Consider sailing small ship to Alaska

You don’t need to stick to big ships for an Alaskan cruise. Small ships, from sailboats that carry a dozen people to a 235-passenger sternwheeler, also sail north. And while they may lack the lavish amenities, they can get closer to the scenery.

•Two of the bigger small-ship cruise companies serving Alaska are Seattle-based Cruise West (888-851-8133, www.cruisewest.com) and Glacier Bay Cruiseline (800-451-5952, www.glacierbaytours.com).

• American West Steamboat Co. has Alaska cruises aboard its Empress of the North, an elegant replica of a 19th-century paddlewheeler (800-434-1232, www.americanweststeamboat.com).

•Crewed yachts and sailboats travel up the Inside Passage from Seattle and other ports. Do a Google search for “Alaska and yachts.”

• For information on ferries: Alaska Marine Highway System (800-642-0066, www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs); B.C. Ferries (250-386-3431, www.bcferries.bc.ca/).

The Seattle Times