Enhanced ‘Kid’s Crew’ And Shore Excursions Featured
On Norwegian Cruise Line’s 1999 Alaska Cruises
By 2000, Norwegian Cruise Line to Double
Guest Capacity in Alaska
MIAMI, Fla., April 26, 1999 – Norwegian Cruise Line
(NCL) is launching an enhanced "Kid’s Crew"
program and exciting new shore excursions for the 1999 Alaska
season, designed to appeal to fun-lovers of all ages on two
ships, the M/S Norwegian Wind and the M/S Norwegian Dynasty.
"More and more, we’re seeing Alaska as a destination
for families, including grandparents traveling with their
grandchildren, parents sailing with kids and even multiple
generations taking in the stunning natural wonders that can
only be seen in Alaska," said Art Sbarsky, NCL’s
Executive Vice President. "With this in mind, we have
created fun and educational ‘adventures’ for our
‘Kid’s Crew,’ and exciting shore excursions
that will appeal to parents and grandparents alike."
Enhanced Kid’s Crew Program
NCL’s "Kid’s Crew" program offers
shore excursions expressly for "First Mates" (ages
6-8), "Navigators" (ages 9-12) and "Teens"
(ages 13-17). These mini-adventures provide custom-made creative
activities designed to provide a greater understanding of
Alaska’s geography, wildlife and history, on days at
sea as well as on port days. An NCL youth coordinator accompanies
youngsters on every excursion.
In Ketchikan, youngsters can take an Alaskan Bushplane Ride,
featuring stunning aerial views of Ketchikan or the Totem
Heritage Crafts & Hatchery Tour, including a trip to the
Totem Heritage Center where Alaska’s largest collection
of 19th century totem poles are preserved and native
crafts are practiced.
In Skagway, the White Pass Train and Bicycle Tour features
a trio of activities including a city tour of Skagway, a train
ride and downhill bike ride. Another choice for children is
the Skagway Streetcar, an hour-long excursion on a vintage
motorcar featuring a madcap tour of the city’s historic
district and a visit to see the "largest gold nugget
in the world."
In Juneau, the Mount Roberts Tram and Guided Alpine Hike
features a breathtaking tram ride up to the top of Mount Roberts,
an elevation of 1,700 feet, followed by a hike to Gastineau
Peak to learn about the area’s colorful mining history.
For children ages 6 – 12, an Alaskan treasure hunt features
everything from a hike in a primordial forest to combing the
coastal area for beach treasures. Both activities are possible
excursions from Juneau.
Haines offers two additional tour options. The exhilarating
Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Float Trip takes guests on a rafting
exploration of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, one of Alaska’s
most accessible wilderness treasures that boasts the world’s
largest concentration of Bald Eagles. An 18-foot raft awaits
guests for a voyage through the gentle waters of the preserve
where grizzly bears, wolves and moose may be spotted. The
Chilkoot Lake Eagle Cruise allows guests to enjoy a quiet
cruise around the shores of this exquisite lake featuring
some of the loveliest, picturesque sights in Alaska. Here,
guests may observe brown bears, moose and majestic mountain
goats.
A variety of complimentary on-board activities are also offered
to enrich the Alaska cruise experience for the junior set.
These include a Park Ranger Program where children can not
only see glaciers, but hear from an expert how they are formed,
and participate in the Polar Bear Pajama Party and Klondike
Camp Night. Other activities -- such as the "Moose on
the Loose"game, Iditorod Race and Alaska Highlights video
– are designed not only to keep children busy, but to
help them learn about local culture.
Innovative, Flexible Itineraries
For the 1999 season, NCL is offering a choice of
several itineraries for Alaska departing from Vancouver and
Anchorage aboard the Norwegian Wind and the Norwegian Dynasty.
Both ships provide guests with the perfect platform to experience
Alaska’s magnificent scenery in which each port brings
a part of that region aboard.
"The Inside Passage" cruises, aboard The Norwegian
Wind, feature a choice of two seven-day itineraries. Seventeen
of the sailings offer the "Glacier Bay" itinerary
and two include the "Sawyer Glacier" itinerary.
Both visit Juneau, Skagway, Haines and Ketchikan, and cruise
the Inside Passage. The "Glacier Bay" itineraries
feature awe-inspiring trips through Glacier Bay, while the
"Sawyer Glacier" series includes a sail through
stunning Sawyer Glacier.
