The Juneau Empire reports that while the capacity cuts planned in the Alaskan cruise market this summer are not great news for the cruise lines, for the rest of us there should be some pretty good Alaska cruise deals popping up for the 2009 season.
In addition to Royal Caribbean pulling its 2,100-passenger Serenade of the Seas after the 2009 season, small ship Alaska cruise stalwart Cruise West said it’s dropping three of its eight ships, a reduction in capacity of 40%.
Bookings are down considerably from last year. In response, cruise lines are removing ships and dropping prices aggressively on the ones that are remaining. Fares are down to about half of 2008 levels.
Those good deals might not last, though, as the huge discounts have resulted in a lot more bookings. If you’re considering an Alaskan cruise in 2009, it might be a good idea to book soon to take advantage of the low prices.
Source: Juneau Empire

