Where Do Alaska Cruises Depart From
Roundtrip Alaska sailings typically depart from Seattle or Vancouver, but also California cities like San Francisco. These sailings typically follow an Inside Passage itinerary.
Cruises also regularly depart from either Seward or Whittier, both Alaska ports accessible a short drive from Anchorage. These one-way sailings usually follow the Gulf of Alaska, also known as a cross-gulf cruise. These cruises might call on some Inside Passage stops, but also ports farther north.
Most cruisetours will begin or end in Anchorage, where the primary and central airport is.
How Long Is An Alaskan Cruise
Too short! Make sure to plan extra time for traveling to and from the ship and any extra activities you plan on doing on land.
Most cruises last 1-2 weeks. If you live in a port town and want to get away for a few days look into a 4-day cruise.
Longer cruises can last a month or more, making them best for retirees with plenty of spending money for food and drinks while at sea.
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Temperature & Daylight Hours
For the warmest temperatures, cruise between mid-June and mid-August.
For the most Midnight Sun, come 3 weeks before or after the summer solstice and longest day of the year, June 21.
Want to see the northern lights? Thats a long shot during cruising season. It does get dark enough at night to see them by the second week of September, but it’s still not as brilliant as what youll see on a winter, land-based Alaska aurora viewing vacation.
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What Is The Cheapest Month To Cruise To Alaska
4.8/5Alaska cruisepricesAlaska cruisesAlaska cruisetime of yearin-depth answer
Late Summer While cruise lines don’t offer discount pricing during this time, prices tend to be lower than in June and July, making it more affordable to take an Alaskan cruise. You can still experience much of what June and July have to offer, plus a few unique experiences like the great salmon spawn.
One may also ask, what is the cheapest month to take a cruise? The cheapest times to cruise are typically in the late summer and fall because of hurricane season, but you can often find patches of bargain sailings, especially during the early weeks of December and in the spring.
Beside this, which cruise line is cheapest to Alaska?
Alaskan cruise lines ranked by price
- 1- Norwegian Cruises 7 nights from: $699.
- 2- Carnival Cruise Lines. 7 nights from: $869.
- 3- Holland America Line. 7 nights from: $949.
- 4- Royal Caribbean. 7 nights from: $958.
- 5- Princess Cruises. 7 nights from: $969.
- 6- Celebrity Cruises. 7 nights from: $1,209.
- 7- Oceania.
How much should an Alaskan cruise cost?
A 7-night Alaska Cruise can cost anywhere from $500 per person to $5000+ per person, depending on the type of cruise ship and your choice of stateroom. Alaska land tours with 3-star hotels, train travel, and popular day tours generally cost around $300 per person per day, based on double occupancy.
What Are Popular Activities In Alaska
The variety of shoreside tours in Alaska is second to none. Whether you take a helicopter tour to a dogsledding camp, learn about indigenous cultures or go salmon fishing like the local bears, excursions in Alaska are an unforgettable experience.
Active types will thrive with plenty of opportunities to hop in a kayak, hike and even ice climb. Passive activities can be just as thrilling, like the White Pass Summit scenic rail of Skagway or a whale-watching boat tour in Juneau. Alaska caters to all ages and activity levels meaning you don’t have to break a sweat to see some truly awesome sights here, and to learn about their history in the process.
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How To Find The Cheapest Alaskan Cruise Deals
Sail Early in the SeasonThe Alaskan cruising season is short usually only five months long. Running from May through September, your opportunities to sail are limited, although there are a number of ships sailing at any given time.
If you want to save the most, look for cruises that sail in May. These trips early in the season are before the busier summer travel season. That means the pool of available passengers is smaller. In order to fill the ships, cruise lines slash prices. A cruise departing in May can be hundreds of dollars less than the same trip leaving in July.
Sail Late in the SeasonDidnt we just say to sail early in the season to save? Well, the same logic applies to sailing late. If you can wait until September, cruise fares to Alaska are much cheaper. With school back in session, the summer season largely over, and the bulk of the sailing season already past, you can find deals that are hundreds of dollars less than sailing just a few weeks earlier.
Sail One-Way or from Different PortsMost cruises sail round-trip, departing ports like Vancouver or Seattle. But if you look around, you can find one-way trips or that that depart from one port and let passengers off in another . Since these cruises are less convenient for most passengers, they tend to be cheaper.
Sites like AvoyaTravel.com or Orbitz allow you to search by cruise lines, destination, dates, and more to find the trip that matches your schedule and budget.
Cheap 2022 Alaskan Cruises
During the past few years, interest in sailing to Alaska has soared. Its not hard to see why.
Alaska is known at the last frontier, and like any frontier, it can be difficult to traverse. With a limited amount of roads and other transportation, the easiest way to get around the picturesque coastline is via boat or plane. Luckily, thats also the best way to view the natural scenery.
