LARGE VESSEL ITINERARIES

If you purchase a package with one of the large liner companies, you can choose to include airfare to the port of departure. From there, your adventure begins. The price of the cruise itself starts around $700 for some companies. Depending on the company, length of stay, and accommodations, the price per person can reach a few thousand dollars.

There are several different itineraries available from the major lines. Many of them are a round trip beginning in Vancouver, British Columbia, and traveling through the Inside Passage. The 7-day trip includes stops in Ketchikan, Sitkan, Juneau, and in smaller ports such as Haines and Valdez. Another popular route begins in Vancouver and ends in Seward in Alaska. Along the way, ships often stop at Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord in Prince William Sound. As the popularity of Alaska cruises increases, companies are expanding their itineraries and some are now offering tours starting from San Francisco and Seattle with 7- or 12-day trips. Many ships offer shore excursions, which are an additional cost. These can include a flight-seeing tour, a wildlife excursion, or a fishing charter.

There are a number of fleets offering a variety of trips and amenities and the following is a list of a few choices. Princess Cruise has a Gulf of Alaska cruise that covers the top cruise attractions including Glacier Bay, College Fjord, and the Kenai Peninsula. They have just added four new ships to their Alaska fleet and they are fully loaded with casinos, health clubs, movie theatres, a beauty salon, and art galleries. There are opportunities for shore excursions at each port that range from historic railroad trips to a helicopter landing on a glacier.

Holland America offers similar itineraries north and southbound along the Inner Passage on their three elegant ships. Royal Caribbean also offers a northbound trip from Seward to Vancouver with stops at Skagway and Ketchikan along the way. Crystal Cruises and Radisson Seven Seas both offer luxury cruises.

Carnival offers a southbound and northbound Inner passage trip as well as a glacier and Glacier Bay 7-day excursion. They offer shore excursions including gold mining and panning, backcountry safari, and a lumberjack show.

Norwegian Cruise Line has two ships traveling the Inner passage that pass by Sawyer Glacier and Glacier Bay.