Inside Passage to Alaska

Most of the cruise ships making trips to Alaska from Seattle or Vancouver take the "The Inside Passage" route. The Inside Passage refers to a coastal route for ships and boats along the network of passage which weave through the islands on the Pacific North West coast of North America. 

This route extends from the North-Western Washington State in USA and through Western British Columbia of Canada and proceeds to South-Western Alaska (USA). The route is used by ships and boats to take advantage of the web of many islands to avoid the bad weather in the open ocean and also enable visit to some of the isolated places and communities along the route. The route also provides good scenery though most of the travelling happens in the night. 

The major centres covered while travelling by The Inside Passage are Skagway, Glacier Bay, Juneau, Ketchikan and Victoria. While the first four are parts of Alaska, Victoria is a part of British Columbia, Canada. There are many other places which can be covered in a longer private trip on a yacht.  

The first action on the ship after all the guests checkin and freshen up in their cabins is to move into the auditoriums in the main part of the ship for safety briefing. This is also a requirement as per law. The briefing is held in two or three groups depending on the need. The auditoriums are bigger than an average theatre in present day malls. Neatly dressed staff members guide the guests to their seats in the auditorium. The briefing about the various safety aids on the ship as well as the tips for staying healthy during the trip is done professionally using audio visual aids and demonstrations. As any infections can spread fast on the ship, special mention is made about the use of rest rooms and cleaning of hands properly before taking food in the restaurants. Guests are advised to use the toilets in their own rooms as far as possible. Hand cleaning solutions are available at the entry of food outlets and dining rooms.

All guest rooms are provided with neatly prepared and printed reading material each day giving details of the sailing program for the next day, details of excursions available and other allied issues. Experts from the respective fields board the ship when she moves in the Glacier Bay to give details of the surroundings and spotting of various attractions and sea animals like whales, sea lions etc. 

The total distance traveled during the voyage period is a little over 2200 Nautical Miles or 4000 Kilometres. At the end of the trip, a summary of the tour movements is given to the guests with a farewell message from the Commodore of the ship.

The first 40 hours is spent on travel from Seattle to Juneau, capital city of Alaska, covering a distance of 1600 Kilometres. The guests are entertained during this period through on board attractions like stage shows, music and dance programs etc. Swimming pools and casinos find much use during this period. Art auctions and Movies under the Stars are other attractions. Those worried about the wrinkles on their faces can have a Complimentary Facial Rejuvenation consultation from an expert. Sail away celebration with cocktails is also available. There are other attractions for children, youth and other age groups as well.

Most of the guests spend their time on the first day of the seven day trip in watching the ship sail through the blue waters of the sea and family get-togethers. It is time to catch up with past events and remember the important happenings amidst the beautiful blue waters of the sea and some whale watching as well!

Exploring Alaska by Cruise

In the earlier two posts, "Vacations on Cruise" (Click Here to read) and "Cruise Vacations: Costs and Conveniences" (Click here to read), there was a brief discussion on the advantages of taking a vacation on cruise ships and the relative costs vis-a-vis conveniences of such a trip as compared to other modes of vacations. As Cruise trips to Alaska are very popular and also provide one of the two alternatives to visit this wonderful geographical region, taking a look at exploring Alaska by Cruise would be interesting. 

Why is Alaska special as a tourist destination? Why should one take an Alaska  cruise tip or why it should become a preferred vacation area? The answers to these questions are indeed fascinating both from the geographical as well as historical perspectives.  

Where is Alaska? It is well known that it is one of the 50 states that comprise the United States of America. Yet it is separated from the other mainland states of USA. It is a part of the North American Continent and yet it is very close to Asia. Alaska is very valuable due to its enormous natural resources and strategic location. It has abundant mineral wealth, marine wealth and tourist attraction. It's long coast line and wild forests provide for a variety of adventure activities. Alaska has something to offer to tourists of all age groups and varied interests.

The following facts give an idea about Alaska:

• Alaska is nicknamed as "The Last Frontier".
• It is the 49th state of the USA and became a state on 3rd January 1959. It was followed later by Hawaii (a state only made of islands and another vacation destination) as the 50th state on 21st August 1959.
• It was purchased from Russian Empire on 30th March 1867 for 7.2 million dollars (not 1,000 dollars as sometimes quoted). It was one of the cheapest and grandest real estate purchases!
• It is a strategically important geographical area for various reasons.
• It is on the Pacific coast and 500 miles away from the nearest state of USA, Washington (Seattle area).
• The distance between USA and Russia is only 3 miles! Last Alaskan Island of "Little Diomede" is just three miles from the Russian island of "Big Diomede".
• The Diomede Islands are called as the Yesterday Island and Tomorrow Island because even though they are only three miles apart, international time line separates them by 21 hours!
• The Diamode islands get their names from the Greek hero and commander of 80 Argive ships that took part in Trojan War.
• When territorial water area is included, Alaska is larger than the next three large states of Texas, California and Montana put together.
• Adjoining Canada, it is the largest state of USA by area.
• Its length is 1420 miles and breadth is 2261 miles and is spread over 6,63,000 square miles.
• But its population is only 7,40,000 and hence the least densely populated state.
• Juneau, capital of Alaska, cannot be reached from other parts of USA by land (unless pass through Canada). It can be reached either by Air or Sea.
• Its Denali National Park alone comprises six million acres of wild land and has the 20,310 feet high Denali peak, which is one of the popular tourist destinations.

