THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION.
Canada says they are extending their ban on cruise ships with over 100 passengers entering Canadian waters until 2022.
That does not fare well for Quebec, Montreal, Halifax, and other east coast ports, some who rely heavily on cruises.
But what about the west coast?
Certainly Vancouver, Victoria, Juneau… WAIT, Juneau is not in Canada.
So why are Alaska cruises feeling the effect of Canada’s ban?
The Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 is the wrench in the gears. (The Jone’s law applies to cargo.)
It does not allow ships from other countries to transport passengers from one U.S. port directly to another. They must first visit a “foreign’ Port.
Due to economics, most cruise ships today carry registrations from other countries.
130+ years ago, that was probably a good idea.
In 2021, looking at all the American cruise ships carrying over 100 passengers traveling from the U.S. through Canada…
But that’s another discussion.
So You Can Not Visit Alaska?
Hardly.
Cruise ships deliver over one million guests to Alaska a year.
A “year” is a cloudy term as those guests arrive during the cruise season, generally May through September. You do the math.
But more than a million other guests arrive by plane and other transportation sources.
The Anchorage airport handles (in normal times) more than five million people a year.
And they also come in the winter. The northern lights and the Iditarod Dogsled Race are just two reasons.
So you can get to Alaska even without a cruise ship.
Visiting Alaska on a Cruise Ship.
If Alaska’s legislature is not looking for a repeal (or dismissal altogether) of the PVSA, shame on them.
In the meantime, there are American cruise ships in Alaska this summer.
These are the ships carrying less than 100 guests. Many ships average between 70 – 86 guests, and some are even smaller.
Uncruise and Lindblad Expeditions are two of the larger small companies. Alaska Dream Cruises, American Cruise Line, and other companies, some with only one ship, also offer amazing itineraries.
But I will get seasick on a small ship. Alaska’s inside passage is, in most parts, more like a river cruise than an ocean adventure.
There’s no casino or water slide on board. And this is a bad thing?
If you want to discover Southeast Alaska up close, this is an incredible way to do it.
Advantages.
The smaller boats can get into the tiny ports with populations smaller than some larger ships have passengers. You get a real feel for the destination.
Smaller boats can also dock in the larger ports, which may require tendering for the larger ships.
Juneau, in regular times, can have more than 10,000 cruise guests in one day. The port area is three blocks wide and about six blocks long.
My first time in Alaska, no, not on the Nina or Pinta, that’s a vicious rumor, was circa 1990. In those days, if there were two ships in town on the same day, it was unusual.
The largest ships were the old Sitmar ships run by Princess at around 1200 passengers. Holland America’s S.S. Rotterdam could hold 1400.
I love a destination where the locals outnumber the tourists.
Many of these cruises depart from Juneau, which has an airport with connections to many lower 48 states. Alaska Airlines (currently) has non-stops from Seattle and Anchorage.
The only downside I can see to these cruises is the price. With only 60-80 guests splitting the costs, smaller-ship cruises are pricier than large ships.
Visit Alaska By Ferry.
The Alaska State Ferry System stretches from Bellingham in Washington state to Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands.
In 2021, four ferries are sailing the mainline routes, and four are making day trips.
The ferries are not deluxe cruise ships. There are no rock-climbing walls, casinos, stage shows, or nightclubs.
The mainline ships carry less than 500 passengers and up to approximately 130 vehicles. There are cabins accommodating two to four guests with bathrooms.
For those on a budget, there are public lounges, restrooms, and showers. All mainline ferries have observation lounges, a covered heated solarium, a cafeteria-style restaurant, a movie lounge, coin-operated laundry, and lockers. The two larger ferries have a sit-down restaurant.
The mainline ferries call on Bellingham, Dutch Harbor, Haines, Homer, Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Petersburg, Sitka, Skagway, Whittier, Wrangell, and more.
The two main reasons you go to Alaska are for the natural beauty and potential wildlife sightings. From the ferry, depending on the route, it is possible to see waterfalls and glaciers. These are in addition to lush forests, mountains, and hidden bays.
Marine life sighting can include both the Humpback and Orca whales, sea otters, and more. It is not unusual to see bears and eagles along the shoreline dining on fish.
