cruising alaska [electronic resource] a guide to the ports of call.

Cruising
Alaska
6th Edition

Cruising
Alaska
6th Edition
A Traveler’s Guide to
Cruising Alaskan Waters
& Discovering the Interior
Larry H. Ludmer
HUNTER
HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC.
130 Campus Drive, Edison, NJ 08818
732-225-1900; 800-255-0343; Fax 732-417-1744
www.hunterpublishing.xom
Ulysses Travel Publications
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514-843-9882, ext. 2232; Fax 514-843-9448
The Boundary, Wheatley Road, Garsington
Oxford, OX44 9EJ England
01865-361122; Fax 01865-361133
Printed in the United States
ISBN 1-58843-510-5
© 2005 Larry H. Ludmer
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other-

wise, without the written permission of the publisher.
The publisher, author, affiliated individuals and companies disclaim
any responsibility for any injury, harm, or illness that may occur to
anyone through, or by use of, the information in this book. Every ef
-
fort was made to insure the accuracy of information in this book, but
the publisher and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any lia
-
bility for any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading
information or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if
such errors or omissions are the result of negligence, accident or any
other cause.
Cover image: Glacier Bay © Jim Wark, AirPhoto
Maps by Kim André © 2005 Hunter Publishing
123
v
Acknowledgments
The seemingly simple task of compiling the facts about cruise
lines, their ships and destinations has become more and more
difficult because of the sheer volume of choices. Any travel
writer who wants to do the best by his readers must seek out
the assistance of others to help amass this information. Ship
facts and information on which ships have been assigned to
cruising Alaskan routes were provided by the media relations
staff of the cruise lines. It is important to note, however, that
their role in providing information and/or services to me in no
way affect what I have to say about a particular cruise line or
ship. I am grateful to all public relations staff at the major
cruise lines, but especially to Tori Benson, Susanne Ferrull and
Marisa Cordola of Princess Cruises; Elizabeth Jakeway of Ce-

lebrity Cruises; Jaye Hilton of Royal Caribbean International;
Irene Lui of Carnival Cruises; Heather Krasnow of Norwegian
Cruise Line; and Susan Beresford, Hilda Cullen, Mary
Schimmelman and Michele McCarthy of Holland America. All
opinions expressed here are based on information gathered
from a variety of objective sources and, most importantly, by
firsthand experience.
www.hunterpublishing.com
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vii
Preface
The world of travel is a constantly changing landscape and
cruising is no exception. In fact, the last couple of years have
seen some particularly important developments as far as Alas
-
kan cruising is concerned. Certainly the introduction of many
spectacular new ships with an ever-greater number of ameni
-
ties is among the most significant. Two other changes are re
-
flected in the ports of embarkation and disembarkation. It was
only a few years ago that almost all Alaskan-bound cruises left
from Vancouver, Canada. While Vancouver is still a major
gateway, you will now find just as many cruises departing
from Seattle, Washington. At the other end, Anchorage used

to be served by the port of Seward. Today, many Anchorage
cruises dock at Whittier, which is closer to Anchorage. This
change was brought about by the completion of a road tunnel
from Whittier; the little town had been largely isolated before
that. Finally, ports of call are being added. One cruise line has
even introduced its own version of the “private island” so
popular in Caribbean cruises. Here, it is Icy Strait Point, the
former location of a fish cannery set in a glorious natural set-
ting. Among the newest ports of call is Prince Rupert, British
Columbia, and there could be others coming soon. So, read on
in this completely revised edition and see what the cruise lines
have to offer you.

Contents
THE WORLD OF ALASKA CRUISING
Cruise Popularity ····················1
A Brief Survey of Alaska ················3
Alaska Facts·····················3
Geographically Speaking ················4
Regions ·······················6
Rivers & Mountains·················7
A Brief History ·····················8
People & Culture ···················10
Alaska’s Native Peoples ··············11
What’s Included in This Book ·············13
CRUISE LINES & THEIR SHIPS
Types of Cruises ···················15
Destination ····················15
Duration ······················16
Level of Luxury ··················16

Type of Ship ····················16
Cruise Lines······················17
Ship-by-Ship & Line-by Line Evaluations ·····17
Reading the Statistics ··············17
Mass-Market Lines ················19
Carnival Cruise Lines ··············20
Celebrity Cruises ················23
Holland America Line··············28
Norwegian Cruise Line ·············36
Princess Cruises ················46
Royal Caribbean International ·········56
Other Cruise Lines ················62
Crystal Cruises ·················63
Radisson Seven Seas Cruises ··········63
Alternate Cruise Lines ·············64
Small Ship Lines ·················65
American West Steamboat Company ·····66
Clipper Cruises ·················66
Cruise West ··················66
Glacier Bay Tours & Cruises ··········66
Linblad Expeditions···············66
Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) ····67
Setting Priorities ···················69
Selecting Your Dream Cruise ············69
The Cruise Line··················70
The Ship ·····················70
The Stateroom ··················71
The Ports of Call ·················73
The Two Basic Itineraries ·············76
Inside Passage Cruises ··············76

