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Planning an Alaska Cruise

Updated for 2021
  1. Best Time to go:
    • From the weather perspective, the best times to go are from June through August;
    • Best deals are usually available for cruising in May & September
  2. Best Cruise line:
    • Princess has invested heavily in Alaska cruises & has good support for logistics at the ports.
    • We went by Royal Caribbean to Alaska & it was good. Our parents were travelling with us -- so we had requested for Indian food for dinner every day & they accommodated this request.
    • We have cruised on NCL in other places - they have fewer rules & policies (e.g.: dinner time, where to get seated for dinner, choice of restaurants, etc.)
    • Disney offers good cruises for kids.
    • Check out CruiseCritic for lots of reviews & info.
  3. Best Deals:
    • Monitor prices on VacationsToGo -- they specialize in last minute (90 days) deals.
    • OR request quotes on CruiseCompete ;
    • You can eventually buy through any online agency like Expedia or Orbitz.
    • Once we bought through CruiseCompete & later cruises through Travelocity
  4. Best places to visit: 
    • Depends on what ports the ship takes you to. Again, CruiseCritic is loaded with info on the various ports-of-call. 
    • Booking local tours after you land at the port tends to be cheaper (vs booking through the cruise line)
  5. Choosing an Itinerary
    • Consider an one-way cruise from/to Vancouver, BC. One way Alaska-cruises from Vancouver take you further into Alaska & offer better prices & choices of itineraries. That said, you can't beat the convenience of cruising round-trip directly from Seattle (or Vancouver).
    • Get an itinerary that includes cruising around a Glacier.
  6. Choosing the ship
    1. Check out review of the specific ship on CruiseCritic - when was it built? when was it last renovated? etc. If possible - avoid an older ship that's not renovated in the last 5 years.
  7. Choosing a cabin
    • IMHO, outside/ocean-view cabins are not worth the extra price. Either go for an inside or a balcony cabin.
    • Try to get a cabin mid-ship - helps minimize sea-sickness, if you are prone to it.
    • When choosing a cabin, ensure that there are no noisy areas (restaurants/dance-floors/elevators) above/below/nearby.
  8. Other notes:
    • Cruising is a nice experience --- plan on spending some time to enjoy the ship, food & the on-board activities.
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Anonymous said…
Thanks! This is useful
February 11, 2010 10:47 PM
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