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2007 Alaska Cruise Preview; Another Blockbuster Year i the MakingFifteen cruiselines will dispatch 45 cruise vessels to Alaska in 2007. Here's a preview of what you can expect on a cruise to America's "Last Frontier" state. This is for would-be cruisers who had hoped 2006 would be their year for an Alaska cruise – but things didn't quite work out: Not to worry. 2007 is coming and you're not going to miss a thing. Virtually all the lines in the 2006 Alaska cruise trade, with one exception, have announced plans to return to Alaska cruising in year 2007 and it's going to be another blockbuster year up north. Alaska-sized choices will vary from the traditional “Inside Passage” sailings from Seattle and Vancouver – a choice that has pleased travelers for more than a century – to “expedition” sailings as far out as the Aleutian Islands chain. At least two lines have scheduled port calls in Russia. 15 Cruiselines, 45 Ships At present, 15 companies have announced plans to dispatch 45 large and small cruising vessels. Passengers aboard these vessels will, as usual, cruise steep-walled fjords that make Norwegians homesick. They'll see mammoth glaciers (one of them five miles wide at its face) which “calve” giant thundering, splashing, wave-making icebergs the size of tour buses. Sealife, Wildlife Elsewhere, humpback whales will breach in full view then dive only to rise again, sometimes bursting completely out of the water. Travelers may spot white mountain goats negotiating precarious mountainside paths on lofty precipitous cliffs; along forested or rocky shores cruisers may see brown bears or blackies or Sitka black-tailed deer. Too, there are authentic 19th century goldrush towns where visitors can still pan for “color” in creeks and streams. Alaska Native communities and cultural centers offer fascinating glimpses into Alaska's rich human history from centuries past. Great Variety in Vessels The ships in Alaska's cruise fleet again vary greatly. They range from large and “mega” floating resorts (guest capacity up to 2,670) down to cruise yachts with staterooms for a pampered dozen. (There are even fewer guests aboard a century-old “tall ship” sailing vessel that accommodates ten.) Too, you can book passage aboard a converted and decidedly upscale former mine sweeper circa World War II, a genuine sternwheel paddle boat, or a completely modern vessel cleverly disguised as a turn-of-the-20th-century coastal packet steamer. Or, if you're a do-it-yourself cruiser you can plan your own itinerary and port calls by booking stateroom space aboard sailings of Alaska's state ferry system. Following are the lines that will dispatch their “ships of summer” to Alaska waters in 2007 along with phone contacts and internet URLs. Many companies offer reduced fares for early bookings. Lines With Large to Mega Ships Carnival Cruise Lines, 1-800-CARNIVAL, www.carnival.com Celebrity Cruises, 1-800-437-3111, www.celebrity.com Holland America Line, 1-877-SAIL HAL, www.hollandamerica.com Norwegian Cruise Line, 1-800-327-7030, www.ncl.com Princess Cruises, 1-800-PRINCESS, www.princess.com Royal Caribbean International, 1-800-327-6700, www.royalcaribbean.com Mid-Size Vessels Regent Seven Seas Cruises, 1-800-285-1835, www.TheRegentExperience.com Smaller Ships American Safari Cruises, 1-888-862-8881, www.americansafaricruises.com The Boat Company, 1-360-697- 4242, www.theboatcompany.com Clipper Cruiseline, 1-800-325-0010, www.clippercruise.com Cruise West, 1-800-888-9378, www.cruisewest.com Discovery Voyages, 1-800-324-7602, www.discoveryvoyages.com Lindblad Expeditions, 1-800-EXPEDITION, www.expeditions.com Majestic America Line, 1-800-434-1232, www.majesticamericaline.com Maple Leaf Adventures, 1-888-599-5323, www.mapleleafadventures.com Alaska Ferries Alaska Marine Highway System, 1-800-642-0066 Article Tags: Another Blockbuster Year, Alaska Cruise, Another Blockbuster, Blockbuster Year Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHORMichael Miller lives and writes travel stories and guidebooks from his home office in Juneau. For a comprehensive report on all aspects of Alaska cruising in 2007 – including family cruising, ports of call, shore excursions, plus land-and-sea cruisetours – visit the author's website at http://www.AlaskaCruisingReport.com.
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