Gulf of Alaska Cruises ··············78
Itinerary Evaluation ···············79
Other Considerations ·············80
Options in Port ··················81
Organized Shore Excursions ···········82
On Your Own ··················84
Cruise Tours ···················85
Information Sources ················86
Useful Websites ·················86
A Nautical Primer ···················88
A PRACTICAL GUIDE
Accommodations on Land ·············91
Climate & When to Go ··············93
Dining ·······················94
Disabled Travelers ·················98
Dress ·······················100
Driving/Rental Cars················104
Electrical Appliances ···············105
Formalities, Documents & Paperwork ······106
x
Cruising Alaska
Passports & Other ID ··············106
Cruise Documents ···············107
Customs ····················108
Gambling ·····················109
Home-to-Ship Transportation ··········110
Flight Arrangements ··············110
Getting to Your Ship ··············112
Health & Safety Concerns ············113
Onboard Health·················113

In Port Health··················115
Ship Security ··················116
Safety on Shore ·················117
Money Matters ··················118
Costs ······················118
Discounts····················123
Credit Cards & Currencies ···········126
Your Onboard Account ·············126
Gratuities ····················127
Payments, Cancellations, Refunds ········130
Deposits ····················130
Cancellations & Refunds ············130
Recreation in Port ················131
On Land ····················131
On the Water··················132
Shopping ·····················132
Staying in Touch ·················135
Telephone ···················135
Internet/E-Mail ·················136
Time Zones ····················137
Traveling with Children··············137
Zo, It’s Your First Time Cruising ········138
FAQs ······················139
PORTS OF CALL & CRUISE SIGHTSEEING
Ports of Embarkation ················144
Seattle ······················144
xi
Contents
City Highlights ·················145
Vancouver ····················147

City Highlights ·················148
Anchorage ····················150
San Francisco···················151
City Highlights ·················152
Other Cities ···················152
Onboard Sightseeing: The Major Attractions ····153
The Inside Passage ················155
Misty Fjords ···················156
Tracy & Endicott Arms ··············157
Lynn Canal ····················158
Glacier Bay National Park·············159
Yakutat Bay & Hubbard Glacier··········162
Prince William Sound & College Fjord ······163
Ports of Call ·····················165
The Major Ports ··················168
Icy Strait Point ··················168
Arrival ·····················168
Tourism Information Office ···········169
Getting Around ·················169
One-Day Sightseeing Tour ···········169
Shopping ····················170
Sports & Recreation ··············171
Juneau ······················171
Arrival ·····················172
Tourism Information Office ···········172
Getting Around ·················172
One-Day Sightseeing Tour ···········172
Shopping ····················179
Sports & Recreation ··············180
Ketchikan ····················182

Arrival ·····················182
Tourism Information Office ···········182
Getting Around ·················183
One-Day Sightseeing Tour ···········183
xii
Cruising Alaska
Shopping ····················188
Sports & Recreation ··············189
Sitka ·······················190
Arrival ·····················190
Tourism Information Office ···········190
Getting Around ·················191
One-Day Sightseeing Tour ···········191
Shopping ····················196
Sports & Recreation ··············196
Skagway ·····················198
Arrival ·····················199
Tourism Information Office ···········199
Getting Around ·················199
One-Day Sightseeing Tour ···········200
Shopping ····················205
Sports & Recreation ··············206
Less-Visited Ports ··················206
Cordova ·····················207
Haines ······················207
Homer ······················209
Kodiak ······················210
Petersburg ····················211
Prince Rupert (British Columbia) ·········211
Valdez ······················213

Victoria (British Columbia) ············214
Wrangell ·····················216
BEYOND THE CRUISE
The Best Way to Explore ··············219
The Alaska Railroad ···············220
Cruise Tour Itineraries ··············220
Destinations ·····················224
Anchorage ····················224
Arrival ·····················225
Tourism Information Office ···········225
Getting Around ·················225
xiii
Contents
One-Day Sightseeing Tour ···········226
Additional Sights for Longer Stays ·······231
Shopping ····················233
Sports & Recreation ··············235
South from Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula····236
Tourism Information Offices ··········236
Getting Around ·················237
Touring ·····················239
Seward ······················241
Getting Around ·················242
Sightseeing ···················242
Soldotna & Kenai·················245
The Interior ·····················246
Heading to Denali National Park ·········246
Denali National Park & Preserve ·········249
Touring Options ················250
Sights & Attractions ··············252

