Canada’s decision to impose a year-long ban on cruise ships in Canadian waters is having a devastating impact on the big-ship industry, while small ship operators are seeing a surge in reservations beginning and ending in Alaska.
According to a reservations spokesperson for UnCruise Adventures, reservations are filling up quickly for the company’s small ship cruises in Southeast Alaska.
Lindblad Expeditions, Alaska Dream Cruises and American Cruise Lines are also busy taking reservations for small cruise travels.
Dan Blanchard, CEO of UnCruise Adventures, told the online publication Maritime Adventure that the company’s cruise ships will be able to transit Canadian waters under longstanding treaties between Canada and the United States.
The vessels carry from 22-88 guests each, and travel only in Alaska waters between Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan. The company’s vessels are able to transit Canadian waters because they carry under 100 passengers and don’t touch land in Canada, the spokesperson said.
Uncruise will operate a schedule of three cruise options this summer.
The Inside Passage and Glacier Bay Wilderness cruise, at $4,495 per passenger, includes 12 days traveling through Tongass National Forest and Misty Fjords National Monument, and a visit to Glacier Bay National Park.
The 12-day Eastern Fjords and Glacier Bay expedition, at $8,545 per passenger, includes two days in Glacier Bay National Park, hiking in the Tongass backcountry, and visits to the Kiksetti Totem Park and Chief Shakes Tribal House.
The seven-day Glacier Bay National Park cruise, at $3,895 apiece, includes whale watching and birding at South Marble Island.
Lindblad Expeditions offers include a number of small boat cruises, ranging from 15 days in Alaska, British Columbia and Haida Gwaii, 22 days from Ketchikan to Nome and 13 days of travel to the Pribilof Islands, Katmai and Kodiak to 22 days traveling from Anchorage to Katmai and Kamchatka, in the Russian Federation. Costs range from about $11,000 to $27,000 per traveler.
Alaska Dream Cruises expeditions for 2021 options include eight days in the Inside Passage, from $5,195 per person, with wildlife viewing, glacial fjords, kayaking and hiking to learning about the history of the region’s Native cultures. Another Alaska Dream package offers six days in Misty Fjords viewing whales and glaciers, with kayaking and other excursions, at $3,695 apiece.
American Cruise Lines options include 11 days of travel starting and ending in Juneau for $7,560 per traveler and 15 days from Juneau to Seattle at $8,545 apiece, including breathtaking vistas and abundant wildlife, guided by onboard historians and naturalists.
