SINGAPORE, 14 June 2019: Out of all the cruises throughout the world, Alaska is the most popular cruise destination for 2018, according to Cruise Critic, a subsidiary of TripAdvisor, which named Glacier Bay in Alaska as the “Most Popular Cruise Destination in 2018”.
According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), cruise ship tourism in Alaska is estimated to increase by about 16% this year over 2018.
This translates to about 1.3 million tourists arriving by cruise ships to Alaskan ports such as the capital Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and the Glacier Bay National Park which is a highlight of Alaska’s Inside Passage and part of a 25-million acre World Heritage Site.
Glacier Bay National Park is essentially roadless so cruising is the only way to visit this amazing area.
“Alaska is one of the most spectacular places on earth especially the stunning glaciers and breath-taking scenery. So it is not surprising that the most popular long haul destination outside of Asia of our guests from Southeast Asia is Alaska, especially for guests from Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia,” said Princess Cruises director Southeast Asia, Farriek Tawfik.
In a CLIA report released recently, overall passenger source volume (for all destinations) experienced double-digit growth from Singapore (39.9%) and Indonesia (54.9%).
Tawfik added that these latest figures are in line with the increasing trend of visiting bucket list destinations such as Alaska which is growing in popularity amongst millennials, honeymooners and families.
50 years sailing Alaska
This year is extra special as Princess Cruises celebrates 50 years of sailing in Alaska by introducing new entertainment, shore excursions and culinary offerings to mark this significant milestone.
Princess Cruises has hosted more guests to Alaska than any other cruise line — more than 5 million over the last 50 years.
New programmes will be available onboard seven Princess Cruises ships sailing in Alaska through to the September season, marking the cruise line’s largest deployment ever and featuring the debut of Royal Princess, the first time a Princess MedallionClass ship will be sailing in Alaska.
Princess Cruises offers a variety of cruise and cruise tour options highlighting Glacier Bay National Park and Denali National Park as well as new activities ashore this year such as the luxury whale watch by yacht; an interactive self-guided jeep adventure and Hubbard Glacier & wilderness exploration. The helicopter tour remains the most popular shore excursion.
Alaska cruises range in length from seven to 12 days and depart from Vancouver, Anchorage (Whittier), Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Princess also owns and operates five wilderness lodges nestled in scenic riverside locations near National Parks.
Travel agents are also seeing increased interest in Alaska cruises from their customers.
Commenting on the trend, Travel 21 Singapore sales manager Kent Tay said: “Alaskan cruises continue to sell well and it has consistently been a top growth destination.
“Its popularity is due to it being a once-in-a-lifetime experience and cruising is the best way to visit this Great Land or what is known as the Last Frontier.
“Our customers also take the opportunity to extend their stay in the US or Canada before or after the cruise since they can strike off several items from their bucket list in one FlyCruise trip”.
