ALASKA 2004:   SHIP PHOTOS, CHARTS & INFO

• Carnival: Carnival Spirit
  
• Celebrity: Mercury, Infinity, Summit
  
• CruiseWest: Spirit of Oceanus
  
• Crystal: Crystal Harmony
  
• Holland America: Statendam, Ryndam, Veendam, Volendam, Zaandam, Amsterdam, Oosterdam
  
• Norwegian: Norwegian Sun, Norwegian Star, SuperStar Leo/Norwegian Spirit
  
• Princess: Sun, Dawn, Coral, Island, Sapphire, Diamond, Regal
  
• Radisson: Seven Seas Mariner
  
• Royal Caribbean:
  Serenade, Vision, Radiance of the Seas
  
• Silversea Cruises: Silver Shadow
  
• American West: Empress of the North
  

Comparative Chart of Alaska Ships	Vancouver Sailout Photos
Ship Trivia - largest, longest etc.	Canada Place & Ballantyne Photos
Coast Guard and Sanitation Ratings	Cruising & the Environment
Itineraries	Ship Arrival Dates in Vancouver
Tipping Guidelines	Links to Cruise Line Web Sites

ABOUT THE CHART:

• The Space Ratio is the GRT (gross registered tonnage) divided by the number of passengers. It gives a rough idea of how spacious the ship is. A good score is 35 or over.
  
  
• One registered ton = 100 cubic feet
  
  
• + Home Port Seattle             ^ Home Port San Francisco
  x Inaugural Season in Alaska

TOP

SHIP TRIVIA & STATISTICS 2004

• Inaugural Alaska season:
  Diamond Princess, Sapphire Princess, Oosterdam, Serenade of the Seas, Norwegian Star, Silver Shadow
  
  
• Newest Ships:
  Sapphire Princess (June 2004), Diamond Princess (March 2004), Serenade of the Seas (August 2003), Empress of the North (August 2003), Oosterdam (August 2003), Island Princess (July 2003)
  
  
• Oldest Ships:
  Crystal Harmony (1990), Regal Princess (1991, Spirit of Oceanus (1991), Statendam (1993), Ryndam (1994)
  
  
• Largest ships:
  Sapphire and Diamond Princess (113,000-grt) Coral and Island Princess (92,000-grt), Celebrity's Infinity and Summit and NCL's Norwegian Star (91,000-grt), RCI's Radiance and Serenade of the Seas (90,090-grt), Carnival Spirit (88,500-grt)
  
  
• Smallest ship sailing from Vancouver:
  Spirit of Oceanus, 4,200-grt
  
  
• Longest ships sailing to Alaska:
  Norwegian Star (971 ft.), Summit, Infinity, Coral Princess, Island Princess (965 ft.), Radiance and Serenade of the Seas (962 ft.), Carnival Spirit (960 ft.), Diamond and Sapphire Princess (951 ft.)
  
  
• Most Passengers:
  Diamond and Sapphire Princess (2,670), Norwegian Star (2,240), Carnival Spirit (2,124), Radiance of the Seas 2,100, Norwegian Sun (2,002), SuperStar Leo/Norwegian Spirit (2,000)
  
  
• Fewest Passengers - Small Ships:
  Spirit of Oceanus - 114     Empress of the North - 224
  
  
• Fewest Passengers - Big Ships:
  Silver Shadow 382 -      Seven Seas Mariner - 700
  
  
• Highest Passenger Space Ratio:
  Silver Shadow 74, Seven Seas Mariner 71, Crystal Harmony 53, Infinity, Summit, Coral Princess, Island Princess 47
  
  
• Lowest Passenger Space Ratio:
  The lowest space ratio jumps from 29 to 37 in 2004, reflecting the trend over the last decade to build more spacious vessels. (Norwegian Wind had a space ratio of 29, the lowest space ratio in 2003.) She won't be sailing to Alaska in 2004.
  
  Spirit of Oceanus (37), SuperStar/Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Sun (38), Dawn Princess, Sun Princess, Vision of the Seas (39).
  
  
• First ship to arrive in Vancouver in 2004:
  Amsterdam, arriving April 22, 2004 and departing on a 17-night cruise to Hawaii and back to Seattle.
  
  

TOP

COAST GUARD AND SANITATION RATINGS

The U.S. Coast Guard has recognized a number of cruise ships in its new project "quality shipping for the 21st century". Known as Qualship 21, the project recognizes foreign-flagged vessels of all types which demonstrate a commitment to safety and quality and comply with environmental and health regulations. The 2004 Alaska ships included on this list of elite vessels are Holland America Line's Zaandam and Princess Cruises' Sun, Dawn and Regal Princesses. (As of the October 9, 2003 Coast Guard listing)

Surprise sanitation inspections are conducted by the Center for Disease Control. A passing score is 85 out of 100. See the CDC web site for details about the inspections and past ratings.

