As incredible as it sounds, starting in the late-19th century, cruises to Alaska became available. According to the Alaska Journal of Commerce, beginning in 1875, the Oregon Steamship Company started offering cruise service to Alaska, but they soon found themselves with stiff competition. Hailing from San Francisco, the Pacific Coast Steamship Company moved in on Oregon's turf in 1881. At first, taking an Alaskan cruise was only for the wealthy, and Pacific Coast specifically marketed their tours to "pleasure travelers." However, soon economy fairs became available, and tourism greatly increased.
Amazingly, cannons were used to announce the ship's arrival at port, and tourists found themselves looking at miles and miles of untouched wilderness. Within a few years, thousands were taking the Pacific Coast line annually at the cost of $15–$30. In the 1890s, Pacific Coast created a ship with a capacity of 250 rooms, but they began to face more competition as more companies entered the fray.
Passengers on the ship were occasionally witness to pretty interesting events, like when one of the ships was found to be smuggling illicit opium. By the mid-1890s, tourists were flocking to Alaska in even bigger numbers, but not so much on pleasure cruises. The Klondike Gold Rush brought thousands of new visitors to Alaska, relegating pleasure tourism to second place. Alaskan cruise lines quickly recovered, and even today are some of the most popular destinations available.
