Frommer's Alaska Cruises and Ports of Call

323 Pages·2012·85.05 MB·English

by  Fran Wenograd Golden

Alaska Cruises &
Ports of Call
14th Edition
by Fran Wenograd Golden & Gene Sloan
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Published by:
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
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ISBN 978-1-118-04598-5 (paper); ISBN 978-1-118-20371-2 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-20370-5 (ebk); ISBN
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Editor: Naomi P. Kraus
Production Editor: Heather Wilcox
Cartographer: Guy Ruggiero
Photo Editor: Richard Fox, Alden Gewirtz
Cover Photo Editor: Richard Fox
Design and Layout by Vertigo Design
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Front cover photo: Radiance of the Seas at Hubbard Glacier. Courtesy Royal Caribbean.
Back cover photos: Left: Totem pole detail, Ketchikan. ©Accent Alaska.com / Alamy Images. Middle:
Bald eagle gliding over surf. ©Arco Images GmbH / Alamy Images. Right: A historic steam engine from
White Pass Yukon route Railroad in Skagway. ©Ron Niebrugge / Alamy Images.
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5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
List of Maps vi
1
THE BEST OF ALASKA CRUISING
1
The Best of Alaska’s Ships 3 The Best Ports 9
THE STATE OF ALASKA CRUISING 3 The Best Shore Excursions 10
2
CHOOSING YOUR IDEAL CRUISE
11
The Alaska Cruise Season 12 Cruisetours: The Best of Land &
The Inside Passage or the Gulf of Sea 21
Alaska? 12 SHOULD YOU TAKE YOUR CRUISETOUR
SHORE EXCURSIONS: THE WHAT, WHEN & BEFORE OR AFTER YOUR CRUISE? 24
WHY 13 Quiz Time: Questions to Ask When
Big Ship or Small Ship? 16 Choosing Your Cruise 25
3
BOOKING YOUR CRUISE
31
Booking a Cruise: The Short Airfares & Pre-/Post-Cruise Hotel
Explanation 32 Deals 41
Booking Through a Travel Choosing Your Cabin 42
Agent 33 Choosing Your Dining Options 45
WATCH OUT FOR SCAMS 35 Deposits & Cancellation
Cruising on the Internet 36 Policies 47
Cruise Costs 37 Travel Insurance 47
Money-Saving Strategies 39 FAST FACTS: ALASKA 48
4
THE CRUISE EXPERIENCE
51
Packing for Your Cruise 52 SAFETY AT SEA IN THE NEW WORLD
Money Matters 54 (DIS)ORDER 58
Your Very Important Papers 56 Keeping in Touch with the Outside
World 68
Getting to the Ship & Checking
In 57 Visiting the Ports of Call 60
Tipping, Packing & Other End-of-
Cruise Concerns 64
5
THE CRUISE LINES: THE BIG SHIPS
67
Some Components of Our Cruise- Holland America Line 93
Line Reviews 70 Norwegian Cruise Line 104
WEDDINGS AT SEA 72 Princess Cruises 111
Carnival Cruise Lines 73 Regent Seven Seas Cruises 122
Celebrity Cruises 79 Royal Caribbean International 127
CRYSTAL CRUISES 86 Silversea 134
Disney Cruise Line 87
6
THE CRUISE LINES: THE SMALL SHIPS
139
A NOTE ON SHIP RATINGS 142 Lindblad Expeditions 154
American Safari Cruises 142 Alaska Marine Highway
AMERICAN CRUISE LINES 147 System 158
NEW SMALL SHIPS FOR 2012 151 ALASKAN DREAM CRUISES 164
InnerSea Discoveries 146
7
THE PORTS OF EMBARKATION
165
Anchorage 166 Vancouver 182
THE IDITAROD 171 Seattle 193
SHOPPING SMART FOR NATIVE ART 176 Juneau 203
Seward 176 Whittier 205
8
INSIDE PASSAGE PORTS & WILDERNESS
AREAS
210
Victoria, British Columbia 211 Baranof Island 232
Canada’s Inside Passage 216 Sitka 232
Prince Rupert, British Columbia Juneau 240
217 Icy Strait Point, Icy Strait &
SHOPPING IN NANAIMO 221 Hoonah 249
Ketchikan 222 Glacier Bay National Park
Misty Fjords National Monument Preserve 252
229 Haines 254
Admiralty Island National Skagway 259
Monument 230 MELTING GLACIERS 266
Tracy Arm & Endicott Arm 231
9
GULF ROUTE PORTS & WILDERNESS
AREAS
268
Petersburg 269 College Fjord 275
Hubbard Glacier 272 Seward 275
Prince William Sound 273
10
CRUISETOUR DESTINATIONS
276
Denali National Park & DENALI CHANGES 282
Preserve 277 Prudhoe Bay 282
A MOUNTAIN BY ANY OTHER Nome & Kotzebue 283
NAME . . . 278
The Kenai Peninsula 284
FIRST TO THE TOP 280
The Yukon Territory 285
Fairbanks 280
The Canadian Rockies 286
11
ALASKA IN DEPTH
288
A Short Gold Rush History 289 An Introduction to Southeast
Alaska’s Native Cultures 291
12
ALASKA ON THE WILD SIDE
294
Whale-Watching 101 295 Alaskan Wildlife 298
Index 304
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Prince Rupert, British Columbia 218
ATTRAKCeTtcIOhiNkaSn 223 Dimond Center Hotel 19
Alaska Experience Theatre 13 Historic Anchorage Hotel 10 20 O’Malley Rd.
Alaska Native Heritage Center 16 Hotel Captain Cook 6
21
Alaska Zoo 22 Millennium Alaskan Hotel
Anchorage Museum 15 Anchorage 17 22
Bear & Raven Adventure Theater 12 Rodeway Inn Voyager Hotel 5
Flat Top Mountain trailhead 21 Sheraton Anchorage 15
H2Oasis Indoor Waterpark 20 Westmark Anchorage 7
Old City Hall 11
E. Huffman Rd.
Oscar Anderson House Museum 2 RESTAURANTS
Portage Glacier 23 Club Paris 14
Tony Knowles Coastal Trail trailhead 1 The Crow’s Nest 6
ABOUT THE AUTHGOlacRier SBrewHouse 8
HOTELS Kincaid Grill 18
