Maybe it’s seeing icebergs and glaciers. Perhaps it’s watching whales and polar bears. Whatever it is, if you’re going on an Alaskan cruise vacation, there’s a good chance that it’s one of the most anticipated events of your life.

The dream of being able to see things with your own eyes that you’ve only read about in travel magazines or seen on a television screen makes just being on an Alaskan cruise ship a joyous event.

You can stay on the boat and gaze at the majestic views and abundant wildlife or venture ashore and visit local villages. Whatever you choose, you’ll enjoy a much more fulfilled experience than people who go to the same touristy attraction year-after-year-after-year.

Rugged Beauty And Adventure

Since your ship can come across whales, bears, and sea lions at pretty much every port, you’ll experience a very real sense of adventure aboard any Alaskan cruise ship that you won’t find sunning yourself poolside at some resort in the Caribbean.

But if you do want to be pampered and have a bit more of an adventure you can disembark and take a bus or train to the luxurious accommodations that are owned and operated by the cruse company. From there you’ll get an even closer look at the Alaskan lifestyles.

And if you get aboard Alaskan cruise ship that goes to the state capital of Juneau you can either trek into the wilderness or stay put and enjoy some of the most unique shopping experiences anywhere.

Shopping Like Nowhere Else

Some people love Alaska for its beauty. Others dream about it for the shopping.

Whatever camp you fall into, I think you’ll agree that going shopping sure beats coming face-to-face with a wild grizzly bear.

When you shop, for one thing, you’ll appreciate how important salmon is to the state and to tourism.

Visit Taku Smokeries near the waterfront (just south of Mt. Roberts Tramway) and you can buy all types of smoked seafood like cooked King Crab legs and halibut, as well as salmon. And if you don’t like it smoked ask them to flash freeze it for you, put it in insulated containers and ship it to your home.

Some of your potentially more interesting purchases aren’t even made in Alaska.

It seems that there are more shops selling Russian lacquerware , Faberge jewelry, amber and religious icons in Juneau than anywhere outside of Russia and Europe.

If you’re thinking of making a major investment in these particulars, it would be a good idea to do some research before you go so you’ll be able to separate the quality items from what looks good on the surface but is considerably overpriced.

And if you want affordable, quality gifts and souvenirs that are actually made by Alaskans, head over to Local Craft on Franklin Street, across from the tram. There you’ll find breath-taking Alaskan art, photographs, hand-made Eskimo dolls, hand-made jewelry and more there.

Going North To The Arctic Circle

Another alternative is to take a smaller ship on your Alaskan cruise vacation. Smaller vessels can take you on an inner passage cruise. You’ll be able to creep into the inland waterways and see majestic snow-capped mountain peaks and even glaciers in the middle of the summer.

Far from shopping, in the northern part of the state, you can venture into the Arctic Circle and traverse Prudhoe Bay during some parts of the year. If you have the time (and the money) you can even enjoy a 16-day Alaskan cruise adventure that combines your cruise, motorized tours and aerial treks in an untamed world.