The slow economy is continuing to take its toll on the Alaska cruise lines, but the good news is that they are really pulling out the stops to offer some incredible Alaska cruise deals.  I just stumbled across a particularly good Alaska cruise package offered by Holland America Line.  How does a seven-night trip between Vancouver and Seward for $349 strike you?  If you can travel in May, you should jump on this offer immediately as I can’t imagine this special discount will last very long.  Even if you can only travel in June, the price only goes up to $399 per person.

What’s the reason behind these fares, some of the lowest that have been seen in over 30 years?  Low bookings, plain and simple.  Even though other cruise markets such as the Caribbean are down just slightly, the Alaska cruise market has been down about 40 percent compared to the same period a year ago.  Just like an airplane, these cruise ships are committed to their departures and will do almost anything within reason to avoid leaving port with empty cabins.  Their misfortune is great news for anyone in the market for an Alaska cruise deal.

As always, if you run across any other Alaska cruise deals, please be sure to forward them to me!

Source: Mercury News

Holland America keeps up their reputation as an innovator in the Alaska cruise market by announcing their new “Take Your Time” promotion.  Their Alaska cruise deal offers one-way passage between their ports along the coast from Seattle to Alaska.  To give you an idea of how great these bargains are, you can travel between Whittier and Vancouver for as little as $440 per person.  That’s less than the fare for the same itinerary on Alaska Airlines, and on Holland America you get full room and board for a week!

Why such aggressive discounts?  According to the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, the cruise lines have continued to struggle to fill their ships this season.  One local operator shared that his bookings are down 30 percent.  Matters have been made worse as ten more ships will be plying the waters along the glaciers compared to last year.  The local communities are deeply concerned that the soft demand for Alaska cruises will mean fewer seasonal jobs that are so needed in this difficult economy.

While the cruise lines struggle, the silver lining is that Alaska cruise deals are alive and well.  If you ever wanted to visit Alaska, you’d be hard pressed to find a cheaper year to do so!

Source: Fort Mill Times

The Alaska cruise deals keep coming!  Just announced are two new promotions that should help you stretch your vacation dollars this season.

Carnival Cruise Lines, one of the major lines cruising Alaska, is offering 30% discounts on select departures.  These deals aren’t as compelling as some others I’ve seen lately, but if you have your heart set on the fun ship or are a younger traveler or traveling with kids, then you’ll want to check them out.  The catch is you have to book fairly far in advance–three to five months depending on the length of your trip.

Going a bit upmarket, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines is still offering some decent discounts to sell its Alaskan cruises.  Announced recently are $200 in onboard credits for all of their Alaska cruise tours.  If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know that onboard credits are a favorite strategy of the luxury lines.  By not discounting their prices, they can still maintain their premium brand, but still offer an incentive to get you off the fence and onto their ships.

I’ll be honest, the deals the past few days haven’t blown my socks off.  Knowing how the cruise market is right now, I’d be willing to bet that we’re going to see some additional promotions announced in the near future. Stay tuned, and keep coming back as I continue to search out the best deals and bargains in the Alaska cruise market!

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

As the average age of an Alaskan cruise passenger continues to trend younger, Alaska cruise lines such as Princess Cruises are visiting quieter ports, and adding more adventurous shore excursions.

Interested in ocean kayaking? On the Tahitian Princess, Princess Cruises has you covered.

How about mushing across a glacier with a team of specially trained dogs, giving you a taste of the famous Iditarod race? Princess Cruises has you covered there as well.

In addition to visiting the standard ports of Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway, quieter ports such as Sitka and Valdez are now making appearances, giving guests an opportunity to see a few of the less touristy parts of Alaska.

These are great new trends in Alaska cruise deals bound to appeal to younger guests.

Source: Vancouver Sun

You have to hand it to Holland America Line.  They really look like they’re on to something here with their recently announced Voyage of the Glaciers.  While it certainly won’t appeal to everyone, it’s bound to be very attractive to quite a few!

The package is a twist on a round trip Alaska cruise, a concept which of course isn’t new.  Traditional round trip cruises haven’t been hugely popular in the past as you basically just repeated the exact same itinerary in reverse.  Voyage of the Glaciers is different, though, as it puts you on two different ships with different Alaska cruise itineraries for the northbound and southbound portions.

Holland America Line will offer Voyage of the Glaciers on eight dates between May to August.  The two ships, the Ryndam and the Statendam, will depart from and return to Vancouver.  The  prices for the package ranges from $1,299 to $1,799 per person based on double occupancy.  It’s certainly not the cheapest Alaska cruise deal you’re likely to find, but it may be one of the more interesting!

Source: Anchorage Daily News