Princess Ships Spotlight Alaska Culture for 50th Anniversary

Princess Ships Spotlight Alaska Culture This Summer for State’s 50th Anniversary Year

Passengers Will Experience Local Flavor Right Onboard with Alaska Cuisine, Guest Experts,
Cultural Presentations and Special Children’s Programs

Princess Cruises begins their Alaska Season this weekend offering passengers more local tastes and culture onboard than ever before, giving them a rich “Great Land” experience not only on land, but also while at sea.

Princess’ 2009 Alaska season begins May 9 and runs through September 14, featuring a total of 130 sailings aboard Diamond Princess, Sapphire Princess, Coral Princess, and Island Princess traveling on the line’s signature Gulf of Alaska sailings; Golden Princess, Star Princess and Sea Princess sailing the Inside Passage routes from Seattle and San Francisco and Pacific Princess offering the line’s small ship experience on 14-day Connoisseur voyages to some of the state’s less-visited ports.

“Alaska’s 50th anniversary year is the perfect time to celebrate the wonders of this magnificent state,” said Jan Swartz, Princess executive vice president. “And this summer, especially, our passengers will enjoy a multi-faceted shipboard program to immerse them in the flavors, culture, history and natural wonders of Alaska throughout their cruise.”

The Princess Onboard Alaska Program:

Sanctuary Glacier Viewing Experience - Aboard Golden Princess, Star Princess and Island Princess, The Sanctuary will become a prime location for glacier viewing of the unforgettable Glacier Bay or Tracy Arm. It will offer passengers a variety of ammenities to make their viewing comfortable. It will be educational as Park Rangers and Naturalists will be on hand to provide commentary to Sancturary guests. A variety of special food and beverage offerings will also be avaialable.

Tastes of Alaska – Passengers can experience the flavors of Alaska with a number of special opportunities. Food dishes that reflect the state’s culinary delights, featuring fresh local fish, savory meats, and an assortment of seafood specialties will be served throughout the Alaska fleet. Some of the highlights include:

• Glacier Bay Champagne Breakfast
• Glacier Bay Gala Buffet
• Alaskan Dinner
• On Deck Fish Barbecue
• Reindeer Chili & Rockfish Chowder Cook-off
• Warm up on Deck
• Alaskan Beers/Hot Toddy
• Chef's Table
• Culinary Demonstrations

Local Experts – Passengers can learn about many aspects of life in Alaska and the state’s natural wonders from a variety of special guests onboard:

• Iditarod Champion Libby Riddles: Sled Dogs and Adventure
• Alaska Naturalists
• Park Ranger Programs in Glacier Bay
• USDA Forest Service Partnership – Ketchikan/Misty Fjords

Award-winning video presentations – Passengers can learn more about the wonders of Alaska from the comfort of their own stateroom, with these specially produced videos, including a series of Telly Award-winning port videos.

• “The Heart of Alaska”
• Glacier Bay Videos
• Alaska Port Presentations

Alaska Youth Program – Special programs especially for younger cruisers will give them an appreciation for the wonders of the state’s wildlife, people and natural beauty

• Glacier Bay Junior Ranger/Teen Explorer
• Ketchikan/Tongass National Forest

Alaska Mementos – Princess ships offer a number of opportunities for souvenirs and unique Alaska gifts

• Alaska’s 50th Anniversary Statehood Commemorative Souvenirs
• Art Auctions to Feature Alaskan Wildlife
• Exclusive Cruise Companion Book/Map and Video
• Gold Rush Marketplace

There are a limited supply of cabins still avaialable for the remainder of the Alaska Season. If you are interested in celebrating Alaska's 50th Anniversay of Statehood, I suggest you contact me very soon. This will be one of your most memorable cruise vacations ever, so don't let it pass you by.

Cruise to Alaska for 50th Birthday Celebration

Alaska’s celebration of 50 years of statehood

It's the morning of January 3, 2009, and the temperature in Anchorage, Alaska ranged from a low of -14.4 °F to a high temperature of -4.7 °F. That did not stop the native Alaskans from celebrating a historic event - the 50th Anniversary of Statehood. The celebration actually began the night before with the 50th Anniversary Gala at the new Dena’ina Convention Center. National and International dignitaries attended this historic event for a sit-down dinner and entertainment which included dance, symphony, and opera.

January 3rd saw the downtown area of Anchorage taken over for a huge birthday bash. A procession of Alaska’s diverse people kicked it off with performances at three separate venues. And, of course, there was a fireworks show.

50 is a landmark birthday to celebrate, and Alaskans plan to do it in style. Alaska’s 50th birthday will be celebrated all year long so there's plenty of time to join in the festivities which will be held around the state.

We were in Alaska in September, 2008, for our National Conference. Celebrity Cruises was our host for our 8 Night Alaska Northbound cruise. You can see the Alaska 50 banner on the lightpost in Juneau.

The cruising season in Alaska is from May - September. The cruises usually book up fast, but there are still cabins available. I always recommend extending your stay in Alaska to include some time on land. A cruisetour is the best way to really experience Alaska if you can spare the time.

Road to Alaska Statehood

The road to statehood began on May 28, 1958 when the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill proposing that Alaska become the 49th state of the union. The bill was passed by the Senate in June of that year. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill making it official on January 3, 1959.

For more information about Alaska consult the following websites:

• Alaska Statehood Celebration Commission (ASCC)
• State of Alaska
• Alasks Turns 50
• Arctic Focus
• Cruise Destination - Alaska

In a future column I'll describe our most recent Alaska cruise on Celebrity Mercury.