Snorkeling Or Ziplining on Your Alaska Cruise Vacation?

Alaska is a fabulous cruise destination. There’s the colorful history, the breathtaking landscapes, the incredible wildlife ashore and at sea, and the fresh air. Our cruise agency sells hundreds of Alaska cruises each year, and some of us have cruised in Alaska several times, on a variety of luxury cruises.

In Alaska best cruise experiences are often ashore, based on the activities and excursions you select to enrich your enjoyment. There are a number of activities to enjoy, from dog sledding and kayaking to gold panning and fishing, our cruise agency can custom arrange a number of options.

However, a couple of newer activities I’ve recently learned about, and can’t wait to try the next time I’m lucky to cruise Alaska again, is snorkeling and ziplining! Sure, I’ve snorkeled a number of places around the world, and ziplined in Costa Rica, Hawaii and Canada. But in Alaska?

Based near Ketchikan, a popular port of call, there’s a snorkeling area featuring shallow tide pools and steep underwater rock walls. Here you can observe a variety of multicolored marine life during a guided marine life tour, and discover all types of larger fish that inhabit these protected (read calm) inland waters while snorkeling over the kelp forest. The excursion operators provide wetsuits and a heated changing room, and hot beverage.

In Icy Strait Point you’ll find ZipRider, which claims to be among the longest and highest zipline rides in the world. Comprised of six one-mile long cables, so you can zip side-by-side with family and friends, is some 5,300 feet in length with a 1,300 foot drop! They even have bear-viewing platforms, and whale sightings are guaranteed. Might even be the highlight of your Alaska best cruise experience — no pun intended.

Several cruise lines offer the excursions onboard, or it can be arranged directly through our cruise agency. If you have snorkeled or ziplined in Alaska, let us know how the experience was. Or you can learn more about an exciting Alaska cruise and view current offers.