Stake Your Claim

On the Alaska Boom

Alaska tourism is booming, according to the state’s Chamber of Commerce. All segments are up, with cruises especially strong (876,000 passengers from May to September 2004, 100,000 more than in 2003). In fact, reports the chamber, popular sites, such as Denali National Park, reached capacity on peak summer days in 2004. That’s why we can’t stress enough that there’s no time like the present for home based agents to start selling and booking Alaska.

Alaska is no longer an adults-only destination. The variety of activities the Last Frontier has to offer — from sedate sightseeing to active adventures — means that it’s ideal for a multigenerational vacation. As one Alaska tourist recently said, “It would take a lifetime to see all that Alaska has to offer.” That fact translates into repeat visits — and repeat bookings — from your clients.

Start today and explore the wealth of possibilities. The following suppliers are more than happy to assist home based agents in selling the very best that Alaska has to offer.

American West Steamboat Co.: Alaska Sternwheeler Cruising
By Joel Perry, Vice President of Marketing

American West Steamboat Company returns sternwheeler cruising to Alaska’s Inside Passage after nearly 100 years. The Empress of the North combines the elegance of a 19th-century paddlewheeler with modern, 21st-century amenities that today’s cruisers expect. Offering the spaciousness and luxury of a large ship, this small ship cruises into remote wilderness waterways to explore parts of Alaska that most visitors miss.

Our 2005 season features 7-night itineraries roundtrip from Juneau, Alaska with more convenient Saturday departures.

Book your clients before March 31 and they fly free roundtrip between Seattle and Juneau on 7-night cruises, or one-way Seattle/Juneau on 11-night cruises.

Your clients can save $800 per stateroom on 7-night cruises departing July 2, Aug. 6 and Aug. 20 if booked by March 31. Groups of 10 passengers can save at least 30% on selected 7-night Alaska cruises.

Our new Alaska sternwheeler cruise DVD is now available. This half-hour program is ideal for use as a sales tool or as a memento for your best clients.

These unique cruises combine intimate access, casual ambiance and the friendly camaraderie of a small ship with live entertainment, spacious accommodations and fine dining usually found only on large ships. But the Empress of the North is not like a floating city; she is more like a floating family — and ideal for cruising the Inside Passage.

Remarkably maneuverable, she safely edges close to the shoreline, stakes out prime viewing of the abundant wildlife and seeks the hidden wonders of America’s last frontier. Only aboard a small cruise ship like the Empress of the North can your clients cruise up close to spectacular glaciers, weave through pristine ice fields and enjoy close-up whale watching from their private veranda. Plus, an expert onboard historian and in-depth shore excursions are included to enhance the rich history and cultures of America’s Last Frontier.

For more information, contact American West Steamboat Company, 2101 Fourth Ave., Suite 1150; Seattle, WA 98121; Reservations and Brochures: (800) 434-1232; Group Sales: (800) 358-8854; www.AmericanWestSteamboat.com

Carnival Cruise Lines: Alaska ‘Fun Ship’ Style
By Vicki Freed, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Carnival Cruise Lines

While many cruise ships sail to The Last Frontier, only Carnival Cruise Lines offers consumers Alaska “Fun Ship”-style.

Carnival’s 2005 Alaska season will consist of 16, 7-day Glacier Route and three Glacier Bay cruises aboard the spectacular 88,500-ton SuperLiner Carnival Spirit operating May through September.

Glacier Route cruises depart May 18 to Aug. 31, either southbound from Whittier or northbound from Vancouver. Voyages in both directions feature Prince William Sound, College Fjord, Lynn Canal, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Sitka and the Inside Passage. Glacier Bay cruises depart roundtrip from Vancouver May 12, Sept. 8 and 15 and feature full days cruising Glacier Bay National Park and the Inside Passage, as well as visits to Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.

Carnival Spirit is the ideal choice for Alaska cruising, offering guests myriad vantage points for viewing the passing scenery, including a huge number of balconied staterooms and indoor and outdoor promenades.

During Alaska cruises, Carnival Spirit’s menus are expanded to include special “just for Alaska” items featuring local fish, seafood, game and produce. Even the line’s top-rated “Camp Carnival” children’s program is tailored for Alaska, with activities designed to teach kids about local culture and geography.

For those who want an “up close and personal” look at the 49th state, Carnival offers nearly 90 different shore excursions, everything from helicopter flightseeing and kayaking to whale watching and panning for gold.

And Carnival is the only cruise line to offer full-time naturalists who describe the state’s unique flora and fauna and are on hand to answer guests’ questions.

All this combined with the Carnival Spirit’s festive “Fun Ship” environment adds up to the ultimate Alaska vacation.

For additional information and reservations on Carnival’s “Fun Ship” Alaska cruises, call the line’s Alaska desk at (800) 529-6792. Information and reservations are also available via the line’s travel agent Internet portal, bookccl.com.