Fairbanks ·····················253
Arrival ·····················254
Tourism Information Office ···········254
Getting Around ·················254
Sightseeing ···················255
Excursions from Fairbanks ···········257
Additional Sights for Longer Stays ·······258
Shopping ····················261
Sports & Recreation ··············262
The Matanuska Valley, Palmer ··········262
INDEX ·························265
xiv
Cruising Alaska
xv
Contents
Maps
Alaska ···························5
Coastal Alaska ······················75
Juneau ·························175
Ketchikan ························185
Sitka ··························193
Skagway ························201
Downtown Anchorage ·················229
Anchorage Vicinity ···················238
Seward ·························243
Fairbanks ························256
P

The World of
Alaska Cruising

I
t wasn’t long ago that cruising was an activity almost ex
-
clusively limited to people with lots of money to spend on
their leisure time. While the number of people taking cruises
has seen growth that’s nothing short of dramatic over the past
decade, it seems that a lot of people still think cruising is for
the rich and famous. Indeed, cruise industry studies indicate
that only about three percent of Americans have ever taken a
cruise. If, after reading this book, you become one of the trav-
elers who starts working that figure towards four percent or
higher, then my objective will have been fulfilled.
Cruise Popularity
C
ruising represents one of the fastest-growing segments of
the travel industry, a trend that has seen gaining momen
-
tum in recent years. Preliminary figures show that during
2003 about 9.5 million people worldwide took a cruise. By far
the largest segment of the cruising public resides in the United
States. This figure was expected to take a huge leap – all the
way to 10.5 million – in 2004, although final figures aren’t yet
in. But annual increases in the range of 15-20% are antici
-
pated over the next few years. Although the Caribbean market
dwarfs all other cruise market segments (in 2003 it repre
-
sented more than 40% of all North American cruise passen
-
gers), Alaska is also a major market for cruise lines large and

1
Introduction
small. Approximately 776,000 people cruised to Alaska in
2003 (the last year for which full information was available at
press time), but that number is estimated to have grown to as
much as 850,000 in 2004.
There are many reasons why cruising has become so popular.
Certainly one of the biggest factors is that today’s cruise ships
offer excellent value for whatever level of luxury your budget
will bear. Cost factors will be explored in more detail later, but
it will suffice to say that a typical week-long cruise to Alaska
will cost you considerably less than the same period of time at
a good resort hotel when all of the costs are calculated. Other
things that attract people to cruising are the variety of activi
-
ties available on these floating resorts, the fact that it is a
comprehensive all-in-one vacation, and the romanticism and
luxury associated with the experience. The ability to see sev-
eral different and often exotic ports of call in a single vacation
is also, no doubt, an important factor. Alaskan cruising has its
own additional driving force – it’s the easiest way to see many
of the sights this state has to offer. And, if you let the cruise
line handle all or most of your shore-based activities, the lat-
ter are accomplished without much of the hassle and uncer-
tainty that can often accompany travel.
A trip to Alaska is, for many people, a once-in-a-lifetime expe
-
rience and a cruise is without doubt one of the most extraordi
-
nary ways to go. It affords you the best scenery while floating

on icy blue waters and gives you the opportunity to jump ship,
hop on a flightseeing plane, and take a different look at the
wonders that surround you. Once the cruise ends, many peo
-
ple continue their Alaskan experience either independently or
with a cruise-line sponsored tour. While there are other ways
to see Alaska besides traveling on big cruise ships, it is by far
the most popular way to do so. So while we’ll briefly explore
some other means of seeing Alaska, most of the book will be
devoted to what you’ll encounter on one of the major cruise
lines.
2
Cruise Popularity
The increase in cruise ship capacity to Alaska is a result of
both more ships and most of those ships being larger than in
the past. This has, to some degree, helped keep costs down.
On the other hand, many of the ships are now so large that
they are unable to head into quite a few of the beautiful but
smaller bays of the Inside Passage. Also, when a couple of
mega-liners tie up at a small town such as Skagway, it can cre
-
ate a severe strain on the limited facilities of such communi
-
ties. Shore excursions, however, can often take you to those
places the big ships can’t reach. The more adventurous indi
-
vidual might want to cruise on one of the many small ships
that visit places the larger vessels can’t venture into. There is a
great choice for the consumer but, overall, I feel that a cruise
on one of the larger ships is especially well suited to the first-

