Vancouver is an increasingly popular port of departure for one-way Alaska cruises headed to or from Seward or Whittier.  But with so many choices, how do you select an Alaska cruise line that’s just right for your trip?  The good news is that with a little research, you can narrow down your options relatively quickly.

If a family Alaska cruise is what you are interested in, there are three Alaska cruise lines using the port of Vancouver.  Carnival Cruise Lines is noted for its family friendly tours and bills itself as the “fun ship” for good reason.  Norwegian Cruise Line tries to promote a more casual approach to cruising, and is another popular choice for families with children.  Royal Caribbean International is the final choice for a family cruise to Alaska, with a focus on adventure with such onboard attractions as a rock climbing wall and putting greens.

If you are more interested in a luxury Alaska cruise, you also have a number of choices.  Celebrity Cruises is a more upmarket option known for its gourmet dining and luxurious amenities.  Holland America Line is another alternative that looks to provide an elegant, traditional onboard experience.  Finally, Princess Cruises is unique in that it runs a number of its own lodges in Alaska, and its onboard amenities are of high quality.

If you are looking for a small ship Alaska cruise, your choices are more limited, but the options are all excellent.  Cruise West has been in the business for a very long time and has the smallest ship capacity of just over 100 passengers, enabling it to cruise to places where larger ships can’t visit. Regent Seven Seas accommodates about 700 guests on its Alaska cruise tours, and every cabin is an outside suite with a balcony.  Silversea is the favorite of Conde Naste Traveler magazine, and operates ships with just under 400 passengers, making it a nice intermediate option.

One thing’s for sure, with so many great options, you’re bound to find an Alaska cruise departing from Vancouver that’s just right!

Source: The Vancouver Sun

The Star out of Toronto, Canada, has posted a helpful roundup of current Alaska cruise deals.  While I’ve covered many of these bargains before, it’s nice to review them and make sure nobody misses out.

• Carnival Cruises is offering a 25% discount on advance bookings of three to five months, depending on the length of the cruise.
• Celebrity Cruises is promoting a 50% reduction in deposits.
• Holland America Line takes it a step further with its Vacation Stimulus Plan, offering a 50% reduction in both deposits and tours.
• Norwegian Cruise Line is granting a $250 on board credit, and child fares as low as $99.
• Princess Cruises continues to promote its complimentary balcony upgrades on all ocean view staterooms.
• Royal Caribbean is offering a $200 onboard credit.
• Silversea Cruises is promoting a 30% discount on advance bookings, as well as an additional 5% discount for advance payments.

It’s great to see the Alaska cruise lines competing for your business, and really trying to outdo each other.  With all of these excellent Alaska cruise deals on offer, you’re bound to find one to your liking!

Source: The Star

As reported by USA Today, both luxury and discount Alaskan cruise lines have been sharpening their pencils to put together some great deals and discounts for anyone planning an Alaskan cruise in 2009.

How does $399 per person, per week on Norwegian Cruise Line strike you? Or if you’ve had your eye on a luxury Alaskan cruise, how about a week long trip for as little at $500 per person on Celebrity Cruises? Packages that include both a cruise and an add-on land tour are even more heavily discounted.

It looks like 2009 is shaping up to be the year of some fantastic Alaska cruise deals.

Source: USA Today

Just in from The West Australian, Silversea Cruises has announced aggressive savings for a number of its upcoming Alaska cruises.

The cruise line is offering an onboard spending credit of $774 per person–a full $1549 per couple–for its May and September sailings on its Silver Shadow ship.

The promotion can be applied to shore excursions, spa treatments, and a host of other amenities.

Why the credit and not an outright discount on the price of the cruise?

The logic is that the super luxury cruise lines such as Silversea Cruises want to make sure they are not tarnishing their brand.  With their premium cruises and prices, the last thing they want is to be viewed as a discount cruise line!

One thing is for certain, anyone shopping for discount Alaska cruises should consider these two departures on Silversea Cruises to make their trip far more affordable.

Source: The West Australian

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