For a first-time cruiser, the number of options when it comes to choosing your Alaska cruise ship can be seem pretty overwhelming.  Sure, once you’ve been on a few cruises, you get a feel for which lines and ship sizes you like, but what about someone planning their very first Alaska cruise vacation?  An article from The Miami Herald offers a fairly good overview of what your main options and trade offs will be.  It’s not going to answer all of your questions, but it’s not a bad read if you want to get your feet wet before you start doing more research.

If you think you might like a larger cruise ship, they point out that you’ll have pretty much every conceivable need addressed.  Cabin choices?  Food choices?  Entertainment choices?  The big ships have an incredible number of options, and you’d be hard pressed not to find something you like.  The downside, of course, is that they are huge, and anyone looking for an intimate or “off the beaten track” adventure is going to be sorely disappointed.

The other main option is the small ships, usually defined as anything floating with a capacity of less than 150 passengers, although there’s no hard and fast rule.  Small is the operative word, as the cabins, common areas and entertainment choices are not huge.  The plus is that these small Alaska cruise ships can get in much closer to the glaciers and wildlife.  They tend to attractive a more nature-focused crowd, as you can be sure there aren’t any casinos or climbing walls onboard.

The last option, for anyone on a tight budget or timetable, is take one of the ferries available.  If your idea of a great trip is to roll your sleeping bag out on the deck and dine at a snack bar or from the microwave, these can be a lot of fun.  Just don’t expect a turn down service or a mint on your pillow!

Source: The Miami Herald

I sift through an enormous number of blog posts every day in order to find the best Alaska cruise deals.  There are always a few that I find every week that are particularly good, and I always make it a point to share them.

Celebrity Cruise Lines Offers 40% Off Plus Plus Plus

Discount Princess Alaska Cruises · Request A Discount Cruise Quote · Become a Home Based Cruise Agent · Discount Royal Caribbean Alaska Cruises. Popular. Norwegian Cruise Lines Freestyle Resolution Event · Cunard On Board Credit Special …

Walt at Random » Blog Archive » Alaska continued

Typical Crystal, by and large: Affluent, well-educated, interesting, with relatively few yahoos and just enough smokers to annoy the breathers (not in dining rooms or the showroom, certainly, but elsewhere). …

Alaska’s 37th Iditarod Begins « Sunstone Tours & Cruises Blog

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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

Norwegian Cruise Line continues to put forward a number of great fares on Alaska cruises this summer.

While its common knowledge that its seven-day itineraries out of either Seattle or Vancouver can be booked for as little as $499 per person with an advance purchase, I was interested to learn that up to two additional passengers can share the same cabin for only $99 per person each.  For a family of four that don’t mind bunking in somewhat close quarters, that puts the price at under $300 per person!

If anyone has found a better Alaska cruise deal on a seven-day itinerary this summer, I would love to hear about it.

Source: The Examiner

I spend a lot of time searching all over the internet to try to find the best Alaska cruise deals to make sure you have the best, most up-to-date information available when planning your Alaska cruise vacation.  From time to time, I bump into some good blog posts that aren’t exactly talking about Alaska cruise deals, but are still a good read.  I like to pass on some of the blog posts I’ve run across lately that I thought you might enjoy.

Small Cruise Ships: No Ties, No Bingo!

Founder Chuck West began offering Alaska cruises in 1946 and the company has grown steadily ever since. While best known for its Alaska itineraries, today Cruise West also offers small ship cruises in the California wine country, Japan, …

want discount pricing when you book a cruise?

after my dinner boat cruise last weekend i think i can honestly say that i might actually take a holiday cruise one day. you see, even though i’ve been around and even on water a good portion of my life it’s always been on smaller …

the cruise

i’ve always wanted to go on a cruise. i’ve heard so many great things about alaska cruises, from snow-capped mountains to ice blue glaciers to sightings of whales and penguins. i think this is something the husband and i will enjoy. …

If you know of any other blog posts talking about Alaska cruises, be sure to let me know!