Gray Line of Alaska: The Best of Alaska and the Yukon
By Mark Mumm, Director of Sales and Marketing

The most awe-inspiring aspects of Alaska, from Denali National Park and spectacular Mt. McKinley to the Kenai Peninsula’s wildlife-rich waters, are seen via glass-domed railcar, tour boat and luxury motor coach on the Gray Line of Alaska’s Escorted Alaska Explorer tour.

The 8-day, 7-night tour roundtrip from Anchorage combines the best of Alaska’s wilderness and cultural attractions. The tour is fully escorted, with a knowledgeable tour director to ensure a seamless multicomponent travel experience.

The tour departs on Tuesdays, May 17, May 31, June 14, June 28, July 12, July 26, Aug. 9, Aug. 23 and Sept. 6. The value-season fare, per person double occupancy, is $1,699 (May and September); peak season is $1,959. The fare includes hotel, transportation and some meals.

Among the tour highlights is a journey through the remote Alaska wilderness, inaccessible by car, onboard the luxurious McKinley Explorer railcars, which are the largest railcars operated in Alaska. During the tour, guests breakfast on freshly prepared regional cuisine as they travel to Denali National Park. Tour activities include the homespun Cabin Nite Dinner Theater, a tour into the park to view big game and other wildlife and optional experiences such as a jet boat ride or helicopter flightseeing.

Group members visit quaint Talkeetna and enjoy an overnight at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, with more flightseeing and river-tour options. The motorcoach return south includes a cruise to Portage Glacier aboard the mv Ptarmigan and an overnight at the luxurious Alyeska Resort in Girdwood.

In Seward, guests take an adventure cruise along the dramatic Kenai Peninsula coastline, punctuated by misty glacier-carved fjords, watching for whales, sea lions, porpoises and sea otters plus goats, moose, bears and bald eagles. Back in Anchorage, the tour visits the remarkable Alaska Native Heritage Center and concludes with a farewell dinner at the Sourdough Mining Company.

Gray Line of Alaska has operated independent tours in Alaska for more than 50 years. For 2005, the company offers 26 multiple-day package tours that can be customized, as well as sightseeing tours in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Skagway and Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon. For information, call (800) 544-2206 or www.graylineofalaska.com.

Holland America Line: The Wave Season Is On!
By Paul Allen
Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Alaska

Holland America Line 2005 Alaska Cruises and CruiseTours are selling fast! We have seven ships sailing the three major 7-day cruise routes; roundtrip Seattle, roundtrip Vancouver and between Vancouver and Anchorage. Most itineraries include a full day of touring Glacier Bay National Park, more than any other cruise line. Guests can also take advantage of a wide range of exciting shore excursions ranging from flightseeing tours to whitewater rafting.

Our 2005 CruiseTour Program offers more time for your clients to explore the best wilderness areas and parks. For example, our Double Denali tours include an extra, unscheduled day in Denali National Park. And, all Denali programs include the six-hour Wilderness Tour.

We are returning to the stunning Kluane National Park located near Whitehorse. We have redesigned our Dawson City offerings to allow more in-depth experiences in the Klondike Gold Rush region and are offering new excursions to visit stunning, sub-arctic Tombstone Park. New optional activities for your active clients include a Klondike River float trip, a Jeep tour to an active gold claim, mountain biking, golf and interpreted hiking excursions.

Offer your clients more view during our View and Veranda category upgrade sale on select sailings and CruiseTours for bookings made before Feb. 28. Guests can enjoy a spacious oceanview stateroom for the price of a standard inside stateroom, an increased value of up to $230 per person.

The six-category upgrade sale, buy inside, get outside, is available on Great Land CruiseTours 3, 5 and 9. Also, a four-category upgrade is available for all May Glacier Discovery Cruises and 11- to 19-day Glacier Discovery. All CruiseTours include Denali National Park and the Tundra Wilderness Tour. And, Great Land CruiseTours 3 and 5 offer excursions to unique and remote Tombstone Territorial Park, new for 2005!

Make sure you have your most advantageous promotions in place to help your clients make the best decision for which Holland America Line Cruise or CruiseTour is most fitting for them. Call your representative for more details.

Norwegian Cruise Line: Unprecedented AK Deployment in 2005
By Andy Stuart
Executive V.P. of Marketing, Sales and Passenger Services

This year, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is expanding its deployment to one of the most popular cruise destinations in the world, Alaska, and offering more convenient and exciting itineraries than ever before.

NCL will feature its largest Alaska deployment ever with four Freestyle Cruising ships departing from two Homeland Cruising ports — Seattle and Vancouver. Norwegian Dream will feature the industry’s only roundtrip 10- and 11-day itineraries out of Seattle and the only Alaska itinerary with Anchorage (Whittier or Seward) as a port of call, allowing passengers the time needed to enjoy everything Alaska has to offer.

This move represents a significant expansion of NCL’s Alaska program, placing two of its biggest ships in Alaska for a total of four ships sailing seven-, 10- and 11-day itineraries beginning May 2005 where travelers can experience the Inside Passage, College Fjord and the Kenai Peninsula.