The Norwegian Dynasty features a variety of seven-day sailings
for guests yearning to journey to "The Heart of Alaska."
The "Heart of Alaska Northbound" sails from Vancouver,
BC to Anchorage; the "Heart of Alaska Southbound"
cruises from Anchorage to Vancouver, BC, and the "Fjords
of Alaska" offers roundtrip cruises from Vancouver, BC.
The "Heart of Alaska Northbound" visits the ports
of Wrangell, Juneau, Skagway and Cordova, and cruises the
Inside Passage, Hubbard Glacier, Yakutat Bay and Prince William
Sound; seven of the ship’s sailings feature this itinerary.
The "Heart of Alaska Southbound" visits each of
these ports in the opposite order and includes a stop in Ketchikan
instead of Wrangell. Seven of the ship’s sailings feature
this itinerary.
The "Fjords of Alaska" series includes destinations
such as Wrangell, Juneau and Ketchikan, and cruises Tracy
Arm, Sawyer Glacier, Fredrick Sound (especially known for
its whale watching) and the Inside Passage. Three of the ship’s
sailings feature this itinerary.
A 10-day "Heart of Alaska" cruise from Vancouver
to Los Angeles departs on September 21, 1999, making stops
in Ketchikan, Juneau, Astoria and San Francisco -- and cruises
the Inside Passage.
Adventurous Shore Excursions for Adults
Norwegian Wind and Norwegian Dynasty Alaska cruises
also offer adults a wonderful choice of shore excursions in
four ports of call – Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau and Haines.
They give guests an in-depth perspective on Alaska’s
wilderness, the region’s history, people, wildlife, geography
and culture.
In Ketchikan, guests are offered unusual adventures from
snorkeling in George Inlet to scuba diving in Clam Cove. Ketchikan
is described as one of the world’s best snorkeling locations
and George Inlet offers a protected underwater experience.
While here, guests can also explore Totem Heritage Center.
In Skagway, guests can enjoy glacier hiking, mountain biking
and roaming the streets of
Klondike Gold Rush Historical Park to see what it was like
during the 1890 Gold Rush.
In Juneau, Alaska’s state capital, guests have the opportunity
to scale mountains, snap picturesque glaciers and try their
hand at sea kayaking. Also, guests can go prospecting for
gold at the Juneau-Douglas Museum where people can learn the
ins and outs of gold mining.
The city of Haines offers some of the finest fishing around.
Guests can "fish" the art galleries for just the
right painting or wander through the streets of Haines gazing
at local scenes to view snowcapped mountains and huge glaciers.
Based in Seattle, NCL Plans to Double Capacity by
2000
"The demand for cruises to Alaska has been
so overwhelming that NCL will double its capacity in the region,"
said Art Sbarsky, NCL’s Executive Vice President. "The
demand was especially strong for cruises through Glacier Bay,
where we were recently awarded a number of coveted permits,
allowing our guests to cruise through the area where they
can see calving ice in progress, along with wildlife they
might not see on other cruises."
NCL plans to increase its Alaska capacity by positioning
the 2,002-guest M/S Norwegian Sky, the cruise line’s
newest ship, and the 1,748-guest M/S Norwegian Wind in the
Alaska market in the year 2000. The Norwegian Sky’s home
port will be Seattle, making it the only U.S. port to serve
the Alaska cruise market on a regular basis and the first
time a ship will depart regularly from this port. The Norwegian
Wind will continue to sail round-trip from Vancouver, BC.
Cruising Alaska, The Norwegian Way
The Norwegian Wind and the Norwegian Dynasty feature
superb dining in grand restaurants. Guests can enjoy regional
specialties like fresh Alaskan salmon to low calorie spa cuisine.
In addition, each ship features spacious staterooms, renowned
service, a Las Vegas-like casino, first-rate entertainment,
duty-free on-board shops and "Kids’ Crew" excursions.
Wraparound windows and promenades allow you to truly experience
the beauty of this stunning wilderness frontier.
Cruise-only fares to Alaska start at $989 per person, based
on double occupancy, including port charges. Air add-ons are
available from most major North American gateways. For more
information and reservations, contact a travel agent or call
in the U.S. and Canada (800) 327-7030; in Dade County, Fla.,
(305) 436-0866.
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