State authorities in Alaska, responding to angry complaints from the state's scenic coastal areas, have found that cruise ships are pumping dense amounts of smoke and obscuring views. They have given the cruise lines until the end of 1992 to reduce the smoke emissions sharply.

An Alaska law prohibits ships from emitting smoke that blocks or obscures the view of more than 20 percent of background scenery.

State inspectors said any ships that failed to meet the new standard by the end of next year would be fined or denied docking.