What are the benefits and/or disadvantages of cruising on a small vessel
versus a mega-ship? I can shed some light on that question based on my two
recent one-week cruises up Alaska's Inside Passage, one aboard the
1,950-passenger Sea Princess and the other on Cruise West's little
99-passenger Spirit of '98.
There are two basic questions you must ask yourself in choosing between these
options: How much are you willing to pay; and how much of the real Alaska do
you want beyond the railing?
There's no question that the large ships are less expensive, but the dollar
gap can significantly shrink depending on your personal spending habits.
Thanks to the many ways you can spend money on a mega-ship, your projected
budget might balloon big-time when you sign off on your final bill.
True, there are plenty of deals for big-ship Alaska cruises this season, but
the low lead-in price will probably get you an inside cabin; don't expect a
private balcony at this low rate. Don't forget to add in port charges; tips
and drinks (roughly the same with small ships, 100 passengers or less); and
the extras that aren't available on small ships -- like the alluring spa
treatments, the jingle-jangle of the casino, all the photographs of yourself,
and the on-board shopping opportunities. Even an ice cream cone costs extra
on Princess ships. The price gap is narrowing.
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Shore excursions are another major difference. On a big ship, you won't get
very close to shore, so you won't see much wildlife other than bald eagles,
shore birds and maybe a humpback whale. To get closer, you must pay for the
privilege, and that can cost from $40 for a cheap half-day hike up to $350
for helicopter and float plane flights. Many small-ship lines include some or
all shore excursions in the cruise price, and if my recent Cruise West trip
(details to follow) is any indication, you'll see a lot more animals for
free, so to speak, right from the deck.
Obviously, the mega-ships have more passenger amenities. They offer larger,
better equipped cabins, some with private verandas; 24-hour service; multiple
dining options; extensive menus; a variety of lounges and bars; outdoor
swimming pools; whirlpools, spa and gym; elaborate entertainment; and a
little or a lot of dressing up depending on the cruise line.
What do the little guys have to offer? Small ship aficionados -- and I am one
when it comes to Alaska -- would consider that all those amenities in the
previous paragraph simply get in the way of being part of the Alaska
experience.
When I made my big-ship Alaska cruise, I came home very happy; but my voyage
on the Spirit of '98 was an altogether different trip. I communed with nature
- the stupendous landscape, the weather, birds, wildlife, scents and smells
(those Steller sea lions!) - in an almost spiritual way. In fact, it dredged
up episodes from my past, when I drove to Alaska at age 18, then backpacked
one summer and in the month of January made an Alaska Marine Highway ferry
voyage. For me, Alaska is the lure, and I want to get under its skin and
witness it from the deck of a small ship, rather than a floating
entertainment resort.
When the 192-foot Spirit of '98 sailed from Seattle's Pier 69, next to the
cruise terminal where the 778-foot Amsterdam was slipping its lines, both
ships were northbound up the Inside Passage to Ketchikan. The purposeful
Amsterdam made straight for Puget Sound, while we first took a tour of
Seattle's recreational and commercial waterfront. The Amsterdam's speed would
put her into the first port after two nights steaming; our slower ship would
take three. But more to the point, the relaxed schedule allowed the captain
to dawdle and detour from the set course when there was good reason.
The first opportunity came on the second day, when we encountered a large pod
of more than 100 Pacific white-sided dolphins. Once we were in their midst,
the captain brought the ship about, and passengers standing one deck above
the waterline looked directly down on the frolicking creatures as they played
in our bow wave. A few yards away, others rolled on their sides and even
breached. On Day Three, the Spirit of '98 slipped into Green Inlet. Running
as slowly as the engines would permit, the little ship silently eased up to
within a few hundred yards of four brown bears -- a sow and three cubs --
grazing on the sedge grass and pawing at rocks encrusted with mussels.
In Misty Fjord (aptly named for its almost constant drizzle), we trailed well
behind the 50,760-ton Norwegian Dream. When she paused nearly half a mile off
South Sawyer Glacier, we went on by through floating ice to within 400 yards
and remained for an hour, studying the massive formations and varied colors.
On the way out, passengers on the bow took some spray from a waterfall, one
of several we nosed up to over the next few days.