And as word spreads about the beauty of taking an Alaskan cruise and as the cruise industry grows in general more and more people are considering taking a trip.
The good news is that with increased interest in cruises to the region, cruise lines are sailing more ships to Alaska. Today, there is a staggering amount of Alaskan cruises to choose from across every budget, cruise line, and itinerary.
If youre looking for cheap Alaskan cruises, however, then you need to be prepared to shop around. Trips to this area are seasonal sailing from May through September. Since there is only a limited window of time to cruise, prices are considerably higher than similar Caribbean cruises you might be familiar with. As well, prices change frequently.
Below, we highlight some of the cheapest 2022 Alaskan cruises. The prices for these trips start at just $339 per person. But before we get too far, here are some tips on how to find the most affordable trips to this region
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Which Is The Best Alaskan Cruise
A cruise can be the time of your life or a total nightmare. So how can you be sure youll have wonderful memories to share when you get back, and not a week of terrible food and a dirty pool?
Start by asking yourself what you really want out of your vacation. Do you want a calm, luxurious experience or an exciting party boat with something going on at all hours?
These tools will help you narrow down what youre looking for in a cruise:
Alaska Cruise Travel Faqs
Do I need a visa to travel to Alaska?Is tipping customary in Alaska?What is the internet access like in Alaska?Can I use my cell phone while in Alaska?Do I need a power adapter/ converter?Can I drink the water in Alaska?What is the most common way of paying for things in Alaska?Should I purchase travel insurance for my trip?Once You’re Booked
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Alaska Day Tours & Activities
Unlike resort or city vacations where your hotel choice can define your experience, a visit to Alaska really succeeds based on the side adventures you take into mountains, down wild rivers and out to sea. As a result, you will want to reserve a higher percentage of your travel budget for day tours in Alaska than you would for destinations in other states.
Day tour costs range from as little as $80 for a 2-hour raft trip to $650 for an all-day, fly-out bear-viewing safari. Is it really worth it? We think so.
If you can afford it, we don’t think you’ll regret any of the recommendations on alaska.org. And, if your budget is limited, review our cost-cutting strategies and ways to effectively discount your Alaska vacation.
How Much To Budget For An Alaskan Cruise
A typical Alaska Cruise can cost between $600 and $5,000 per person, depending on the length of your cruise, the type of cruise you choose, and your room choice. We recommend budgeting an additional $1,000 to $1,500 per person for shore excursions to get the most out of your Alaskan cruise. Youll also want to consider airfare, transportation, and lodging before and after your cruise in your budget.
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How To Save $1500 On Your Alaska Vacation
Take a few of the higher-value day tours listed above, then rent a car and create your own adventures. It’s easy to do in Alaska: the most famous Alaskan adventures ever done were on a shoestring budget.
Food on the road: If youre motoring to a new destination across Alaskas big distances, lunch or dinner time could easily pass without a single restaurant on the horizon. You can solve this problem with the same common sense approach youd take at home. Buy an inexpensive cooler or bring a packable cooler, and load it up with snacks, lunch food and beverages when you pass through a town with a grocery store. Its what Alaska residents do! And even if you have access to restaurants, consider picnicking at least one meal per day to shave expenses.
Lodging: Save $50 $100 per night by staying at less expensive hotels or B& B’s.
Tent camping: Alaska has scores of campgrounds on the road system, and its easy to find space during weekdays. Travel with a tent, sleeping bag and pad, a propane camp stove and cook kit, plus a cooler storing foodand you could cut hundreds of dollars off your daily costs. Even a few nights out in good weather will shave expensesand maybe pay for a high-value side trip. Just dont forget bug dope and mosquito coils!
Alaska Transportation: Save $100+ by using an Alaska car rental rather than riding buses and the Alaska Railroad, especially if youre a party of two or more.
Are There Any Cruises To Alaska In 2020
It has now canceled all 2020 Alaska voyages. Earlier in April, Carnival Cruise Line also canceled voyages to Alaska aboard Carnival Miracle. And on May 4, Carnival confirmed that all sailings would be canceled on sister ship Carnival Spirit, meaning Carnival has canceled its entire 2020 Alaska season.
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Find Alaska Cruise Deals Now
You can see the port from your balcony. Has it really been 2 weeks already? Between the chef-prepared meals, endless entertainment, and sliding down a pitch black water slide the time flew by.
But theres no denying you had the time of your life. The shows, food, and excursions were all well worth the time and money.
Youve spent months, maybe even years saving for this trip. But that doesnt mean you have to blow the whole budget by paying the sticker price.
You can put the money well save you towards extra activities and dining. So why spend more than you have to? Head to our deals page now and find Alaska cruise deals now!
