Can Alaska Support So Many Cruises?

[14 Days or Longer]

We are interested in any comments about the number of cruise ships currently sailing Alaska. We have cruised to Alaska four times. Our first cruise was in Oct. of 1986. We had a wonderful time and decided to return with friends. On each cruise we were amazed at number of ships at each port and the sheer number of people. The port experience became hectic and the crowds were overwhelming. Our perception was that the inside passage had become a freeway for cruise ships,with about three following us at anyone time. We

recently were in Victoria and experienced no less than six cruise ships in port for a total of 11,400 people jamming the city. Our best time by far was driving Alaska. We realize that not all people can do this,but is it time to restrict the number of cruise ships at various ports in Alaska and return to the true Alaska experience ?

[cruznon]

Might be a "good idea" in some aspects, but doubt it happens. The profits being made and the tourist damand are too great.

[Xoe]

We have been on five Alaska cruises with varying itineraries, and I agree with your observation. Our first time was on the old small Island Princess (now retired), one of the "love boat" ships of 600+- pax. Ours was a wonderful 11-day itinerary that included, in addition to the usual Alaska ports, Kodiak Island, Homer, and our final leg was sailing into and docking at Anchorage, which big ships cannot do.

 

Our last Alaska cruise (in 2005) was so different. The scenery is still glorious, but the small ports are now crowded. If you've never been there before, you might not be bothered by this. However, those are small towns, and the hundreds/thousands of passengers coming ashore from several large cruise ships are overwhelming.

 

My suggestion to someone going now is to book the first cruise of the season before all the ships arrive for the summer; to choose an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay; and to take excursions that get you out of the small port cities so you can get a sense of the grandeur of this place without the crowds of visitors.

 

OR -- go on a small ship that can go to less visited places like Wrangell or Petersburg.

[pitdoctor]

Plus with the state of Alaska's new $50 per person tax on cruise passengers, I don't see them imposing limits any time soon.

I think there is a physical limit that may come into play though, There is only so much pier space.

[leoandhugh]

There may be limited pier space now, but several ports are already building more piers. But the sad reality is that the infrastructure of places like Ketchikan and Skagway cannot handle that many passengers. HAL has 8 ships there this summer, including 3 of the new Vistas; Princess has a like number. What is happening in Alaska now is what happened in the Caribbean - too many big ships for too many small ports - and the result is chaos. It will not stop until it is all spoiled and then too late.

We were fortunate enough to see Alaska for the first time before there were cruise ships up there. We took the train to Prince Rupert and the Alaska Ferry to Skagway. At that time the White Pass ran all the way in to the Canadian Yukon territory - an all day trip. We have also done some of internal Alaska by car and by train. So glad we saw it as it was, because it ain't no more:(

[jtl513]

I think there is a physical limit that may come into play though, There is only so much pier space.

We were one of four ships in Sitka ... all at anchor and tendering because the water isn't deep enough to dock. That tendering can eventually happen at many other stops.

[jhannah]

I've always wondered about the increased capacity being sent to Alaska. Seems ports have been stretched already ... now things will just get worse. Building more piers will aid the ships, but not the crowds wandering the streets and shops.

[fcorey]

I've always wondered about the increased capacity being sent to Alaska. Seems ports have been stretched already ... now things will just get worse. Building more piers will aid the ships, but not the crowds wandering the streets and shops.

 

You know I never gave any thought to crowds when we booked. We just picked the itinerary and the date and went with it. We had no idea, onlye been to mexico on HAL and carribean on CCL. Now that I know about cruisecal I looked at who was with us in port. With the exception of Sitka, it appears we will be sharing all ports with at least another HAL ship and 2 Princess ships, and a X ship. Each of the princess ships are monsters, so 2 vistas and 2 princess white behemoths and instant 9000+ person population increase in one afternoon.... thats a bit scary

[kryos]

Plus with the state of Alaska's new $50 per person tax on cruise passengers, I don't see them imposing limits any time soon.

I think there is a physical limit that may come into play though, There is only so much pier space.

Trust me ... the cruise ships will go away ... but only after they've wrecked the environment and Alaska loses much of its natural beauty and wildlife. That is already happening in some of the Caribbean ports now. Tourists from the ships have wrecked the coral reefs and destroyed much of the environment for the sealife.

 

There was a special on TV a while back ... one of those Coustea shows where they went to one of the Hawaiian islands ... farther out ... no tourists ... I believe it was called Kure or something like that. They could not believe the difference in the sea life and the coral reefs. They said this island was what the more popular Hawaiian islands must have looked like 50 years ago ... before the tourists wrecked the eco-structure.

 

My guess is we will lose much of Alaska's natural wonders in the same way. The cruise ships will keep bringing the tourists in ... way too many tourists for the environment to handle ... and eventually the environment will be depleted of much of its beauty. Then ... when there's nothing much more to see ... when Alaska has become "no big deal" anymore, the cruise ships will go away in search of new ports and new adventures for their customers ... leaving the residents of Alaska to pick up the pieces.

 

But hey ... for right now at least, it's all about the money, right?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Krazy Kruizers]

Like you, we did our first Alaskan cruise in the 80's. And it was fantastic. Very few people in the ports. Ships were not large.

 

Have gone back to Alaska several times since. Most recently was 2006. IT WAS CROWDED!! Large ships -- too many in some of the ports. People everywhere. And now all the Caribbean shops are there: Diamonds International, Del Sol, etc. I can remember stopping in the old hotel in Skagway and sitting down for a spell. Now there are 2 jewelry shops there.

 

Alaska does need to limit the number of cruise ships scheduled or each port each day. JMO