PORTS AND BOWS: ALASKA CRUISE RUSH LOOMS
Heading north: Attractions — from whales to wilderness — abound in The Last Frontier
“Way up north, North to Alaska Way up north, North to Alaska North to Alaska They’re goin’ north, the rush is on North to Alaska They’re goin’ north, the rush is on ...”
Change one of those lines to “They’re cruisin’ North, the rush is on” and that Johnny Horton hit from 1960 would be relevant today.
Ships from the world’s cruise fleet will soon be crossing the Pacific and heading north from the Panama Canal to Vancouver and Seattle for the May to-September Alaska cruise season.
Passengers will come from around the world but the majority, as always, will be from the U. S.
Friends of mine from California are coming for the wildlife, the whales, the glaciers and a chance to take a helicopter over those glaciers and the pristine, rugged wilderness. And they will have their choice of ships.
Alaskan Dream Cruises, and Un- Cruise Adventures are two lines representing the small, expedition style ships. Passengers looking for luxury will find it with Silversea and Regent Seven Seas. And Disney’s Wonder will head the “premium- to-mass-market” category in the pilgrimage north.
However, despite the big- ticket cruise lines, the dominant players will still be Princess Cruises and Holland America, the two lines that have been cruising Alaska the longest.
While there are many seven- day return cruises to Vancouver, my favourite is the one- week, one- way cruises between Vancouver and Anchorage ( Seward and Whittier), either northbound or southbound.
Why? The best part is the opportunity to see a whole other side of Alaska, nicknamed The Last Frontier. From Anchorage, you can plan an “on yourown” tour to Denali National Park or Fairbanks, a ride on the Alaskan Railroad Wilderness Express offering dome car views of the natural beauty that is the Alaskan interior.
Ride a riverboat, be amazed at the speed of the dog sleds and take a plane — if the weather is on your side — to circle or even land on Mount McKinley, the highest mountain in North America. Or you can leave all the organizing to the cruise line and take one of the cruise tours that are available at the start, if you’re cruising southbound, or at the end, if you’re cruising north. I stayed with the water ( this time a river) to begin my tour with a trip on a paddlewheel boat.
During a tour of Denali National Park, if you leave the tree line at about 2,700 feet, you’re in the Arctic tundra.
The Alaskan Railroad Wilderness Express, with its dome cars, is a great way to see the other side of Alaska.
I boarded at Denali and left the train at Talkeetna, a journey of 4 ½ hours through some amazingly picturesque country.
Remember the TV show Northern Exposure? Think smaller and funkier and you have Talkeetna. Shops, restaurants of all kinds … you might even see a small bush plane parked at the end of side streets or in a backyard. From here, you can fly to Mount McKinley, if the weather co- operates.
Alaska Native Heritage Centre is a worthwhile final stop, followed by a last feed of crab in Anchorage before it’s “wheels up” for the flight back to Canada.
Weather is your best and worst friend in Alaska. In the height of summer, you could be bundled up ( I wore a parka in Denali in June) or walking around in shorts. Pair bug spray with suntan lotion, and don’t forget the binoculars.