Why Cruise To Alaska
The staggering natural beauty of Alaska is impossible to ignore. Its hard to believe so many unique cruise ports are contained in a single state, but a voyage to Alaska by ship unfolds rugged mountainscapes peppered with wildlife and tiny, eclectic towns founded by gold prospectors.
Alaska cruises blend a mix of port calls with spectacular scenic sailing through Glacier Bay National Park or through other routes that also hold calving glaciers and potential whale sightings. The experience of watching the scenery from your cruise ship is just as rich as the stops it makes along the way.
In fact, many sites in Alaska including its capital, Juneau are only accessible by air or sea, making a cruise one of the best ways to explore the Last Frontier.
To make sure visitors by cruise ship don’t miss the sprawling interior of the state, nearly every cruise line offers a variety of tours that can be added before or after your cruise. The most popular extensions include a visit to Denali National Park & Preserve.
On some Alaska itineraries, American citizens might not even need a passport .
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Royal Caribbean For Active Guests
Royal Caribbean offers seven-night cruises on the Radiance of the Seas and the Rhapsody of the Seas ships. The mid-range yet still affordable cruise lines cater to passengers interested in a wide variety of activities and programs onboard. Both ships feature outdoor and indoor pools, fitness rooms, theaters, spas, themed bars and casinos and an eclectic mix of dining options from formal dining to casual buffets. Families with children can take advantage of the Adventure Ocean youth facilities where young passengers socialize, play games and participate in programs under a supervised staff. The Radiance, geared towards families and active passengers, features rock-climbing, golf simulator and basketball and volleyball courts. Royal Caribbean offers discounts to retired members of the U.S. or Canadian army and U.S. or Canadian law enforcement, fire department or EMT and guests over the age of 55.
Royal Caribbean International
royalcaribbean.com
What Is The Average Cost Of An Alaskan Cruise
Alaskan cruises can start as low as $430 per person on up to $6,000 or more depending on the cruise line, time of year, and room.
This doesnt include the cost of hotels while traveling to and from the ship. If youre leaving from Seattle, one of the most popular starting ports, the average price for a hotel room in the city is between $179-$261 per night depending on the time of year. And a hotel in Anchorage will run you about the same.
If you have a one-way cruise ticket and plan on heading back via flight from Alaska, you can expect to spend at least $470 on a plane ticket back to the west coast. East coast travelers should expect to spend at least $600 on their ticket home.
Are you planning extra excursions while the boat is docked? Is it an all-inclusive plan or will you need to remember to bring your wallet to the bar with you?
These are the questions you need to ask on top of all the given costs like hotels and airfare.
So lets talk budget first. If the price is your main concern, dont worry. You can still land a spot on an awesome cruise.
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Take Advantage Of Alcohol And Dining Packages
We all know drinks at the bar can add up fast. So can eating out for every meal. Thats why major cruise lines offer alcohol and dining packages that cover most, if not all restaurants and bars on board.
We took a look at three popular cruise lines meal and alcohol packages:
Most Expensive: Norwegian Cruise Line $89 for three meals, $100/day unlimited alcoholLeast Expensive: Holland America $50 for three meals, no unlimited packageMid-Range: Royal Caribbean $75 for three meals, $55/day unlimited alcohol
Holland America is the only cruise line that doesnt provide an unlimited alcohol option, but they still give you a chance to save money. Their fountain drink card is only $25 for $50 worth of beverages.
You can always splurge on for-fee restaurants on the ship and there will be plenty of food and alcohol to choose from on port days as well.
Does Your Fantasy Cruise Line Offer a Payment Option?
Cruise lines know theyre a luxury buy for most customers. Its why most of them offer payment plans to make it even easier for you to book your room.
Most of these plans will require a deposit of a few hundred dollars to reserve your spot while you continue to pay for your ticket.
For reference, Royal Caribbeans Uplift program requires a $500 deposit for cruises lasting 6-9 nights. You can make payments on your own schedule as long as the bill is paid off in total no less than 75 days before departure.
Save Pocket Money Effortlessly
Still need to save a little more cash before splurging on a cruise? No problem. Digit is an app you can install right on your phone and start saving money without having to think about it. How?
Their software analyzes your spending habits and only stashes money away when you can afford to. But why use an app like digit instead of just putting the money in a separate account?
Digit doesnt have any minimums or maximums when it comes to your savings. If you had a few rainy days this month and dont have anything left for your cruise fund Digit wont take anything out.
Its an easy way to save a little extra spending money for port days and excursions.
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What Is An Alaska Inside Passage Cruise
An Alaska Inside Passage cruise is a popular route that sticks to the southeastern Alaskan panhandle area. The Inside Passage is a network of waterways that connect Puget Sound in Washington, the Pacific coast of British Columbia, and the waters of the Alaska panhandle. It provides views of the Tongass National Forest, many islands, and plenty of mining towns used by prospectors in the Klondike Gold Rush.