Fifteen cruiselines will dispatch 45 cruise vessels to Alaska in 2007. Here's a preview of what you can expect on a cruise to America's "Last Frontier" state.
This is for would-be cruisers who had hoped 2006 would be their year for an Alaska cruise – but things didn't quite work out: Not to worry. 2007 is coming and you're not going to miss a thing. Virtually all the lines in the 2006 Alaska cruise trade, with one exception, have announced plans to return to Alaska cruising in year 2007 and it's going to be another blockbuster year up north. Alaska-sized choices will vary from the traditional “Inside Passage” sailings from Seattle and Vancouver – a choice that has pleased travelers for more than a century – to “expedition” sailings as far out as the Aleutian Islands chain. At least two lines have scheduled port calls in Russia.
15 Cruiselines, 45 Ships
At present, 15 companies have announced plans to dispatch 45 large and small cruising vessels. Passengers aboard these vessels will, as usual, cruise steep-walled fjords that make Norwegians homesick. They'll see mammoth glaciers (one of them five miles wide at its face) which “calve” giant thundering, splashing, wave-making icebergs the size of tour buses.
Sealife, Wildlife
Elsewhere, humpback whales will breach in full view then dive only to rise again, sometimes bursting completely out of the water. Travelers may spot white mountain goats negotiating precarious mountainside paths on lofty precipitous cliffs; along forested or rocky shores cruisers may see brown bears or blackies or Sitka black-tailed deer. Too, there are authentic 19th century goldrush towns where visitors can still pan for “color” in creeks and streams. Alaska Native communities and cultural centers offer fascinating glimpses into Alaska's rich human history from centuries past.
Great Variety in Vessels
The ships in Alaska's cruise fleet again vary greatly. They range from large and “mega” floating resorts (guest capacity up to 2,670) down to cruise yachts with staterooms for a pampered dozen. (There are even fewer guests aboard a century-old “tall ship” sailing vessel that accommodates ten.) Too, you can book passage aboard a converted and decidedly upscale former mine sweeper circa World War II, a genuine sternwheel paddle boat, or a completely modern vessel cleverly disguised as a turn-of-the-20th-century coastal packet steamer. Or, if you're a do-it-yourself cruiser you can plan your own itinerary and port calls by booking stateroom space aboard sailings of Alaska's state ferry system. Following are the lines that will dispatch their “ships of summer” to Alaska waters in 2007 along with phone contacts and internet URLs. Many companies offer reduced fares for early bookings.
Lines With Large to Mega Ships
Carnival Cruise Lines, 1-800-CARNIVAL, www.carnival.com
Celebrity Cruises, 1-800-437-3111, www.celebrity.com
Holland America Line, 1-877-SAIL HAL, www.hollandamerica.com
Norwegian Cruise Line, 1-800-327-7030, www.ncl.com
Princess Cruises, 1-800-PRINCESS, www.princess.com
Royal Caribbean International, 1-800-327-6700, www.royalcaribbean.com
Mid-Size Vessels
Regent Seven Seas Cruises, 1-800-285-1835, www.TheRegentExperience.com
Smaller Ships
American Safari Cruises, 1-888-862-8881, www.americansafaricruises.com
The Boat Company, 1-360-697- 4242, www.theboatcompany.com
Clipper Cruiseline, 1-800-325-0010, www.clippercruise.com
Cruise West, 1-800-888-9378, www.cruisewest.com
Discovery Voyages, 1-800-324-7602, www.discoveryvoyages.com
Lindblad Expeditions, 1-800-EXPEDITION, www.expeditions.com
Majestic America Line, 1-800-434-1232, www.majesticamericaline.com
Maple Leaf Adventures, 1-888-599-5323, www.mapleleafadventures.com
Alaska Ferries
Alaska Marine Highway System, 1-800-642-0066, www.FerryAlaska.com Copyright © 2006 by Mike Miller; All rights reserved
Alaska’s New Fast Ferries Offer New Routes, 30 Percent Discounts in ‘06
For do-it-yourself cruisers, the Alaska Marine Highway System of state ferries offer a unique Alaska cruise option aboard its 10-vessel fleet of modern comfortable ferry vessels. Newest of these ships are two high-speed, twin-hulled catamaran ferries named the M/V Fairweather and the M/V Chenega. For the spring-summer-fall 2006 season these vessels profide speedy access to a handfull of the state's most popular visitor destinations – at substantial discounts.
Alaska Cruises 2006... A Quick Preview
Alaska cruising in 2006 will feature voyages aboard no fewer than 47 mega-sized, medium-sized and smaller cruiseships, dispatched by 16 didifferent cruiselines. Alaska's state-owned ferries and British Columbia's provencial ferries are also covered. Ports of departure, sights and sites along the way, best areas for glacier-gazing, and -- most important -- a direct link to each cruiselines are included as well.
Cruising Alaska by Ferry
For the do-it-yourself, independent traveler who is looking for a saltwater cruise with world-class scenery, authentic wildlife, varied ports and wide-ranging excursions --- without the pomp and circumstance of a traditional cruise – Alaska’s “marine highway” route of modern ferries is well worth considering. Here’s a brief overview of where the ships go and what you’ll see.
