In 2010, Royal Caribbean International will deploy two ships in Alaska instead of three.

The cruise line cited the relatively high costs of Alaska sailings to Royal Caribbean and its customers.

"Like other cruise lines, we have a responsibility to maximize the return to our shareholders," Royal Caribbean said in a statement. "While our continued global growth assists in that process, the costs associated with Alaska sailings do not.

"We hope steps will be taken to reduce those costs and make Alaska more competitive in the U.S. and global marketplace."