AnchorFargaen H Wiltoenn o9grad Golden is a wellS-ikmnoonw ann dc rSueiasfeo rat’ns dS atlroaovne l writer. Fo2r3mer travel editor of
Coppert hWeh Baloe sIntonn 4 Herald, she also write s a fnodr Gnruillm 3erous newspapers, magazines anDde Awrembosuint eRsd,.
including the Miami Herald, TravelandLeisure.com, and Porthole, and has her own
popular blog, www.getawaywithfran.com. She lives in Boston and is the proud parent of
Erin and Eli.
Gene Sloan writes about cruising for USA TODAY and oversees USA TODAY’s online
cruise site, The Cruise Log (cruises.usatoday.com). Sloan’s stories also are distributed by
the Gannett News Service to more than 80 other U.S. newspapers. He has written about
travel for more than 15 years and has spent more than 1,000 days on the road. Prior to
writing about travel, Sloan covered the television industry for USA TODAY, and he also
has served as an editor in the paper’s Life section.
vi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors wish to thank contributing writers Art Sbarsky and Nicola Hassapis.
FROMMER’S STAR RATINGS, ICONS &
ABBREVIATIONS
Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality,
value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system. In country,
state, and regional guides, we also rate towns and regions to help you narrow down your
choices and budget your time accordingly. Hotels and restaurants are rated on a scale of
zero (recommended) to three stars (exceptional). Attractions, shopping, nightlife, towns,
and regions are rated according to the following scale: zero stars (recommended), one
star (highly recommended), two stars (very highly recommended), and three stars
(must-see).
In addition to the star-rating system, we also use seven feature icons that point
you to the great deals, in-the-know advice, and unique experiences that separate travel-
ers from tourists. Throughout the book, look for:
Special finds—those places only insiders know about
Fun facts—details that make travelers more informed and their trips more fun
Kids—best bets for kids and advice for the whole family
Special moments—those experiences that memories are made of
Overrated—places or experiences not worth your time or money
Insider tips—great ways to save time and money
Great values—where to get the best deals
The following abbreviations are used for credit cards:
AE American Express DISC Discover V Visa
DC Diners Club MC  MasterCard
vii
TRAVEL RESOURCES AT FROMMERS.COM
Frommer’s travel resources don’t end with this guide. Frommer’s website, www.
frommers.com, has travel information on more than 4,000 destinations. We update
features regularly, giving you access to the most current trip-planning information and
the best airfare, lodging, and car-rental bargains. You can also listen to podcasts,
connect with other Frommers.com members through our active-reader forums, share
your travel photos, read blogs from guidebook editors and fellow travelers, and much
more.
HOW TO CONTACT US
In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels, restaurants,
shops, and more. We’re sure you’ll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can
share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were
disappointed with a recommendation, we’d love to know that, too. Please write to:
Frommer’s Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call, 14th Edition
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. • 111 River St. • Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
[email protected]
ADVISORY & DISCLAIMER
Travel information can change quickly and unexpectedly, and we strongly advise you to
confirm important details locally before traveling, including information on visas, health and
safety, traffic and transport, accommodations, shopping, and eating out. We also encourage
you to stay alert while traveling and to remain aware of your surroundings. Avoid civil
disturbances, and keep a close eye on cameras, purses, wallets, and other valuables.
While we have endeavored to ensure that the information contained within this
guide is accurate and up-to-date at the time of publication, we make no representations
or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work
and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness
for a particular purpose. We accept no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracy or
errors or omissions, or for any inconvenience, loss, damage, costs, or expenses of any
nature whatsoever incurred or suffered by anyone as a result of any advice or informa-
tion contained in this guide.
The inclusion of a company, organization, or website in this guide as a service
provider and/or potential source of further information does not mean that we endorse
them or the information they provide. Be aware that information provided through some
websites may be unreliable and can change without notice. Neither the publisher nor
author shall be liable for any damages arising herefrom.
viii