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Cruises to Alaska offer an impressive array of activities and natural beauty. Snow topped peaks, massive glaciers and bountiful wildlife draw many to these northern cruise itineraries.

As guests explore the wonders of the area, there are some common questions best answered to make the most out of an Alaskan cruise experience.

Reaching back to days of geography, history and science classes, we look at some of the forces that shape this untamed land.

Here are some of the top questions answered.

When I was just 4 years old, I boarded my very first cruise ship. My family and I sailed onboard The Big Red Boat, which was essentially a knock-off Disney cruise to the Bahamas.

To this day, our cruise on The Big Red Boat is one of my first memories as a child. I can remember being terrified of Tweety Bird and the characters around the ship. I remember a rough sea day where the pools had big netting on top and we couldn't go swimming.

Cruising is a popular vacation for many different travelers. Nothing beats the endless food, gorgeous destinations, stunning entertainment, and overall convenience of cruising. Families, couples, and older travelers can all enjoy cruising for different reasons.

Cruising during hurricane season might scare you. What happens if you get caught in the ocean during a storm?

Thankfully, this is very unlikely to happen! Cruising during hurricane season is just as safe as any other time of the year. Plus, you can often score some great deals on cruise fares. 

While storms are a reality of life and can affect travel anytime during the year, cruise lines work extra hard during hurricane season to monitor any developing storms. They'll work to adjust itineraries if needed to keep everyone safe if a system does pop up. 

Some countries and municipalities are requiring a Covid-19 booster shot, in addition to the full vaccine. Do you have to have a booster to go on a cruise?

The answer is it depends on which cruise line you choose to sail with, although the answer could change in the future.

Currently, some cruise lines require a booster shot, although they tend to be smaller cruise lines and/or based in Europe.

Ships today, mega ships as they are known, are as big as some aircraft carriers, but how big are they and how do we measure them?

Cruise ships are evaluated based on their gross registered tonnage, which is a volume calculation based on how much inside space there is on a ship.  

Royal Caribbean continues to dominate the top spots for the biggest ships, coming in at around 248,000 gross registered tons. For context, the Titanic was a mere 46,329 gross tons, which means you could fit almost 5 Titanics in today’s biggest ship.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) introduced changes to their Latitudes, their loyalty rewards program effective January 10, 2022.

According to Norwegian, they wanted to refresh their loyalty incentives making sure it is relevant and rewarding for their guests, incorporating feedback that they have received from customers.

Leaders in the cruise industry, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean continue to push the envelope with innovative design and offerings on their latest ships.

Symphony of the Seas and Mardi Gras both provide what we expect from a mega ship, endless activities, fun for all ages and a great selection of food, drinks and entertainment.

The cruise ship industry reached a stunning peak of 55 billion in economic activity in the United States alone in 2015 - but there’s a lot you might not know about them.

Here are some of the most interesting facts about these massive liners - including why they’re registered in Libera of all places!