THE BEST of ALASKA CRUISING Alaska
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05_575791 ch01.qxd 12/28/04 9:51 AM Page 6 1 The Best of Alaska Cruising Alaska is one of the top cruise destinations in the world, and when you’re sail- ing through the calm waters of the Inside Passage or across the Gulf of Alaska, it’s easy to see why. The scenery is simply breathtaking. Much of the coastline is wilderness, with snowcapped mountain peaks, immense glaciers that create a thunderous noise as they calve into the sea, emer- ald rainforests, fjords, icebergs, soaring eagles, lumbering bears, and majestic whales all easily visible from the comfort of your ship. Visit the towns and you’ll find people who retain the spirit of frontier inde- pendence that brought them here in the first place. Add Alaska’s colorful history and heritage, with its European influences, its spirit of discovery, and its rich Native cultures, and you have a destination that is utterly and endlessly fascinating. The fact that approximately 700,000 cruise passengers—give or take a few— arrive annually in this last great frontier has had its impact, of course. In the summer some towns turn into tourist malls populated by seasonal vendors and imported souvenirs. However, the port towns you’ll visit—from Juneau, the most remote state capital in the country, to Sitka, with its proud reminders of Native and Russian culture—retain much of their rustic charm and historical allure. Sure, you may have to jostle for a seat in Juneau’s popular Red Dog Saloon (a must-do beer stop) or ask other visitors to step out of the way as you try to snap a picture of Skagway’s historic gold-rush buildings, but these are minor hassles for cruise ship passengers. And if you want to get away from the crowds by taking a small-ship cruise or an organized shore excursion, or touring on your own, there’s opportunity for that, too. In addition, by signing up for the cruise lines’ pre- or post-cruise land-tour packages (known as “cruisetours”), you can also visit such inland destinations as Denali National Park, Fairbanks, the Yukon Territory, or the Canadian Rockies. Even before you cruise, we can predict you’ll want to visit again. Jerry first visited 32 years ago and claims he’s never been the same—the place put such a spell on him that he’s gone back every year since, sometimes two or three times. Fran’s first visit to the state wasn’t quite that long ago, but she also noticed that her view of the world was forever changed, and she quickly put the state at the top of her listCOPYRIGHTED of cruise destinations. Alaska is like that. MATERIAL It grabs you by the scruff of the neck and won’t let you go. Whether you’re looking for pampering and resort amenities or a you-and-the-sea adventure experience, you’ll find it offered by cruise ships in Alaska. Here are some of our favorites, along with our picks of the best ports, shore excursions, and sights. 1 The Best of Alaska’s Ships • The Best Ships for Luxury: Crys- the Alaska market. We’re talking tal Cruises’ 940-passenger Crystal superb cuisine, elegant service, Harmony is the big luxury ship in lovely surroundings, great cabins, 05_575791 ch01.qxd 12/28/04 9:51 AM Page 7 THE BEST OF ALASKA’S SHIPS 7 and sparkling entertainment. It special shore excursions for kids also has what we consider to be the and teens, and Carnival gets a nod prettiest public room afloat—the for offering special shore excur- Palm Court. If you want a more sions for teens. casual kind of luxury (a really nice • The Best Ships for Pampering: ship with a no-tie-required policy), It’s a tossup—Celebrity’s Infinity Radisson Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven and Summit offer wonderful Seas Mariner offers just that, with AquaSpas complete with thalas- plush all-suite cabins (most with sotherapy pools and a wealth of private balconies) and excellent soothing and beautifying treat- cuisine (plus, you get complimen- ments, while Crystal Harmony tary wine with dinner). And for pampers all around, and the solar- the ultimate Alaska small-ship iums on Royal Caribbean’s