If you're ready to go quickly, now is a great time to book an Alaskan cruise.
Princess Cruises, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean are just a few of the world's largest cruise lines that have lately started selling empty accommodations on upcoming Alaska sailings for as little as $38 per day.
Princess has some of the most affordable packages in terms of absolute cost.
The company was offering a five-night Alaskan cruise departing from Vancouver, British Columbia, for just $249, or roughly $50 per day, as of Tuesday.
Juneau and Ketchikan in Alaska are stopped on the line's 2,600-passenger Grand Princess' "Alaska Sampler" itinerary. About 20 days from now, on May 1, it begins.
On Tuesday, Royal Caribbean advertised an even lower price per day for a seven-night Alaska trip that departs on May 26. From Seward, Alaska, to Vancouver, the one-way fare began at $269, or roughly $38 per day.
On Tuesday, Celebrity Cruises, a sibling company of Royal Caribbean, also offered seven-night trips to Alaska for under $300.
Several forthcoming trips have starting prices of under $299.
Ironically, the cruise line most renowned for offering extremely low prices, Carnival Cruise Line, was the only major line that, as of Tuesday, didn't have at least one early season Alaska departure in the $300 level. Beginning prices for the line's early season Alaska excursions on Tuesday were $629, more than twice what most of its rivals were charging.
In order to fill unsold accommodations for the very beginning of the Alaska cruise season, which just got underway this month, cruise lines are making these last-minute deals. The Alaska cruise season usually starts in late April and lasts through the end of the year.
As of Tuesday at noon, the following are other examples of the top cruise offers we've found in Alaska:
• A seven-night sailing out of Vancouver on Holland America's Volendam departing May 17. Fares start at $309 — or about $44 a day.
• A seven-night sailing from Vancouver to Seward on Norwegian Spirit departing May 17. Fares start at $349 — or about $50 a day.
• A seven-night sailing from Whittier, Alaska, to Vancouver on Grand Princess departing May 13. Fares start at $329 — or about $47 a day.
• A seven-night sailing from Whittier to Vancouver on Sapphire Princess departing May 24. Fares start at $329 — or about $47 a day.
• A seven-night sailing from Seward to Vancouver on Celebrity Millennium departing May 19. Fares start at $299 — or about $43 a day
The lowest price for any Alaska sailing presently on sale in 2023 is being offered by Princess on Tuesday for a four-night Alaska Sampler voyage from Vancouver slated for Sept. 26. The line's Crown Princess will be the vessel used for the voyage.
The sailings mentioned above often include visits to at least one glacier as well as stops in the southeastern Alaskan communities of Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway. Visits to Glacier Bay National Park are common.
The details about Alaska cruise deals
It's important to note that the heavily discounted rates mentioned are only available for inside cabins without windows. On each of the ships, these are the lowest-category staterooms. Sometimes, a room with an ocean view or a cabin with a balcony will cost significantly more.
For instance, on the Princess website on Tuesday, ocean-view cabins (cabins with a window) on the Grand Princess sailing from Whittier to Vancouver on May 13 were offered for $599. That's a staggering $270 more than a cabin with no windows. On the trip, balcony cabins were priced at $1,132, which is more than three times the cost of an inside cabin.
All of the prices are per-person pricing with a two-person cabin occupancy assumption. Alone passengers cannot use them.
Furthermore, although lodging, meals, and entertainment are included in the rates, port taxes and fees are not. Depending on the places the ships call at, those required extras will raise the price of the above-mentioned voyages by an additional $164 to $335.
Port taxes and fees are normally excluded from cruise line prices when they are advertised, but are later added to final invoices at check-out.
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