Alaska cruise lines

Cruise Travel, Sept-Oct, 2003 by M.T. Schwartzman

The Alaska cruise season runs from early May through late September. Cruises are seven days unless noted; for exact departure dates and itineraries contact your travel agent or the following cruise lines:

* American Safari Cruises, 19101 36th Ave. W./Suite 201, Lynnwood, WA 98036 (www.amsafari.com). American Safari sails the Inside Passage with the smallest ships in Alaska; each carries only 12 or 22 guests. Itineraries run eight, nine, and 15 days.

* American West Steamboat Company, 2101 Fourth Ave./Suite 1150, Seattle, WA 98121 (www.AlaskaCruiseTour.com). American West returns for its second season of historically styled cruising aboard the 235-passenger sternwheeler Empress of the North. New for 2004 are 12-day voyages of the Inside Passage between Seattle and Sitka, and nine-day cruises roundtrip from Sitka.

* Carnival Cruise Lines, 3655 NW 87th Ave., Miami, FL 33178 (www.carnival.com). Carnival cruises the Gulf of Alaska between Seward and Vancouver during the summer aboard the 2,124-passenger Carnival Spirit with Inside Passage departures roundtrip from Vancouver in the spring and fall.

* Celebrity Cruises, 1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, FL 33132 (www.celebritycruises.com). Celebrity's trio of big ships offers Inside Passage and Gulf of Alaska cruises from Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, and Seward. New for 2004 are 12-day cruises aboard the 1,870-passenger Mercury.

* Clipper Cruise Line, 11969 Westline Industrial Dr., St. Louis, MO 63146 (www.clipper cruise.com). Clipper Cruise Line offers a choice of small-ship cruising and expedition-style cruising to the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska, and Inside Passage aboard the 138-passenger Yorktown Clipper and 128-passenger Clipper Odyssey. Voyages last eight, 13, 14, or 15 days.

* Cruise West, 2401 Fourth Ave./Suite 700, Seattle, WA 98121 (www.cruisewest.com). Cruise West spans Alaska with cruises of the Inside Passage, Gulf of Alaska, Prince William Sound, and Bering Sea. The Cruise West fleet numbers seven vessels ranging in size from 70 to 114 passengers. Itineraries range from three to 14 days.

* Crystal Cruises, 2049 Century Park E./Suite 1400, Los Angeles, CA 90067 (www.crystal cruises.com). Crystal reprises its summer and fall series of 12-day cruises on the 940-passenger Crystal Harmony departing roundtrip from San Francisco.

* Glacier Bay Cruiseline, 107 W. Denny Way, Seattle, WA 98119 (www.glacierbaycruise line.com). Alaska's only native-owned cruise company has four "Sport Utility Vessels" dedicated to soft and active adventure cruises on the Inside Passage. Capacities range from 32 to 96. Cruises range from seven to 10 days. New for 2004 is the return of the recently refurbished Executive Explorer.

* Holland America Line, 300 Elliott Ave. W., Seattle, WA 98119 (www.hollandamerica. com). Holland America sends seven ships to Alaska, deploying three on the Gulf and four on the Inside Passage. New for 2004 is the 1,848-passenger Oosterdam, HAL's second ship based in Seattle and its first Vista Class ship in Alaska.

* Lindblad Expeditions, 720 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10019 (www.expeditions.com). Lindblad specializes in eco-cruises of the Inside Passage for the environmentally inclined aboard the 70-passenger sister ships Sea Bird and Sea Lion. Sailings are scheduled for eight or 12 days.

* Norwegian Cruise Line, 7665 Corporate Center Dr., Miami, FL 33126 (www.ncl.com). NCL salts the Inside Passage exclusively with three ships departing roundtrip from Vancouver or Seattle. New for 2004 is the 2,240-passenger Norwegian Star, which becomes NCL's biggest ship ever to sail in Alaska.

* Princess Cruises, 24305 Town Center Dr., Santa Clarita, CA 91355 (www. princess. com). Princess deploys Alaska's two largest ships, the 2,670-passenger Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess, both new for 2004 and sailing the Inside Passage roundtrip from Seattle. Princess also has one ship on 10-day Inside Passage cruises from San Francisco and four ships crossing the Gulf for a grand total of seven ships in Alaska.

* Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, 600 Corporate Dr./Suite 410, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334 (www.rssc.com). Radisson brings the 700-passenger Seven Seas Mariner back to Alaska for Gulf cruises between Vancouver and Seward. Itineraries run six, seven, or 11 days.

* Royal Caribbean International, 1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, FL 33132 (www.royal caribbean.com). Royal Caribbean sails the Inside Passage on two megaships roundtrip from Vancouver and crosses the Gulf of Alaska with a third big vessel from Vancouver or Seward. New for 2004 is the 2,110-passenger Serenade of the Seas.

* Society Expeditions, 2001 Western Ave./Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98121 (www.society expeditions.com). Society Expeditions explores the Bering Sea for 12 or 17 days onboard the 160-passenger expedition vessel World Discoverer.