| After choosing your itinerary, picking the right ship is the | | | | provide a wide variety of meal and entertainment |
| number-one factor in ensuring you get the vacation | | | | options, and though they'll usually feature one or two |
| you're looking for. Cruise ships in Alaska range from | | | | formal nights per trip, the ambience is generally casual. |
| small adventure-type vessels to resort-like megaships, | | | | The Alaska vessels of the Carnival, Celebrity, Princess, |
| with the cruise experience varying widely depending | | | | and Royal Caribbean fleets all fit in this category, as do |
| on the type of ship you select. There are casual | | | | most of the Alaska ships in the Holland America and |
| cruises and luxury cruises; educational cruises where | | | | Norwegian fleets. |
| you attend lectures and cruises where you attend | | | | Just as big cruise ships are mostly for people who |
| musical reviews; adventure-oriented cruises where | | | | want every resort amenity, small or alternative ships |
| hiking, kayaking, and exploring remote areas are the | | | | are best suited for people who prefer a casual, |
| main activities; and resort-like cruises where aqua | | | | crowd-free cruise experience that gives passengers a |
| therapy and mud baths are the order of the day. | | | | chance to get up close and personal with Alaska's |
| You'll need to decide what overall cruise experience | | | | natural surroundings and wildlife. |
| you want. Itinerary and type of cruise are even more | | | | Thanks to their smaller size, these ships, carrying |
| important than price. After all, what kind of bargain is a | | | | fewer than 150 passengers can go places that larger |
| party cruise if what you're looking for is a quiet time? | | | | ships can't, such as narrow fjords, uninhabited islands, |
| Your fantasy vacation may be someone else's | | | | and smaller ports that cater mostly to small fishing |
| nightmare, and vice versa. | | | | vessels. Due to their shallow draft (the amount of ship |
| Unlike the Caribbean, which generally attracts people | | | | below the waterline) they can nose right up to sheer |
| looking to relax in the sun, people who want to spend | | | | cliff faces, bird rookeries, bobbing icebergs, and |
| all their time scuba diving and snorkeling, and people | | | | cascading waterfalls that you can literally reach out |
| who want to party till the cows come home, visitors to | | | | and touch. Also, sea animals are not as intimidated by |
| Alaska usually all have a different goal: They want to | | | | these ships, so you may find yourself having a rather |
| experience Alaska's glaciers, forests, wildlife, and other | | | | close encounter with a humpback whale, or watching |
| natural wonders. The cruise lines all recognize this, so | | | | other sea mammals bobbing in the ship's wake. The |
| almost any option you choose will allow you | | | | decks on these ships are closer to the waterline, too, |
| opportunities to see what you've come for. The main | | | | giving passengers a more intimate view than from the |
| question, then, is how you want to see those sights. Do | | | | high decks of the large cruise ships. Some of these |
| you want to be down at the waterline, seeing them | | | | ships stop at ports on a daily basis like the larger ships, |
| from the deck of an adventure vessel, or do you want | | | | and some avoid ports almost entirely, exploring natural |
| to see them from a warm lounge or, even better, from | | | | areas instead. They also have the flexibility to change |
| your own private veranda? | | | | their itineraries as opportunities arise--say, to go where |
| Big ships operating in Alaska vary in size and scope, | | | | whales have been sighted, and to linger a while once a |
| and include everything from a classic cruise ship to | | | | sighting's been made. |
| really, really big and really new megaships. They all | | | | The alternative ship experience comes with a sense |
| offer a comfortable cruising experience, with virtual | | | | of adventure, although it's usually adventure of a soft |
| armies of service employees overseeing your | | | | rather than a rugged sort, and offers a generally |
| well-being and ship stabilizers assuring smooth sailing. | | | | casual cruise experience: There are no dress-up nights, |
| The size of these ships may keep Alaska's wildlife at | | | | the food may be rather simply prepared, and because |
| a distance (you'll probably need binoculars to see the | | | | there are so few public areas to choose from--usually |
| whales), but they offer plenty of deck space and | | | | only one or two small lounges--camaraderie tends to |
| comfy lounge chairs to sit in as you take in the | | | | develop more quickly between passengers on these |
| gorgeous mountain and glacier views and sip a cup of | | | | ships than aboard larger vessels, which can be as |
| coffee or cocoa. Due to their deeper drafts, the big | | | | anonymous as a big city. Cabins on these ships don't |
| ships can't get as close to the sights as the smaller | | | | usually offer TVs or telephones and tend to be very |
| ships, and they can't visit the more pristine fjords, inlets, | | | | small, and in some cases downright Spartan. Meals are |
| and narrows. However, the more powerful engines on | | | | generally served in a single open seating (meaning |
| these ships do allow them to visit more ports during | | | | seats are not assigned), and dress codes are usually |
| each trip--generally popular ports where your ship may | | | | nonexistent. |
| be one of several, and where shopping for souvenirs | | | | None of these ships offer exercise or spa facilities like |
| is a main attraction. Some of the less massive ships in | | | | you'll find on the big ships--your best exercise bet is |
| this category may also visit alternative ports, away | | | | usually a brisk walk around the deck after dinner--but |
| from the typical tourist crowds. | | | | may compensate by offering more active off-ship |
| Regardless of the port's size, the big-ship cruise lines | | | | opportunities, such as hiking, fishing, crabbing or |
| put a lot of emphasis on shore excursions, which allow | | | | kayaking (on three of Glacier Bay Tours and Cruises' |
| you to more closely explore different aspects of | | | | ships, stern launch platforms actually allow you to |
| Alaska--nature, Native culture, and so on. Dispersing | | | | kayak right from the ship). The alternative ships are |
| passengers to different locales on these shore trips is | | | | also more likely to feature expert lectures on |
| a must. When 2,000 passengers disembark on a small | | | | Alaska-specific topics like marine biology, history, Native |
| Alaska town, much of the ambience goes out the | | | | culture, and other intellectual pursuits. |
| window--on particularly busy days, when several ships | | | | There are no stabilizers on most of these smaller |
| are in port, there may actually be more cruise | | | | ships, and the ride can be bumpy in open water--which |
| passengers on the ground than locals. Due to the | | | | isn't much of a problem on Inside Passage itineraries, |
| number of people involved, disembarkation can be a | | | | since most of the cruising area is protected from sea |
| lengthy process. | | | | waves. They are also difficult for travelers with |
| Carrying upwards of 2,000 passengers, the megaships | | | | disabilities, as only three (Cruise West's Spirit of '98 and |
| look and feel like floating resorts. Big on glitz, they offer | | | | Spirit of Oceanus and Clipper's Clipper Odyssey) have |
| loads of activities, attract many families (and, especially | | | | elevators. And the alternative ship lines do not offer |
| in Alaska, many seniors), offer many public rooms | | | | specific activities or facilities for children, although you |
| (including fancy casinos and fully equipped gyms), and | | | | will find a few families on some of these vessels. |