Cruising "The Great Land"

By Mimi Kmet

Alaska continues to grow in popularity, as more people explore “The Great Land.” While land tours in Alaska attract more interest with each passing year, many first-time visitors experience the destination via cruise ship. After that introduction, however, what can cruise lines do to keep clients boarding their vessels, as well as to attract new customers?

At the recent Alaska Media Road Show in Santa Barbara, Calif., four cruise lines—two large and two small—which together account for the lion’s share of Alaska cruises and cruisetours, answered that dilemma with details of what they have in store for 2010 and, in one case, 2011. Following is a summary of their offerings.

American Safari Cruises This year all three of American Safari’s yachts (the 12-guest Safari Spirit, the 22-passenger Safari Quest and the 36-guest Safari Explorer) will offer weeklong “Inside Passage” itineraries, sailing roundtrip from Juneau. The cruises will spend two days in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, where passengers can search for wildlife, as well as kayak and hike beyond the short trail in Bartlett Cove. “This is the first year that all of our yachts have that permit access into Glacier Bay,” says Tim Jacox, the line’s executive vice president of sales and marketing.

In fact, American Safari is the only cruise line whose passengers can hike and kayak in Glacier Bay, since shore parties there are limited to 12 persons. Jacox says, “That is a hallmark of our visitors’ experience in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.”

It’s also a hallmark throughout the seven-night itineraries, during which the yachts anchor in quiet wilderness coves at night instead of traditional ports of call. Jacox calls them “unscheduled itineraries, where in the wilderness guests meet with Alaskans, like commercial fishermen who tell stories to guests assembled on the yacht’s railing.” American Safari yachts also sometimes stop at small, remote towns, such as Tenakee Springs or Elfin Cove, with populations that are not much greater than the yachts’ capacities.

Alaska cruises start at $4,895 per person, double, and include all shore excursions, wine and premium spirits, and private transfers. Private charters start at $78,995.

The company will launch two larger ships with a lower price point in May 2011 under the InnerSea Discoveries brand: The 89-ton Wilderness Adventurer will accommodate 66 guests, and the 95-ton Wilderness Discoverer will accommodate 80 passengers. The seven-night itineraries will sail one-way between Ketchikan and Juneau, and feature activities such as kayaking among icebergs and whale-watching from inflatable boats. Fares start at $2,500 per person, double, for a seven-night cruise, with a limited number of singles available. Included are meals, a range of adventure activities, expert guides, expedition equipment, port charges, taxes and transfers. The company plans to start accepting bookings in March.

On select departures, InnerSea Discoveries will offers vacations designed for families, which include “Kids in Nature” educational and entertaining programs geared toward various age groups, with a minimum age of 12.

For more information on American Safari Cruises, call 888-862-8881 or visit www.amsafari.com . For InnerSea Discoveries, call 877-901-1009 or visit www.innerseadiscoveries.com.

Cruise West Four Cruise West vessels will operate in Alaska this year, as the company redeploys the rest of its fleet to other destinations, including a new world voyage. The 138-passenger Spirit of Yorktown and the 102-passenger Spirit of Endeavor will sail on the line’s revamped “Alaska’s Inside Passage” itinerary roundtrip from Juneau, which features more wilderness cruising, as well as a greater number of Zodiac watercraft excursions and authentic ports of call, than past Inside Passage cruises. Each of the 25 departures includes full days in Sitka and Glacier Bay. The ships also will call at Wrangell, where optional excursions include bear viewing from the Anan Bear Observatory and jet boating up the Stikine River. A stop at the fishing village of Petersburg offers visitors a glimpse of that venue’s Norwegian heritage. Scenic cruising will include Frederick Sound and Stephens Passage, which are considered to be the most prolific whale-watching waters in Alaska; as well as two days searching for wildlife (including opportunities to explore via Zodiac boats); and a full day at Icy Strait and the Inian Islands.

The 84-guest Spirit of Discovery will operate 24 departures of the four-night “Glacier Bay Highlights” itinerary roundtrip from Juneau, with two nights in Glacier Bay. The cruise also will offer a full day at Haines and Skagway.

The 78-guest Spirit of Columbia will operate 19 departures of the four-night “Glaciers of Prince William Sound” itinerary roundtrip from Anchorage. The cruise will include a stop at the small fishing village of Cordova, known for its Copper River salmon, where passengers can partake in kayaking, hiking and river rafting.

