Here's Alaska Cruising – 2012!
The Oosterdam in front of the Hubbard Glacier. Photo courtesy of Holland America Line.
21 Cruiselines Schedule 45 Vessels To Alaska Next Year
Alaska-bound cruisers, as usual, have an awesome range of vessels to consider next season. No fewer than 21 different big and little cruiselines will send a whopping 45 big and little vessels to ply the waters of Alaska's Inside Passage and beyond. And that doesn't include at least three world cruises that originate in Asia and elseswhere and which feature Alaska segments in their itineraries. Travelers can choose among hundreds of cruises which break down to basically four cruising patterns.First there's the traditional seven-night/eight-day Roundtrip Inside Passage voyage from Seattle or Vancouver (British Columbia) to Southeast Alaska and return.
Some lines also may offer two-week expanded roundtrips or open-jaw itineraries to Southeast plus Southcentral Alaska and return.) A smaller number of roundtrips or open-jaw variations are likewise available from San Francisco, Los Angeles and other west coast ports.
Popular as well are one-way Gulf and Glaciers Cruises between Vancouver and Southcentral Alaska ports Seward or Whittier.
Other lines (primarily small-ship companies) will offer Cruises Within Alaska – sailing Southeast or Southcentral waters. Many of them will visit Glacier Bay National Park, Prince William Sound or Tracy Arm Fiord with its twin Sawyer glaciers. Other lines visit awesome Misty Fjords National Monument.
Finally there is the Extended Voyage that may, for instance, explore the Aleutian Islands chain or even call at ports of the Russian far-east. Or perhaps originate as a world cruise, making stops in Alaska as a segment of an Asian-boarding voyage than spans several continents.
Here's the Alaska Armada for 2012, a cruising roster of companies and ships in the upcoming Alaska trade:
Large to "Mega" Cruiseships
Carnival
Cruiselines 1-800-CARNIVAL; www.carnival.com
One vessel: Carnival Spirit (2124 guests)
2012 Carnival Preview
In 2012 Carnival will again continue its popular seven-night/eight-day Tuesday-Tuesday embarkation-disembarkation cruise pattern aboard the Carnival Spirit by scheduling all but two of its Alaska voyages as round trips from Seattle.Exceptions to the Seattle-departure sailings are two open-jaw positioning voyages: First is the cruiseline's six-night season opener scheduled for Tuesday, May 1 departing from Vancouver, B.C. with disembakation in Seattle. Port calls include Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan plus cruising Glacier Bay. The line's Alaska closer in September will depart Seattle September 11 and and disembark in Vancouver. This sailing will also include Glacier Bay.
The 2012 core season will feature seven-night/eight-day round-trip voyages from and to Seattle throughout the spring-summer-fall cruising season. Viewing areas and ports of call will feature Tracy Arm Fiord and glaciers, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria, B.C. More information at the company's website listed above.
Passengers planning a 2013 cruise should note that Carnival has announced that Carnival Miracle, sister ship to Carnival Spirit, will replace the Spirit on Alaska sailings to Alaska May 7 to September 10, 2013.
Celebrity
Cruises 1-800-437-3111; www.celebritycruises.com
Three vessels: Celebrity Century (1,750 guests). Celebrity Infinity (1,950 guests), Celebrity Millennium (1,950 guests)
2012 Celebrity Cruises Preview
Celebrity Cruises will inaugurate the line's Alaska 2012 season with a May 11 departure from Seattle on its seven-night/eight-day "Alaska Tracy Arm Fjord Cruise" aboard the Celebrity Infinity. The round-trip itinerary extends through summer and early fall and will visit port and cruising areas which include Ketchikan, Tracy Arm Fjord and glaciers, Juneau, Skagway, and Victoria, B.C. The vessel's final cruise for the 2012 season will embark September 14.Celebrity Century will embark May 13 from Vancouver on its first Alaska cruise of 2012. The line's "Alaska Hubbard Glacier Cruise" will offer a round trip journey to Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Hubbard Glacier (with a massive towering six-mile-long ice face), and Ketchikan. The cruise also features a day's visit to Icy Strait Point which is both an Alaska Native-owned Tlingit Native cultural center and a base for soft-adventure nature and wildlife-viewing excursions. It is also home of the fastest zipline adventure in the world. Riders attain speeds of 60 miles an hour as they zoom from their mountainside launching ramp down to a saltwater beach platform below.
Final cruise for Celebrity Century in 2012 will be single round trip "Ultimate Alaska Cruise" in nine nights and 10 days. Departing September 16 from Vancouver and cruising the Inside Passage, the journey will take in Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, Hubbard Glacier, and Ketchikan with journey's end in Vancouver.
Celebrity Millennium will alternate seven-night/eight-day northbound and comparable southbound cruises between Vancouver and Seward from June 1 to the season's finale Vancouver departure September 7. These cruises will visit the soft adventure base and Alaska Native cultural center at Icy Strait Point in addition to port calls in Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway. The vessel will additionally cruise the face of Hubbard Glacier.
