Alaska Cruises Central

Alaska-bound cruisers, as usual, have an awesome range of vessels to consider next year: In 2010, 39 ships representing 15 different cruiselines will ply the waters of Alaska’s Inside Passage and beyond.

Travelers can choose among hundreds of cruises which break down to basically four cruissing patterns.

First there’s the traditional seven-night roundtrip Inside Passage voyage from Vancouver or Seattle to Southeastern Alaska and return. (Four lines also offer two-week expanded roundtrips or open-jaw itineraries to Southeast and Southcentral Alaska and return.)  A smaller number of roundtrips or open-jaw variations, are likewise available from San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and other west coast ports. 

Popular as well are one-way Gulf and Glaciers cruises between Vancouver and Southcentral Alaska ports Seward or Whittier.

Other lines (primarily small-ship companies) will offer Cruises Within Alaska, sailing within Southeast or Southcentral, many of them visiting Glacier Bay, Prince William Sound or Tracy Arm fiord with its twin Sawyer glaciers. Finally, there is the Extended Voyage that may, for instance, explore the Aleutian Islands chain, sub-Arctic and Arctic regions, or even visit ports of the Russian far-east and Asian destinations.