FAQ:
Travel by Cruise Ship
Forty-nine cruise ships will travel the sea-lanes of Alaska in 2005, and the variety in size and sailing style is, well, Alaska-sized. Large to mega liners in the trade carry 1,000 to 2,670 passengers; mid-sized vessels accommodate 300 to 1,000; smaller cruise ships serve fewer than 300 (some as few as a dozen.)
The large and mid-sized ships feature swimming pools, theaters, stage shows, casinos, fitness centers, boutiques, lounges and varied dining venues. Guests aboard smaller vessels forgo many of these amenities; in exchange they get to explore small, remote wilderness locales inaccessible to big ships.
Alaska cruisers enjoy basically 4 itinerary choices. Most traditional is the "Inside Passage" round-trip from Vancouver, Seattle or California ports. These trips sail to and through Southeast Alaska panhandle with stops at ports such as Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau, Sitka, Haines, Skagway and the newly developed Icy Strait Point cultural center near the Tlingit Indian community of Hoonah.
Another favorite is the sail-1-way, fly-the-other "Gulf and Glaciers" option which begins in Vancouver and extends northbound to Whittier, Seward or Anchorage in southcentral Alaska.
A third choice offers trips entirely within Alaska, exploring remote wilderness waterways and small communities. Finally come expedition voyages, some venturing even to Russia and return.
Virtually every Alaska cruise spends at least one day cruising the face of glaciers. Among best known sites: Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm, Hubbard Glacier and LeConte Glacier in the southeast panhandle; Prince William Sound and Kenai Fjords in southcentral Alaska.
Here's the complete list of ships:
LARGE TO MEGA SHIPS
Carnival Cruise Lines' "Fun Ship" Carnival Spirit (2,124 passengers) will sail 19 7-night voyages to Alaska in 2005; 3 Inside Passage round trips from Vancouver to Southeast Alaska and return, and 16 1-way Gulf and Glaciers voyages between Vancouver and Whittier. Fares from $699; 1-800-CARNIVAL; www.carnival.com.
Celebrity Cruises will dispatch three vessels to Alaska in 2005 offering Inside Passage roundtrip cruises to Southeast Alaska from Seattle, Vancouver, San Francisco, and San Diego, as well as Gulf and Glaciers itineraries between Vancouver and Seward. Mercury (1,870 passengers) has scheduled seven-night roundtrips from Seattle plus one that begins in Vancouver and ends in Seattle. Infinity (1,950) will sail Inside Passage voyages from San Francisco in 10 or 12 nights as well as roundtrips from Vancouver in seven. Summit (1,950) will do one-way sailings between Vancouver and Seward as well as one Southeast Alaska roundtrip out of Vancouver in seven nights. Two 14-night open-jaw whoppers will sail from San Diego to Southeast Alaska to Vancouver and from Vancouver to Alaska's panhandle to Los Angeles. Fares from $750; 1-800-437-3111; www.celebrity.com.
Holland America Line has scheduled 134 Alaska cruises in 2005. Two ships, the 1,848-passenger Oosterdam and HAL's 1,380-passenger flagship Amsterdam offer seven-night roundtrips from Seattle to Southeast Alaska and return. Vessels Statendam (1,258 passengers) Ryndam (1,258), Veendam (1,258), Volendam (1,440) and Zaandam (1,440) will offer seven-night Inside Passage roundtrips from Vancouver or seven-night Gulf and Glaciers trips between Vancouver and Seward. Fares from $799; 1-877-SAIL HAL; www.hollandamerica.com.
Norwegian Cruise Line announces its largest Alaska deployment ever, with three ships departing from Seattle and a fourth from Vancouver. Norwegian Star (2,240 passengers) and Norwegian Spirit (1,974) will sail seven-night Inside Passage roundtrips from Seattle. Norwegian Dream (1,732) will depart from Seattle for 10- or 11-night roundtrips to Whittier and return. Norwegian Sun (1,936) will sail from Vancouver for seven-night Inside Passage roundtrips. Fares from $1,143; 1-800-327-7030; www.ncl.com.