Disney Cruise Line 1-888-352-2500; www.disneycruise.com
2012 Disney Preview
One vessel: Disney Wonder (2,064 guests)Mickey's coming back... Having completed its maiden Alaska cruising season, the Disney line has announced it will return to Alaska in 2012 with basically the same itinerary choices as 2011 – with this big exception: The Disney Wonder will home port in Seattle, not Vancouver. Departing from The Puget Sound port the vessel will sail seven-night roundtrip cruises through Tracy Arm Fiord to view twin Sawyer Glaciers as well as communities Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan.
Travelers anticipating an Alaska cruise in summer 2013, however, should be aware that the Disney Cruise Line will return to Vancouver as its hub for Alaska cruises in 2013.The line announced that the Disney Wonder will sail to Alaska out of the British Columbia city starting on May 27, 2013, offering seven-night trips to the towns of Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan as well as glacier-carved Tracy Arm.
Disney based the Disney Wonder in Vancouver last year when it launched its first cruises to Alaska, but as previously announced the ship will spend the summer of 2012 sailing to Alaska out of Seattle.
Although singles and adults without children are hardly a threatened species aboard Disney vessels, the line is probably most recognized as a family-friendly fleet that offers a wide variety of events and activities which cater to the entire family, including:Broadway-style Disney shows performed nightly, an outdoor 24-by-14-foot LED sceen showing movies, major sports and broadcast events, and a "Pirates IN the Caribbean" deck party;
Special venues for young people include:
Flounders Reef Nursery for the youngest set;
Disney's Oceaneer Club, an activity center where children can dress up as their favorite Princess or hero, play computer gmes, and take in age-appropriate activities;
Disney's Oceaneer Lab, an ideal locale for children to play and learn, thanks to the plethera of themed activities and games;
Edge, a tween-exclusive space where youngsters aged 11 through 13 can watch television, listen to music, play videogames, participate in various activities, and make new friends; and
Vibe Lounge, a hip hangout where teens 14 to 17 can watch TV, play videogames, listen to music and participate in social activities.
More information is available at the website listed above.
Holland
America Line 1-877-SAIL-HAL; www.hollandamerica.com
Seven Vessels: Amsterdam (1,380 guests), Oosterdam (1,918 guests), Statendam (1.260 guests), Volendam (1,432 guests), Westerdam (1,916 guests), Zaandam (1,432 guests), Zuiderdam (1,916 guests)
2012 Holland America Line Preview
Holland America Line will dispatch seven vessels to Alaska in 2012, offering four seven-night/eight-day round-trip or one-way options with departures from Seattle, Vancouver and Seward. There's also a 13-night/14-day round-trip journey from Seattle that also includes less-visited Homer and Kodiak plus Icy Strait Point near the Tlingit Indian community of Hoonah.
The line's "Alaskan Explorer" journey departs weekly from Seattle aboard the Oosterdam or the Westerdam taking in Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Victoria (British Columbia), and a spectacular scenic cruising experience at Glacier Bay or Tracy Arm Fiord/Twin Sawyer Glaciers.
HAL's "Glacier Discovery" sailings (aboard the Statendam and Zaandam ) depart northbound from Vancouver on alternate weeks and visit Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Glacier Bay National Park with journey's end in Seward. Southbound the vessels depart from Seward calling at the same ports and cruising areas but in reverse order.
The line's "Inside Passage" round trip route features the Volendam or the Zuiderdam and departs from Vancouver calling at Ketchikan, Tracy Arm Fiord, Juneau, Skagway, and Glacier Bay.
Holland America's 14-day "Alaskan Explorer" features a 2-week round trip from Seattle aboard the Amsterdam. Ports of call and cruising areas include Ketchikan, Tracy Arm Fjord and glaciers, Juneau, Homer, Anchorage, Kodiak, Icy Strait Point and Sitka.
Youngsters are more than welcome aboard Holland America vessels. For parents traveling with their chldren the following is posted at the company website:
Programs Available
Club HAL® — Kids*: Children, ages 3-7, can participate in such activities as story telling, fabric painting, indoor games, arts and crafts, drawing contests, ice-cream sundae parties, puzzles, bingo, pirate treasure hunts or a farewell pizza party. Children in the Kid's age group must be toilet trained. Children in pull-ups or diapers are not allowed in the youth facilities, due to mandates from US Public Health. Exceptions to this rule cannot be made.
Club HAL® — Tweens*: Tweens, ages 8-12 might learn golf putting, have disco parties and theme parties, participate in the award-winning National Park Service Jr. Ranger Program on Alaska cruises, compete in on-deck sports events, compete in scavenger hunts or simply play Ping-Pong with a friend.
The Loft and The Oasis*: Teens, ages 13-17 will especially enjoy the teen disco, karaoke sessions, video games, teen sports tournaments, card games, trivia contests, bingo, movies and videos. When there are more than 100 children on board, a HAL Talent Show is offered. (The Oasis is not available on all Vista-class ships)
*On the ms Prinsendam, youth activities are offered for ages 5-17. All other ships offer youth activities for ages 3-17.
More...
For Ferry Cruisers...
