Cruising in Alaska
2008 roster of ships
Posted on Thu, Jun. 12, 2008
By Mike Miller
Special to the Miami Herald
It looks like another big year is on tap for Alaska cruising. Last season, nearly a million visitors cruised Alaska's waterways, and 2008 may well bring even more travelers eager to view and experience the state's wilderness waterways, glaciers, forests, snow-capped mountains, wildlife, picturesque port cities and native Alaskan culture.
In 2008, 15 cruise lines will dispatch a whopping total of 47 vessels to explore the waters of Alaska's Inside Passage and beyond. Here's the scoop on cruising patterns, the cruise lines, and the ships:
Cruising patterns remain largely unchanged from years past with four basic options: Most traditional is an Inside Passage round trip in seven nights, eight days from Seattle or Vancouver, B.C. to Southeast Alaska and return. Port calls usually include at least three or four of the principal communities of the region -- Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau, Haines and Skagway -- plus Glacier Bay National Park and/or other spectacular glacier-viewing sites.
Another favorite is a one way "Gulf and Glaciers" sailing in seven nights/eight days. This option takes in many of the same Inside Passage cities and sights but adds glacier-rich Prince William Sound. A Gulf-and-Glaciers voyage ends (or begins) at Seward or Whittier at the north end of a voyage, or Vancouver at the southern end. Some voyages include a full-day's visit at the award-winning Alaska Native-owned cultural and light adventure site at Icy Strait Point near the native community of Hoonah.
Passengers also may opt for cruises entirely within Alaska -- either round trips from a single city such as Ketchikan or Juneau, or a one-way voyage between two communities, such as the seven-night trips between Juneau and Sitka.
Finally, more adventurous travelers consider expedition-type voyages, some extending well beyond traditional options to include Aleutian and other remote islands, sub-Arctic ports, and Russian lands across the Bering Sea.
Here's the lineup of Alaska-bound vessels for 2008:
LARGE/MEGA SHIPS
Carnival Cruise Line, 800-CARNIVAL, www.carnival.com. 2,124-guest Carnival Spirit makes a series of seven-night sailings.
Celebrity Cruises, 800- 437-3111; www.celebritycruises.com. 1,950-passenger Millennium, 1,950-guest Infinity and 1,870-guest Mercury; most sailings are seven nights.
Holland America Line, 877-724-5425; www.hollandamerica.com. Eight ships, passenger size 1,258-1,848, offer a variety of seven-night sailings.
Norwegian Cruise Line, 800-327-7030; www.ncl.com. Three ships, 2,002-2,394 passengers, with a variety of seven-night sailings.
Princess Cruises, 800-PRINCESS; www.princess.com. Eight ships offering a variety of itineraries. Most are seven nights; new is a 14-night "Connoisseur" itinerary.
Royal Caribbean, 800- 327-6700, www.rccl.com. Three ships, 2,000-2,100 guests each; most sailings last seven nights.
MID-SIZE VESSELS
Regent Seven Seas Cruises, 800-285-1835; www.rscc.com. The 700-guest luxury Seven Seas Mariner offers three options ranging from seven to 11 nights.
Silversea Cruises, 877- 215-9986; www.silversea.com. The luxury 382-guest Silver Shadow offers a varied menu of Southeast Alaska-bound round trips and open jaw voyages.
SMALLER SHIPS
American Safari Cruises, 888-862-8881; www.amsafari.com. Four yachts, sized 12-36 guests, offer 7-14 night sailings.
The Boat Company, 360- 697-4242, www.theboatcompany.com: The 20-guest 1940s converted wartime minesweeper Liseron and the 24-guest replica Mist Cove will make a total of 30 sailings between Juneau and Sitka.
Cruise West, 800-888- 9378; www.cruisewest.com. Eight ships, the largest carrying 138 passengers and the smallest 78. Sailings rang from three nights to 24 nights.
Discovery Voyages, 800- 324-7602; www.discoveryvoyages.com: 12-guest, 65-foot former missionary vessel Discovery throughout Prince William Sound.
Lindblad Expeditions, 800-EXPEDITION; www.expeditions.com: National Geographic Sea Lion and National Geographic Sea Bird, each accommodating 62 guests.
Majestic America Line, 800-434-1232; www.majesticamericaline.com. Sternwheeler Empress of the North (223 guests) offers a season of saltwater cruising in Southeast Alaska with seven-night itineraries.
Maple Leaf Adventures, 888-599-5323; www.mapleleafadventures.com. An authentic sailing schooner (eight passengers) more than a century old makes one-way voyages from Prince Rupert. B.C. and Juneau.
CRUISE INFORMATION
Alaska Marine Highway System (cruising by ferry), 800-642-0066, www.ferryalaska.com.
Alaska Travel Industry Association; 800-862-5275, www.travelalaska.com.
Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association, 907-258-3171, www.awrta.org.
Alaska Cruising Report, www.alaskacruisingreport.com.
U.S. Forest Service Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, 907-228-6220, www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass.
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