Charting a course for Alaska waters: Alaska's cruise industry plans 2008 itineraries.

With tourism revenue continuing to fuel Alaska's economy, those who work in the travel industry ward off the chill of winter with a look ahead to the warm months of summer and the 2008 cruise ship preview. Next summer's tourism season has heated up already with news of ship upgrades, creative booking discounts, added departures, and ambitious excursion opportunities for visitors to The Last Frontier.

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Plus, as the U.S. dollar continues low against its Canadian cousin and the growth of the euro, cruise companies and their land-based partners hope to reap the rewards of increased interest by foreign travelers looking for a bargain.

AN ALASKA EXPLORER

Holland America Line has eight ships scheduled for 156 cruises in 2008-59 sailings on three Seattle-ported ships and 97 on five ships based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company has announced three distinctive Alaska itineraries for 2008--the "Glacier Bay Inside Passage," "Glacier Discovery," and "The Alaskan Explorer" cruises.

Popular among its cruise packages, the company's "The Alaskan Explorer" cruise, operated by three ships, departs from Seattle and serves up the requisite glaciers, wildlife and Alaska history via stops at Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan, along with Victoria. The ship Amsterdam (1,380 guests) highlights Glacier Bay National Park or Tracy Arm and Sawyer Glaciers. The ship Oosterdam (Vista-class, 1,848 guests) highlights Hubbard Glacier and Yakutat Bay. The ship Westerdam (Vista-class, 1,916 guests) cruises Glacier Bay. The larger Vista-class ships offer a wide variety of options for verandah staterooms.

Among its 97 cruises from Vancouver, Holland America Line offers a combination of round-trip Inside Passage sailings and one-way cruises from Vancouver and Seward--allowing travelers the option of combining a cruise with additional land-based touring.

Aiming to satisfy an experienced, world-savvy clientele, cruise companies are searching out unique and unusual shore excursions for their passengers. In addition to the requisite glacier flight-seeing, sea kayaking, fishing and wildlife viewing, Holland America Line offers more in-depth shore excursions through its cruise-tours, which combine a cruise with an extended 11- to 20-day, land-based tour. The 2008 schedule includes 29 cruise-tours offerings, encompassing 14 national parks and wilderness areas, including Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge, Gates of the Arctic, Klondike Historic Site (Dawson City), and others.

"Holland America's CruiseTour itineraries let guests take their time to have a personal wilderness experience in the areas of Alaska and the Yukon that most intrigue them," says Richard D. Meadows, executive vice president of marketing, sales and guest programs, and a certified travel counselor. "We take guests to scenic national parks and recognized wilderness areas, and we design optional excursions to let them fully experience the adventure while they are here."

PRINCESS: DESTINATION-INTENSIVE

Among the summer 2008 Alaska offerings by Princess Cruises is what the company is calling "the most destination-intensive itinerary in Alaska." Princess Cruises will sail five vessels on its Gulf of Alaska program next summer, including--for the first time in Alaska waters--the ship Tahitian Princess, debuting a longer route that features the brown bears of Kodiak, Valdez, and the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park, among other Southeast stops.

According to the company, Princess ships will offer 73 signature Gulf of Alaska sailings and eight departures of the new "Connoisseur"-package voyages throughout the 2008 summer season. Ranging from 670 to 2,670 passengers, Princess ships include Diamond Princess, Sapphire Princess, Coral Princess and Island Princess, each returning for another season of the seven-night "Voyage of the Glaciers" cruises between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Whittier; and the Tahitian Princess, which joins the lineup with the 14-day "Connoisseur" cruise sailing roundtrip from Vancouver.

"We dedicate our newest and most innovative ships to these itineraries because we believe they offer an unrivaled way to see Alaska's worldfamous coastline," said Charlie Ball, president of Princess Tours. "... with our new, longer Connoisseur itinerary, we're offering travelers the chance to explore many of the hidden gems of this region they don't often get the opportunity to explore...."

Travelers can pair the seven-day Gulf of Alaska cruises with any of the company's 34 land-tour opportunities, offering a chance to see the best of Alaska by land and sea, according to Princess. In addition to its "Connoisseur Voyage" cruise, the company offers travelers the "Voyage of the Glaciers" and "Inside Passage" destination packages.