or second-time visitor to Alaska.
A Brief Survey of Alaska
I
t is always helpful to have at least a basic understanding
about places you are going to visit before you begin your
journey. Such an understanding will enhance the experience
for most visitors. In this section, you’ll find basic information
on the land and people of Alaska. For a more in-depth look at
these aspects of the state, pay a visit to your local public li
-
brary.
Alaska Facts
ENTERED UNION: January 3, 1959, the 49th state.
NICKNAME: The Last Frontier. Also known as the Great Land.
MOTTO: North to the Future.
Alaska Facts
3
Introduction
AREA: 663,267 square miles, of which 571,951 square miles
are land.
POPULATION: 643,786 (2002 U.S. census bureau estimate),
the 47th most populous state.
POPULATION GROWTH: 1.6% from 2001 to 2002 (latest
available figures).
POPULATION DENSITY: 1.1 persons per square mile (US aver
-
age is 80 people per square mile).
HIGHEST POINT: Mount McKinley, 20,320 feet.
LOWEST POINT: Sea level
STATE BIRD: Willow ptarmigan

STATE TREE: Sitka spruce
MAJOR INDUSTRIES: Petroleum, tourism, fishing, mining and
forestry products.
TOURISM INDUSTRY: Approximately $1.7 billion per year.
Geographically Speaking
A
laska is far and away the largest state in the United
States, dwarfing even mighty Texas by a margin of more
than two-to-one. Its area is equal to one-fifth that of the en
-
tire Lower 48 states. One can cite endless statistics to impress
you with its size and variety, but numbers cannot capture the
beauty and magic of Alaska; it has to be visited in order to
truly appreciate all of its outstanding features.
Alaska is shaped somewhat like a square except for two large
projections (the Alaska Peninsula in the southwest and the
panhandle which extends southeast from the corner of the
“square” along the British Columbia border). Because of these
projections, the maximum dimensions of the state are not
Geographically Speaking
4
Geographically Speaking
5
Introduction
square at all – about 1,100 miles from north to south and
roughly 2,000 miles from east to west. The state has almost
7,000 miles of shoreline, with about 5,800 on the Pacific
Ocean and the rest on the Arctic Ocean.
Regions
From a geologist’s point of view, Alaska can be neatly divided

into four regions stacked one on top of another in broad bands
running from west to east. The regions are listed below, from
north to south.
4
Arctic Lowland (North Slope): In the extreme
north and extending from the Arctic Ocean to the
edge of the Brooks Range. The maximum elevation
is only about 2,000 feet. It has extreme lengths of
day and night depending on the season. The tun-
dra landscape is known for its sparse vegetation
and permanently frozen ground. Although it is the
northernmost portion of the state, it is somewhat
less cold than the interior due to the moderating
influences of the Arctic Ocean.
4
Brooks Range: A relatively narrow band of moun
-
tains with elevations less than 10,000 feet.
4
Central Highlands & Basin (Yukon Plateaus): This
is the largest region of the state as well as the
coldest (although it has some of the highest sum
-
mer temperatures). It has mountains large and
small and notable valleys, including that of the
Yukon River.
4
Pacific Mountain Range: Covering the southern
portion of the state, including the area around the
Alaska Peninsula and the Gulf of Alaska as well as

the Aleutians and the panhandle, this is the re
-
gion of most interest to visitors. All cruise itiner
-
6
Geographically Speaking
aries travel here, as do most of the major land
excursions on cruise tours. This is the most physi
-
cally diverse region of Alaska and the most beauti
-
ful. It has an abundance of magnificent snow- and
ice-covered mountains, glaciers and fjords. The
Boundary Range separates Alaska from Canada.
On the water side is the famous Inside Passage,
the sheltered waterway that is the main route for
Alaskan cruises. It separates the mainland from
the seemingly countless offshore islands of the
Alexander Archipelago. The most heavily-visited
region of Alaska lies along the long strip of coast
from just beyond the Canadian border at
Ketchikan north to Yakutat Bay and then west
along the south coast bordering the Gulf of
Alaska. Roads on the panhandle, where they exist
at all, generally run for only a few miles in either
direction of the major towns and then end. Boats
are the primary means of getting from place to
place. They serve as a lifeline to many of these re-
mote communities. The other main touring area is
also in the Pacific Mountain Range region and is

an almost straight line that extends north from
the city of Anchorage to Denali National Park.
This area can be reached either by bus or car or via
the Alaska Railroad.
Rivers & Mountains
Alaska has an abundance of great rivers. The most notable is
the mostly broad 1,979-mile Yukon River (including a portion
that is in Canada). Other significant rivers include the Susitna,
Matanuska and Copper. As if the oceans and rivers weren’t
enough water, Alaska has thousands of lakes both large and
small. But it is the mountains that are the most outstanding
geographic feature. Over 16,000 of the state’s peaks measure
7
Rivers & Mountains
Introduction