Navigating Glacier Bay ; a humpback whale ( left )
“ AlAskA is wild And unpredictAble ,” warns our guide , Dave . “ We don ’ t know what we ’ ll see or where we ’ ll see it .”
We ’ ve just boarded a boat in Juneau , in the state ’ s rugged southern panhandle , and our hearts are set on spotting a whale . We cross our fingers and allow ourselves to be hopeful .
After all , we ’ ve come a long way to partake in an Alaskan cruisetour , and with ports such as Skagway , Ketchikan , Juneau and Anchorage , as well as the Inside Passage , on our itinerary , the potential for adventure is huge .
It ’ s also a big reason why so many visitors to Alaska choose to see the state via cruisetours — combination cruise and land-holiday packages . Cruisetours pack in all the expected cruise ship amenities , including myriad activities at each port of call . But what can ’ t be accomplished during single-day port excursions is made up for with an extended , land-based tour »
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