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

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has handed out ten notices of violation to eight separate cruise ships.  The Alaska cruise lines cited were Celebrity, International Shipping Partners, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America and Royal Caribbean.

To put things in perspective, out of 224 readings taken, only ten showed results that were in violation.  Still, only two citations were handed out last year.  The trend is definitely not in the right direction, and hopefully the Alaska cruise lines will take action to reverse them.

How are ships selected to be evaluated?  The DEC uses a random process to select them, but guests can also complain about a specific ship.  With enough effort and oversight, the Alaska cruise lines should be able to completely remove any violations under the air quality standards.

Source: Fairbanks Daily News

Reaching down under for an update, The Age of Australia reports on plummeting demand in the number of Australians booking Alaska cruises.  The numbers aren’t pretty!

According to their reporting, only 10,000 Australians may cruise the Inside Passage in 2009, a startling decrease of 50% from 2007.

Cruise Express, an Australia travel agency specializing in Alaska cruises, states that while it took more than 60 customers to Alaska in 2008, it has canceled its 2009 trip due to lack of interest.

What’s causing this huge crash in demand?

In addition to the economic problems the whole world is experiencing, the Australian dollar has also been heavily hit, which means tours for Australians priced in US dollars are much more expensive.  Another likely cause is that the older guests that more typically book an Alaskan cruise have been more heavily affected by the stock market’s impact on their retirement savings.

It’s not good news for the Alaska cruise lines, who are already struggling to fill their ships for the summer season.

Source: The Age

The good folks at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution report on a bit of bright light for the Alaska cruise industry.  Apparently the aggressive deals and discounts they have been offering have resulted in a huge rush of customers.

Princess Cruises set new records for daily booking by recording an increase in volume of 17 percent over its previous best day. Their Alaska cruise specials have been some of the most aggressive, and I’m sure they are grateful for the response.

A welcome development is that the fuel supplement charges of last year have been eliminated across the board.  The lower price of oil has lowered the costs for the cruise lines, and they’re happily passing their savings on to their guests.

Going against the grain, Royal Caribbean has many of its passengers up in arms over a recently announced $3.95 fee for late night room service orders.  It will be interesting to see if they make the fee stick, or are forced to roll it back.

Anyone looking for an excellent Alaska cruise deal should find a lot of great options this season.

Source:  The Altanta Journal-Constitution

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.

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