The ABCs of
Alaska Cruising
Pictures:
(left) Diamond Princess in Southeast
Alaska -
Princess Cruises Photo; (right) Spirit of '98 at Sawyer
Glacier - Cruise West Photo
No doubt about it, Alaska cruising season 2010 promises to be a 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.
Thirty-nine cruiseships are currently scheduled for sailing in the Alaska trade. Here are the ABCs of comfortable cruising in these wondrous wilderness waters from spring and summer through early fall.
Three Sizes of Ships
Ships cruising Alaska come in three sizes: large to mega liners carrying 1,000 to 2,670 passengers; mid-sized vessels accommodating 300 to 1,000 guests; and smaller cruiseships that serve fewer than 300 (some as few as a dozen).
The large and mid-sized ships tout swimming pools, theaters, Vegas-type stage shows, casinos, fitness centers, boutiques, cocktail lounges and varied dining venues. Guests aboard smaller vessels forgo many of these resort amenities; in exchange they get to explore small, remote wilderness inlets and crannies where the big ships simply cannot travel. Here especially, visitors may see all manner of sealife and wild animals. Many of the smaller ships offer passengers the opportunities for kayaking and Zodiac landings on remote Alaska wilderness shores. (Passengers on the larger vessels may experience these same kinds of adventures by booking fishing, river-running, kayaking, and close-up glacier viewing from vendors operating out of ports of call.) Aboard all ships, large or small, on-board naturalists further enhance the Alaska experience through lectures and port programs.
While in port, visitors on ships of any size can choose among guided or do-it-yourself walking tours through former Alaska goldrush towns, mountain tram rides, sled dog mushing on alpine glaciers, flightseeing by plane or helicopter, salmon fishing, close-up glacier viewing, or simply sipping a cool one in the likes of Juneau’s frontier Red Dog Saloon.
Four Basic Itineraries
Another favorite Alaska cruise is the sail-one-way, fly-the-other “Gulf and Glaciers” option. This route begins with southerly ports Vancouver or Seattle and extends northbound to Whittier, Seward or Anchorage via the Southeast Alaska panhandle, the Gulf of Alaska and glacier-rich Prince William Sound.
A third choice offers “Alaska-Only Cruising,” that is, trips that begin and end entirely within Alaska waters. These excursions explore remote wilderness waterways and inlets. Activities frequently include close-up whale watching, kayaking, Zodiac travel and hikes on pristine island shores.
Finally come far-out “Expedition Voyages.” Some in this category may venture from Alaska ports even to Russian Siberia and return.
Regardless of route, most Alaska voyages include time to view glaciers. Glacier Bay National Park in Southeast Alaska and College Fjord in Prince William Sound rank as best known areas. Less familiar, but spectacular nonetheless, are six-miles-wide Hubbard Glacier near Yakutat, thundering and active LeConte Glacier close to Petersburg, and Tracy Arm Fjord with twin Sawyer glaciers near Juneau.
Best Times to Cruise Alaska
When is the best time to cruise Alaska? Your choices range from early-to-mid May through late September. On many cruises in May and September you will find especially affordable fares coupled with smaller numbers of visitors. Too, you’ll likely experience more sun and less rain (though slightly lower temperatures) in May and early June. Truth to tell, however, it can rain up here in coastal Alaska any time, in any month. (That’s why the forests are so thick and green and the fishing streams are so outrageously productive. It's also why wild carnivores and greens-eaters are so numerous, so healthy and so visible.) If it happens to rain on your cruise while you’re in port, do what Alaskans do: Dress in layers, throw on light rain gear, and head for the trails, the tours, the shops, the fishing holes and, every now and again, the sourdough watering holes for which this last frontier was/is famous.
Cruisetours
In addition to the cruising itineraries, virtually all Alaska cruiselines offer Cruisetours. These are package tours that combine travel aboard ship with rail, highway, and/or air tours to Alaska’s southcentral, interior, and Arctic regions plus neighboring Yukon Territory, Canada. (See the Cruisetours page for details.)
Alaska (and British Columbia) Ferries
Are you a do-it-yourself cruiser? You might consider the comfortable passenger and vehicle ferries of the Alaska Marine Highway System (www.FerryAlaska.com). Many of the state's 11 Alaska ferries have staterooms. All offer food service. Ferry travelers can travel from port to port, laying over for a day (or many days) before sailing on to the next community of choice on the route.
The ferries connect Bellingham, WA with Southeast Alaska, Southeast Alaska with southcentral ports, and southcentral communities with Kodiak and ports along the Aleutian Island chain. The ferry Northern Adventure, a British Columbia Ferries vessel (www.BCFerries.com) sails between Port Hardy on Vancouver Island to the Canadian port of Prince Rupert, BC on the Canadian mainland. This is a port also served by a number of ships in Alaska’s ferry fleet. You can, therefore, take the Northern Adventure to Prince Rupert, then connect with an Alaska-bound ferry.
For more information about Alaska cruising basics, see FAQs. Frequently Asked Questions.