Alaska is thus a very important geographical region due to its natural resources, marine wealth and tourist attractions.

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What are the requirements for making a trip to Alaska? The first requirement is the desire to get there and explore. The second is to make time and ear mark funds for the same. This is true of all tourist destinations as well. In addition to these, there are some documents required to make a trip to Alaska. What are the documents required for visiting Alaska?

• As Alaska is a part of USA, a valid Visa for visit to USA is required (except for the citizen of countries for whom USA waives a visa to visit the country).
• Alaska can be visited in two ways from mainland USA; either by Air or by Cruise. 
• For visit by Air, Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau are the main airports of entry. Anchorage is the most popular airport of arrival and is well connected to other parts of the world.
• For visiting Alaska from USA by cruise, valid Canada visa is also required as the ships stay in the Canada territorial waters for a considerable time. Besides, cruise trips to Alaska usually include a halt at Victoria island which is a part of Canada.

Other preparations depend on the season and weather conditions. Though there are many cruise options from other cities to Alaska, cruises from Seattle, USA and Vancouver, BC, Canada are very popular. These cruises are generally roundtrips and start on the afternoon of Saturday and return to the same place on the early morning of the next Saturday. A duty leave of five working days would be enough for working people to take such cruises. These cruises cover the highlights of Alaska excluding the Denali. The peak season for these cruises is during the months of April to September. June, July and August are the warmest months and have maximum cruises and attract most of the visitors.

The one week's cruise time is covered by sailing in the nights, arriving at a port in the morning, providing land excursions during the day and resuming next lap of the journey again in the night. Even during the summer months, warm clothing will always be required to be kept handy as the weather changes very fast and sunny days have rainy or cold interludes. While on the ship, there would be gusty winds when the ships sail in the pacific and one feels colder than what the temperatures are actually are. While on day excursions one should have a kit bag or backpack with warm clothing which can be used when required or stored away in the bags when the sun comes out and it is hot. A foldable umbrella will be a good friend as showers can visit us any time. 4 or 5 layers of dress with warm sweaters would be advisable. It is important to cover the legs and feet as well with warm pants and socks and wear comfortable shoes. Proper caps/monkey caps, neck covers and mufflers should be available in the bags. Carrying some types of snacks for munching at times of leisure during such excursions is also advisable as the items may not be easily available when you are hungry.

As mentioned earlier, while the ships anchor at the port in the morning, the entire day is allowed for exploring the land areas around the port and return to the ship in the evening. In the summer months sunrise is early and sunset is mostly after 8 PM. In July and August months the sun sets after 9 PM. This gives enough time for the tourists to explore both outdoor and indoor attractions around the port. The cruise ships provide voluminous literature on the attractions available in the area. They also provide a number of alternatives or combination of activities to gainfully spend the day time on the land. One should carefully  study these literature and choose the trip for the day to suit budget, time, physical activity and interests. There are helicopter tours, boat rides, coverage by buses and also adventure sports and hiking etc. The activity chosen should be according to the age group and capacity to walk long distances or enjoy with least physical activity. These plans should be in place before the sailing of the ship and booked well in advance so that disappointment of not getting seats on the last minute approaches is avoided.

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A cruise trip to Alaska is not just one trip. It is a combination of many excursions within a vacation trip. One who plans for each leg of the tour diligently and in advance will derive the best experience with least expenditure. Make full use of the available time, get the best experience and spend the least will be the key guiding factors for an enjoyable Alaska Cruise Trip. Of course, it is the same for other cruise trips as well!

Vacation on Cruise

Vacations on Cruise has gained a lot of attention these days. More and more people from different sections of the society are undertaking tours on cruise ships. Industry statistics show that this is one of the fastest growing segment in the leisure travel market. The following facts and figures would give a birds eye view of this market:

• This is one industry where demand consistently exceeded the capacity for the last three years.
• Capacity utilisation on cruise ships is 100% consistently.
• Number of global ocean cruise passengers went up from 24.7 million in 2016 to 25.8 million in 2017 and further to 27.2 million in 2018.
• Unless booked in advance, berths are not available on many popular tour destinations.
• More than 1000 ports, big and small, support this activity.
• There is addition of new vessels every year. For the next five years, more than 50 new ships are being built.
• People from all income groups are availing the cruise vacations. Number of passengers from the budget travellers group is showing a higher increase.
• Younger generation travellers are more attracted to cruise vacations. 
• Repeat travellers are on the increase. It is not "once in a life time" any more.
• Demand for cruises to cold climate destinations are on the increase.
• The industry provides more than one million jobs directly and indirectly.
• More destinations from Asia and Africa are being added to the list of places served.

