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
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
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
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
