Picking the right cruise to Alaska can be tricky, as Walt Jackson, an Evanston teacher and editor, can attest.
”My cruise to Alaska on the S.S. Rotterdam just over a year ago wasn`t quite what I expected,” Jackson said. ”I wanted to experience a cruise, but a serious cruise, not just dancing, nightclubs and casinos. So I chose a destination-Alaska-that`s serious.
”But the cruise ended up not being the experience I was looking for. I got a lot of things I wasn`t looking for, like nightclub acts and masquerades, and they did turn out to be sort of fun.
”But what I did want I didn`t get-involvement in Alaska. The natural environment there is so rich, I imagined the whole trip would stress nature. A naturalist did give free lectures, and as the ship passed scenic places he described them over the public address system. But I often felt I was just watching Alaska go by. Taking the shore excursions would have cost a lot of extra money.”
In spite of his disappointment, Jackson said he didn`t fault his travel agent or the cruise line.
”I should have done more research,” he said, ”and I should have given my travel agent a much clearer message about what I really wanted.”
Unlike some destinations, Alaska can pose a special dilemma for cruise passengers: A voyage through the mountain-rimmed Inside Passage or glorious areas such as Prince William Sound and Glacier Bay really amounts to two competing experiences in one-the whirl of shipboard activities inside and the pull of breathtaking nature outside.
The trick is finding a cruise that puts just the right emphasis on Alaska`s marvels. For some, a learning cruise with lots of college-level talks on glacial action and totem-pole symbolism would be a stuffy bore. For others, the formal dining, gambling and Las Vegas-style revues of a luxury cruise would mar the experience of communing with Alaska`s huge, silent spaces.
A range of choices
This summer, more than 20 ships representing about a dozen lines will sail Alaska`s waters, providing everything from expedition-style voyages on small ships to the all-out luxury cruise. With this range of options, there`s something for just about everyone.
A growing number of travelers share Jackson`s interest in the environment and desire for an intimate experience with Alaska. According to Thomas Bolger, vice president for sales and marketing for Alaska Sightseeing Tours, these travelers cite two major reasons for visiting Alaska: scenery and wildlife.
”These people want to experience the destination, not the ship,” Bolger said.
In response to this growing demand, Alaska Sightseeing Tours has assembled a fleet of four touring yachts, including the new 82-passenger Spirit of Alaska, which offers seven-day cruises from Seattle to Juneau. This small ship, with an onboard naturalist, draws inquisitive travelers in their mid-40s and up who want to leave their suits and cocktail dresses at home and get back to nature.
The Spirit travels where the big ships can`t go. It pulls in close enough to waterfalls for a crew member to collect fresh, cold water and close enough to whales to hear them spouting for air. It also sails down scenic Wrangell Narrows to Petersburg, a tiny fishing town where passengers can spend several hours aboard a trawler with an Alaskan fisherman and his wife, an ex-ballerina. The shrimp and crab they pull up in the nets are cooked
immediately and served on deck with chilled white wine.
Clipper Cruise Lines and Special Expeditions also offer casual cruises aimed at well-traveled, intellectually curious adults who want a comfortable educational experience without ostentation and glitter. On its seven-day trips Clipper Cruise`s 138-passenger Yorktown Clipper carries naturalists and other experts who share their knowledge in lively talks aboard ship and on nature walks in port.
Special Expeditions runs 11-day learning trips aboard the 74-passenger Sea Bird and Sea Lion. Each ship has a complete naturalist staff:
ornithologist, marine biologist, geologist and other experts who lecture and lead explorations of forests, tide pools and mountaintops. These ships also carry motorized rubber landing craft for prowling the nooks and crannies of Alaska`s wild shoreline.
An alternative to glitz
Like the big cruise ships, the touring yachts and expedition ships provide a full range of shore excursions (about $15 to $245), such as city tours, salmon bakes and helicopter flightseeing; they also expect passengers to tip the service staff. But unlike the big ships, they offer no splashy night life for adults, no Nintendo or babysitters for kids. After dinner, most people relax with a book or board games or turn in early.
The tradeoff is the cozy feeling of traveling with friends on a comfortable chartered yacht, enjoying good, fresh food and getting out and experiencing Alaska.
Said a Clipper spokesman: ”In contrast to the megaships, you get very close to the land and the wildlife. At Misty Fjords, the ship sailed close enough to shore to see trees filled with adult and young eagles and black and brown bear fishing in the streams. In Glacier Bay we sailed alongside icebergs and near whales instead of peering down at them from the 15th floor of a floating hotel.”
Still, the spaciousness and amenities of big cruise ships have their appeal, and those who want something halfway between the expedition/yacht tour and the luxury liner can consider World Explorer Cruises` S.S. Universe.
A refurbished freighter that is a floating university during the school year, the 550-passenger Universe offers a mix of education, adventure and culture on its 14-day trips. Berlitz`s Complete Handbook to Cruising rates the Universe a three-star ship (of a possible five stars), and its facilities and cuisine are down-to-earth, not deluxe.
But its program is unusual. The ship stops at nine ports-more than any other line. It has a huge library-12,000 volumes-and its roster of up to five professors per cruise gives it the biggest lecture program of any Alaska cruise ship. In a nod to the typical brand of cruise merriment, the Universe stages masquerades and horse races, but mostly the entertainment is classical, including light opera and Russian mandolin.
Eight other lines offer variations on the luxury cruise theme. Most elegant are two ships rated five-star-plus by Berlitz: the 710-passenger Royal Viking Sky and Cunard`s 589-passenger Sagafjord. These ultradeluxe ships treat their pasengers to a leisurely overview of Alaska on mainly 11-day trips while pampering them with elegant decor, fine service and sumptuous cuisine, plus a wide range of shore excursions and glamorous entertainment.
4-star attractions
Among them, Holland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Regency and Costa Cruises operate 14 ships in Alaska rated mainly four-star by Berlitz. Less expensive, though still high in quality, these cruises mix sightseeing, cultural and adventure trips in port (cost is extra), nightly revues, dancing and casino action and at least two formal evenings requiring tuxedo or dark suit for men, cocktail dresses or gowns for women. Princess` six ships in Alaska offer 7- and 10-day trips from Vancouver, while the others emphasize seven-day trips.
Three of these lines-Holland America, Princess and Royal Caribbean-also cater to families with children`s programs. Mom and dad can enjoy an adult cruise experience while youth counselors entertain youngsters with arts and crafts, athletic competitions, shore trips, parties and the like. Holland America, a pioneer in Alaska cruising, and Princess also have a huge array of land packages enabling passengers to probe Alaska`s interior.
Costa and Regency emphasize excellent service and food. On Costa`s intimate 420-passenger Daphne, the mood, cuisine and staff are decidedly Italian; three theme nights feature a culinary tour of Italy, a Renaissance feast and, on the final night out, a toga party. Regency`s older ships, the 710-passenger Regent Sea and the 960-passenger Regent Star, attract travelers in their 50s and up who want a traditional, gracious cruise at a good price.
Alaska is an ideal place to experience by ship. In fact, only ships, boats and planes can reach much of its rugged, mountainous coast.
But if you plan to go, heed Walt Jackson`s advice: ”Go there. It`s wonderful. Just be very clear to yourself and your travel agent about the kind of experience you want.”
