My husband and I are looking to take an Alaskan Cruise July '09, when should we make our reservation?

Question

My husband and I are looking to take an Alaskan Cruise July '09, when should we make our reservation?

Answer 1

I would also recommend to do it now. The best choice of cabins and early booking fee's(cheaper) are into effect now. I would also recommend a cruise/tour. We did this with Princess. We flew into Fairbanks, stayed overnight, then got on a train to Denali. We stayed there 3 nights, went on great tours, and then got on another train to the port. Princess cruises owns its own lodges in several places in Alaska, so that made it extra nice. Everything is taken care of on cruise.tours like this and this is why an Alaskan cruise has been my favorite thus far(8cruises so far).

Answer 2

Alaskan cruises need to be booked well in advance.  I would recommend booking as soon as possible.  Many cruises and cruisetours sell out due to the short Alaska cruise season.

Andrew

www.travelsbyandrew.com

Answer 3

Make it now, before it's completely booked.

Answer 4

I would start checking cruise fares now ...get a few quotes.

Answer 5

Book your cruise for next year right now because all of the cruise lines have the best prices for early bookings that are a year or more in advance.   You also get the best choice of cabins when you book early.  The Alaska cruise season is very short, mid-may through mid-Sept so your options are limited.  If you are looking to get the best price then also consider going when prices are normally lower, May and Sept.  The first couple cruises at the beginning of the season and the last couple at the end are typically a little less.  That's because it is not quite as warm as mid-summer.  But the weather can be nice as it was for us when we went in mid-May a few years ago.  Temperatures were in the 65 to 75 range most days.  Ships doing Alaska all generally have a covered and enclosed pool and hot tub area, in addition to the outdoor one, so you can still enjoy those activities.

I have been to Alaska twice, once on business for 2 weeks with some weekend sightseeing and then on a cruise. In my opinion the best cruise for you  would be a cruise-tour. The cruise tour allows you to see more of Alaska by land (bus and/or train) either before or after the cruise. You get to select one or two stopovers in places like Denali National Park or Talkeetena.

Cruises of the inside passage are pretty much the same and usually all stop at the same port cities like Sitka, Skegway, Juneau. When the ships go to where you can see the glaciers the sights are also pretty much all the same. After a while all of the scenery looks about the same; all beautiful. But there is no one place that I would suggest (based on my land and sea tours) you gotta see this.

There are 4 cruise lines which offer this and all would be good. Princess Cruise line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Holland America all offer cruise-tours.  We did our cruise tour with Princess and it was very good. We did the cruise part first and then had a day and night in Anchorage, a great train ride from Anchorage to Denali National Park, and after a night at a lodge owned by Princess we took the train the next day to Fairbanks for a night there. My recommendation is to do the tour part first and do fly to the start point a day early so you don't get caught in a flight delay.

All four of the cruise lines that I have mentioned use the train for the land tour. But Royal Caribbean, Princess, and Celebrity have special domed train cars that provide great visibility. Not all tour segments are the same so you really have to pay attention to how the land tour is organized and whether it uses the train or buses.

Answer 6

A Great Choice Alaska. A Cruise there is AMAZING. If you have the time a Cruisetour is the best way to really see Alaska, Wildlife, National Parks etc........................................

I have gone over 20 times. The sooner the better. I know 100% with Princess (Princess.com or call 1-800-Princess) you have make your reservations now with a credit card and leave a deposit and pay the balance off 30 days before you sail.  What the others have said about early bookings will get you better deals and the chance for any free up grades.

Enjoy.