Cruising for a deal: High capacity may mean low prices to Alaska

Stand by for bargains.

Some of the cruise lines serving Alaska already are offering rock-bottom fares for passengers willing to make early bookings for the 2003 season. But those travelers who delay buying decisions until shortly before the Alaska sailings are likely to find even lower prices.

"There are going to be deals out there," says one visitor-industry leader. "It's that kind of year."

Those who market cruises cringe at that kind of talk. They hope to fill the ships without rumors of 11th-hour bargains. But they are aware that savvy travelers — no matter where they are headed — are watching the Internet for good buys, and that passengers with flexible schedules are making reservations closer to sailing dates than ever before.

This year, eight major cruise lines will deploy 25 of the world's largest luxury liners to Alaska. There's little doubt that the roster of cruise ships represents more passenger capacity than the industry can absorb at this time. That opens the way for lower fares.

"But where else are they going to put their ships?" an industry veteran asks. "Certainly not the Mediterranean, with talk of war with Iraq. And not in summer in Mexico or the Caribbean."

Last year, there was a 12 percent increase in passenger capacity from the 2001 season for major cruise lines in Alaska — but only a 4 percent increase in the number of berths filled with passenger sales. Nevertheless, the total number of cruise passengers, probably about 720,000, accounted for more than half of Alaska's 1.2 million visitors in 2002.

The big cruise lines

Most of the cruise lines with operations in Alaska use Vancouver, B.C., as a base in the May-September cruising season.

But Seattle, with its air-, highway- and rail-transportation advantages, is winning a bigger share of the cruise business. Both Holland America Line and Princess Cruises, who dominate the Alaska cruise market, are planning several Alaska departures from Seattle this year. Holland America is scheduling 21 departures from Seattle aboard the 1,380-passenger liner Amsterdam. Princess has scheduled 19 Seattle departures on the 2,600-passenger Star Princess.

Norwegian Cruise Line says it also will have several Alaska round-trips from Seattle aboard the 2,002-passenger Norwegian Sky.

Holland America will have a total of eight ships on Alaska voyages. Princess will deploy six liners. The Princess fleet will include two brand-new ships, Coral Princess and Island Princess, each able to carry 1,950 passengers. Another new ship, the 2,600-passenger Diamond Princess, was due to enter the Alaska market this year but was damaged by fire at its Japan shipyard in November. Its Alaska debut now is expected next year. Also new for 2004 will be the 2,600-passenger Sapphire Princess, still under construction.

Holland America, meanwhile, is adding four luxury-dome cars to its McKinley Explorer rail fleet that serves the Anchorage-Denali National Park-Fairbanks route through Alaska's interior. The 89-foot-long cars, costing $3 million apiece, are said to be the largest rail-passenger cars ever built in North America.

Three cruise lines — Holland America, Princess and Royal Caribbean International — attach their private, upscale dome cars to Alaska Railroad trains for the summer season. The Alaska Railroad's own passenger cars are designed for budget-minded travelers.

Also new this season for Alaska will be a seagoing sternwheeler, Empress of the North, now under construction at the Nichols Bros. shipyard on Whidbey Island. The 235-passenger vessel will cruise between Seattle and ports in Southeastern Alaska, with the first Seattle departure scheduled for June 29.

Missing from the Alaska roster this season will be the Universe Explorer of World Explorer Cruises and the Seabourn Spirit of Seabourn Cruise Line.

Universe Explorer, a favorite for several seasons with Alaska cruisers, has been redeployed. World Explorer Cruises says it hopes to acquire another ship for Alaska cruises in 2004. Seabourn says it has no plans to return to Alaska.

The small-line alternatives

Major cruise lines get most of the attention, but small-ship operators are continuing to carve a bigger share of the Alaska market. Seattle-based Cruise West is the leader in this category, with seven vessels roving Alaska.

"Our bookings are looking good," says Jerre Fuqua, vice president of marketing and sales for Cruise West. While many travelers are digging for bargains, Cruise West expects to fill its 114-passenger Spirit of Oceanus this season with passengers willing to spend more than $7,000 a person for 11-day adventure cruises.

Glacier Bay Cruiseline, another small-ship operator, has announced plans to explore native cultures in Southeast Alaska this season with visits to the villages of Hoonah and Metlakatla. The seldom-visited small towns of Wrangell and Petersburg also are on the list of port calls.

Meanwhile, all nine of Alaska's seagoing ferries will be operating again this season. Frequent northbound sailings are scheduled both from Bellingham and from Prince Rupert, B.C.