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16 Cruiselines, 47 Ships
Among voyaging choices: No fewer than 16 cruiselines will dispatch a total of 47 big and little vessels on literally hundreds of sailings this spring, summer, and fall. And that doesn't include Alaska's 11 wide-ranging state-owned passenger and vehicle ferries, most with staterooms and food service. You can board a couple of these ships as far south as Bellingham, Washington.
Some of the major vessels in the cruiseliner fleet -- floating grand resorts actually, with swimming pools, fitness centers, Vegas-style shows, casinos, movie theaters, and lounges -- will accommodate more than 2,000 passengers per sailing. In contrast, some of the smallest ships will pamper only a dozen or so.
Ports of Departure:
Cruiseship ports of departure include Seattle, San Francisco, Vancouver, and Prince Rupert, plus a number Alaska coastal communities - among them Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau, Cordova, Whittier, and Seward.
Cruise lengths vary. You can book a short cruise of three nights/four days in Prince William Sound or you can sign up for a traditional seven-night/eight-day roundtrip "Inside Passage" voyage from Seattle or Vancouver to Southeast Alaska and return (longer from San Francisco). Or you can book a seven-night/eight-day one-way "Gulf and Glaciers" cruise between Vancouver and Seward or Whittier. If you have the time (and budget) you may opt for an "expedition" sailing. Longest is 24 nights/25 days and includes the Bering Sea and even Russian ports and cruising areas.
Glaciers:
Of course, an Alaska cruise would hardly be an Alaska cruise without a day or more at major glacier viewing sites where rivers of ice flow into the sea. Among them: Glacier Bay National Park north of Juneau; Hubbard Glacier, which "flows" off Wrangell-St.Elias National Park into Disenchantment Bay and Russell Fjord north of Yakutat; twin Sawyer glaciers within the U.S. Forest Service's Tracy Arm-Ford's Terror Wilderness Area between Juneau and Petersburg; and Southcentral Alaska's Prince William Sound with College Fjord and other glacier-rich sites.
If you want more than sea travel you can book the increasingly popular option of a "cruisetour." That is, before or after your cruise you can experience the likes of a tour to Denali National Park, Fairbanks, Prudhoe Bay (on the shores of the Arctic Ocean), Canada's Yukon Territory, or other popular land destinations.
For cruiseline-by-cruiseline itineraries and options, following are the names, phone contacts, and websites of the 16 companies cruising Alaska in 2006.
Large-ship Cruiselines, 1,000 to 2,672 passengers:
Carnival Cruise Lines, 1-800-CARNIVAL
( http://www.carnival.com)
Celebrity Cruises, 1-800-437-3111
( http://www.celebrity.com)
Holland America Line, 1-800-637-5029
( http://www.hollandamerica.com)
Norwegian Cruise Line, 1-800-327-7030
Make Alaska Your Next Vacation GetawayIf you are tired of traveling to the same old destinations for
your annual vacation, try something new by visiting the largest
state in the Union: Alaska. With more than half a million square
miles, 39 mountain ranges, and 3,000 rivers, this northern
region has much to offer that is new and intriguing to those who
are unfamiliar with the area. Ice fields cover about five
percent of the state s surface area. Furthermore, nature lovers
will enjoy the forests, lakes, glaciers, and surrounding seas
and islands that beckon visitors from all over the globe.
Water lovers may be intereste ..
( http://www.ncl.com)
Princess Cruises, 1-800-PRINCESS
( http://www.princess.com)
Royal Caribbean International, 1-800-722-5045
( http://www.royalcaribbean.com)
Companies With Mid-Size Vessels, 300 to 999 Guests:
Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, 1-866-314-3213
( http://www.rssc.com)
Silversea Cruises, 1-800-722-9955
( http://www.silverseacruises.com)
Smallship Lines, Serving a Dozen Guests to 299:
American Safari Cruises, 1-888-862-8881
( http://www.americansafaricruises.com)
American West Steamboat Co., 1-800-434-1232
( http://www.americanweststeamboat.com)
The Boat Company, 1-360-697-4242
( http://www.theboatcompany.com)
Clipper Cruise Line, 1-800-325-0010
( http://www.clippercruise.com)
Cruise West, 1-800-888-9378
( http://www.cruisewest.com)
Celebrity Cruise Line: Bring the City to your CruiseAre you planning for a great holiday? Consider spending your holiday on a cruise. It can be the most memorable and comfortable way to spend your vacation holiday. Aside from the comfort it brings, you will be on too many different locations. Why is it comfortable? You will not be spending all you time driving. In cruising, instead of tiring yourself from all the drive you do, you can just relax and view all the different places the powerboat went into. In cruising, you do not have to drive for so many days. Even if you ride on the bus, you will still be worrying about your luggage. In any oth ..
Discovery Voyages, 1-800-324-7602
( http://www.discoveryvoyages.com)
Lindblad Expeditions, 1-800-EXPEDITION
( http://www.expeditions.com)
Maple Leaf Adventures, 1-888-599-5323
( http://www.mapleleafadventures.com)
Ferries:
Alaska Marine Highway System, 1-800-642-0066
( http://www.FerryAlaska.com)
BC Ferries, 1-250-386-3431
( http://www.bcferries.com)
Copyright © 2006 by Mike Miller. All rights reserved.
About The Author
Alaskan travel writer Mike Miller lives in Juneau where his current passion is publishing an information-packed website about Alaska cruising and ferry travel: http://www.AlaskaCruisingReport.com. Miller has authored or contributed to a number of books (Fodors, Sierra Club Books, Globe Pequot, The Milepost and others) and contributes to TravelAge West (for travel agents). He frequently writes for major newspapers and magazines.
Mike MillerAlaska Cruising 2006... A Quick Preview
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