Tourism Rush to Alaska Spells Gold for Ship Lines

At the turn of the last century, the discovery of gold in the Klondike brought more than 30,000 fortune seekers to Alaska and the Yukon, but they’re only a trickle compared with the estimated 600,000 visitors who arrived by cruise ship in 1999. The number of ships cruising in Alaska increased from 16 in 1984 to 31 in 1994 to 37 in 1999. This year 39 vessels--ranging in size from American Safari Cruises’ 12-passenger Safari Spirit to Royal Caribbean International’s 2,435-passenger sisters Rhapsody of the Seas and Vision of the Seas--will sail the northern waters.

The two major cruise itineraries are the Gulf of Alaska--growing in popularity, especially for larger cruise ships--and the traditional Inside Passage. Gulf of Alaska cruises usually sail between Vancouver and Seward across some open sea and into College Fiord with its 16 glaciers, while Inside Passage sailings most often go round trip from Vancouver through more sheltered seas and into Glacier Bay National Park or past Hubbard Glacier.

Four new ships will be sailing Alaskan waters for the first time this season, including one each for longtime rivals Princess Cruises and Holland America Line, which are sending six ships each.

This is the last summer that Holland America’s 1,214-passenger Nieuw Amsterdam will cruise Alaska; in December the ship will begin year-round Hawaii sailings as the Patriot for United States Lines, a subsidiary of American Classic Voyages, which also operates American Hawaii Cruises and Delta Queen Steamboat Co.

Princess continues to introduce lavish new “Grand Class” ships; the newest is the 1,950-passenger Ocean Princess. It will join sister ships Sun Princess, Dawn Princess and Sea Princess on Gulf of Alaska sailings that will also visit Glacier Bay--the first season that all of the cruises include the national park. The smaller Regal Princess and Sky Princess offer the traditional Inside Passage itinerary.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s new 2,002-passenger Norwegian Sky is sure to appeal to younger passengers with its up-to-speed Internet Cafe providing online access and cappuccino, splashy big production shows like “Hey Mr. Producer” and alternative restaurants, including a French bistro and an Italian-Chinese eatery.

Budget-minded travelers who look ahead can take advantage of NCL’s two-for-one sales on all ships and cruises until March 31, subject to availability. Seven-night Alaska cruises aboard the Norwegian Sky or Norwegian Wind start at $999 per person, double.

Radisson Seven Seas Cruises is positioning its brand-new 490-passenger Seven Seas Navigator in Alaska this summer, setting out from San Francisco May 26 on a 12-night voyage that visits Seattle, Victoria and six Alaska ports before arriving in Vancouver. In June and July, this all-suites ship will make seven-, 10- and 11-night voyages between Vancouver and Seward with varying itineraries; fares begin at $2,995 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from West Coast cities.

Crystal Cruises’ 940-passenger Crystal Harmony returns to Alaska this summer with three itineraries: 12-night round-trip sailings from San Francisco, a 10-night round-trip sailing from Vancouver and 11- and 12-night cruises between San Francisco and Vancouver.

Early bookings can help lower Crystal’s luxury prices with a discount up to 10%. Bargain hunters should look especially at the May 24 Vancouver-to-San Francisco, cruise with discounts up to 45% off for early birds. Other familiar profiles include Celebrity Cruises’ dazzling 1,870-passenger sister ships Mercury and Galaxy; Carnival Cruise Lines’ lively 1,486-passenger Jubilee; and World Explorer’s 731-passenger Universe Explorer, the latter emphasizing offbeat ports, educational lectures and casual dress.

Small-ship lovers looking for intimate elegance and good cooking, with shore excursions, wines and cocktails included in the basic fare, should check out American Safari Cruises’ 22-passenger Safari Quest.

Cruise West has six ships plus a touring yacht, carrying from 52 to 102 passengers; Glacier Bay Tours and Cruises operates four vessels that carry from 34 to 88 passengers each; Lindblad Special Expeditions offers sister vessels Sea Bird and Sea Lion, carrying 70 passengers each; and Clipper Cruises sails the 138-passenger Yorktown Clipper through the waterways of British Columbia and southwest Alaska.

The 138-passenger World Discoverer from Seattle-based Society Expeditions, which claims countless “firsts” in its worldwide explorations, will cruise the Aleutians, the Bering Sea, Russia’s Chukchi Peninsula and Arctic Alaska on a 17-night adventure departing Anchorage (for the port of Nome) on June 12; it will sail the Gulf of Alaska and Inside Passage June 28 to July 11.

Finally, there’s a combination cruise/RV tour for people who want to cover land and sea in one trip. Alaska Highway Cruises has a variety of programs that let passengers travel one way along the Gulf of Alaska or the Inside Passage aboard a Holland America cruise ship and the other in an RV along the Alaska Highway.

To get free brochures about any of these sailings, see a travel agent or contact the lines at: Alaska Highway Cruises, telephone (800) 323-5757 or Internet https://www.alaskarv.com; American Yacht Safaris, tel. (888) 862-8881 or https://www.amsafari.com; Carnival Cruise Lines, tel. (800) CARNIVAL (227-6482) or https://www.carnival.com; Celebrity Cruises, tel. (800) 437-3111 or https://www.celebrity-cruises.com; Clipper Cruise Line, tel. (800) 695-0500 or https://www.clippercruise.com; Cruise West, tel. (800) 888-9378 or https://www.cruisewest.com; Crystal Cruises, tel. (800) 820-6663 or https://www.crystalcruises.com; Glacier Bay Tours and Cruises, tel. (800) 451-5952 or https://www.glacierbaytours.com; Holland America Line, tel. (800) 426-0327 or https://www.hollandamerica.com; LifeLong Learning, tel. (800) 854-4080; Lindblad Special Expeditions, tel. (800) EXPEDITION (397-3348) or https://www.expeditions.com; Norwegian Cruise Line, tel. (800) 327-7030 or https://www.ncl.com; Princess Cruises, tel. (800) PRINCESS (774-6237) or https://www.princesscruises.com; Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, tel. (800) 477-7500 or https://www.rssc.com; Royal Caribbean International, tel. (800) 327-6700 or https://www.royalcaribbean.com; Society Expeditions, tel. (800) 548-8669 or https://www.societyexpeditions.com; World Explorer Cruises, tel. (800) 854-3835, https://www.wecruise.com.

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Shirley Slater and Harry Basch travel as guests of the cruise lines. Cruise Views appears the first and third week of every month.