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Shore excursions were offered at Ketchikan, Skagway and Haines. Many of them
were similar to those offered by the big ships, but there were differences.
The big ships with their loads of 1,500-2,500 passengers have more choices;
they get preferential time slots for the helicopter and float plane trips.
But apart from these two examples, Cruise West contracts its own excursions.
And the number of passengers in each tour group is generally smaller when the
ship's 100 travelers are spread over three to five tours.
The biggest plus came on the final day, when we entered Glacier Bay at 6:30
a.m. and didn't leave until 8:30 p.m., while the big ships stayed only half a
day and visited only glaciers. While two big Holland America ships hovered
alongside the main attractions - the Margerie and Grand Pacific glaciers -
our captain took us up close to the tufted puffins and pigeon guillemots in
rookeries on South and North Marble Islands.
Then we entered Tidal Inlet, and at one point there were black and brown bear
sightings at four compass points, a moose on the beach, a rare wolverine
peering at us from the brush, and a humpback whale feeding close into shore.
In South Sandy Cove, we watched mountain goats cavort and scramble and yet
manage to maintain their footing on what looked like a 90-degree slope. At
the waterline, a pack of Steller sea lions, mostly males, gave off guttural
grunts and an odor that left us gasping.
At Margerie Glacier, we stood watching the calving ice, and when one sizeable
blue-white tower collapsed, the captain aimed the ship's bow into the
oncoming waves. On our last evening, in Icy Strait, there was not a cloud in
the sky, a light ashore, or another vessel in sight. The full moon rose in
the east and the sun set over the St. Elias Range to the west. As we slowly
drifted, the sea first reflected patches of pinkish purple then took on a
golden hue, and the calm waters rippled from diving ducks and a lone humpback
whale. Dozens of sharp snow-capped peaks enveloped us in a complete circle,
and without a chart, one wondered which way Captain George Vancouver might
have chosen to seek the open ocean. No one wanted to leave the decks, even at
11 p.m., on the last night before we landed in Juneau.
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Most of the passengers, ranging in age from 30 to past retirement, hailed
from the Lower 48. But 10 percent were Australian, helping to enliven the
open-sitting meals, which were mostly taken in the big-windowed dining room.
A buffet breakfast was served in the lounge to early risers and light eaters,
and a deck barbecue featured spare ribs, fresh Coho salmon, sausage and
burgers. Dinner menus offered just one soup, fresh hot breads, two salads but
a choice of six main courses, and a featured dessert plus sherbets. For the
cocktail hour set, the hot pre-dinner hors d'oeuvres served as appetizers.
Cooking was straightforward American style and uniformly good, even better
than expected.
Cabins were all outside and small, the majority opening onto a covered
promenade. The announcement of a humpback whale meant just a step out the
door and a few yards forward or aft one to three decks above the sea. TVs,
unusual for most small ships, had VCRs for screening freely selected videos.
Cabin windows opened, a big plus, allowing the sound of the sea to lull one
asleep, and it is not an exaggeration to report that I slept better on this
ship than I do at home.
Entertainment included Native American oral traditions, costumes and dancing,
talks by the two Cruise West interpreters and National Park Service
personnel, much socializing and bonding, and Alaska.
Our 1984-built ship exhibited a graceful, early 20th century profile; an
upward sheer to the deck; and a tall black stack embossed with Cruise West's
white bear logo. The interiors were Victorian and Edwardian with pressed tin
ceilings, square mirrored columns and an elaborate dark wood bar and dining
room buffet. Heads turned when we passed or approached a dock, and looking
back at the ship, passengers developed a deep affection for their conveyance
and the young all-American crew.
It may be some time before I return to Alaska but when I do it will be aboard
a small ship. I'll save the big guys for itineraries where nature and
wildlife are not so intense.
But there is a price to pay for choosing small, seeing the 49th state with
fewer than 100 fellow travelers, having an intimate close-up experience, and
sailing with interpreters who are always available for those seeking
knowledge.
The lowest brochure rate with port charges and early booking savings for
Cruise West on the itinerary described is $2,594 double occupancy. That is
for an outside cabin, as there are no insides. The big ships' advertised
rates are $799 double for a minimum inside or $1,049 for an outside, plus
$150 for port charges.
