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Alaska 2010

As can be seen from the map above, Alaska has three distinct parts: the Alaska Peninsular and the Aleutian Islands protruding to the out into the Bering Sea; the main (huge) central body including that part inside the Arctic Circle; and South-East Alaska, served primarily by the Inside Passage.

South-East Alaska holds the cities of Ketchikan, Skagway, Sitka (the former capital of the state when then Russians owned it) and the current State Capital, Juneau. Central Alaska holds the cities of Anchorage, Fairbanks, Nome, Barrow and Prudhoe Bay, along with many settlements that are truly out in the wilderness. There are no cities per se in the Alaska Peninsula, but the most famous of the islands is Kodiak.

Alaska hosts the highest mountain in North America (Mt. McKinley) which is located in the most famous of its National Parks: Denali. The state also hosts the largest National Park in the world: Elias-Wrangell.

The climate in Alaska is generally severe, very cold in the winter and very warm in midsummer (the average July daily high in Anchorage is about 75 degrees F).  From November through April the days are very short and from May to September they are increasingly long, hence one nickname for the state is the Land of the Midnight Sun (in midsummer).

The foregoing data on climate, however, does not apply to South-East Alaska, where the ocean currents and prevailing winds provide a temperate climate year-round. The daily highs, for example, in Juneau vary from about 50 degrees F in winter to about 65 degrees F in summer. There is a constant sea-mist that burns off in mid-morning in the summer but helps to produce lush vegetation and an abundance of wildlife.

Cruises to Alaska are normally available in the summer season only (from May to mid-September).

South-East Alaska has no major airports and, for the most part is served only by ships and small seaplanes. The one exception to this is the area near Haines, Alaska (close to Skagway) which was a natural place to build a spur from the AlCan Highway to support Fort Seward, a military base until a few years ago (now a museum).

Ships cruising to/from Alaska most frequently depart from either Vancouver, British Columbia or Seattle, Washington, although, occasionally one will leave from San Francisco or even San Diego.

The most popular cruises are round-trip for about seven days to the cities and towns of the Inside Passage, including visits to Hubbard, Mendenhall or Sawyer glaciers. Many other cruises sail to Whittier or Seward, both of which ports serve Anchorage. These cruises also take about 7 days, with a few exceptions, and they also offer the opportunity to cruise between Anchorage and either Seattle or Vancouver.

Some Cruise Lines offer Land Tours to supplement the Alaska experience for travelers who would like to see something of Alaska’s interior (Denali National Park, Fairbanks etc). Land Tours (sometimes called Cruise Tours) are normally purchased as part of the vacation package through the cruise line and can be from 4 to 7 days duration. Customized land tours can be arranged with local Alaska providers who specialize even more than the cruise lines.

A note about a non-intuitive phenomenon: cruising in a smaller ship (32 – 80) passengers takes a longer period of time, this is not because of the capabilities of the ship per se, but because of the need to continually keep ship motion to a minimum for the comfort of the passengers.

Cruise Lines may be roughly categorized into one of three types:

• Mass-market ships have lots of passengers (2000 – 5000) and many activities such as Climbing Walls, Water Parks, Ice-skating rinks etc.

• Deluxe (also called Premium), are usually a little smaller (900-1900 passengers) and offer upgraded accommodations and fewer but more select activities.

• Luxury ships are built to carry from 32 – 700 passengers and they offer the ultimate in fine dining, accommodations, intellectual activities (well-known lecturers et al). 

The foregoing are, of course, generalized categorizations; sometimes it is difficult to pigeon-hole a specific cruise line in such a simple-minded fashion. 

All cruise ships to Alaska offer three meals a day, more if you wish to take advantage of open buffets, room service etc., and drinks, such as, ice water in your room, water, juices, tea and coffee in the cafeteria.  All cabins have built-in bathrooms, closets etc.  Most all cruise lines do insist on a dress code after 6 pm – no jeans, tank tops or cut-offs in the dining areas.  Swimsuits are normally restricted to use around the pool areas.  Many cruise lines offer "formal nights" when formal attire is the dress code, but "formal attire" can be as simple as a collared shirt, neat slacks and a jacket for men, with a cocktail dress or pantsuit appropriate for ladies. In any case, there is usually more than one dining venue for those who don’t do "dress-up." 

There are many cruise lines sailing to Alaska. In the table below we have categorized the major cruise lines according to the definitions provided above (but note these are very general categorizations):

The cost of a seven-day cruise varies widely and depends on such things as: the state of the industry (specials frequently abound), the choice of stateroom by the passenger, the number of passengers on the vessel, the actual dates of the cruise (more when children are out of school, because demand is higher) and the ‘market’ perception of the cruise (Mass-market, Deluxe or Luxury) et al.

Typical prices for a interior cabin in 2010 range from $ 600 per person double occupancy to $4000 per person double occupancy, for a 7-day cruise.

Finding your perfect cruise and/or cruise tour can be complicated, so why not let Bob and Shayla Taylor, your personal, independent Cruise One cruise specialists, help to make your ALASKA dream come true?

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Last updated 20 January 2010
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