Come to Alaska!

Well, it has officially started! The Alaska cruise season is here!

“YAY!” I hear you yell…ok I don’t really…but those of you who wish to cruise to The Last Frontier should rejoice! This will be a good year for Alaska.

I, however, am going, “BOOOOO!!!” Why? You may ask…well, because I live in Los Angeles, and you know what? I suddenly, and horribly, find that for the next 2 months the City of Angels will play host to no cruise ships. “Why?” I hear you cry…well my dear readers, the dark and terrible answer is a simple one……………IT’S BECAUSE OF STINKING ALASKA TAKING ALL MY SHIPS!!!! GRRRRR!!!! (…no offense Alaska…um…really).

But putting aside Alaska’s maritime thievery, I have decided to tell you about this beautiful, I must begrudgingly admit, cruise destination.

Alaska is the newest, the largest, and one of the least populated states in the union, as well as one of the most beautiful places in the world! Located in the northernmost reaches the the Pacific North West, Alaska is separated from the rest of the continental US by Canada (Darn Canada... JUST KIDDING!!! I LOVE YOU MY CANADIAN READERS!!! EH!!), and straddles the Arctic circle. And as much as I can’t stand having no ships here in Los Angeles ((even though I suppose I should clarify that the Carnival Splendor and Carnival Paradise are based here…but they are in Long Beach and everyone knows that Carnival ships don’t count!!!)), I have to say that I can’t blame the cruise lines for sending their ships to this truly remarkable place.



Boasting places and sights like Denali National Park, Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay, the grand Alaskan mountains – including the tallest in the US/North America, Mt McKinley - and the very scenic, Inside Passage (a water way among the archipelago of the Alaskan Panhandle, through which almost every cruise sails), Alaska will astound you with its awesome scenery. Really Alaska’s beauty is second only to California’s!!! ;) …It's true!

Millions of people visit the state every year for its rugged, untouched terrain, unique culture and way of life, and for the many different adventures that one can experience in Alaska. Many of those millions come by cruise ship!

Despite the fact that Alaska is one of the staple destinations of cruising (much like the Caribbean), the last few years have been a bit rocky for the relationship between the cruise industry and the state, causing a loss in tonnage (cruise ships) and a big decrease in passenger numbers. This discord was caused by Alaska's, sometimes overly strict, environmental laws (such as one that will not allow cruise ships to dump Alaskan water into Alaskan water…I don’t get it either…), and by taxes. In 2006, Alaska voters approved a $50.00 head tax on each cruise passenger that comes to the state via cruise ship. Almost immediately the cruise lines sued the state in federal court through the Alaskan Cruise Association, alleging that the tax was unconstitutional and unfair (you have to consider how much money $50 per passenger, on ships that can carry thousands, would cost the cruise lines).

After losing over 100,000 passengers, many ships, and all the money that comes with them, Alaska changed course and reached a compromise with the cruise industry. They would pass a law lowering the head tax to around $35.00, and in exchange, the cruise lines would drop their lawsuit. The law was passed and as a result, the cruise industry in Alaska is slowly returning to normal.

However, despite this drama, Alaska has remained one of the word pre-eminent cruising destinations. Even though the number of cruise ships sailing to Alaska has not yet returned to their previous numbers, there are still many diverse options…enough to suit the vacation needs of any member of the cruising public.

Over 10 cruise lines will be sailing to Alaska this year alone, each one offering a unique and great product of their own. These lines include the fun, mass-market lines such as Royal Caribbean (one of my top picks for Alaska…especially the beautiful Radiance Class ships), Carnival Cruise Lines, and NCL; and the premium lines like the ever sophisticated and cool Celebrity Cruises (my absolute top pick for Alaska, especially the Millennium Class ships), Princess Cruises (who will have the largest ship in Alaska this year, the Diamond Princess), and Holland America Line. Others will include the high end luxury cruise lines of Crystal Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Silver Seas Cruises; and the smaller, lesser known and more intimate lines like American Safari Cruises, or Lindblad Cruises, who only carry a few dozen (if even that) on each voyage.

*quick edit (((New to Alaska this year is Disney Cruise Lines with their beautiful Disney Wonder! The ship is sailing 7 day cruises, round trip from Vancouver, Canada, calling on places such as Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan.)))




