 |
Alaska Cruise...
Also, you can read about our adventure that we took our family. Visit Our Alaska Cruise...Click HERE. Now Let's Get To The Nitty Gritty... Unfortunately there's no one single place that will give you the best deals all the time. It pays to Shop. During your shopping for a cruise, you may uncover some extras that you never considered. You'll also find that most agencies advertise "Discount Cruises"; it's very unusual that any agency will promote the full-fare of a cruise. Now, you just need to find the Best Deal. We'll show you the options for your Alaska cruise. Sometimes agencies will promote a specific Alaska cruise line because they make greater commissions. It helps to know what cruise line you want to sail on before buying. Each cruise line offers a little different variety; however, if you are looking for cruise deal, follow the suggestions we've outlined below...you'll save. We'll help you with your journey of finding the Alaska cruise deal. With over 20-years in the Travel/Tour Business we'll share all that we uncover to make your shopping journey simple. We're not representing nor promoting any Travel Company; therefore, you'll get the Facts to help you. Finding The Cruise Deal... Cruise fares vary from agency to agency. The fares also vary depending when you plan on cruising. For example, the peak season fares, summers, are much higher than off-season, Spring and Fall. The Cruise Lines differ in fares too. And of course, the planned route, your accommodations aboard ship, etc., etc., etc. Let's break this down: Type of Cruise...It's becoming very popular to include a land tour with your Alaska cruise. For example, you could depart Seattle; cruise up the Inside Passage following the Gold Rush Voyage. You'd depart the vessel for a land tour to Anchorage and Denali National Park. This type of cruise is more expensive than the traditional Alaska cruise and ports of call on the Alaska coast. You can check out CruiseWest.com and get some great insights into this type of cruising. If you prefer the more traditional route of cruising you have a choice of:Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Celebrity Cruises. Norwegian Cruise Lines, for the most part will yield a better savings for a cruise deal. However, check the other cruise lines too, they sometimes offer specials. Places to Shop For The Cruise Deal... You'll want to pay a quick visit to Orbitz. They're owned by 5-major airlines and have some leverage with the Cruise Lines. We've found BestFares.com a good source too, sometimes offering the best value. It's a membership-based agency; however, you can avoid the membership fees and go directly to the same Cruise Agency that Bestfares uses, Putting a price on happiness. The best rates - 110% guaranteed - at CruisesOnly.com Cruises Only is considered the largest cruise agency in the world. They provide cruises to other travel agencies; therefore, it makes sense to check them out. They are the agency that we check with first. You'll want to check your local Sunday Newspaper too, the Travel Section. Often there are hidden bargains right before your eyes offered by local agencies. If you're in a small town, get the nearest major city Sunday Newspaper near your town. If you have access to the Seattle Times Sunday paper, you'll find local agencies promoting various Alaska Cruise opportunities. Uncover The Hidden Costs... Don't be mis-lead when you see advertised specials such as The Cheap Alaska Cruise, $599! Often these advertisements are for off-season, spring and fall. And they probably do not include the Port Fees and Taxes. Port Fees and Taxes can run into a couple hundred dollars for each passenger. Just be aware. The costs of cabins vary too. An inside cabin, without a window is by far the cheapest. If that is what you want, make sure that's what you're paying for. When we cruise, we only use the cabin to change and sleep; therefore, it doesn't make sense for us to pay more money for a window if we aren't going to use it. If you plan on staying in your cabin, then you may want to consider getting a window. Cabin rates are typically based on a 2-person occupancy. In other words, the first 2-people in a cabin will pay the full-fare, additional people will pay 1/2 the fare. If your Cruise Deal is $750 then 2-people will pay that fare or $1500. If you add 2-additional-people to the cabin, they will pay $375 each or $750 for the both. Your total fare equals $2250 for 4-people in one cabin. Now, don't forget to add the Port Fees and Taxes per person. If the Port Fee is $200 per person and Taxes are $50 per person then your total Cheap Alaska Cruise for 4-people equals $3250. When you receive quotes, make sure they include the Port Fees and Taxes. I want to reiterate one thing. Typically, the first 2-people in a cabin pay the same rate. (In our example above each person pays $750 or $1500 for both). Beware, agencies or even group tours will charge the 3rd and 4th-person the same $750 fare. Be sure to ask about this. The 3rd and 4th-persons can receive a great discount just like our above example. Don’t be afraid to ask for a discount for the 2nd-person in the cabin too. It pays to ask, and if you’re not happy, keep shopping. It pays to shop too; you can save thousands of dollars. Cruise Insurance...When you book your Alaska cruise deal you'll be asked if you want cruise insurance. The insurance policy will typically insure you incase you default on your trip. In other words, if for some reason you cannot go on the trip you are insured. "For how much and what conditions?" That depends on the policy. We suggest that you DO NOT take this policy from the cruise agency. Get the policy from an Insurance Agency, not a Cruise Agency. Check out TripInsuranceStore.com, you can get a comparative quote; know what you're getting, all on-line. It's simple and you'll have the comfort knowing you are protected with you Alaska cruise. We recommend that you take a look at some travel insurance, especially for a cruise. You can get policy that covers all aspects of your trip, including medical. Check them out; it's worth your time. In fact, check them out before you even book an Alaska cruise, then you'll be ahead of the game with your cruise deal. Group Travel... Traveling as a group may get you some good bargains, especially if you are the group leader. You can check with some of your local travel agencies and see if they know of any Groups that you could join up with. Check out the Group Tour Specialist, Alan Schiller. 425-775-1595, 1-800-622-3342. He's put together some fabulous group specials for the Alaska cruise and beyond. Get on their mailing list and you'll get the continual updates. Another Seattle local group Tour operator is Shirley Renfrow. Get on their mailing list, they come across many special all the time and will keep you up-to-date. Call 800-777-5177. If you want to really expand on getting the best cruise deal you can start your own group cruise. All you need, is get some friends together for a cruise, you're the designated group leader, and you Cruise for FREE. You'll typically have to fill 8-cabins or 16-people before you cruise for free... Where can you get a group? This is where your creativity comes in...Check out your local Senior Center and find out the level of interest, put an add in the paper, simply be creative. Senior Centers may even have a group tour already that you can join. Check out the on-line travel forums too. All of this does require a little effort; after-all, you're getting a FREE Cruise out of your efforts. In Summary...It pays to shop around to get the Cruise Deal. Unfortunately there's no one single source that offers the absolute Best Deal all the time. If you check out the agencies we listed above, you'll save a lot of time and money. Also note that several agencies use the same source. For example, Sterling Cruises, Cruise Rewards, Ideas 4 Travel are all the same company, National Leisure Group. And they market through a host of other agencies. Therefore, as you shop you’ll come across the same website format with a different name. Should you want to recommend an agency that we should look into or more info about a cruise deal, Contact Us. Enjoy your cruise deal, Craig & Maria Dahl - Senior Editors Return to Northwest Travel Tips Home Page We're also the SeniorEditors for Love Quotes For You and Luxury Romantic Vacations; we've brought the Best of both worlds together, Love & Travel.
|
