Alaska 2005: new ports and more along the American and Canadian frontier

Cruise Travel, Sept-Oct, 2004 by M.T. Schwartzman

It's a fact: If you want to visit Juneau, Alaska's capital city, the only way in is by air or by sea. Looking to witness the calving of a glacier or observe a bald eagle in the wild? Then Alaska is your best bet. And if you're keen on rediscovering the North American frontier, then Alaska has a pioneer spirit that is unsurpassed.

So it's no mystery why Alaska has become one of cruising's hot tickets. Cruise ships provide easy access to Alaska's most storied communities and to postcard-perfect scenery. All the while, you'll be treated like an honored guest.

Alaska's southern coast stretches in an arc across the Pacific from Canada nearly to Asia. Its geography is well suited to cruising, which comes in two main itineraries. Inside Passage cruises stick to the panhandle or southeastern region. Gulf of Alaska cruises add the south-central portion of the state, traveling one-way between Vancouver and Seward or Whittier, the nearest ports to Anchorage. Gulf cruises cover more territory, while Inside Passage itineraries offer the benefit of convenient roundtrip voyages from points close to home.

While cruising to Alaska has been an annual summertime ritual since the late 1880s, the seascape has evolved as cruising has changed. In recent years we've seen an influx of ever-bigger ships, the introduction of cabins with private balconies, and vessels with a wide array of dining venues. Itineraries have changed as well, with new ports-of-call, extra glacier viewing, and longer cruises topping the list of enhancements.

Most passengers visit Alaska's three major ports: Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway. As mentioned above, Juneau is Alaska's capital, where the attractions range from topnotch museums to a "drive-up" glacier just 13 miles from downtown. Ketchikan was "The Salmon Capital of the World" when a string of canneries lined its shores in the early 1900s, and today preserves the world's largest collection of totem poles. Skagway was the gateway to the goldfields in 1897 during the great rush of stampeders to the Klondike, and now regales visitors with stories from the heady gold-rush days.

Some cruises may add a fourth port-of-call. Many lines stop in Sitka, formerly the capital of Russian Alaska. Norwegian Cruise Line calls weekly in Wrangell, a rustic outpost of the southern Inside Passage, while Holland America Line is a regular in Haines, an artists community on the Lynn Canal. Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, meanwhile, have become the first companies to call at Icy Strait Point, Alaska's first private cruise destination (see sidebar).

Stops in British Columbia are becoming more prominent as well. Usually this is Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, where passengers find a decidedly English counterpoint to the more rugged ambiance of Alaska's frontier-style communities. Shore excursions, for example, may include high tea at the Empress Hotel or a tour of the city's traditional pubs.

Some itineraries may substitute Prince Rupert--the last stop in Canada before the Alaskan border--which recently opened a new cruise terminal. A day in Prince Rupert highlights the native culture and indigenous wildlife of frontier British Columbia, where people from Canada's First Nations are said to have lived for more than 10,000 years. Canada's first and only grizzly-bear sanctuary also lies in this area and may be seen by passengers on shore excursions.

A wholly new destination, the native community of Campbell River, is constructing a cruise-ship dock and hopes to receive its first caller in 2005. At press time, NCL was tentatively scheduled to stop there on a May 8 sailing of the Norwegian Star. Campbell River has been described as "a non-urban setting with both cultural and outdoor tourism opportunities for passengers."

In addition to their ports-of-call, every Alaska cruise reserves some time for glacier viewing. Nearly half of all passengers spend a day in Glacier Bay National Park. The rest go to Tracy Arm or Hubbard Glacier due to park-service restrictions, which limit the number of cruise ships during the peak summer period from June 1 through August 31. For 2005, cruise lines with authorization to sail into Glacier Bay are Crystal Cruises, Holland America, NCL and Princess. Shoulder-season visitors also include Carnival and Celebrity.

Increasingly, many cruise itineraries include not one but two days of scenic cruising. Holland America, for example, now combines Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay, College Fjord and Glacier Bay, or College Fjord and Hubbard Glacier on most voyages. Princess includes Glacier Bay and College Fjord on all Gulf of Alaska sailings. At the longer end of the market, Crystal will feature two days of glacier viewing on three of its 12-day cruises in 2005, while NCL introduces back-to-back days of scenic cruising on its new 10-day "Alaska Adventure."

As you might expect, Alaska is a natural destination for close-to-home cruising, and passengers now have more embarkation ports than ever before. In 2004, Princess and Carnival became the first major lines to return to Whittier since the early 1990s, and they will be joined in 2005 by Radisson Seven Seas Cruises. Seven-day cruises also sail from Seward, Seattle, and Vancouver.