Princess Cruise Line has scheduled 53 Alaska sailings on 3 itineraries in 2005. Seven vessels, including the 2 largest ships in the Alaska trade, will offer round-trip Inside Passage departures from Seattle in 7 nights, San Francisco in 10, plus 1-way, 7-night Gulf and Glaciers trips between Vancouver and Whittier. Sister ships Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess (2,670 passengers each) will sail from Seattle, Regal Princess (1,590) will homeport in San Francisco. Coral Princess (1,970) and Island Princess (1,970), Dawn Princess (1,950) and Sun Princess (1,950) will sail Vancouver-Whittier or reverse. Fares from $649; 1-800-774-6237; www.princess.com.
Royal Caribbean International will dispatch 3 ships featuring 2 basic Alaska itineraries in 2005. Radiance of the Seas (2,112 passengers) and Serenade of the Seas (2,110) will sail Inside Passage round trips from Vancouver to Southeast Alaska in 7 nights. Vision of the Seas (2,000) will sail a Gulf and Glaciers route between Vancouver and Seward, also in 7 nights. A mid-September 9-night sailing aboard the Vision originates in Vancouver, sails north to Skagway, then south to San Francisco and Los Angeles. Fares from $799; 1-800-327-6700; www.royalcaribbean.com.
MID-SIZED VESSELS
Crystal Cruises' luxury vessel Crystal Harmony begins its 2005 Alaska season with a sailing from Yokohama, Japan on April 27. The ship will parallel the Aleutian Islands, visit Dutch Harbor and Ketchikan and arrive May 9 in Vancouver. For the balance of the summer, the 940-passenger ship will sail a 7-night round trip Vancouver to Southeast Alaska, a 9-night open-jaw voyage Vancouver to Southeast Alaska with journey's end in San Francisco, followed by 10 Inside Passage 12-night round trips also from San Francisco. Fares from $1,495; 1-800-820-6663; www.crystalcruises.com.
Radisson Seven Seas Cruises offers 16 Alaska cruises in 2005, 17 including the 12-night September 14 season closer that departs Whittier for a journey along the Aleutian Islands to Tokyo. The 700-passenger Seven Seas Mariner features all ocean-view suites with private balconies. Season opener will be an open-jaw 12-nighter from Los Angeles to and through Southeast Alaska's panhandle with trip's end in Vancouver. Then come round trips from Vancouver to Southeast Alaska; 1-way Gulf and Glaciers sailings between Vancouver and Seward; and north- or southbound voyages between Vancouver and Whittier. All trips except the season openers and closers run 7 nights. Fares from $2,987; 1-800-285-1835; www.rssc.com.
SMALLER VESSELS
American Safari Cruises is an upscale small-ship line whose 3 cruise yachts carry either 12 pampered passengers (aboard Safari Escape and Safari Spirit) or 22 on Safari Quest. All 3 feature port calls, kayak excursions, beach walks, glaciers and wildlife-and the luxurious option of sipping "bubbly" in a warm bubbling spa aboard ship. The Spirit cruises between Juneau's downtown docks and the city's picturesque Auke Bay harbor on a 7-night voyage that takes in wilderness waters, tiny communities and Alaska's ABC islands-Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof. The Quest sails between Juneau and Sitka in 7 nights. The Escape and the Quest (1 time) sail between Juneau and Prince Rupert, BC, in 8 nights. Fourteen-night positioning cruises between Seattle and Juneau round out 2005's agenda. Fares from $3,895; 1-888-862-8881; www.amsafari.com.
American West Steamboat Company, unique among cruise lines sailing Alaska waters, operates a stern-wheel paddleboat-the 235-passenger Empress of the North. The Empress will sail 17 voyages to and within Alaska in 2005, 2 of them 11-night spring and fall positioning cruises between Seattle and Juneau. The others will feature wide-ranging, 7-night round trips from Juneau. Fares from $2,999; 1-800-434-1232; www.americanweststeamboat.com.