Vision experience, check out the yachts of of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, American Safari Cruises, where and Radiance of the Seas offer soft adventure comes with luxury relaxing indoor-pool retreats. accoutrements. • The Best Shipboard Cuisine: • The Best of the Mainstream Radisson and Crystal (in that Ships: Every line’s most recent order) are tops. Of the mainstream ships are beautiful, but Celebrity’s lines, Celebrity is the best, with its Infinity is a true stunner, as is sis- cuisine overseen by renowned ter ship Summit. These modern French chef Michel Roux. Dinner vessels, with their extensive art in the reservations-only specialty collections, cushy public rooms, restaurants on the Infinity or and expanded spa areas, give Summit ($25-per-person service Celebrity a formidable presence in charge) is a world-class dining Alaska. And the late model Sap- experience. And there are signs of a phire Princess and Diamond new and rather surprising chal- Princess (which debuted last year) lenger for the cuisine award: Car- have raised the art of building big nival, which has upgraded both its ships to new heights. main dining room and buffet • The Best of the Small Ships: offerings. And the line’s Carnival Clipper Cruise Line’s newest ves- Spirit in Alaska boasts the Nou- sel, the Clipper Odyssey, is a veau Supper Club ($25-per-person really gorgeous little ship, offering service charge), where you can a higher level of comfort than enjoy just about as fine a meal as most of the other small ships in you’re likely to find anywhere. this category. The most adventur- • The Best Ships for Onboard ous small-ship itineraries in Alaska Activities: The ships operated by are offered by Glacier Bay Cruise- Carnival and Royal Caribbean offer line, whose Wilderness Adven- a very full roster of onboard activi- turer and Wilderness Explorer ties that range from the sublime both concentrate on kayaking, (such as lectures) to the ridiculous hiking, and wildlife, hardly visit- (such as contests designed to get ing any ports at all over the course passengers to do or say outrageous of their itineraries. things). Princess’ ScholarShip@Sea • The Best Ships for Families: All program is a real winner, with excit- the major lines have well-estab- ingly packaged classes in such lished kids’ programs. Holland diverse subjects as photography, America and Norwegian Cruise personal computers, cooking, and Line win points in Alaska for their even pottery. 05_575791 ch01.qxd 12/28/04 9:51 AM Page 8 8 CHAPTER 1 . 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Prince RREFUGEEFUGE Seward NAT’L PARK Attu Island Rupert Homer AND PRESERVE Halibut Cove Pribilof Seldovia BRITISH Islands Bristol KATMAI NAT’L COLUMBIA Bering Sea Bay PARK AND PRESERVE GLACIER BAY NAT’L Juneau PARK AND PRESERVE k a a Kodiak Cape Rat Islands l a s u l A i n s St. Stephen P e n Unimak Cold Bay Dutch Island Adak Atka Island Harbor Fort Glen Atka UnimakUnimak Prince Rupert, Adak Island UnalaskaUnalaska B.C. s A n d l e u t i a n I s l a PACIFIC 05_575791 ch01.qxd 12/28/04 9:51 AM Page 9 THE BEST OF ALASKA’S SHIPS 9 Paved Road 1 State or Provincial Route Dirt Road ARCTIC OCEAN Barrow Prudhoe Bay Beaufort Sea Deadhorse CCAPEA KRUSENSTERN B ARCTIC NAT’L NNAT’LA MON. rook s Range WILDLIFE NOATAK NAT’L REFUGE PRESERVE Anaktuvuk e Pass Dalton Hwy. ng KOBUK VALLEYVALLEY Ra 8 ks NAT’L PARK GATES OF THE Broo ARCTIC NAT’L PARK CANADA NORTHWEST KKotzebueotzebue UNITED STATES . y AND PRESERVE w cle H c Cir YYUKONUKON FFLATSLATS r Arcti BettlesBettles e BERING LAND BRIDGE st FFortort YYukonukon NNAT’LAT’L WWILDLIFEILDLIFE p m NAT’L PRESERVE e TERRITORIES RREFUGEEFUGE DempsterD Hwy. 5 ChenaChena Circle CANADAC A N A D A GalenaGalena ManleyManley HotHot SpringsSprings 6 YYUKON-CHARLEYUKON-CHARLEY RRIVERSIVERS HotHot SpringsSprings 2 NNAT’LAT’L PPRESERVERESERVE UnalakleetUnalakleet Fairbanks EagleEagle er Nenana North Pole YUKON iv 5 YUKON DELTA R DENALI DeltaDelta n JunctionJunction NAT’L WILDLIFE o NAT’L PARK DawsonDawson CityCity k McGrathMMcGrathcGrath a Ran 9 REFUGE u sk ge Y r Mt.