Alaska
The Ultimate Guide to Alaska Cruising
How far in advance should you book your Alaska cruise?
Because Alaska’s cruise season is so short and demand is high — the projected count for 2023 is 1.65 million cruise travelers on 60 large and small ships sailing around 700 voyages, according to Cruise Lines International Association Alaska — prime cabins and itineraries can sell out six months in advance.
“If you want the best ship location and promotions, then book early,” says Reuling, noting she booked her upcoming Alaska cruise a year out. “As with all cruises, the most expensive and least expensive tend to sell out first.”
Speaking of prime cabins, while you can easily get away with an inside or an ocean-view cabin on most cruises to save money, you’ll definitely want to splurge for a balcony in Alaska. Why? The vast majority of your route will be breathtakingly scenic, with nonstop opportunities to see whales and other marine life, chunks of ice, waterfalls, bald eagles and more. Your own private balcony (paired with a trusty set of binoculars) is always the best viewing spot on the ship. And with about 22 hours of daylight on cruises during the summer months, consider this round-the-clock viewing window your free excursion.
The great debate: Small vs. big ship cruising
Small ship and big ship Alaska cruises both offer specific benefits, and understanding those differences will make or break your vacation.
Smaller ships — such as those on Windstar Cruises, UnCruise Adventures, Crystal Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line and Hurtigruten Expeditions — can get up close and personal with glaciers and wildlife, sneaking into areas larger ships simply can’t fit into. The ships also are likely to have more remote port stops (such as Sitka or Nome), which gives you greater access to Alaska’s many cities. Additionally, smaller ships usually offer more in terms of education and are often staffed with naturalists and marine biologists who give lectures, answer questions and join passengers on Zodiac – inflatable boat – excursions. Finally, many of the smaller cruise ships tend to be more luxurious in terms of accommodations and cuisine, and some include alcohol and excursions in the cost of your booking.
On the flip side, ships that hold several thousand passengers — such as those on Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and Norwegian Cruise Line — offer more onboard amenities. For example, Princess Cruises offers boutique fitness classes from Pure Barre, StretchLab, Club Pilates and CycleBar; Holland America’s Pinnacle-class ships (such as the Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam) have a bi-level spa with ergonomic ceramic heated loungers and a jetted Hydropool with swan neck jets to help relieve sore joints and aching muscles; and Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas has a FlowRider surf simulator and rock climbing wall. Large ships also have more live theater and entertainment options, a larger selection of excursions in each port and a greater array of dining venues.
But all of those extras certainly don’t mean you’ll lack in enrichment and education experiences if you choose a larger ship. My recent Princess cruise featured an onboard national park ranger the entire day we spent in Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve and various cultural heritage guides who shared Alaska Native traditions and storytelling.
Alaska
Moderate earthquake strikes south-central Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – A moderate earthquake occurred in south-central Alaska Sunday afternoon, striking at 2:42 p.m.
Its epicenter was located about 24 miles due east of Anchorage with a depth of 18 miles.
No damage or injuries were reported.
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Copyright 2024 KTUU. All rights reserved.
Alaska
OPINION: CDQ program and pollock fishery are essential to Western Alaska
Updated: 1 hour ago Published: 1 hour ago
We work every day to support Alaska’s rural communities through the Community Development Quota (CDQ) program and have seen firsthand the lifeline the program provides to our state’s most isolated and economically vulnerable areas.
This program is one of the most successful social justice programs in the United States, giving rural, coastal communities a stake in the success of the Bering Sea fisheries, and transferring these benefits into community investments. Our fisheries participation provides $80 million to $100 million of programs, wages and benefits into Western Alaska annually, and the full economic reach of the CDQ program is substantially larger when accounting for jobs and support services statewide.
In some communities, CDQs are the largest and only private-sector employer; the only market for small-boat fishermen; the only nonfederal funding available for critical infrastructure projects; and an essential program provider for local subsistence and commercial fishing access. There is no replacement for the CDQ program, and harm to it would come at a severe cost. As one resident framed it, CDQ is to Western Alaska communities, what oil is to Alaska.
Consistent with their statutory mandate, CDQ groups have increased their fisheries investments, and their 65 member communities are now major players in the Bering Sea. The foundation of the program is the Bering Sea pollock fishery, 30% of which is owned by CDQ groups. We invest in pollock because it remains one of the most sustainably managed fisheries in the world, backed by rigorous science, with independent observers on every vessel, ensuring that bycatch is carefully monitored and minimized.
We also invest in pollock because the industry is committed to constantly improving and responding to new challenges. We understand the impact that salmon collapses are having on culture and food security in Western Alaska communities. Working with industry partners, we have reduced chinook bycatch to historically low levels and achieved more than an 80% reduction in chum bycatch over the past three years. This is a clear demonstration that CDQ groups and industry are taking the dire salmon situation seriously, despite science that shows bycatch reductions will have very minimal, if any, positive impact on subsistence access.
The effects of recent warm summers on the Bering Sea ecosystem have been well documented by science. This has caused some species to prosper, like sablefish and Bristol Bay sockeye salmon, while others have been negatively impacted, including several species of crab and salmon. Adding to these challenges is the unregulated and growing hatchery production of chum salmon in Russia and Asia, which is competing for limited resources in the Bering Sea, and increasing management challenges.
Attributing the current salmon crises to this fishery is misguided and could cause unnecessary harm to CDQ communities. Without the pollock fishery, we would see dramatic increases in the cost of food, fuel and other goods that are shipped to rural Alaska. We would also see the collapse of the CDQ program and all that it provides, including a wide array of projects and jobs that help keep families fed and children in school.
The challenges Alaska faces are significant, and to address them we need to collectively work together to mitigate the impacts of warming oceans on our fisheries, build resiliency in our communities and fishery management, and continue to improve practices to minimize fishing impacts. We must also recognize the vital need for the types of community investments and job opportunities that the CDQ program creates for Western Alaska and ensure these benefits are considered when talking about the Bering Sea pollock fishery.
Eric Deakin is chief executive officer of the Coastal Villages Region Fund.
Ragnar Alstrom is executive director of the Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association.
Michael Link is president and CEO of Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp.
The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)adn.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Read our full guidelines for letters and commentaries here.
Alaska
‘Drag racing for dogs:’ Anchorage canines gather for the ‘Great Alaska Barkout’
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Alaska’s first “flyball” league held its annual “Great Alaska Barkout Flyball Tournament” on Saturday in midtown at Alyeska Canine Trainers.
Flyball is a fast-paced sport in which relay teams of four dogs and their handlers compete to cross the finish line first while carrying a tennis ball launched from a spring loaded box. Saturday’s tournament was one of several throughout the year held by “Dogs Gone Wild,” which started in 2004 as Alaska’s first flyball league.
“We have here in Alaska, we’ve got, I think it’s about 6 tournaments per year,” said competitor and handler Maija Doggett. “So you know every other month or so there will be a tournament hosted. Most of them are hosted right here at Alyeska Canine Trainers.”
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Copyright 2024 KTUU. All rights reserved.
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