Where can I find the best deal on a cruise to Alaska?
My wife and I thinking of going on a cruise in August 2009 to Alaska. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.
First you should know that all of the cruise lines give the best price for early bookings that are a year or more in advance. The Alaska cruise season is mid-May through mid-September and the prices are lower for the first couple cruises and the last couple each season. So its good that you are starting your cruise search process now.
Cruise lines also list specials on their web sites so do look for those. The specials can many times save you a couple hundred per person over the price for the exact same cruise on a different date. Some cruise lines have their cruises for 2009 listed already.
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/search/vacationSearchResult.do;jsessionid=0000hJd8gj_JBcG3YwWrnWH1V8Z:12h3g0fq2?qvsHome=yes&cS=QVS&date=20092&dest=ALCAN&port=ANY&ship=ANY&cruiseTourOnly=false&x=72&y=6
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/search/vacationSearchResult.do;jsessionid=0000hJd8gj_JBcG3YwWrnWH1V8Z:12h3g0fq2?promoType=&cruiseTourOnly=false&dest=ALCAN&duration=ANY&date=20093&port=ANY&ship=ANY&selectedCurrencyCode=USD&price=ANY&state=&x=75&y=6
Second you should know that all cruise cabins are sold based on double occupancy and the prices listed will be per person and based on at least two people going on the cruise. The price you pay will depend mostly on the type accommodations that you choose. There are 4 basic types of cabins on ships;
- inside (no window),
- outside (a window or porthole),
- balcony/veranda, and
- suites.
Royal Caribbean has some inside cabins on its Freedom and Voyager Class of ships that have a window overlooking an inside promenade mall.
The “FROM” prices you see will always be for an inside cabin. There are also some subcategories within each category with cabins on a higher deck, and/or a better location on ship (like midship), and/or that are slightly larger costing more. So as you browse, pay attention to the square footage of the cabins. You may not want to pay more for the same sized cabin on a higher floor; or vice versa do pay less for the same cabin on a lower deck.
You can reserve a cruise (1) on line,
-(2) by calling the cruise line cruise consultant, or
-(3) through a travel agent.
All that is required is paying the minimum deposit which will be between $250 and $350 per person for a 7 day cruise, depending upon the cruise line. The minimum will be more for a longer cruise, for example $450 per person for a 14 day cruise. The balance will be due approximately 60 to 75 days before the cruise departure date. But you can make periodic payment on line or with the cruise line. I have reserved on line and made payments many times.
I have listed below the web sites for the medium priced cruise lines which operate from US ports. The lines that I have listed below will have cruises starting in the range of $800 to $1,200 per person for a 7 day cruise, again depending upon the date and type cabin you select.
HOLLAND AMERICA
http://www.hollandamerica.com/
CELEBRITY:
http://www.celebritycruises.com/home .
ROYAL CARIBBEAN:
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/gohome.d…..
NORWEGIAN:
http://www.ncl.com/
PRINCESS:
http://www.princess.com/index.html
CARNIVAL:
http://www.carnivalcruiselines.com/
When you are selecting a cruise to Alaska there are also a lot of options for slightly different itineraries. Some Alaska cruises start in Alaska, (Anchorage, Seward, or Fairbanks) and others start in Seattle or Vancouver. Cruises of the “inside passage” are generally 7 days but you can also do what is called a cruise-tour which may be 10, 12 to 14 days and involves touring by train and/or bus either before or after the ocean voyage. So you have to look very carefully at your options for an Alaska cruise. You should not just say to an agent I want an Alaska cruise. Pick one or more of the cruise lines I listed above and search for Alaska cruises and look at all of the options available to help you decide.
The best Alaska cruise experience is the Cruise-tour. Four cruise lines do the cruise tours that use the train for the land tour, Princess, Holland America, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean. All four are good cruise lines. We did out cruise tour on Princess about 5 years ago and when we got off the ship in Seward we took a bus up to Anchorage and spent the night after a tour of the Alaska Native American Heritage Center; its kinda like an outdoor museum. Then the next morning we boarded the train. Princess and Royal Caribbean have a couple of special domed coaches attached to the train for their land tour guests. Once you board the train there are several options for additional stops and tours. Some people got off at Telkeetna and spend a day or so, we got off at Denali National Park and spend the night there. Others did not get off the train but went straight to Fairbanks. Getting off at Denali is your best option for seeing wildlife. We saw, eagle, moose, caribou, wolf, but no bear. If you want to see bears you need to spend at least two nights at Denali and arrange to ride the National Park Service buses deep into the part. When you stay at Denali one night there is not enough time to do the NPS bus tour because of the time of day that the train arrives and leaves from there.
The scenery from the train was fabulous and they served meals which were included in the price that were comparable with the food on the ship. The train ride is worth the price.
If you want to do the cruise tour you can actually do the land tour part first by train and then do the cruise back to Seattle or Vancouver. If you really want to spend some time in Denali, fly to Fairbanks a couple days early and arrange to drive down to Denali, its about an hour or so south of Fairbanks, and do your own touring in the park. Then catch the train and do not even stop at Denali, just go straight to Anchorage, stay a night and then got to the ship.
Part 3 of the Best Alaska Cruise Video on Carnival Cruise Ship Spirit with Jay “The Funologist”
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