The cruise ships themselves are also very diverse, ranging in size from the largest (the above mentioned Diamond Princess) at 115,000grt and the 90,000grt Radiance of the Seas, to the medium sized Seven Seas Navigator, to the much smaller yachts of Lindblad Cruises.

Most cruises depart from the ports of Seattle, Vancouver, Anchorage, or sometimes even San Francisco. As I said above, almost all cruises sail through the incredible Inside Passage (with its hundreds of islands and fjords, as well as its many glaciers and mountains that seem to rise right out of the sea), and call at cities such as the state capital, Juneau (a beautiful city, nestled at the base of Mt Juneau and surrounded by incredible scenery), Sitka (the historic state capital), Skagway, and Ketchikan; or at other great sights like Glacier Bay or the beautiful and imposing Hubbard Glacier with its 6 mile wide face (the glacier regularly produces icebergs the size of a 10 story building – a very cool thing to witness - so while the ships get close enough to give you an amazing view of this Alaskan treasure, they also have to maintain some distance).

Alaska also plays host to some of the cruise industry best cruise- tours and excursions, before, during, and after your cruise. Excursions include things like private charter flights over the mountains and gorgeous landscape of Alaska, dog sledding (don’t say “mush”), hiking through some of the most beautiful trails anywhere, historic and cultural tours, gold hunting (Alaska’s history is strongly tied to its gold), and bus tours that take you from your ship to some of the best spots to see Alaska’s diverse wildlife, scenery, or maybe even the birth of an iceberg. One of the areas where the cruise lines invest heavily in Alaska is their cruise-tours. Several of the cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, and Holland America, own their own glass domed train cars, exclusively for their passengers. These trains will take passengers directly from the ship to places like Denali National Park (the largest National park in the US…and one of the most beautiful), and small towns in the Alaskan interior. Of course the ride itself and the scenery on the way are enough by themselves to make these cruise tours worth it. Princess Cruises takes it up a notch with their 4 “Princess Wilderness Lodges” - located in Denali, in Kenai (one of Alaska’s most extraordinary places) and one the beautiful Copper River – reserved exclusively for their passengers on pre or post cruise packages. Other lines offer similar lodge packages; however, they do not own the lodges. Other cruise tour options include hotel stays and tours in Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage, tours in Talkeetna (home of the famed Iditarod), motor coach tours, and excursions to Alyeska where you can ride over 2,500ft above the valley on the suspended Alyeska Tramway.

((Interesting piece of information that many people do not know is that Holland America Lines actually owns a hotel chain in Alaska and the Yukon called Westmark Hotels…however, as far as I can tell, HAL never mixes their cruise operations with their hotels.)))

One of the great things about Alaska cruising is that it is easy to find a cruise for most budgets! Many cruises are offered for very cheap and prices can often be brought even farther down by last minute discounting by the cruise lines, or even by talking to your travel agent, who can often get you a really good price. So examples (non-discounted) of prices in Alaska this summer…(remember that cruise prices include the cost of food, entertainment, port fees, transportation between destinations)
-7 days on Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas, from $600 per person
-NCL is offering cruises from $750pp
-Carnival is offering cruises on Carnival Spirit from $900pp
-Celebrity is offering a 14 NIGHT repositioning cruise from Alaska to San Diego for only $1,000pp
If you would like to go in style, luxury line Crystal Cruises is offering 12 day cruises, round trip from San Francisco to Alaska, from $4,890pp…keep in mind though that the luxury lines tend to include more in their price, such as airfare, drinks (e.g. alcohol), excursions, and gratuities.

In short, what ever your budget there is definitely a cruise that’s right for you! Yes, Alaska is a great cruising destination… it’s beautiful, has lots of history and a unique culture all its own, and it offers many great experiences to cruise passengers and regular vacationers alike. If you are looking for pristine natural beauty, it doesn’t get much better then this!! If you are looking for warm tropical beaches and palm trees in the sand, well… Alaska is probably not for you (there are no palm trees and its cool all year round), but at the same time I would encourage you to consider it! As any regular reader of this blog knows, I have never cruised before (NOT BY CHOICE!!! >:[ ), so I can’t tell you any of this from experience. But even so, I don’t think I have to have been there to tell you how great it could be! Alaska has always been at the top of my “to-do list” for when I do finally get to cruise, and for all of the reasons I mentioned above! So, in short, if you are looking for a cruise this summer (or any summer really…) be sure to consider Alaska…I am sure you will not regret it!

I still hate them though for stealing my ships! ;)