. Many of our fellow passengers on Oceania’s Riviera had been coming back for years, chasing glaciers, whales, bears and bald eagles.

Alaska cruises are booming

The obvious draws are wildlife, glaciers, Indigenous culture and adventure. But talking with other passengers, I found other reasons. Many were from Florida, Georgia, Texas, Arizona and Nevada, escaping a brutal summer heat wave. Others were avoiding the cost and hassle of long-haul international flights in favor of a short hop to the West Coast. As one crew member put it, people are tired of flying overseas. Alaska feels closer to home, and plenty of guests simply love cruising, love Alaska and keep coming back to Oceania for the amenities.

We also appreciated the adults-only atmosphere, which skews toward older, wealthier travelers. We joked that Alaska has become a “last chance” cruise: last chance to see the glaciers before they recede, last chance to make the trip while you still can and last chance to spend a chunk of your portfolio on something unforgettable.

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