Alaska is by far one of the most pristine places on the planet. It is home to more than 100,000 gleaming glaciers, 16 of the country’s 20 tallest mountains, and wildlife beyond your wildest dreams. One of the best ways to explore Alaska is on any number of Alaskan cruises. Even better is scoring cheap Alaskan cruises that will keep more money in your pocket for excursions filled with adventure and plenty of visual stimulation.
About Alaskan Cruises and Scoring the Best Deals
Believe it or not, you don’t need a dumpy down coat and oversized boots to experience Alaska. The weather can be absolutely wonderful during certain times of the year, so the only things you’ll need are a few cotton layers, binoculars, a camera, and some sunscreen and you’re ready to explore! So, you’re probably thinking an Alaskan cruise sounds expensive and there’s no way you can afford it. Not so. While some Alaskan cruises can be pricey depending on the cruise line and the type of cruise (luxury, small-ship, mega-liner), there are a few tricks and tips to help you score cheap Alaskan cruises without missing out on a thing.
Before you start searching for cheap cruises to Alaska, it’s important to know a little bit about the basics of an Alaskan cruise including popular types of Alaska cruises, ports of call, busiest seasons, and length of cruises. Three of the most popular types of Alaska cruises are: Alaska Inside Passage Cruises (roundtrip), Alaska Glacier Cruises (Gulf of Alaska) and Alaska Cruise and Land.
Inside Passage cruises typically begin and end at the same port of call, they are usually seven nights and they set sail from and return to Seattle or Vancouver. Inside Passage cruises are popular for cruisers on a budget or cruisers that are short time.
Alaska Glacier Cruises are one-way cruises sailing North from Vancouver or South from Anchorage. An advantage to this type of cruise is passengers will see more glaciers, mountains, wildlife and scenery in seven nights than on typical Alaska Inside Passage Cruise.
An Alaska Cruise and Land tour combines an Alaska cruise with an Alaska land tour. These types of tours allow the passenger to explore the coastline and interior regions of Alaska, including Denali National Park.
Cruises range may range from seven to 23 nights depending on the itinerary. Ports of call include: Anchorage, College Fjord, Glacier Bay, Haines, Hubbard Glacier, Icy Straight Point, Inside Passage, Juneau, Ketchikan, Misty Fjord, Nome, Prince Rupert, San Francisco, Seattle, Seward, Sitka, Skagway, Tracy Arm, Valdez, Vancouver, Victoria and Whittier. In many cases, shorter cruises such as 7-night cruises offer the hottest deals. Some may start as low as $499.
While a few of the smaller ships begin their Alaska cruise season around April, the Alaska cruise season runs May-September. Because the sun doesn’t set in the summertime and temperatures are mild, June, July, and August are the most popular (and most expensive) months to take an Alaska cruise Thanks to thinner crowds and super low fares, May and September are quickly becoming popular months to book. The weather can be tricky during the month of May as it is Alaska’s “transitional period” weather wise. Temperatures dip fairly rapidly during the month of September, so keep an eye on the weather forecast before you go so you’ll know exactly what to pack.
Base prices for most Alaska cruises will include: accommodations, onboard entertainment, activities, meals and standard facilities. Expect to pay for alcohol, gambling, tips and extras such as spa treatments as well as port fees and taxes. Unless you book an “air and sea” package, you will also pay for airfare from your town/city to the port of embarkation, which is typically Anchorage or Vancouver. If you want to save money, best bet is to book online. Most cruise lines offer amazing Internet deals and discounts as well as specials for purchasing excursions in advance, online. Here’s a final tip: book at the very last minute and you are guaranteed to score a cheap cruise to Alaska!
You can search through cheap Alaskan cruises by visiting the following popular discount booking search engines:
Kayak.com
Expedia.com
Orbitz.com
Travelocity.com
CheapTickets.com
VacationsToGo.com
Cruise411.com
Cruise.com
To find out more about discount cruises, including cheap Alaskan cruises visit any number of cruise review websites to read reviews from real passengers, with real experiences. While there are many cruise review websites to choose from, some of the most popular (and reliable) cruise review websites include:
Cruisecritic.com
Cruisereviewsonline.com
Cruisereport.com
Cruisedirectonline.com
Cruisemates.com