Cruise

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction 2

2. Analysis: Alaska as a Cruising Region 2

2.1 Cruise Lines Involved and their Ships 2

2.1.1 Profiling of Alaska Cruise Operators – Princess Cruises 2

2.1.2 Changes in Supply of Alaska cruises in 2010 and 2011 2

2.2 Itineraries, Ports of Call and Shore Excursions of Voyages 2

2.2.1 A Sample of Typical Itinerary in Alaska 2

2.2.2 Major Ports of Call and their Shore Excursions 2

3. Challenges and Environmental Issues faced by the Alaskan Cruise Industry 2

3.1 Seasonality 2

3.1.1 High Season (July & August) 2

3.1.2 Shoulder Season (May to June & September) 2

3.2 Dispute over Head Tax Policy 2

3.3 High standard wastewater discharge 2

3.4 Rising International Standard 2

3.5 Regulations on Vessel Entry 2

3.6 Glacier Retreat and Wildlife Disturbance 2

4. Conclusion 2

5. Reference List 2

1. Introduction

Fig. 1 Map of Alaska (CityTownInfo.com, 2010)

Lying south to the Arctic Circle and north to the Pacific Ocean, Alaska, a.k.a. ‘The Last Frontier’, is the largest but least populous state in the United States of America (USA). With a total land area of approx. 570,000 square miles (equivalent to around one-fifth the size of the lower 48 states), there are totally five regions in Alaska – the Southeast, Southcentral, Interior, Far North and Southwest, all having distinct characteristics and thus, appealing to a wide range of tourists (iGuide, 2010).

Alaska has definitely a lot to offer. For one thing, Alaska is famous for its glaciers. There are about 100,000 active glaciers in the region as of today, of which the largest one is Malaspina, with an area of 1,500 square miles and 1,000 feet thick. Apart from viewing the gleaming ice, tourists can also visit the ancient Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska, or enjoy the breathtaking scenery of over 3,000 rivers and three million lakes. Alaska is home to the top ten highest mountains in the USA as well, and tourists can join...