Alaskan cruise in 2 years. How much would you estimate?
My sister and I are thinking about taking an Alaskan cruise in the summer of 2012. We need to save up for it so we need an approximate price point including a couple of excursions. I don’t need to get off at every port to take a tour, but a few.
Forget airfare. Forget today’s discounts that won’t be there tomorrow. Please offer a general price with some justification plus any tips that you can think of. We just need to figure out how much we should be saving each month. I’m sure we could both come up with the little extra at the end since everything is more than you thought it would be, but where should we start?
Thanks!
We just got back from a 10 day Alaskan cruise.
Overall, we spent about $4200 (before discounts) total for the two of us. We didn’t need airfare as we live near San Francisco, so we just drove.
We went with an inside room – no window, no balcony – who stays in the room that much anyways? The base cost was about $1000/person, plus another $10/person/day for communal tips shared by the staff ($100/person over the course of the cruise.) The tips are charged to your room each day, and will vary depending on the type of stateroom you choose. This price includes meals at the regular restaurant, the buffet, the small poolside grill, and the pizzeria. However there was also a steakhouse and bistro on board which cost extra. We didn’t bother with those.
Milk, tea, coffee, and lemonade are available for free. Pop (soda), hot chocolate, and fancy coffee drinks (espresso, cappuccino….) cost extra. Cruise-long drink plans were available but we didn’t bother with these. You are not allowed to bring your own soda on board. Alcohol is likewise available at a price, and like soda, you are not allowed to bring your own on board. Prices for drinks were about what you’d expect at a fine restaurant or nightclub. $2 for a can of soda, $7 for a bottle of beer or glass of wine, etc.
Most on-board activities are free, including the nightly shows, movies, etc.
Port excursions are extra. If you book through the cruise ship, it will be more expensive – however – the excursions offered tend to be “the good ones” and they will guarantee that you will not miss the boat. You are free to go ashore on your own, to just walk around, or book your own tours. There will be plenty of stores and tour companies crowded around the docks offering many of the same types of tours offered through the cruise ship. On board tour prices range anywhere from $30/person for a 2 hour walking guided tour of the city, to $3000 for your own float plane or helicopter to go wildlife spotting, or fishing. Many tour places are on the internet, so if you know the cruise’s itinerary, you can search for tours in those places and see if you can find something cheaper. Just remember, you’ll be responsible for making it back to the boat on time!
We stopped at 4 ports (Victoria Canada, Juneau, Haines, and Ketchikan) and did a total of 6 tours spending about $600/person, including tips. We mainly did the general city tours, but we also went ziplining and got to visit some Alaskan sled dogs which were among the more expensive tours we booked.
Don’t forget about shopping. We always buy souvenirs for friends and family for Christmas.
That $4200 figure includes all our shopping – including a number of the photographs they take of you during the cruise as gifts for family, as well as the souvenir DVDs. We spent about $300 on these things alone, and we spent another $300 (easy) on other stuff (shirts, mugs, a small cute plushie moose…)
We probably spent a bit more than average on shopping due to the photographs, but then again, we don’t drink alcohol at all, so that few extra hundred could have easily been spent at the bar (4 beers or glasses of wine a day, over 10 days would easily be $300 – even with special ship discount packages!)
Amway – Alaskan Cruise 2007
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