Crusing Alaska // Season offers bounty of options

Alaska travelers will have a choice of 21 of the world's largest andgrandest cruise ships this season.The luxury-liner fleet is expected to carry more than 500,000passengers - almost half of the total number of visitors who will beroaming Alaska from early May to mid-September.In addition, small-ship operators will deploy almost three dozenvessels for journeys ranging from weeklong nature cruises tosingle-day sightseeing in whale waters and glacier fiords."It's shaping up to be another excellent season," says KirkLanterman, chairman and chief executive officer of Seattle-basedHolland America Line.Holland America and Princess Cruises - each with six linersscheduled for Alaska …