The Boat Company's 2 vessels, Liseron and Mist Cove may look to some like U.S. Navy ships, circa the 1940s. The Liseron actually is a converted wooden-hulled mine sweeper. The Mist Cove is a recently built aluminum-hulled replica. The Liseron now accommodates 20 passengers in 10 tastefully appointed staterooms, having been refurbished to upscale standards throughout the ship. The Mist Cove (24 passengers) was built that way. They sail between Sitka and Juneau in 7 nights. In addition t o kayaks, the ships carry skiffs for beach landings and fishing. Fares from $6,175; 1-360-697-4242; www.theboatcompany.com.
Clipper Cruise Line offers four wide-ranging options aboard two vessels. Yorktown Clipper (138 passengers) will provide 11-night sailings between Seattle and Juneau and seven-night Southeast Alaska roundtrips from Juneau. Clipper Odyssey (128) will sail a 14-night roundtrip with air travel from Anchorage to Nome followed by cruising the Bering Sea's Little Diomede Island (American) and Big Diomede Island (Russian) as well as Pribilof Islands and the Aleutians. The journey ends at Homer for land transport to Anchorage. Clipper Odyssey's second option is also 14 nights, starting with air travel Anchorage-Nome then continuing by ship to St. Lawrence and other northern islands. The sea journey ends at Petropavlovsk, Russia with air return to Anchorage. Fares from $2,180; 1-800-325-0010; www.clippercruise.com.
Cruise West has scheduled a bundle of options aboard its 7 ships. The company offers voyages from Seattle and Vancouver, others from southeast or southcentral ports, and 1 from near-Arctic Nome. Company flagship Spirit of Oceanus (114 passengers) will sail the farthest-reaching voyages on the Cruise West agenda-a 24-night, 3,600-mile sailing between Vancouver and Nome. It traces the route of the historic 1899 Harriman scientific expedition, including a visit to Russia's Provideniya, with 11-night and 13-night segments also available. Other ships of the Cruise West fleet include the Spirit of Alaska (78 passengers), Spirit of Columbia (78), Spirit of Discovery (84), Spirit of Endeavor (102), the gold-rush-themed Spirit of '98 (96), and the daylight cruise yacht Sheltered Seas (70). Fares from $1,149; 1-800-888-9378; www.cruisewest.com.
Discovery Voyages will package a variety of Prince William Sound nature voyages in 2005 aboard Discovery, a comfortably refurbished 65-foot, 12-passenger vessel originally commissioned for missionary service. Choices vary from 4- and 5-night wilderness, glacier and whale-viewing voyages to 5 days of cruising combined with 2 nights ashore with flightseeing and river-rafting adventures. Another choice provides an 11-night birding/wildlife excursion. Additional options include 5-night photography and kayaking trips. Fares from $2,980; 1-800-324-7602; www.discoveryvoyages.com.
Glacier Bay Cruiseline will send 4 small-ship vessels to Alaska in 2005 and will introduce a new 8-night Prince William Sound cruise aboard the 68-passenger Wilderness Adventurer. The deluxe catamaran Executive Explorer (49 passengers) joins Wilderness Discoverer (87) and Wilderness Explorer (31) in 6- or 7-night adventures. Wilderness Adventurer will likewise cruise Southeast Alaska part of the season. 9- or 10-night positioning cruises are available between Seattle and Juneau. Fares from $1,465; 1-800-451-5952; www.glacierbaycruiseline.com.
Lindblad Expeditions' twin vessels, Sea Lion and Sea Bird (70 passengers each) return to Alaska with two options. One is a south- or northbound 11-night voyage between Juneau and Seattle. Traveling the Inside Passage, the ships will cruise natural areas and port communities in Alaska, British Columbia and Washington. The other option operates between Juneau and Sitka in 7 nights. On both, activities include kayaking as well as shore landings by Zodiac inflatable. Fares from $3,840; 1-800-EXPEDITION; www.expeditions.com.
(This round-up of cruise ships sailing to Alaska, which appears in the 2005 edition of The MILEPOST®, was compiled by Mike Miller, a former legislator who has covered Alaska extensively in newspapers, magazines and books since 1954. For more on Alaska cruising scene, including vessels, port-city contacts and travel tips, see Mike Miller's web site at www.alaskacruisingreport.com.) |
