CruiseCompete Offers Top Ten Reasons to Cruise to Alaska: Awe-Inspiring Sights and Unbeatable Value

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DES MOINES, Iowa, June 3 /PRNewswire/ -- For adventure travelers, there may be no better vacation trip than to Alaska, the country's last great frontier. The Land of the Midnight Sun is home to glaciers and ice fields, untamed wilderness and wildlife, towering mountain ranges and a thriving native culture found nowhere else in North America.

A growing number of Alaska travelers are maximizing their vacation budgets via sea-land cruise tours, according to cruise web site CruiseCompete.com, where travel agents compete to offer the best deal. Most people combine week- long cruise sailings with complementary land tours to experience the sights, sounds and people of the 49th state during the summer tourist season.

A recent nationwide Associated Press-Ipsos poll on American vacation trends and attitudes ranked Alaska on the wish list of top travel destinations. Tourism Web site http://www.inAlaska.com says some 1.3 million people visit the state annually, with cruise tours in growing in popularity. More than 35 percent of tourists visiting Anchorage, for example, arrive via cruise ships according to the city's convention and visitors bureau.

"A visit to Alaska is truly memorable," says Bob Levinstein, CruiseCompete's CEO. "A growing number of our customers are booking cruise vacations to Alaska because of the value and convenience cruises have to offer. While it's best to book sailings well in advance, cabins are still available for this summer -- especially toward the end of August and in early September." You may find special Alaska deals at CruiseCompete.com .

CruiseCompete's Top Ten reasons to enjoy a cruise to Alaska:

Glacier Viewing - There are about 100,000 glaciers in Alaska, covering about 29,000 square miles. Depending on the specific cruise, travelers typically visit one or more glacier areas, including Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier, Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm Fjord, Mendenhall Glacier or the glaciers in College Fjord. Lucky visitors can see and hear the thunder of glaciers calving massive icebergs.

Abundant Wildlife - The unspoiled land of Alaska is teaming with wildlife, including bald eagles, owls, hawks, falcons and waterfowl to Kodiak brown bears, polar bears, wolves, wolverines, moose, caribou and multiple varieties of whales. (Alaskan naturalists estimate there is one bear for every 21 people living in the state!)

Whale Watching - Cruise travelers visiting Alaska between June and early September may see Humpback and Minke whales, Orcas, Pacific white-sided dolphins and Dall's and Harbour porpoises from the deck of their ship. Tourists also can go on optional whale-watching tours on small boats in search of whale pods.

Towering Mountain Ranges - Alaska is home to 16 of the 20 tallest mountains in the United States, many of which are visible from cruise ships. Tourists need to take a land tour, however, to visit Mt. McKinley, North America's tallest mountain at 20,320 feet

Northern Lights - Most of Alaska is ideal for viewing the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis. Cruise travelers see the night sky filled with patches of green and red light.

World-Class Fishing - Alaska is a fisherman's paradise and opportunities abound to enjoy the sport in all ports of call. Full- and half-day guided trips for king salmon, pink and silver salmon, sockeye, halibut, rainbow trout, char and steelhead can be booked through the cruise line or separately. Fishing excursion also provide for enjoying great scenery, glacier viewing and sometime whale watching.

Alaskan Ports of Call - Each port destination spot provides a unique experience rich in history, Native American tradition and natural wonders. Popular ports include Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, Nome and many other smaller communities.

Thriving Alaska Native Cultures - Inland visitors have the opportunity to experience the art, music, dance and legends of unique Alaska native cultures. Virtually every community in the state includes celebrations of the role Native Alaskans play in their heritage.

Outdoor Adventures - During stops in various cities and smaller ports-of- call, tourists are invited to enjoy optional shore excursions to enhance their vacations. They range from casual guided tours of the locales to high- adventure white water rafting, bike tours, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking and other outdoor activities for all ages. Shore excursions can be pre-booked through the cruise line or separately through an individual outfitter.

Endless Days - Alaska is known as the Land of the Midnight Sun because of its long days the spring and summer, with up to 21 hours of daylight in some locations. Cruisers are delighted to be traveling through the Inside Passage and enjoying daylight views of the coastline late at night.

CruiseCompete.com saves consumers time and money by enabling them to secure quotes from multiple travel agencies without having to contact each one separately. To date, more than 130,000 customers have accessed CruiseCompete.com to request cruise prices from more than 100 member travel agencies around the country. Cruise Compete, LLC, is an independent company not owned or affiliated with any travel agency.





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