Thread: How to find the best deal for an Alaskan Cruise?

I am looking to take my family (wife + 2 small kids) and my grand parents on an alaskan cruise. I am thinking it would be a shorter one like 7 or maybe 10 days. I have no idea which line is best for this, where they would depart from, or how to find the best deal. Please help your captain...

Well Lee ... the answer is obvious. RCI! In August of 2007!

Lee,

90% of the cruises to Alaska are 7 day cruises. There are sometimes 10 days and 12 days, but those generally depart from San Francisco (on Princess) and make their way up to Alaska.

Generally speaking an Alaskan cruise can depart from 3 different locations, Vancouver, Seattle or Seward. Seward is only if you're taking a one way cruise (ie, departing Seward and ending in Vancouver/Seattle or departing Vancouver/Seattle and ending in Seward). The only reason to take a one way would be if you plan to do land tour at the beginning or end of your trip in Seward to explore Alaska's interior. If you aren't planning on doing that and don't have the time or the budget, then stick with a 7 day roundtrip out of Vancouver or Seattle.

Every cruise line has Vancouver and Seattle roundtrip departures. Generally, my advice is to leave out of Vancouver. You can always take a day trip down to Seattle during a pre-cruise stay if you really want to see it. Or if you think its cheaper, you can fly into Seattle and take a shuttle, rent a car, or take the train up to Vancouver to depart for your cruise. The point in going to Alaska is to maximize your time in Alaska, and you only do that on a Vancouver departing cruise.
As for what line, its hard to say. It depends on your likes and dislikes. With a family that ranges from small kids to grandparents, I would probably say, look into RCI or Princess. Princess and HAL have the longest history in Alaska and generally do the best job. They are also the only cruise lines with permits to Glacier Bay National Park.

Also, if you are looking for the best deals, go early or go late. Basically the beginning of the season starts at the end of May and you can get some great deals. Or you can go at the beginning of September for the end of the season and get great deals as well. The only problem is that sometimes the weather, ice conditions and wildlife just aren't as abundant or great during that time, so you run that risk of not seeing the glaciers very well due to ice conditions and not seeing wildlife because its too late or too early in the season.

I could go on and on, but don't want to bore you. If you have more specific questions, just ask and I'll be happy to help you out!

Where to find the best deals then?

Must I do everything?

Here

Also it seems you are recommending HAL or Princess for an Alaskan cruise JST, so which ship would be best and which of these 2 would you choose?

I am now going to get very serious as we would like to cruise as early as the first week of May 2006. I am reay to find the best deal and need all the help / recommendations I can get. Please give feedback...

Wow May 2006! In a few short weeks!!! WOWWW!!

Ok, I'm not necessarily recommending or not recommending HAL or Princess. I would have to say if those two are the lines you are looking at, I would say HAL because I've done Alaska with them 2x. I had a disastourous trip with Princess to Alaska (fire on board, cruise cancelled) and since then I haven't been back with them.

However, HAL and Princess have the longest history in Alaska, and are the ships that have access to Glacier Bay National Park which I think is spectacular.

I am assuming you are going to want to take your kids? If that is the case, then I think you might want to consider RCI instead. Better for young young kids. They will be more likely to find other children their age. Although if you are going in May, then you've got to expect that there won't be too many kids at that time.

Also, I am not sure if there are sailings yet first week of May. I think Alaska cruise season doesn't start until Mid to late May

I will be taking my kids (ages 4 and 5), my wife, and my grandparents.

It may be mid to late May as well. So out of HAL, Princess, and RCI, what do you recommend for the 6 of us?

Also, how to go about finding the best deals?

Princess has alot of stuff for kids to do on a ship!