All four ships also will offer the 10-day “Gold Rush Inside Passage” itinerary, which has been revised to include Misty Fjords National Monument and Metlakatla, an authentic Tsimshian community. Ten departures will cruise between Seattle and Juneau at the beginning and end of the season. Port calls and scenic cruising include the San Juan Islands, the Strait of Georgia, Frederick Sound, Tracy Arm and Sergius Narrows, Petersburg, Sitka, Skagway and Glacier Bay.

In addition, the line is offering four special photography cruises this year: the June 6 and Aug. 18 “Alaska’s Inside Passage” departures, the June 29 “Glacier Bay Highlights” departure and the Aug. 9 “Glaciers of Prince William Sound” departure.

On its land extensions, which feature three nights at Denali National Park and Preserve, Cruise West is adding two programs: “Introduction to the Subarctic” provides an overview of Denali’s ecosystem and complements the information that passengers receive the following day during one of three included tours into the park. And “The Effects of Climate Change in Alaska’s National Parks” features a presentation by the Alaska Geographic Society (in conjunction with the National Park Service).

For more information, call 888-851-8133 or visit www.cruisewest.com.

Holland America Line New from Holland America Line is a 14-day “Alaska Adventurer” itinerary, sailing roundtrip from Seattle aboard the 1,380-passenger Amsterdam. In addition to calling at ports in Southeast Alaska, the ship will call at Kodiak Island, Homer, which is on the Kenai Peninsula, and Anchorage. The ship will sail into Anchorage, rather than via Seward, where it will anchor for a full day and evening. It will be the first time cruise-only passengers will be able to explore Anchorage and the interior. In all, the ship will call at eight ports. It also will visit popular sites including Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in North America.

In addition, Holland America is launching three Expedition Cruisetours this year. These all-inclusive cruise-tours, two of which are limited to eight to 10 people per departure and one that accommodates 24, are the line’s most active and wilderness-oriented offerings, taking passengers to uncrowded, off-the-beaten-path areas with overnight stays at wilderness lodges. The “Kenai Expedition” features a two-night stay at the remote Tutka Bay Lodge, with a variety of activity options in the heart of Kenai’s wilderness, as well as a night in Talkeetna, near Denali National Park. Guests on the “Denali Backcountry Expedition” spend three nights at The Kantishna Roadhouse, located deep inside Denali National Park, with two full days of exploring and activities. And the “Best of the Yukon Expedition” features three nights in the Gold Rush town of Dawson City, with a choice of outdoor adventures in Tombstone and Kluane Parks.

Including the Amsterdam, Holland America will operate eight ships in Alaska this year. The others are the Oosterdam, the Rotterdam, the Ryndam, the Statendam, the Volendam, the Zaandam and the Zuiderdam.

For more information, call 877-932-4259 or visit www.hollandamerica.com.

Princess Cruises A new, 12-night “Family Fun” cruisetour from Princess Cruises features a jet boat ride, panning for gold, an interactive tour of Denali National Park and an “Arctic Blast” experience, where participants can experience “winter” in Alaska via a special chamber that’s chilled to wintertime temperatures. The itinerary consists of a seven-night “Voyage of the Glaciers” cruise aboard the Coral Princess, the Diamond Princess or the Island Princess, plus a five-night land tour with one night at the Mount McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, two nights at the Denali Princess Lodge and two nights at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge.

In addition, Princess has simplified its Alaska cruise-tour lineup by breaking it into three categories. Each of the three- to eight-night itineraries features at least two nights at Denali National Park, accommodations at Princess’ riverside wilderness lodges and the seven-day “Voyage of the Glaciers” cruise that includes Glacier Bay National Park. Among the land tours is “Direct to the Wilderness,” which features direct rail service between the Whittier cruise terminal and Denali National Park, as well as multiple nights at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and/or the Mount McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. And “Explorer” visits Denali National Park, the Kenai Peninsula (with accommodations at the Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge) and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (with accommodations at the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge). There are also options to the far north, into the Arctic Circle and Prudhoe Bay.

In addition to the Coral Princess, the Diamond Princess and the Island Princess, the line’s Alaska fleet this year includes the Golden Princess, the Royal Princess, the Sapphire Princess and the Sea Princess.

For more information, call 800-774-6237 or visit www.princesscruises.com.  @

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