Alaska 2006: cruise lines add more ways than ever to explore the last frontier

Travel to these locales usually involves' a ride on the historic, state-run Alaska Railroad, which traverses the center of the state like a spine. Private railcars (owned by the cruise lines) often are used for the purpose. Specially designed for viewing the passing scenery, they offer panoramic windows, plush comfortable seating, and narrative interpretation of the sights along the way. Such creature comforts are available on tours operated by Princess, HAL, Celebrity, RCI, and Carnival Cruise Lines.

Looking for something more adventurous? Then chart a course through the Canadian Yukon or deep into the Alaskan backcountry. HAL specializes in tours that cross the border into Canada, venturing up the Yukon River into Klondike territory and the storied lands immortalized by the likes of Jack London and Robert Service. Princess offers the remote wilderness of Wrangell-St. Elias, the largest national park unit in the United States, where the company runs its own Copper River lodge. It's a rare opportunity to enjoy unspoiled wilderness, and truly explore the boundaries of America's "Last Frontier."

PC CRUISES

Every spring and fall, cruises depart for North America's Pacific Coast. Often the per-diems are lower, which is why such repositioning cruises are considered to be one of the best values in cruising.

These PC cruises (Pacific Coast) begin with a variety of attractive embarkation points, such as San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Fall cruises often embark in Vancouver or Seattle. Usually, PC cruises are one-way rather than roundtrip, since the whole point (from the cruise-line point of view) is to move the ship from one homeport to another. As a result, they tend to cover a good swath of territory, which is typical of open-jaw or one-way itineraries.

Such cruises may also include unusual ports-of-call, like Astoria, on the Oregon side of the Columbia River's mouth, or Campbell River, a new call for cruise passengers on the coast of Vancouver Island. Another new stop is Nanaimo, where red-coated Canadian Mounties welcome visitors to this former outpost of the Hudson's Bay Company. NCL has one of the more extensive lineups of Pacific Coast cruises. Other lines with a variety of choices include Celebrity, HAL, and RCI.

The best place to research these repositioning cruises is on each cruise line's web site (see "Alaska Cruise Lines" sidebar on page 19), since they are one-off and maybe hard to find in the larger brochures. Travel agents can also be helpful, as they have the latest information on special rates for onetime departures. RSSC, for example, this past season offered two-for-one fares on its 13-day repositioning cruise aboard the Seven Seas Mariner from Los Angeles to Vancouver.

ALASKA CRUISE LINES

The Alaska cruise season runs from early May through late September. Traditional Inside Passage itineraries stick to the panhandle or southeastern region. Gulf of Alaska itineraries add the south-central portion of the state. Cruises are seven days unless noted; for exact departure dates and itineraries, contact your travel agent or the following cruise lines.