Once you get to the different ports, there is sightseeing similar to what you could do from a cruise ship. Nature walks, hikes, city tours, rafting, kayaking, sea-planes, helicopters, and more.
With the masses from the cruise ships missing, spaces on the more popular excursions may be more accessible.
Flying to Alaska.
Alaska Airlines certainly flys to Alaska. From Seattle, Washington and Anchorage, they have flights to many Alaska cities, some daily. They connect to Fairbanks, Ketchikan, Sitka, and more.
Depending on travel restrictions in the summer, other airlines may be flying to Juneau and Anchorage from the lower-48.
Many hotels, motels, B&Bs, and lodges are open. All services may not be available.
Once again, with the mobs missing, what a great time to really immerse yourself in Alaska.
Visit Anchorage, Alaska.
You want to go on a cruise. You want to fly to one destination and have someone take care of you for the next 5-7 days. And you want to unpack one time and sleep in the same bed each night.
You can do that in Anchorage. On Alaska Airlines, you can reach Anchorage from over 100 destinations. There is just about every type of accommodation available.
But what can you see or do from Anchorage?
Day trips include flightseeing, helicopters, wildlife-viewing, hikes, glaciers, cruises, fishing, dog-sledding operations, bikes, trains, and more.
Nearby destinations include Alyeska, Seward, Chugach State Park, Kenai Fjords National Park, and others. Many of these outings are a full day (8+ hours), but with the extra daylight in Anchorage, that’s not a problem.
Wildlife.
Seward has the wonderful Alaska SeaLife Center, where you can get up close with many of Alaska’s marine life and birds.
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is in Portage, south of Anchorage. This sanctuary tends to sick or hurt Alaska wildlife.
Those animals, not able to return to the wild, will live the rest of their life at this 200-acre enclosure. Not only can guests see them in a natural setting, but the animals help teach through conservation and research. Visit Alaska’s animals.
All my seasons in Alaska, I would preach that wildlife sightings are “potential.”
I was never able to get the wildlife to follow the schedule I would give them.
At the AWCC, I will say the potential is close to 99%.
Brown and black bears, wood bison, muskox, moose, elk, caribou, reindeer, lynx, and more roam their large natural enclosures.
Scenery.
The Alaska Railroad offers numerous day trips from Anchorage. I think the run between Anchorage and Seward is the most scenic of all their routes.
They have train trips, including additional tours in Seward, Whittier, Portage, Spence and Grandview Glaciers, and more.
Everyone should see Alaska from above one time. You really appreciate just how big it is. Several helicopter companies, such as Alpine Air Alaska in Girdwood, offer flightseeing and glacier landings.
Plane companies, such as Rusts Flying Service, offer various trips by float and fixed-wheel planes. These include the bears at Katmai and Denali in a day.
Visiting Alaska North of Anchorage.
Many cruise lines offer “land” tours with their Alaska cruises. Some of these include busing guests directly from the ship to lodges the cruise lines own. Here, they hold the guests quasi-captive unless they book one of their tours.
There are other ways to see Alaska between Anchorage and Fairbanks.
The Alaska Railroad offers connections to Talkeetna, Denali, and Fairbanks. Also, they offer several multiple-day programs that include hotel stays.
If you are looking for an Alaska program that requires very little thinking, check out Premier Alaska’s programs. They offer several weeklong programs.
Confession, they did all my Alaska land programs by bus and train. This was when I was doing pre-and post-cruise programs for a luxury cruise line.
My guests are picky, and there were no complaints, not even on the hotels. And there are no luxury hotels in Alaska.
That is a good tour company.
Premier is a wholesale company, but you can book them through your travel agent.
If you do not have an agent, you can book through Alaska Tour and Travel.
Visit Alaska Summary.
So Alaska is open! And you do not need a cruise ship to visit.
And the mobs from the cruise ships will not be present. (At present.)
This could be a perfect year to explore America’s last frontier.
The people of Alaska are great, and this year, they may actually have time to talk to you.
Why not check out the Alaska Tourism webpage, get some inspiration, and visit Alaska.
Read more about Alaska.
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“What do you want to do in Alaska?
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“See the World” Continued on Page T3. “Taste the World” Continued on T11.