The folks over at eCruises continue to sharpen their pencils to offer some great Alaska cruise deals bound to appeal to anyone looking for great savings.

Are you available to depart on September 12, 2009?  If so, this deal is tailor made for you!

On this specific date, you can enjoy a seven-night Alaska cruise that takes in the must-see ports of Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Anchorage.  You’ll travel along the beautifully scenic Glacier Bay and College Fjord.

The cruise departs from Vancouver aboard Princess Cruise Line’s Diamond Princess.  At a starting fare of just $499 per person, this is a genuine bargain on an Alaskan cruise.

Source: MSNBC

Alaska cruise favorite Princess Cruises has donated an impressive $100,000 to the University of Alaska Fairbanks to support its Marine Advisory Program.  The program helps local communities use, conserve and manage the ocean resources that are essential to their economic survival.  The gift will help support the Marine Advisory Program in the nine coastal cities in which it operates over a period of three years.

Princess Cruises has a long tradition of supporting local Alaska communities and Alaska environmental protection.  It’s always nice to see one of the premier Alaska cruise lines step forward to partner with the local community in such a meaningful way.  Active sponsorship of environmental conservation is one of the best methods to preserve the local beauty that makes Alaska such an attractive destination to visitors from around the world.

Source: The Tundra Drums

Just coming across the PR Newswire, Holland America has announced an incredible number of new shore excursions for its 2009 Alaska cruise calendar.

Flightseeing features prominently.  A new twist to these aerial visits of local glaciers is an option to land on them and walk around.  What a great way to get up close and personal with these massive rivers of ice!

Out of Sitka, new options include Sea Mountain Golf and Volcano Coast Exploration by Ocean Raft.  In Skagway, a host of longer tours such as Suspension Bridge and Salmon Bake and Klondike Summit were announced.

Fishing enthusiasts are not forgotten, with many choices to scratch your itch for fly fishing, sport fishing and crabbing.  Many of the trips include options to cook what you catch, a great addition after you’ve worked up a hearty appetite.

If you prefer to eat without the need to catch your supper, a number of gourmet excursions were announced.  Local seafood is featured and sure to satisfy.

It looks like Holland America Line has really put forward some great Alaska cruise tours for its guests.

Source: PR Newswire

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