Bonniebrite

My husband and I are hoping to visit Alaska for 7 - 10 days this summer. We have never cruised, not being ones for crowds, nightlife, etc. It seems that we'd enjoy a small ship with fewer passengers, and hopefully , a naturalist on board. We would prefer to travel out of sight of the large ships if possible. We enjoy hiking and kayaking - experiencing the more natural part of Alaska. Also, the opportunity to photograph brown bears is a must. Are there options for us in different price ranges? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! With so much information, it's hard to know where to begin.

doug_stallings

I think you'd like a small-ship cruise. Just be aware that it will cost 3 or 4 times the cost of a large-ship cruise in most cases. One of the most experienced companies is Cruise West. I've done one of their cruises but not in Alaska (I went to Costa Rica and Panama last year). The crowd is generally over 50, so just be aware of that.

If you are very interested in brown bears, you might look for a cruise that goes to Kodiak, which has more bears than almost anywhere else in Alaska. But you might also plan a cruise during salmon-spawning season, when the bears are out during the day to eat.

ElendilPickle

I haven't taken one of these cruises, but acquaintances who have speak very highly of Lindblad Expeditions www.expeditions.com

Lee Ann

Bill_H

Another vote for Lindblad for smaller cruise ships with a naturalist orientation. For best chances at photographing bears up close you'd probably do better with an add-on side trip though.

Moongoddess

I loved my experience with Cruise West, but I've heard great things about Lindblad, too. I don't think you'd go wrong with either one. Understand, though, that no cruise can guarantee you a grizzly sighting. If you really want that, you should consider adding a side trip to Kodiak Island or Katmai National Park.