Activities abound for all ages: kayaking, hiking on a remote island followed by a full-scale picnic, hopping shore-to-shore by Zodiac, viewing whales directly off the bow or dolphins right below, collecting shells to study, and more. With 9 crew members to serve no more than 22 guests, kids and adults alike are accompanied on a variety of personal-choice excursions while the yacht is at anchor.

At the end of a week of up-close adventure, the crew of the Safari Quest presents each family member with a photo disc of several hundred images to share and reminisce for years to come. In addition, each child receives a Kids in Nature backpack filled with mementos of their various explorations including a certificate of achievement signed by the Captain and Expedition Leader, a  tee shirt and cap, a pair of binoculars, disposable camera and a typed list of all of the flora and fauna observed during the cruise. Far from the typical family vacation getaway, a yacht cruise provides kids a fun way to learn about nature and other cultures.The program offers kid-size pricing – two  kids under 12 for 1 adult fare.

Aboard other sailings during the season American Safaris Cruises’ three mega yachts offer very upscale amenities and cuisine best appreciated by sophisticated adults. For these cruises the line normally discourages guests from bringing young children and does not normally offer child-oriented services.

The Norwegian Pearl inaugurates its 2010 season with a series of Glacier Bay sailings scheduled to depart Seattle weekly from May 9 through September 12. Itinerary includes Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay cruising, Ketchikan, Victoria, B.C. and return to Seattle.

The two exceptions are the line’s first and last voyages of the 2010 season: A five-night/six-day open-jaw sailing  departs May 5 from Vancouver, B.C., sails to and through Southeast Alaska then ends in Seattle. A six-night seven-day season closer departs from Seattle September 7 sailing to Southeast Alaska, including Glacier Bay, then concludes the voyage at Vancouver.

Three ships, Diamond Princess (2,670), Coral Princess (1,970), and Island Princess (1,970), will feature 54 weekly sailings along the line’s  “Voyage of the Glaciers” route between Vancouver, B.C. and Whittier, Alaska.  Port calls and scenic viewings include Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay National Park, and 16 glaciers of College Fjord in Prince William Sound (or Hubbard Glacier southbound).

Sea Princess (1,990) returns to San Francisco for 13 nine-night/10-day voyages through the Inside Passage to Glacier Bay National Park visiting Victoria, B.C, Juneau, Ketchikan, and, depending on voyage, either Skagway, Haines, or Icy Strait Point.

The cruiseline’s smaller and more intimate Royal Princess (680 guests), has scheduled eight 13-night  “Connoisseur” trips from Seattle. Itinerary includes some of the Big State’s smaller and less visited ports including Kodiak, Icy Strait Point, and Seward plus Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Victoria along with cruising in Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm.

Celebrity Millennium will inaugurate the cruiseline’s first sailing of the season with a 14-night, 15-day Ultimate Alaska voyage departing San Diego on April 30 and visiting Seattle, Sitka, Hubbard Glacier, Skagway, Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Tracy Arm Fiord, Ketchikan, Victoria, and Vancouver. Core season for the vessel will be seven-night, eight-day voyages between Vancouver heading north starting May 14 and south from Seward beginning May 21. Last sailing for the season departs September 10 from Seward.

Celebrity Mercury will sail seven-night, eight-day roundtrip cruises after kicking off its season May 5 with a 12-night, 13-day “Ultimate Alaska” roundtrip from Los Angeles to Southeast Alaska and return followed by another “Ultimate Alaska” voyage departing May 17 from Los Angeles and ending in Vancouver. Core of Celebrity Mercury’s summer season begins May 30 with the first of 16 seven-night, eight-day sailings from Vancouver. Highlight of the itinerary will be cruising the six-mile, 300-feet-high face of awesome Hubbard Glacier. Season closer will be a 12-night, 13-day sailing September 19, Vancouver to Alaska then San Francisco and San Diego.

Celebrity Infinity’s season begins with a May 10 departure from San Francisco for an 11-night, 12-day voyage to Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, and Sitka with journey’s end in Seattle. The vessel will then offer 18 seven-night, eight-day roundtrips to Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway plus Tracy Arm for glacier cruising and a port call at Victoria, B.C.

Celebrity Cruises
1-800-437-3111 www.celebritycruises.com

The 1,380-guest Amsterdam’s leisurely two-week itinerary features the scenic Inside Passage, highlighted by cruising Tracy Arm fjord for glacier viewing, then huge and spectacular Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat Bay. Ports of call include Ketchikan, Skagway, Sitka, Anchorage, Homer, Kodiak, Juneau and Victoria, BC.

Four ships will home-port in Seattle during 2010, sailing  63 seven-night, eight-day roundtrip “Alaskan Explorer” cruises. Before shiftng to the new two-week itinerary, HAL’s flagship Amsterdam opens the company’s season with two seven-night, eight-day “Alaskan Explorer” sailings May 3 and May 10.

May 9 through September 24, three additional vessels will embark from Seattle weekly. They are 1,432-guest Zaandam, 1,316-guest Rotterdam, and 1,918-guest Oosterdam. “Alaskan Explorer” cruises call at Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan, plus Victoria, BC.

Four ships will home-port in Vancouver, two of them sailing seven night, eight -day “Glacier Bay Inside Passage” roundtrips. The 1,432-guest Volendam and 1,916-guest Zuiderdam will sail 39 voyages May 8 through September 18 visiting Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay National Park and Tracy Arm fjord.

The 1,270-guest Ryndam and 1,258-guest Statendam will sail 36 seven-night, eight-day “Glacier Discovery” cruises north or south between Vancouver and Seward May 9 through September 12. The itinerary features Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway or Haines, Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord in Prince William Sound.

Ryndam and Statendam also will offer two more Inside Passage sailings  – with port and glacier variations – September 12 and 19 to conclude the season. 

Source: www.Alaskacruisingreport.com

Rhapsody of the Seas will offer a seven-night roundtrip itinerary, sailing from Seattle and plying the Inside Passage with calls at Alaska’s Juneau and Skagway, as well as Victoria, British Columbia. Highlights will include a cruise through the 32-mile Tracy Arm Fjord, with its narrow walls rising more than 8,000 feet high en route to Sawyer Glacier, whose glacier face rises approximately 200 feet. (1-800-327-6700; www.royalcaribbean.com)

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.