Glacier Bay Cruiseline: discovering the wilderness aboard the "new" adventure cruise company

Cruise Travel, Sept-Oct, 2005 by Peter Knego

Do you love shipboard life but want an alternative to overzealous cruise directors, slot machines, and baked Alaska? Can you survive a week afloat without private balconies, atriums, and art auctions? Are you yearning to get upclose and touch the scenery and visit off-the-beaten-path hideaways that large ships cannot access? If you answered "yes" to all the above, Glacier Bay Cruiseline, fresh from a recent restructuring, has the perfect vacation for you.

An endless procession of nearly identical ships of 80,000 to 100,000-plus gross register tons has made niche operators like GBC a precious commodity. Each of its vessels seems barely larger than some of the tenders on these new megaliners, and the fleet's total passenger complement could fill no more than a couple of average tour buses.

Ownership of the 37-year-old company went from Goldbelt Inc. (a Juneau-based Alaska Native Corporation that purchased GBC in 1996) to a new group of investors in early 2004 headed by COO and general manager, Mike Lavigne, who has won numerous travel-industry awards through his associations with Global Leisure, the Coastal Hotel Group, and Jetset North America, among others. Aside from injecting much-needed capital into the company's operations, relocating headquarters from Juneau to Seattle, and introducing exciting new Columbia River and Prince William Sound itineraries, GBC's tried and true formula of bringing passengers in direct contact with elements of natural wonder has not been tampered with.

The company's small, shallow-draft vessels will continue to launch mini-armadas of sea kayaks filled with adventure-seeking passengers from strategically hidden anchorages.

The revised GBC currently operates four vessels: the 36-passenger Wilderness Explorer; the 74-passenger Wilderness Adventurer; the 86-passenger Wilderness Discoverer; and the fleshly refurbished, high-speed, 49-passenger catamaran Executive Explorer. Marketed as "SUV's" (Sports Utility Vessels), the GBC fleet offers comfortable if compact accommodations and public areas, which easily convert from cozy lounges to classrooms with PowerPoint, slide, and video facilities.

When recently asked if there are any notable changes in the onboard product, Lavigne replied, "We've made a specific effort to brand ourselves towards our strengths as an adventure cruise company and to make sure our product reflects this emphasis. We're similar in theory to the way we were, but our product changes accordingly each season as a result of adventure travelers' expectations and some recommendations from our customers and crew."

Part of the upgrading and strengthening of the company's assets included last spring's introduction of the Executive Explorer with a nine-port cruise in Southeast Alaska. Lavigne notes, "The vessel underwent a major refit and interior renovation. It has always been a favorite among international customers and those seeking more land-based adventure along with the 'yacht appeal' of a 49-passenger cruise ship. Additionally, we've introduced one-week adventure cruises on the Prince William Sound. This destination is becoming popular as it becomes more well-known, and our mission is to promote both our product and the destination."

"New destinations? We're always researching new destinations," adds Lavigne. "Expanding our annual sailing months benefits new guests, past guests, and the company." This winter, GBC will introduce a new program of seven-night Sea of Cortez cruises on the Wilderness Adventurer from Port Loreto, Mexico, and in the fall of 2006, there will be weekly departures from Los Cabos, Mexico. A gamut of activities from sea kayaking to snorkeling and nature hikes will be provided; per-diems range from $314 to $385.

But Alaska is the bread & butter destination of this niche operator, whose cruises are rated on an "Adventure Level" scale ranging from "Lowest Activity" (10 points or less) to "High Activity" (60 points or more). A self evaluation test is available on the company's web site, asking questions ranging from "How would you rate your overall physical ability?" to "How much have you sea kayaked or canoed before?" The answers are rated on a 1 to 10 scale and tallied for a final score to help with an initial selection of the right cruise and vessel to suit the prospective passenger.

GBC is not only one of the pioneering Alaska cruise lines, but the first to offer kayaks, and to this day provides more kayaks than any other cruise line. Each voyage has a "team" dedicated to providing the most out of the itinerary, be it kayaking lessons, guided nature walks, or expert lectures on the history, flora, and fauna of the regions visited. The line's philosophy is to "leave a lasting impression on the guest" and to make sure the guest does not "leave a lasting impression on the places visited." Its vessels do not discharge trash or raw sewage at sea, and even the use of styrofoam cups is eschewed in favor of reusable mugs.

Pre-/post-cruise land and air extensions are offered as well. GBC's air program can provide more flexibility than most published and web airfares. An array of hotel options is available from all cruise departure cities, ranging from an overnight at the Marriott in Portland to fully escorted weeklong tours in Denali National Park and Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.