Shore excursions add variety to Alaska cruises

Many lines offer a

wide selection of side

trips to complement

your family's vacation

Alaska cruises are among the most popular family summer cruise vacations. Many cruise lines sail in Alaskan waters each summer, and they provide a wide variety of choices in cruise offerings. The ships vary in size, level of luxury, sailing itineraries, length of cruise and ports of call.

They also vary widely in the shore excursions they provide, and we would like to give you a glimpse of some of the more unusual shore experiences the various lines provide during their Alaskan season. Your travel agent will help you make the choice of a cruise that will best suit your family, but some of these unique shore adventures might help with your planning.

Carnival Cruise Lines offers the "White Pass & Yukon Railway Summit Excursion" at its Skagway port of call. Designed for less active passengers, the journey along a Gold Rush-vintage narrow-gauge railroad traverses rugged scenery to Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and Dead Horse Gulch. The three-hour tour costs $89.

Passengers on Celebrity Cruises can experience a 2 1/2-hour tour of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Terminal at the Valdez stop. The stainless steel, 800-mile Alyeska Pipeline's southern terminal is on a fjord across from Valdez. This shore excursion costs $25 per person.

Crystal Cruises offers Puffin Island Marine and Bird-watching Cruise, which departs from Sitka on a vessel carrying up to six guests. They sail to St. Lazaria Island, a National Wildlife Refuge at the base of an inactive volcano. Nesting tufted puffins, rhinoceros auklets and bald eagles can be spotted. The three-hour tour costs $98.

Holland America Line provides the Ketchikan Sportfishing Adventure in the "Salmon Capital of the World." This six-hour adventure requires a one-day fishing license, which can be purchased from the boat captain. All equipment is provided, and the cost is $164.

Passengers on Norwegian Cruise Line can experience the three-hour Chilkat Indian Dancers/Salmon Bake in Haines. This features storytelling performances by the Chilkat Dancers, who don colorful masks and costumes to perform their legends through rhythmic chants. Afterward, dinner includes salmon fillets cooked on an alderwood fire. The cost is $57.

Princess Cruises' passengers may opt for the Sea Otter & Wildlife Quest, a three-hour excursion offering close-up encounters with sea otters, humpback whales, porpoises, harbor seals and sea lions. This adventure, from Sitka, costs $99.

In Wrangell, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises offers the Sawmill Tour which includes a look into Alaska's timber industry with a visit to the Silver Bay Logging Sawmill. Visitors learn about modern-day cutting and harvesting techniques, and see first-hand how timber is processed. The two-hour tour is priced at $27.

Royal Caribbean International guests can experience the Chilkoot Horseback Riding shore excursion during the Skagway stop.

This more than three-hour tour explores Klondike Gold Rush National Park. Riders will hear stories of Gold Rush history, and the horses move no faster than a trot. The price is $110.

Finally, World Explorer Cruises provides the Rainforest Ecological Walk in Wrangell, a two-hour, half-mile escorted walk led by a U.S. Forest Service-trained naturalist who describes the ecosystem in this area in some detail. The price is $27.

Please note that the prices quoted are per person and that some of these prices are from 1999 brochures, as all of the 2000 brochures are not yet available.

These examples are only a small sample of the multitude of excursions offered by all the cruise lines serving Alaska. They are designed to give the traveler a wide view of the spectacular scenery, the variety of wildlife and the historical and cultural characteristics that make Alaska cruises so popular. These excursions also add adventure and excitement to the cruise experience.

If you haven't cruised our last frontier, seriously consider this family vacation. If you are considering Alaska, now is the time to visit your travel agent and book your cruise for early booking rates, and the best selection of itineraries, ships and cabins to make your experience the most satisfying adventure of your life.

(Linda and Dr. Don Overend are co-owners of Ozark World Travel, a full-service travel agency serving the Springfield area since 1976.)