Getting a glimpse of Alaska, America's last frontier, is no longer limited to any one carrier or even to the parade of mega-ships calling on the state between May and September. You can choose between big and small vessels, exciting expeditions, sea and land tour combinations, eco-conscious fishing vessels, and sail-powered luxury yachts -- a good thing -- because global warming has put the endangered Alaska landscape at the forefront of 2008 family cruising options. 

Major Cruise Lines

Princess and Holland America Line have long dominated the Alaska scene, but several other companies, including Norwegian, Carnival and Royal Caribbean, have dozens of itineraries for families. 

Shoppers Note: Recent taxes imposed by the state on visiting cruise lines, in addition to fuel surcharges and special meal premiums, have the potential to affect your cruise's sticker price a lot. Let's see what's on the high seas.

At the high end of the price spectrum sits Princess Cruises (800/PRINCESS), which offers 7D Voyage of Glaciers cruises (the route taken by five of eight Princess ships), 7D Inside Passage-only cruises and 10D Inside Passage cruises from San Francisco. New for 2008 is the Tahitian Princess' 14D Connoisseur cruise that goes deeper, visiting the lesser known ports of Kodiak, Seward and Valdez. Princess is known for its skilled guides and classy ambiance and claims to be taking more passengers through Glacier Bay than any other company this year. Passengers can cruise aboard the Diamond, Sapphire, Golden, Coral, Island, Pacific, Dawn, Star, or Sun Princess with 37 new land and sea tour packages than range from zip-lining to cooking classes. Princess also has its own luxury railcars for travel between Anchorage and Fairbanks by way of Denali National Park.

Holland America Line (877/932-4259), a cruise company with its own land tour and train tour options, offers 29 different "CruiseTours" mixing cruising aboard eight luxury S-class ships with land tours that cater to an upscale crowd. Options range from visiting legendary Glacier Bay and Denali National Park plus beautiful regions as remote as the Arctic, to colorful ports by the Klondike Trail, Homer, and the tip of the Kenai Peninsula. For 2008, the company is offering more than 250 varied shore excursions, including underwater wilderness snorkel tours (wetsuit provided) and deploying newly built motorcoaches with more comfortable seating on day trips.

Midway on the price spectrum is Carnival Cruise Lines (888/CARNIVAL), whose passengers travel for one week through Alaska aboard the Carnival Spirit (2,124 passengers). Whether heading from Vancouver north or south from Whittier/Anchorage, passengers will cruise the Inside Passage, College Fjord, Island Passage and Prince William Sound, and make stops in Juneau, Skagway, Sitka and Ketchikan.

Norwegian Cruise Line (866/234-7350), at the lower price end, offers two ways to discover Alaska. Aboard the Norwegian Star or Pearl you can sail 7D roundtrip cruises from Seattle. The Norwegian Sun sails from Vancouver; all these ships have received a Freestyle Cruising 2.0 makeover to enhance the dining experience with a larger variety of restaurants, serving food at customized times; upgraded stateroom amenities; and new, wide-ranging on-board activities for guests of all ages. The 2008 Alaska itineraries include the Inside Passage and feature either Glacier Bay or Sawyer Glacier, with calls in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Victoria and Prince Rupert Island. NCL offers more than 130 adventurous shore excursions, including gold mining, river rafting and whale watching.

Royal Caribbean (866/562-7625) has expanded its presence in this fair state, with three ships in Alaska waters for 2008. Families can choose from any of this family-welcoming line's ships: Rhapsody of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas which are making 7N to 14N voyages. RCCL is known for the many sports and recreation facilities aboard its ships, but it's also offering more than 140 tours in the five southeast Alaska ports of Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Sitka and Icy Strait Point. The tours include dog sledding, crab feeds and salmon bakes, canoeing and kayaking, hiking, semi-submersibles and snorkeling, whale watching and more.

Small Ship Adventures

Those seeking a smaller adventure vessel to provide access to secluded fjords, bays, rivers, and villages beyond the reach of the mega-ships can choose as well. American Safari Cruises (888/862-8881) has three vessels: the Safari Quest (hosting 22 guests), and the Safari Spirit and Safari Escape (each hosts 12 guests) and is introducing the Safari Explorer (36 guests) for summer 2008. Families can select from 8D or 9D luxury cruises between Juneau and Sitka, between Juneau and St. Petersburg, or between Juneau and Prince Rupert. A 15D trip runs between Seattle and Juneau. 

Traveling on Cruise West (888/851-8133), with a maximum ship capacity of 102 guests, gives passengers the opportunity to sail through narrow passageways to remote villages. Passengers are brought as close as possible to glaciers and wildlife on 3N to 5N cruises on Prince William Sound; the 9-11N Inside Passage between Seattle and Juneau routes; or the in-depth 12-24N extended trips. Families can also consider a combination land and cruise tour.

Alaska Charter Yachts (206/310-2309) operates yacht charters from a cooperative of individual, small companies with a wide variety of itineraries. They provide many interesting options for the more adventurous family, those who might want to charter a vessel for their own reunion, and for families with active teens who seek a maximum of participatory experiences. Plenty of sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities are likely to be part of any trip you choose. 

Lindblad Expeditions (800/EXPEDITION) offer educational outdoors-oriented cruises that stick to wilderness areas and tiny port towns. Off-vessel excursions are by motorized launch and on foot. In addition to enjoying the services of a superb naturalist who sails with each ship, families can be assured that they are traveling with an award-winning environmental steward. This company's commitment to involving passengers in environmental issues, serving locally produced foods and safe seafood, running an energy conserving operation, and fostering sustainable projects for local communities is unparalleled. New for 2008 are special educational itineraries developed in partnership with the National Geographic Society.

Janelle Gordon, former New Media Intern at FTF and NYU graduate in Communication Studies, is doing market research for ADP in New York.