An old football coach I once knew used to say that pro athletes and teams should “never let the fans realize they can get along without you” because once they’re gone, it’ll be hard to get them back. Could the same be true about cruising to Alaska?
Dragged down by a lawsuit over head taxes, environmental regulations and “the economy,” Alaska begins welcoming the ships of its class of 2010 this week. The estimates are 140,000 fewer people will cruise to the 49th state this summer even though the number of ships (26) is only two fewer than 2009, when an estimated million passengers cruised to or from Alaska. The ripple effect reaches folks on the shore — tour operators, restaurant and shop owners, and street vendors.
When they play the blame game, there are multiple targets. The head tax that was supposed to be $50 was reduced to $34.50 per passenger in settling the cruise lines vs the state case out of court. That and more stringent clean-water standards have raised the costs of sailing to Alaska, costs ultimately passed on to the passenger. And there’s the old standby…the economy gets blamed for everything.
There’s another potential reason. How many cruisers do you know who HAVEN’T been to Alaska yet? Perhaps it’s not an I-must-go-back destination. Perhaps once you’ve seen icebergs you don’t need to see them again. Perhaps the appeal of the cool-ish weather that gives you a break from the heat of summer is just a little too cool.
In any case, Alaska is a bargain for cruisers in 2010, because clearly the ships won’t be full — check Holland America and Princess in particular; with 15 of the 26 ships sailing the waters to Alaska, they have the most rooms to fill. That adds to the appeal of a last-minute killer deal, but the caveat that comes with it is whether the cruise is one-way or return. If it’s one-way, you need a flight either to get there or to get back, and the relatively few flights in and out of places like Anchorage and Juneau are often booked to capacity by confirmed cruise-ship passengers.
It IS a long swim!
That’s it…I’m done.
IS THE PRICE RIGHT?…………….$749
July 3, Seattle to Alaska (return), 7 nights, Holland America Rotterdam
All prices are per person based on double occupancy and available at time of posting.