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Top Five Tips to Save on Alaska Cruises

The Seattle Times had a great piece this week on their top tips to make sure you save as much money as possible on your Alaska cruise.  Much of their advice is common sense, but it’s always good to keep in mind!

  1. Choose your cabin wisely.  It’s common knowledge that there is a huge swing in prices between cabin types.  Granted an inside cabin might not sound overly appealing, but as you’ll be spending so little time there, it’s often a great first spot to save a lot of money.
  2. Explore free activities.  The cruise lines offer an incredible number of free activities for their guests, and it’s good take advantage of everything that’s available.  After all, you’ve already paid for them!  Whether it’s the fitness center, a live show, a recent movie, or a relaxing dip in the pool, there are many options that don’t require any added expense.
  3. Be careful about the extras.  Every Alaska cruise line makes an enormous amount of its revenue from the additional activities they offer on board.  If you want to save money, be sure to steer clear of the spa, casino, and specialty restaurants.  Of course, you’re on vacation, so a little indulgence is certainly part of the fun, but this is one area where you can really blow your budget if you’re not careful.
  4. Budget wisely for kids. A great suggestion is to provide each of your children with a daily allowance that they can spend on whatever they want.  Doing so can help save the endless back and forth over spending money that every parent knows all too well.  Another great idea is to be sure to get the wristbands or cards that offer unlimited soda.
  5. Consider shore excursions carefully.  A final big area of additional expense on any Alaska cruise is the huge number of shore excursions that are available.  A good tip can be to book them independently, as the ones offered on board are marked up considerably.  Be careful to do your research, though, as you definitely want to make sure you work with a reputable company.

With these five tips in mind, anyone can be sure to get the best Alaska cruise deals!

Source: The Seattle Times

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