Seattle is a major port for cruise ships heading north up the Inside Passage to Alaska. The cruise season begins in May and runs through September. Five cruise lines currently sail from Seattle during the summer months:
Celebrity Cruises (tel. 800/647-2251; www.celebrity.com), which operates some of the world's best cruise ships, offers 7-night cruises. Cruises leave from Pier 66 on the Seattle waterfront.
Holland America Line (tel. 877/SAIL-HAL; www.hollandamerica.com) has 7-day cruises. Cruises leave from the Terminal 30 Cruise Facility in Seattle's industrial port area.
Norwegian Cruise Line (tel. 866/234-0292; www.ncl.com), known for its "freestyle" cruising, which frees passengers up to eat when and where they want aboard ship, leaves from the Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal at Pier 66. Two different 7-day cruises, one to Glacier Bay and one to Sawyer Glacier, are offered.
Princess Cruises (tel. 800/PRINCESS; www.princess.com) offers 7-day cruises aboard four different ships. Cruises leave from the Terminal 30 Cruise Facility.
For a different sort of Alaska cruise, contact the American West Steamboat Company (tel. 800/434-1232; www.americanweststeamboat.com), which makes runs up the Inside Passage with its modern Empress of the North sternwheeler. The one-way cruise takes 12 nights to get from Seattle to Juneau, Alaska.
