Geo Travel Blog

In the past, it was simple to book a cheap Alaska cruise. Now, such bargains are getting harder and harder to find, with demand for Alaska cruises going through the roof.

So can you really still save a bundle of money on your cruise? Is it still even a possibility to vacation in Alaska while sticking to a budget? The answer is a loud YES! You definitely can find great Alaska cruise deals these days — if you know when and where to look.

Many vacationers think that the best method to get low cost cruise fares to Alaska is to book at the very last minute. But while this method used to work reasonably well (and still works very well for Caribbean cruises, on account of the huge number of cruise ships in that area), it is no longer too effective for Alaska Inside Passage cruises.

Alaskan cruises frequently sell out well in advance for the months of July and August. Despite their higher cost, balcony rooms tend to be the first to sell out, especially on Holland America cruises. Therefore, if you have year heart set on taking a cruise in the middle of summer, the way to ensure that you get the lowest fare is to book many months in advance. (Alaska cruises can be booked up to 18 months ahead of their sale date.)

Naturally, if you are more flexible about your sail date and/or your room category, you increase your likelihood of finding some great Alaska cruise deals.

The best months for deals are May and September, the beginning and end of the Alaska cruise season. Of all the weeks in the Alaska cruise season, the lowest cost fares tend to be found in the very first week of May, when prices can be half of the peak mid-season fares.

Now you can also save money by instead reserving a cheaper cabin category. Inside rooms can be half to a third the price of some of the higher priced cabins on an Alaskan cruise. Inside rooms have no windows and can be a little smaller than ocean view rooms, but they can be a wonderful bargain, especially since many people spend so little times in their rooms anyway.

Of course, if you have a problem with tight spaces then you might not want to book an inside room. Nonetheless, you can still find a great Alaskan cruise deal on an outside room. Rooms located on the outside of a cruise ship can sometimes have partially or even fully obstructed views, usually due to poles or lifeboats which are in the way of the view.

These rooms with obstructed views are frequently far less than regular ocean view cabins. In reality, obstructed view rooms can be nearly as cheap as inside rooms, but they have windows that let in the sun.

In conclusion, yes, you definitely still can find great bargains on Alaskan cruises. Cruises are a great deal compared to other ways of visiting Alaska, and they are really the only way to see much of the remote but spectacular Alaskan coast.