Princess benefits from some Alaskan exposure

Princess benefits from some Alaskan exposure

Princess Cruises positioned Ocean Princess in Alaska in May. Tanya Jefferies looks at the ship and assesses the Alaskan market

THE OPPORTUNITY of viewing the inhospitable Alaskan wilderness from the deck of a luxurious modern cruise ship is one that is capturing the imagination of increasing numbers of holidaymakers.

Cruiselines started promoting the region to UK customers in the early 1990s, and it has seen reliable growth ever since. UK passenger numbers have grown by a third to 15,000 a year since 1995, when the Passenger Shipping Association began publishing figures for the destination.

Princess Cruises relationship marketing manager Gill Haynes, whose company is among the leaders in the field, said: “The market is experiencing steady organic growth which is demand driven.”

She admits the market is small but claims its customers are of the kind who are well worth cultivating.

“Alaska is a classic cruise for non-cruisers. People go because they want to see the destination. But from an agent’s perspective, if you can entice someone to take an Alaskan cruise, they might take another one,” she said.

“The Alaska passenger tends to be the most sophisticated, well educated and confident of all cruisers. It’s a high value destination as far as an agent is concerned. There is good commission on it. It’s a gold nugget of a market.”

The cruiseline has been operating its newest ship, Ocean Princess, in Alaska throughout the entire summer and the ship will also spend next season, there as part of a fleet of four. Ocean Princess is the latest in a series of what the company calls its Grand Class ships, which means it offers an extremely wide variety of facilities and activities in order to satisfy the very large number of people it carries.

The ship has been cunningly designed so there are plenty of small, intimate spaces, to prevent passengers becoming overwhelmed by the volume of other people or just the sheer size of the vessel.

More than 40% of the cabins have a private balcony, which is a definite advantage in Alaska, where scenery is a primary attraction.

Princess offers an on-board lecture programme covering the Alaskan landscape and wildlife, which consistently emphasises the need to preserve it.

The US state takes a tough line on environmental issues because it wants to maintain long-term tourism to Alaska and the rules for cruiselines operating in the state are strict.

Only two vessels a day are allowed to visit sensitive areas like Glacier Bay; ships must stay at least a fifth of a mile back from a glacier; and they are banned from some areas at certain times of the year, such as when seals are having cubs.

In a recent crackdown on funnel emissions, the state authorities are proposing fines against Princess and six other cruiselines for violations of air quality (Travel Weekly August 28). It is unclear whether the companies intend to fight the rulings.

Haynes defended Princess’ record on the environment and claimed it actually went beyond legal requirements in order to minimise the impact of cruising on the delicate landscape.

“It’s in our own interest and the passengers’ interest too,” she said.

Ocean Princess

Size: 77,000 tons.

Passengers: 1,950.

Crew: 900.

Accommodation: 975 cabins, of which 410 have balconies.

Facilities: five pools and five Jacuzzis; a four-deck atrium; two main dining rooms; 24-hour buffet restaurant;pizzeria; business centre; casino;computerised golf simulator; health and fitness centre; teen; and kids’ facilities.

Prices: a nine-night flycruise from Vancouver to Seward in the peak of summer 2001 leads in at £1,676 per person. A balcony cabin it costs £2,956.

Under orders: cruiselines have to follow strict environmental rules to be able to operate in Alaska

Animal magic: the wildlife is an attraction for non-cruisers