A discussion about the concept of "Vacation" and "Vacation on Cruise" become relevant in this background.

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Online Dictionary defines "Vacation" as "a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel, recess or holiday". It is also mentioned as "a part of the year, regularly set aside and freedom or release from duty, business or activity". Thus the word vacation indicates that it is a period of time set aside to give relief from the routine things and a time at which the vacationing person need not worry about the various issues that arise during normal working/living days. This includes maintaining/cleaning of the living premises, buying, storing and managing of daily essential items, worrying about food rom time to time etc. It is not just those who are employed, but also those in business or profession or even those who are enjoying their retirement days. Thus the concept of vacation is all pervasive and applicable to those who have regular working or business hours as well as those who have no work to do at all!

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"Vacation on Cruise" has a very interesting history. The first cruises are dated back to 1844 when trips to Gibraltar and Greece were offered from England. It is claimed that the first vessel exclusively for cruise vacations was built in 1900 by a German company. Thus cruise vacations are more than a century old. One of the famous Perry Mason novels centres around a cruise holiday trip Perry Mason takes from Vancouver to Los Angeles. "The Case of the Substitute Face" deals with a murder that took place on the cruise ship by pushing a man overboard. A popular serial aired during 1950s and 60s (can be seen even today on Amazon videos) on this episode shows many scenes shot on a cruise ship Westminster - Liverpool.

Cruise vacations industry has come a long way since then, especially in the last two decades. Luxury cruise ships provide wonderful packages that combine many adventures for attractive and bargain fares. The many advantages of vacations on cruises are encouraging more and more travellers to avail the benefits of cruise vacations.

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In the Indian context, understanding evolution of "vacation" is very interesting. Some fifty or sixty years ago, when we were children and studying in schools, most of the families had a number of children living under one roof. The idea of Family Planning, or Family Welfare, as is now known, was not existing then. Joint family actually meant generations of persons living together under one roof, unlike today's definition of joint family where husband and wife living together is sometimes referred to as joint family! Having a number of children was the norm for couples. Early marriages and marriage for life in the absence of divorces was another cause. Economic criteria was not relevant despite the fact that many families struggled to provide basic necessities to their children. After independence in 1947, Government of India laid emphasis on birth control to contain population explosion and the ministry taking care of Public Health was renamed as "Ministry of Health and Family Planning". Family Planning earned lot of notoriety during the Emergency period (1975-77) due to forced surgical operations to enforce family planning. After the Janata Party came to power in 1977, Shri Raj Narain who defeated Smt. Indira Gandhi from Rae Bareli constituency in UP became the minister of health and renamed the same as "Ministry of Health and Family Welfare" to make it appear more acceptable in those days. Small family norms became a mass movement in the society.  

The initial recommendation was for three children for a couple which got reduced to two in due course. Next generation further simplified it to one child family and the latest generation is tending towards no child family. A day may come when a group of families (couples) may decide to have one child for the whole group and share the expenses of raising the child as the popular opinion nowadays is that "Children are costly". Of course, same sex marriages which have now become legal will also contribute abundantly in this cause.

Fifty years ago, when the family head was finding that his earning was not sufficient to provide for the basic necessities to his dependents, the concept of going on a vacation was very far from his mind. Most of the women were not earning (they were working at home alright, but not paid) and did not have much say on various matters. They would have certainly loved vacations, but did know what a vacation was. At the most they would have extra work during school holidays when guests arrived for their holidays (not vacations)! The ideas of vacation remained only in the annals of the affluent and aristocratic families.

Improvement in service conditions for salary earners and development of small families helped enhancing the economic conditions of working people. Introduction of LFC/LTC in government and public sector undertakings brought the concept of vacations to more and more sections of the population. Leave encashment facility put more money in the pockets of families to take care of expenses when they went on vacations. Improvement in communication and transportation facilities made visiting far off places convenient and possible. Advent of computerisation and internet made access to knowledge of vacation sites easy and mobile phones brought this within the reach of common man. 

Development of hospitality industry bringing in good hotels, resorts and recreation facilities further enhanced enjoyment of vacations. Reduction in cost of travel and creation of budget travel apparatus has given higher fillip to vacationing. Even weekends have become time to go away on brief travel as many families own cars and those who do not own can hire them according to their economic status. Enhanced educational and employment opportunities have made members of families to live and work in different parts of the world. Traveling has become both necessity and easier. Family get-togethers  with going on vacation has become so common that one can hear people talking frustratingly about not taking any vacations for more than six months or a year! Organised tour operators are now giving end to end travel solutions with confidence that paying a certain sum of money will take care of all expenses on a given trip. Experience of those making such trips are spurring more uninitiated to plan for vacation travel.

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Options for Vacation on Cruise is to be viewed in this background. There are many popular cruise routes around the word. Modren luxury cruise ships provide fantastic amenities while vacationing on them. There are various options for enjoying vacations on cruise ships. A discussion on these areas will, however, have to wait for another day!