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.