Instead of admiring glaciers and frolicking whales off the shores of Alaska’s southern coastal towns, they will bus through the wilds of Denali National Park and Preserve to spot bears, moose, and caribou. They’ll glimpse North America’s largest peak and spend time in Anchorage, with a boat tour of Portage Glacier.
Dry cruises aren’t as radical as they sound. Carnival may be most famous for its ships, but in Alaska it also owns the massive Gray Line Alaska ground operation, including a fleet of deluxe motor coaches, 20 private rail cars , and 10 hotels. Unescorted packages, from US$1,699 per person, offer the full itinerary without the group or guide. Bookings are via Gray Line Alaska, for a season that stretches from late May into the first week of September.Article content
The goal is to expand these tour options to the financially hard-hit communities in the southeast, including Juneau and Skagway, where Holland America Line has another hotel. “We’re still looking at that,” Ball says. “We have great ability to scale this business pretty quickly.”Another summer without tourism would be catastrophic for Alaska’s local communities.Article content
Carnival is also looking to retain its full-time Alaska workforce of more than 600, which was temporarily furloughed during last year’s pandemic shutdown. “A decent mechanic in Alaska can walk down the street and get a new job in five days,” says Ball, adding that a loss of such talent would be detrimental to the company’s “intellectual capital.”