“They go to many of the same towns other lines do so but with a new twist,” said Golden. “For instance, in Sitka, you go by catamaran to get up close to St. Lazaria Island, a protected wildlife refuge, so you can spot puffins and other birds through your binoculars. Then you have lunch at Dove Island Lodge, which has a 2016 Wine Spectator award.”
And while Misty Fjords is a popular scenic spot that cruisers can visit, they often have to do so by float plane from Ketchikan—which means half of their excursion is wasted on transit to and from the fjord itself. Seabourn sails directly into the fjord and coordinates float planes to meet them shipside at a floating dock, so passengers can spend more time hovering over the dramatic sights.
“We’re not only cutting out some of the tedious logistics, we’re also offering a really cool experience,” said West. “When you sail straight to Misty Fjords, you pass through high walls of ice and waterfalls, and you have a high chance at seeing bears. It’s very dramatic, very out-of-the-box.”
“We needed to expand our portfolio,” he said, “and Ventures was a natural option in Alaska—it really is a branding differentiator for us, and nobody else is doing it like we do.” Golden agrees. “For repeat cruisers, you’ve cruised to the Caribbean and Europe, and now you want to go to Alaska,” she said. “For newbies it’s a bucket list place, and a cruise is the best way to see the glaciers and other highlights of the Inside Passage. Doing that on a ship that serves caviar on deck as you look at a glacier? It’s a nice perk.”
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.