The 2,670-passenger Princess ships Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess will sail 37 voyages departing Saturdays from Vancouver, or Whittier and stopping at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. The itineraries feature daylight cruising of Glacier Bay and the 16 glaciers of College Fjord. In addition, the 1,970-passenger Coral Princess and Island Princess will offer 36 sailings on the same itinerary, departing on Mondays, according to the company.

The "Inside Passage" destination offers round-trip sailings from Seattle or San Francisco and a seven- or 10-day cruise stopping at Southeastern ports.

CRUISE WEST'S SWEET FLEET

Seattle-based Cruise West offers travelers 160 Alaska departures in 2008, an additional 14 departures from last summer. In addition, the company touts its upgrade of the ship Spirit of Yorktown with a new cabin category offering visitors a private balcony, renovated lounge and new collection of Alaska artwork. Cruise West debuts its ship Spirit of Glacier Bay in Alaska waters during 2008--making it the eighth of the company's fleet to sail Alaska offerings. The ship will sail the Glacier Bay Highlights cruise--one of two packages offered under the company's "Alaska Getaways" category, which concentrates on the Glacier Bay and Prince William Sound areas. Cruise West's Alaska visitors may also choose from a half-dozen cruise packages under its extended-journey "Grand Voyages" and Southeast-oriented "Traverse the Inside Passage" categories.

Cruise West, which bills itself as the "largest American-owned cruise line" and a second-generation family business with historic ties to Alaska, calls on 24 Alaska and Russian ports and targets the soft-adventure traveler--one looking for the "up close and personal" opportunities available from small-ship cruising. Onboard, cruise passengers become participants in their own itinerary, benefiting from the camaraderie that comes from a small passenger list. Cruise West ships each carry between 78 and 138 guests, with the Spirit of Yorktown topping the list for capacity.

ROYAL TREATMENT

During the summer of 2008, Royal Caribbean guests can select from more than 55 Royal Caribbean voyages to the Great Land. The ship Radiance sails a seven-night north- and southbound itineraries between Vancouver, British Columbia and Seward. The familiar Rhapsody of the Seas returns to Seattle cruising on seven-night, round-trip "Alaska Fjords & Glaciers" voyages. Serenade of the Seas will sail a seven-night, round-trip itinerary from Vancouver, visiting the Hubbard Glacier. For an extended Alaska adventure, the ships Radiance and Serenade will each sail a 14-night "Ultimate Alaska" voyage.

Royal Caribbean is also offering combination land-sea cruise tours and features 20 packages designed to fit before or after the cruise. Destinations include Fairbanks, Seward and Denali National Park. Many of the tour packages include segments on Royal Caribbean's Wilderness Express, a glass-domed railcar offering unobstructed views of the state's wildlife and landscape.

A CELEBRITY CELEBRATION

The word for Celebrity Cruises' 2008 season appears to be "ultimate," as in its 11- and 14-day "Ultimate Alaska" itineraries. In addition, the line offers "Alaska Hubbard Glacier Cruise" and "West Coast and Alaska" itineraries, as well as north and southbound Alaska itinerary packages. Founded in 1989, Celebrity merged with Royal Caribbean International in 1997 to form Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. A roundup of the cruise line's 2008 offerings follows, by ship.

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NORWEGIAN'S PEARL, SUN AND STAR

Alaskans living and working along the waterfront will spot three familiar cruise ships back again next summer flying the Norwegian Cruise Line flag. The ships Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Star and Norwegian Sun, all part of the line's Freestyle Cruising designation, will again sail to Alaska during the 2008 cruise season.

The Norwegian Pearl, which is the cruise line's newest ship and features the first bowling alley at sea, along with the Norwegian Star, will sail seven-day round-trip cruises from Seattle.

The Norwegian Sun will sail sevenday round-trip cruises from Vancouver, British Columbia. All itineraries sail Alaska's Inside Passage and highlight either Glacier Bay or Sawyer Glacier. Always rolling out innovation on the cusp of industry trends, the cruise line's Freestyle Cruising "offers guests the flexibility of having no fixed schedules or dining times, no formal dress codes and a variety of activity options--perfect for families and individuals alike who prefer to do what they want, when they want," according to the company.