Oceania To Sail Alaskan Waters In 2011

Oceania Cruises will sail in Alaska for the first time in summer 2011. Ten departures of four itineraries explore Alaska’s Inside Passage and call at Sitka, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, plus less-visited outposts such as Kodiak, Homer and Hoonah.

Depending on the itinerary, travelers will also cruise the Hubbard Glacier, Gulf of Alaska, Tracy Arm and College Fjord. With two-for-one fares and free air, a 10-day Alaska cruise starts at $3,499 per guest based on double occupancy. The Alaska cruises, which go on sale April 28, will be operated by the 684-passenger Regatta.
The 14-day “Majestic Alaska” cruise sails round trip from San Francisco, a maiden port for Oceania, and visits Victoria, Vancouver, Sitka, Hoonah, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan and Astoria, Ore. Departures are May 12 and Aug. 26 The 12-day “Alaskan Grandeur” sails between San Francisco and Vancouver, calling at Astoria, Victoria, Wrangell, Juneau, Hoonah, Sitka and Ketchikan. Departures are May 26 and Aug. 14.

The 10-day “Frontiers and Glaciers” round trip from Vancouver calls at Sitka, Hoonah, Kodiak, Wrangell and Ketchikan. Departures are June 7 and Aug. 4. The 12-day “Glacial Wilderness” sails between Vancouver and Anchorage, with visits to Ketchikan, Wrangell, Juneau, Hoonah, Skagway, Sitka, Seward and Homer. Departure dates are June 17, June 29, July 11 and July 23.

Frank Del Rio, chairman and CEO of Oceania’s parent company Prestige Cruise Holdings, said Alaska’s recent move to reduce the cruise passenger head tax helped cement the decision to sail in the 49th state. “We would like to thank Alaska’s governor, Sean Parnell, and the Alaska Legislature for their efforts to roll back the head tax on cruise passengers, which was an important consideration in evaluating our deployment alternatives,” Del Rio said. For more information, call 360-687-9579 or visit www.TravelSmartbyKandB.com

Capt Bob