Here are the latest ratings for the Alaska 2004 ships as of October 28, 2003, listed in alphabetical order. Silver Shadow and Radiance of the Seas have the highest rating with a score of 99:

• Amsterdam 97
• Carnival Spirit 96
• Clipper Odyssey 90
• Coral Princess 95
• Crystal Harmony 91
• Dawn Princess 97
• Empress of the North 86
• Infinity 93
• Island Princess 95
• Mercury 92
• Nantucket Clipper 88
• Norwegian Star 96
• Norwegian Sun 97
• Radiance of the Seas 99
• Regal Princess 95
• Ryndam 95
• Serenade of the Seas 97
• Seven Seas Mariner 98
• Silver Shadow 99
• Spirit of Oceanus 95
• Statendam 93
• Summit 98
• Sun Princess 98
• Veendam 98
• Volendam 97
• Vision of the Seas 97
• Zaandam 97

TOP

SHIP ARRIVALS IN VANCOUVER - 2004

Bold type indicates inaugural call at Vancouver

These are the dates cruise ships arrive in Vancouver in 2004.

• April 22, Amsterdam, first "big ship" to arrive. Sails a 17-night cruise to Hawaii and back to Seattle.
  
  
• May 2, Norwegian Sun begins Inside Passage cruises from Vancouver.
  
  
• May 4, Diamond Princess arrives from Los Angeles and sails on a four-night cruise to Seattle via Ketchikan.
  
  
• May 7, Mercury makes her first call at Vancouver during a cruise from San Francisco; Ryndam commences Inside Passage cruises from Vancouver.
• May 8, Norwegian Wind sails from Vancouver to Hawaii, Coral Princess, Radiance of the Seas commence sailings from Vancouver.
  
  
• May 9, Statendam commences Gulf of Alaska sailings between Vancouver and Seward
  
  
• May 10, Norwegian Star arrives from Hawaii and goes into drydock for a refit and addition of a new casino. Spirit of Oceanus commences Gulf of Alaska sailings between Vancouver and Anchorage; Dawn Princess commences Gulf of Alaska sailings between Vancouver and Whittier.
  
  
• May 12, Carnival Spirit arrives and sails an Inside Passage cruise round-trip from Vancouver.
  
  
• May 15, Zaandam commences Inside Passage sailings from Vancouver; Island Princess commences Gulf of Alaska sailings between Vancouver and Whittier.
  
  
• May 16, Veendam commences Gulf of Alaska sailings between Vancouver and Seward.
  
  
• May 17, Sun Princess commences Gulf of Alaska sailings between Vancouver and Whittier.
  
  
• May 22, Empress of the North calls on a cruise between Seattle and Sitka.
  
  
• May 26, Seven Seas Mariner commences sailings from Vancouver.
  
  
• May 28, Vision of the Seas commences Gulf of Alaska sailings between Vancouver and Seward.
  
  
• May 30, Infinity and Serenade of the Seas commence Alaska cruises from Vancouver.
  
  
• June 2, Crystal Harmony makes her first call this season on a cruise from San Francisco.
  
  
• June 4, Summit commences Inside Passage cruises from Vancouver.
  
  
• June 15, Silver Shadow arrives from Anchorage on her maiden call at Vancouver.
  
  
• June 16, Universe Explorer
  
  
• June 20, Asuka
  
  
• June 23, Topaz
  
  
• September 20, Sapphire Princess arrives from Seattle and sails to San Francisco.
  
  
• September 25, Norwegian Spirit arrives from Seattle.
  
  
• September 26, Oosterdam arrives and sails on her post-Alaska positioning Panama Canal cruise.

TOP

LINKS TO SMALL SHIP AND EXPEDITION COMPANIES:

• Cruise West: Spirit of Alaska (78 passengers) Spirit of Columbia (78 passengers), Spirit of Discovery (84 passengers), Spirit of Endeavour (102 passengers) and Sheltered Seas (70 passengers)
  
  
• Clipper Cruise Line: Yorktown Clipper (138 passengers) and Clipper Odyssey (128 passengers)
  
  
• Lindblad Expeditions: Sea Lion and Sea Bird (70-passengers)
  
  
• Glacier Bay Cruiseline: Executive Explorer (49 passengers) Wilderness Adventurer (72 passengers) Wilderness Discoverer (88 passengers) Wilderness Explorer (34 passengers)
  
  
• Aurora Explorer: A working freighter on the B.C. Coast - 12 passengers. The 2004 season sold out by September 1, 2003 so plan ahead for this trip. There is a waiting list.
  
  
• Nautilus Explorer offers scuba diving tours along the B.C. and Alaska coast.
  
  
• American Safari Cruises: motor yachts Safari Quest (22 passengers) and Safari Escape (12 passengers)
  
  
• 26 Glacier Cruise high speed catamaran on Princes William Sound.
  
  
• Society Expeditions: new World Discoverer (170 passengers)
  
  
• Hapag Lloyd Cruises: Expedition vessel Bremen (164 passengers)

TOP

©Susan Milne, 2003