Virgin Voyages will introduce its fourth ship next year on a tour of North America with stops in iconic destinations from New York City to Los Angeles, Alaska, the Panama Canal, and beyond.
25.04.2024 - 07:21 / lonelyplanet.com
For many Alaska visitors, the chance to drop a line in the briny depths of the ocean, or cast a fly rod upon a rushing river, is the reason they’ve traveled north – and for good reason. There is nothing quite like fresh fish – caught amid the stunning scenery of Alaska – consumed over a dinner table filled with tales of the day itself.
Alaska’s commercial fishing industry is its second-largest economic generator, with a wide variety of species found across the state. From mid-April to August, saltwater fishing vessels of varying sizes and shapes take to the sea and net or line-catch salmon, halibut, cod and other species for markets around the world. Sport fishing is also a huge business in Alaska, including the Arctic and Northwest regions, where species like Arctic char are considered a fly-fisher’s dream for their fight on a line.
For these reasons, you’ll need to consider the seasons, types of fishing and the most accessible locations for your fishing holiday. In a state with 3,000 rivers, three million lakes, and over 6,000 miles of coastline, the toughest part is deciding where to go.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is the state’s overseeing agency for all things sport fishing, and it tightly controls where, when, and what species you can catch. Dividing the state into three regions (Southcentral, Interior, and Southeastern) the agency provides up-to-date listings of open and closed areas, and forecasts for salmon runs each spring, when many anglers are making plans for fishing trips.
All nonresidents aged 16 and older must purchase and carry a current fishing license, available either online or at retail outlets in just about every city. Additionally, those wanting to fish for king salmon must secure a stamp indicating this intention, which is added to your license. It must be noted here that the ADF&G does not take fishing without a license lightly: officers are constantly patrolling shorelines and salt waterways – and fines for non-licensed fishers are hefty.
It behooves the fishing visitor to have an idea of what type of fish they’d like to catch while in Alaska. Those looking for salmon have the choice to fish in either saltwater near Whittier, Seward, Valdez or Homer and nearby environs; or in the rivers and streams flowing near these communities, but also in Anchorage and along the Southwest regional areas like Dillingham and Katmai National Park.
Know that the farther away from the road system one goes, the more expensive fishing will get, especially if you need a float plane to reach a river. Alaska's waters house five species of salmon: chum, sockeye, pink, chinook and coho. Each spawn at different times of year, beginning with chinook (also known as king salmon) in late spring.
O
Virgin Voyages will introduce its fourth ship next year on a tour of North America with stops in iconic destinations from New York City to Los Angeles, Alaska, the Panama Canal, and beyond.
With vast wilderness making up most of the state, Alaska’s parks and outdoor spaces take center stage for most visitors. Alaska is home to about 60% of the total national park land in the US, covering 56 million acres.
Virgin Voyages' fourth ship, Brilliant Lady, will debut in New York City in September 2025, then sail varied itineraries from multiple U.S. homeports during its inaugural season.
Virgin Voyages is finally bringing its adults-only cruises to the New York and Los Angeles markets.
A record 4.7 billion people are expected to travel by air this summer and several factors may converge to create chaos at the country’s airports. A recent report from global travel technology company Amadeus found that “flight disruption remains above historical norms,” and the situation isn’t going to get better any time soon. According to the report, the global airline industry is still struggling with the rapid increase in demand for air travel.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
This is part of Travel Firsts, a series featuring trips that required a leap of faith or marked a major life milestone.
Alaska Airlines is launching two new routes from its West Coast hubs and bringing back another it tried out last summer — but full time.
Alaska Airlines will expand its presence in southern California this fall with several new routes from San Diego and Los Angeles.
Alaska's impressive southern coastlines contain hordes of island archipelagos, deep fjords and ancient glaciers. Nearly all of the area is roadless, so seafaring vessels, including cruise ships, are a popular way for visitors to experience these pristine areas.
Unsurprisingly, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on Hawaiʻi Island is one of the state’s most popular attractions.
Even as the grounding of the Max 9 prompted Alaska Airlines to cancel thousands of flights in January, the carrier came out relatively unscathed in the first quarter. And that’s partly because its business travel fully recovered to 2019 levels.