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Informative Press Releases for Travel
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2008 ALASKA CRUISE SEASON IS FULL OF SURPRISES
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (April 2, 2008) - Whale watching and dog sledding
in Alaska, yes; but
rainforests and snorkeling? Aren't these activities
for the tropics? Have the
experts who plan innovative shore excursions
in Alaska for member lines of
Cruise Lines International Association
(CLIA) misread the map?
It
turns out that North America's most majestic northern wilderness is
only one
great reason to cruise to Alaska. For thousands of vacationers,
the biggest
surprise may be how many different ways there are to
experience that
magnificent landscape, including underwater in a
wetsuit.
In 2008,
CLIA member lines will offer a wide variety of Alaska cruises -
from small
ships carrying nearly 200 passengers to the newest mega
liners. There are
seven-day roundtrips and 14-day one-way voyages with
ports of embarkation all
along the Pacific, from Los Angeles to Seward,
with many from Vancouver,
Seattle and Juneau. Each line offers its own
distinctive character and all
feature the immense natural treasures,
such as Glacier Bay, that attract
visitors from around the world. These
sites are also highlighted through an
amazing variety of shore
excursions and land tours ranging from crab fishing
and zip-lining to
private whaling adventures and multi-day journeys
throughout British
Columbia.
Here is a sampling of 2008 Alaska
cruises offered by member lines of
CLIA:
CARNIVAL CRUISE
LINES
Carnival's 2008 Alaska offerings consist of 16 seven-day Glacier
Route
cruises aboard the 2,124-passenger Carnival Spirit. The series
of
voyages, which begin on May 21, are one-way between Vancouver
and
Whittier/Anchorage and call on Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Sitka
and
cruise the College Fjord, the Island Passage and Prince William
Sound.
Three departures will be roundtrip from Vancouver, visiting
Juneau,
Skagway and Ketchikan.
CELEBRITY CRUISES
Celebrity Cruises'
Celebrity Infinity, the latest Conde Nast Traveler
Readers Poll's Top-Rated
Large Ship, will be in Alaska this summer and
passengers will have the option
of a "Frasier Discovery" tour featuring
Calgary, Banff, Jasper, Quesnell,
Whistler and Vancouver. Other
Celebrity highlights in Alaska include an
"Alpine Zipline and Rainforest
Eco-tour and a "Golden Glassblowing
Experience."
HOLLAND AMERICA LINE
Holland America will have eight
ships in Alaska, offering more than 250
varied shore excursions. In Haines, a
new tour called "Guides Choice
Photo Discovery" focuses on photographing the
wildlife and stunning
scenery of the Chilkat Valley. And, in Sitka and
Ketchikan guests will
be able to don a wetsuit and explore the usually unseen
underwater
wilderness with snorkeling gear. Another new excursion is the
"Exclusive
Mountaintop Flightseeing and Crab Feast."
MAJESTIC AMERICA
LINE
Majestic America Line, which offers coastal and river cruises in
North
America, features seven-night Juneau roundtrip sailings and
12-night
one-way voyages between Seattle to Juneau. With just 112 staterooms
and
suites, most with private verandahs, Empress of the North's
intimate,
small ship experience provides unique access to the vast wilderness
and
waterways of Alaska's Inside Passage. Guests enjoy five-star
comfort,
luxurious amenities, enrichment programs, award-winning service
and
included shore excursions in selected ports.
PRINCESS
CRUISES
Princess Cruises' 2008 Alaska season features eight ships,
including
five sailing the Gulf of Alaska. New for this year is the
Tahitian
Princess' 14-day Connoisseur itinerary featuring less visited ports
such
as Kodiak, Valdez and Seward. The line is also introducing 37 new
tour
options in its Adventures Ashore program, including private
whale
watching, zip-lining, a Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's tour, and
an
"Alaskan Chef's Table." Princess will carry more passengers to
Glacier
Bay than any other line this year.
NORWEGIAN CRUISE
LINE
Three NCL Freestyle Cruising vessels will return to Alaska for the
2008
season. Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Star will sail seven-day
roundtrip
cruises from Seattle while Norwegian Sun departs from
Vancouver.
Itineraries include the Inside Passage and feature either Glacier
Bay or
Sawyer Glacier, with calls in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Victoria
and
Prince Rupert Island. NCL offers more than 130 adventurous
shore
excursions, including gold mining, river rafting and whale watching.
And
as of June 1, Freestyle 2.0-NCL's enhanced guest
experience
initiative-will be implemented fleet-wide. Enhancements
include a major
investment in the total dining experience; upgraded stateroom
amenities;
and new, wide-ranging on-board activities for guests of all
ages.
REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES
Regent will feature numerous new tour
programs on its Seven Seas Mariner
cruises in Alaska this year. In Juneau,
there is a "Wild Coast
Exploration" by catamaran along glacier-carved fjords
and rugged
stretches of coast. Guests may also opt for salmon fishing
by
traditional 14-foot rowboat on the Campbell River in British Columbia,
a
Ketchikan biking and zip-line combo and, in Sitka, an "Advanced
Volcano
Hike" on the remote Kruzof Island. Along the way, whales, sea lions,
sea
otters and eagles provide outstanding photo opportunities.
ROYAL
CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL
Royal Caribbean will have three ships in Alaska in
2008, including
Rhapsody of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas and Serenade of
the Seas. The
seven- to 14-night voyages feature more than 140 tours in the
five
southeast Alaska ports of Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Sitka and
Icy
Strait Point. The tours include dog sledding, crab feeds and
salmon
bakes, canoeing and kayaking, hiking, semi-submersibles and
snorkeling,
whale watching and more.
SILVERSEA
CRUISES
Silversea's all-suite, 382-guest Silver Shadow will be the
only
ultra-luxury ship sailing Alaskan waters this year, offering
ten
itineraries ranging from nine to 12 days. Several sailings
feature
convenient roundtrip departures from Vancouver, with open-jaw
voyages
also available from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seward. The
Alaska
voyages feature a diverse enrichment program, with such
noted
authorities as marine biologist John Palmisano, chef Anne
Desjardins,
wine expert John Shafer and author Sabin Robbins.
For more
information about the CLIA fleet's Alaska cruises, and to
locate a travel
agent, considered the consumers' best resource for
booking a cruise, visit www.cruising.org.
# # #
About
CLIA
The nonprofit Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is
North
America's largest cruise industry organization. CLIA represents
the
interests of 23 member lines and participates in the regulatory
and
policy development process while supporting measures that foster a
safe,
secure and healthy cruise ship environment. CLIA is also engaged
in
travel agent training, research and marketing communications to
promote
the value and desirability of cruise vacations and counts as
members
16,000 travel agencies. For more information on CLIA, the
cruise
industry, and CLIA-member cruise lines and travel agencies,
visit
www.cruising.org.
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