Majestic America Line

Majestic America Line offers unique cruises that combine the intimate access, casual ambiance and friendly camaraderie of a small ship with the live entertainment, spacious accommodations and fine dining found on larger ships. Plus, an expert onboard historian/naturalist and in-depth shore excursions are included to enhance your understanding of the wildlife, history and cultures of Alaska.

MAJESTIC AMERICA LINE CRUISES & CRUISETOURS

7 Nt Inside Passage from $1,999 12 Nt Inside Passage from Juneau from $5,399 12 Nt Inside Passage from Seattle from $5,399

More About Majestic America Line Alaska Vacations

Included Shore Tours Pre- & Post-Hotel Packages Optional Excursions Showboat-Style Entertainment Fine Dining Compare Value

Casual, Elegant Small Ship Cruises

When you travel aboard a Majestic America Line sternwheeler, you not only cruise through history but you are cruising on the first overnight sternwheelers built to cruise the western waterways in more than 80 years. The Empress of the North and Queen of the West are two of the newest ships in the U.S.-flagged, small-ship category.

Each sternwheeler reflects an incomparable attention to detail, blending the timeless elegance of the 1800s paddlewheelers with state-of-the-art technology and all the modern amenities you would enjoy on a large ship: comfortable public spaces, gracefully appointed staterooms, spacious bathrooms, televisions with VCRs or DVD players and an elevator that reaches all four decks. All staterooms offer sweeping views, and most feature private verandahs.

Due to the smaller size of Majestic America Line's ships, you can cruise up-close and personal to the lush Alaskan scenery. Unlike larger ships, their sternwheelers offer a friendly, informal atmosphere. No tuxedos or ball gowns here; the onboard ambiance is always comfortable and casual, making it easy to get acquainted with fellow passengers and make new friends.

Majestic America Line's Unique Alaska Cruises

Majestic America Line's unique Alaska cruises combine intimate access, casual ambiance and the friendly camaraderie of a small ship with live entertainment, spacious accommodations and fine dining usually found only on larger ships. The Empress of the North is not like a floating city, she is more like a floating family – and ideal for intimate Alaska cruises. Remarkably maneuverable, she can safely edge close to the shoreline, stake out prime viewing of the abundant wildlife and seek the hidden wonders that most Alaska cruises never find. Plus, an expert onboard historian and in-depth shore excursions are included to enhance your understanding of the rich history and cultures of America’s Last Frontier.

Why Do People Dream of Alaska and Alaska Glacier Cruises?
Alaska is vast. Its magnificent sky is filled with brilliant stars and the Northern lights in Spring and Fall and filled with blazing Midnight Sun in summer. But maybe, it is what you can’t see on a map or in a photograph that makes Alaska so special. It’s the friendly people who’ll smile warmly and greet you when you pass. It’s the indescribable blue-white glaciers seen on Alaska glacier cruises that photos can’t adequately show and the awesome roar as massive icefalls crash into the water. It’s a stream filled with salmon beyond counting or the effortless flight of a bald eagle. When you ask someone to explain what Alaska is like, chances are they’ll smile and say, "You’ll have to go and experience it yourself." Once you do, you’ll never forget Alaska.

When Is The Best Time To Take Alaska Glacier Cruises?
The climate in Alaska varies throughout the popular summer months. Long days in May and June offer extended opportunities for viewing wildlife and glaciers. The early summer months tend to have less rainfall and clearer skies while later months traditionally have slightly warmer temperatures. Majestic America Line's early and late season departures are priced for the economy minded traveler.

The Rich Alaskan History
The Great Land of Alaska spans some 570,374 square miles – approximately one-fifth the size of the lower 48 states combined. Yet this extraordinary land lay outside the Western world’s consciousness until the 1740s, when Vitus Bering spotted mainland Alaska. Russian traders and fur hunters soon established small settlements, which stood alongside Tlingit villages amidst the vast, untamed wilderness. This relative obscurity all changed with the Klondike Gold Rush of the late-19th century. Almost overnight, the Yukon River became a thoroughfare for would-be miners, and the need for steamboat service in Alaska blossomed. The self-propelled, sturdy sternwheelers with their shallow drafts were ideally suited for transporting people and vital supplies through Alaska’s shallow waterways, winding channels and deep fjords. Indeed, long after the last stampeders returned home, paddlewheelers remained the only practical form of transport in much of Alaska. The Empress of the North reclaims the spirit of this golden era, with the first overnight sternwheeler service for extended Alaska glacier cruises in more than one hundred years. Cruising aboard this luxurious, American-built ship, you visit fabled gold rush towns, delve into the history of indigenous peoples and early Russian explorers, and discover unspoiled beauty and unparalleled wildlife.