NCL will place Norwegian Star, Norwegian Spirit and Norwegian Dream out of Seattle and Norwegian Sun out of Vancouver. And — as a result of this expansion — NCL will not only hold today’s market-leading position in Hawaii, but will also carry more passengers along Alaska’s Inside Passage than any other cruise line.

NCL’s Alaska voyages not only feature world-class accommodations, amenities and dining, but also more than 80 adventurous shore excursions and, above all, the ultimate freedom of choice.

NCL has long served as an industry leader, breaking the conventional model of cruising and responding quickly to current trends and traveler preferences. It is this commitment to excellence that helps NCL deliver superior cruise experiences year after year.

Port Promotions: The New Alaska Gold Rush
By Steve Leland, President

The annual Alaska cruise stampede will soon start in earnest but this year there is one noticeable difference. Cruise agents will be the ones striking gold by earning incremental commission on shore excursions.

Gulf of Alaska
This 7-day journey takes passengers to some of Alaska’s most dramatic wonders, and is the perfect choice for anyone who wants to further explore the heart of Alaska with a cruise/tour. In the 2005 Gulf of Alaska program, Princess will feature four ships sailing on 72 of these voyages between Vancouver and Whittier. All cruises also offer two opportunities to view the state’s spectacular glaciers — in Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord. In addition, this year our 35 cruise/tour options featuring these voyages will be even more attractive to customers, because Princess’ new “Direct to the Wilderness” rail program will have trains ready and waiting right at the Whittier dock to get passengers to our Denali area wilderness lodges faster than ever and, as a result, passengers will spend more time in Denali — with all tours featuring at least two days in the area.

Inside Passage — Seven days
For clients who are looking for the convenience of a roundtrip voyage, Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess return to Seattle this year to offer 7-day round-trip voyages calling at Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria, plus cruises through the dramatic glaciers, rock walls and waterfalls of Tracy Arm and the twin Sawyer Glaciers. These spectacular new ships are the largest vessels to sail on the West Coast, and offer the ultimate in service and amenities — making for a great way to introduce clients to the wonders of the 49th state.

Inside Passage — Ten days
For a longer voyage, with the convenience of a roundtrip journey from the famous “City by the Bay,” Regal Princess will offer 14 departures from San Francisco on a 10-day Inside Passage itinerary that feature calls at Victoria, Juneau and other scenic Alaska ports.

We’re pleased that our position as a leader in Alaska travel enables us to offer you — and most importantly, your client — such an exciting array of options with which to visit this amazing destination.

Princess Cruises: Many Ways to Sell Alaska
By Jan Swartz Sr., V.P. of Sales and Customer Service

The lush scenery, dramatic glaciers and charming towns of Alaska make it hands down one of the most popular cruise destinations each year — especially for Princess. After more than 35 years offering cruises and cruise/tours to the 49th state, we’ve developed an array of Alaska choices that we feel are second to none. Between our many Personal Choice shipboard programs and Princess-run land tours, we’re pleased that our leadership and experience provides a variety of options for your customers. We now offer three different cruise patterns and more than 35 land options to help you create the perfect Alaskan experience for your client, who are sure to have the vacation of a lifetime.

Travel agents will be pleased to select Westmark Hotels as outstanding destination hotels or as bases for Midnight Sun. As to be expected of Westmark Hotels, guests find consistently excellent service, helpful staff and comfortable accommodations that invite a great night’s rest. Our professional hospitality and catering staff is committed to helping your business enjoy your meeting, convention, banquet or event with service, state-of-the art presentation facilities and Wi-Fi high speed Internet access at select year-round properties.

Five Westmark Hotel properties, Anchorage, Fairbanks (both 100% non-smoking), Juneau, Whitehorse and Sitka, are open year-round and have the capability to cater to business, convention and social events from 10 to 400 people. The six seasonal properties are open for 2005 mid-May through mid-September and easily facilitate the active traveler. These properties are found in Tok, Denali, Dawson City, Beaver Creek, Skagway and the Klondike Inn in Whitehorse.

A highlight of the group, the newly remodeled Westmark Fairbanks Hotel & Conference Center, offers 400 rooms and suites, excellent meeting facilities, including the new Bear n’ Seal Suite and Harper Board Room, as well as an 800-square feet fitness center. To celebrate this property, we are inviting travel agents to take advantage of our Winter Specials. Please call Dawn Harmon at (800) 764-0016 for details. Other recent upgrades and renovations include new bathroom facilities at “The Jewel of Juneau,” The Baranof and remodeled rooms in Whitehorse and Skagway. Westmark Hotels continuously strives to assure your clients’ comfort.

The Westmark Hotel chain is a “must” for travel agents’ address books. Learn more about individual properties by visiting www.westmarkhotels.com or call (800) 544-0970 to speak with a Westmark Hotels Travel Specialist. We look forward to working with you!