Sailings on popular route fill up quickly

If you’re thinking about taking a cruise this summer from Seattle to Alaska, start shopping around now.

“You used to be able to get the best rate by booking at the last minute; now it’s by booking early,” said Mark Davies, the manager of Seattle’s AAA travel offices.

Seattle to Alaska cruises have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. This summer, the weak dollar may cause even more Americans to vacation closer to home and foreigners to visit the United States, thus drying up the last-minute cruise-ship deals that have been available in recent years.

“Some Seattle sailings are already sold out. And people are booking into 2006,” said Davies.

Four major cruise lines – Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises – will sail this season from Seattle to Alaska.

Some things to consider when choosing a cruise:

•Which port? Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., are the major ports for weeklong cruises to Alaska. Seattle has cut into Vancouver’s business in the past few years; for Americans, flights to Seattle are cheaper and easier and there are no border crossings involved.

But travelers should be aware that some ships from Seattle sail along the outside, west coast of Vancouver Island to save time before veering into the Inside Passage farther north on the British Columbia coast and continuing into Southeast Alaska.

If you want to travel the more scenic east coast of Vancouver Island at least one way – through the Strait of Georgia and the maze of small islands between northern Vancouver Island and mainland B.C. – be sure to check the itinerary with the cruise line (most have maps on their Web sites) or with a travel agent.

Cruises from Seattle mostly head to Southeast Alaska, stopping in small ports such as Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway and sailing past the tidewater glaciers that tumble into the sea, including Hubbard Glacier or the dozen-plus glaciers of Glacier Bay.

From Vancouver, many ships sail farther north in Alaska, to the port of Seward and other areas; some are longer cruises or may be cruise one way, fly back.

All ships from Seattle stop at a port in British Columbia. To protect the domestic transportation industry, foreign-flagged ships – which include most big cruise ships – are prohibited from sailing directly between U.S. ports.

Ships from Seattle call either at Victoria or Prince Rupert, an industrial town in northern B.C. that’s trying hard to build tourism.

•Which cruise line? The four big cruise lines sailing out of Seattle differ in style.

Want an upscale, more sedate cruise line? Go for Holland America or Celebrity.

Holland America’s flagship, the classic and heavy-on-the-teak Amsterdam, will sail the Seattle-Alaska route this summer, as will its luxurious new Oosterdam.

Celebrity Cruises is basing its ship Mercury in Seattle. Besides Alaska, it has some three- to five-night cruises in the Pacific Northwest in September and October, including one around Vancouver Island.

For big ships with lots of glitz and entertainment, Princess Cruises has the year-old Sapphire Princess and the Diamond Princess in Seattle this summer. They’re among the biggest cruise ships sailing, capable of carrying more than 3,000 passengers.

For lower-priced and more casual cruises check out Norwegian Cruise Line. Its Norwegian Star and Norwegian Spirit will sail regularly out of Seattle.

•What will it cost? Fares for weeklong Alaska cruises vary wildly, depending on whether you go for the cheapest cabin in the bowels of the ship or a luxurious, top-deck suite.

In general, for an outside cabin, expect to pay from $850 to about $1,300 per person for a weeklong cruise, based on double occupancy.

When figuring out your cruise budget, be sure to include the port fees, taxes and tips, which can add several hundred dollars to the basic fare. And be aware that some cruise lines, including Norwegian and Holland America, now automatically add a service/tipping charge (around $10 per adult per day).

While you may have to book earlier this year to get the date/stateroom you want at the best price, there may still be some last-minute deals, particularly in May and September. Check cruise Web sites and with travel agents, and watch for ads.

Comparison-shop for fares and itineraries by checking cruise lines’ Web sites (for links, go to the Web site of the Cruise Lines International Association, www.cruising.org). Read passengers’ reviews on Web sites such as www.cruisecritic.com. Then work through travel agents experienced in booking cruises; they can steer you toward the right cabin and may be able to get discounts or upgrades on certain cruise lines.

•Which cabin? If you plan to join in cruise ships’ nonstop action and just sleep in your stateroom, an inside cabin works fine.

If you want to relax in privacy and watch the scenery, get a stateroom with a window (not just a porthole) or, if you can afford it, a veranda, which many of the newer ships offer. You can sit in your own deck chair – and get some fresh air in your stateroom.

Whatever your cabin, check on deck plans (available on Web sites) to see how close it is to stairways and elevators. You want to be close for easy access – especially on the mega-ships, which can have dauntingly long corridors – but not so close that you’ll be bothered by the noise of people clomping up and down stairs or chatting by the elevators.

Also check how close the stateroom is to public rooms. You don’t want disco music or the restaurant din to interrupt your rest.

•What about shore excursions? In Southeast Alaska, the ships make daylong stops in ports and offer a bevy of shore excursions, from guided walking tours to helicopter sightseeing excursions.

Signing up for lots of shore excursions can add hundreds of dollars to the basic cruise fare, so pick and choose.

If you’re interested in simply strolling, shopping or seeing local museums in ports such as Juneau or Ketchikan, it’s easy to do on your own since ships dock downtown. You also can arrange your own tours once you’re ashore with local companies that have kiosks or offices by the docks.

Some guidebooks will help you plan your sightseeing. They include “Frommer’s Alaska Cruises and Ports of Call” (which has updates at www.frommers.com) and “Inside Passage Walking Tours: Exploring Major Ports of Call in Southeast Alaska” by Julianne Chase (Sasquatch, 1998).