New Site Lists 300+ Bed and Breakfasts Plus Hotels and Other Accommodations
Here’s news of a new region-wide Southeast Alaska accommodations website – created by the publishers of www.AlaskaCruisingReport.com for independent Alaska ferry cruisers who prefer to choose their own port calls and their own length-of-stays along Alaska’s Inside Passage.The site lists more than 300 Bed and Breakfasts, Inns, Vacation Homes, Hotels, Motels, Overnight Lodges and Hostels in communities from southernmost Hyder to northernmost Yakutat. You can visit the site at www.SoutheastAlaskaBnBs.com.
The ABC's of Alaska Cruising
Three vessel sizes; four "flavors" of Alaska cruising;
When to visit Alaska; and, oh yeah, Alaska's weather
No doubt about it, Alaska's 2012 cruise season promises to be a another banner year for seaborne travel in this land of brown bears, mountain goats, humpback whales, sprawling glaciers, ice-capped mountains, steep-walled fjords, lunker king salmon and lush towering forests.
Here are the ABCs of comfortable cruising in these wondrous wilderness waters from spring and summer through early fall. More...
Port of the Month - Alaskan Port City Vignettes
More than a year ago AlaskaCruisingReport.com introduced a new series of monthly reports about Alaska's fascinating port cities. First in the series came Ketchikan. Next we introduced Sitka. Then came Seward followed by Juneau. (The list goes on...)To view the series, visit our Ports of Call page.
Think Alaska Cruising Is Just for Grownups?
Bring the kids! Alaska cruiseship travel can be a fabulous, fun, family vacation!See our family cruising page for details.
Concerned About How Much to Tip on an Alaska Cruise?
See our FAQ page for guidance, and to see Theron P. Keller's incredibly easy-to-use calculator that instantly tells you just the right amount to budget for gratuities – even, if you wish – before you leave home!Alaska Cruise Tours – The Way to Cruise
Alaska's Hiways, Flyways & Railways
First time cruisers sometimes wonder what a “cruise tour” might be. A “tour” of the cruiseship perhaps?
Well, no... When you buy an Alaska cruise tour (also called a "cruisetour" or a "cruise- tour") you purchase a package that includes a basic cruise plus additional tours, travel, and destinations ashore either before or after the cruise. Your pre-cruise and post-cruise choices range from wilderness lodges and national parks to scenic rail and motorcoach excursions, riverboat journeys, travel to Canada’s Yukon Territory, and any number of other pleasurable things-to-do and places-to-see.
All necessary transportation, hotels, tours, and transfers – including, of course, your basic cruise – are usually covered in a single purchase. Exceptions: Some meals ashore may or may not be included; gratuities seldom are.
The cruise tour offered most by cruiselines is a one- or multiple-night option featuring luxury rail or motorcoach from Anchorage or Whittier to Denali National Park. The package may or may not include a sightseeing bus ride deep into the park’s interior in search of grizzly bears, moose, caribou, Dall mountain sheep, foxes, and - if you’re incredibly lucky - wolves or wolverines. Some Denali tours extend north to (or from) Fairbanks. More...
Alaska's "Other" Ferry System
You've heard about cruising via Alaska's excellent state ferries. And about BC Ferries' fine service just south of the Alaska panhandle. But have you heard about Alaska's "other" ferry system? Click here to read about this "Off the Beaten Path" travel opportunity.And Speaking of Ports...
The port cities, towns, and villages you can visit on an
Alaska
cruise
or ferry ride are a diverse and exciting lot. Some communities, like
Anchorage, are big and busy and business-oriented, yet Alaskan to the
core; the Anchorage Museum of History and Art and the Alaska
Native Heritage Center are both "must see." Skagway is an authentic
19th century goldrush boom town. Sitka relishes the memory of its
Tlingit Indian heritage and its Russian colonial past.They don't call Petersburg "Little Norway" for nothing, and if you don't believe it drop by toward the end of May and help the locals celebrate Norwegian Independence Day. Juneau's three "G's" (Glaciers, Gold, and Government) make it a favorite stop among both cruiseship and ferry patrons.
Ketchikan's world class collection of totem poles is much treasured by residents and visitors alike - as are the magnificent cedar monuments on Chief Shakes Island within the harbor at Wrangell. At Haines, residents likewise embrace historic and contemporary Tlingit Indian art, as well as the world's largest gathering of American bald eagles. Tiny Baranof Warm Springs, as the name implies, boasts natural outdoor warm springs pools in the woods - sites much appreciated both by locals, itinerant commercial fishermen and smallboat cruise passengers. Tenakee's natural springs have similar appeal.
Icy Strait Point, adjacent to Hoonah, is Alaska's first planned cultural and activity port, reserved for passengers from no more than one cruiseship a day. Cordova and Valdez, both located on the shores of glacier-rich Prince William Sound, offer unexcelled waterborne sightseeing and angling. Goldrush Nome, the Eskimo village of Gambell on St. Lawrence Island, and Little Diomede Island can only be described as "way far out," in more ways than one. More...
BC Ferries' New Vessel Northern Expedition Sails
To Prince Rupert and Connections With Alaska Ferries
Our ferry page has complete details about this British Columbia highway-accessible ferry route to Alaska !
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