Not all that many years ago, it was very possible to find many low cost fares to Alaska without much effort. Nowadays, however, such bargains are getting harder and harder to find, with demand for Alaska cruises on the rise.
So how can you save money on your cruise? Is is really even still possible to see Alaska and stay on a budget? The answer is definitely yes there really are great deals out there -- if you know when and where you should look.
Many folks believe that the very best strategy to get cheap cruise fares to Alaska is to book at the very last minute. But while this method used to work reasonably well (and still works very well for Caribbean cruises, due to the larger number of ships in that region), it is no longer a very effective strategy for Alaskan cruises.
Alaskan ships often sell out far in advance for the months of July and August. Despite their higher cost, balcony rooms tend to be the first to sell out, especially on Holland America cruises. Therefore, if you have year heart set on taking a cruise in the middle of summer, the way to ensure that you get the lowest fare is to book many months in advance. (Alaska cruises can be booked up to 18 months ahead of their sale date.)
Of course, if you are more flexible about your sail date and/or your room category, you increase your likelihood of finding some great Alaska cruise deals.
The best months for deals are May and September, the beginning and end of the Alaska cruise season. Of all the weeks in the Alaska cruise season, the lowest cost fares tend to be found in the very first week of May, when prices can be half of the peak mid-season fares.
Of course you can also save by booking a lower priced room category. Rooms in the interior section of the ship can be half to a third the price of some of the higher priced cabins on an Alaskan cruise. Inside rooms have no windows and can be a little smaller than ocean view rooms, but they can be a wonderful bargain, especially since many people spend so little times in their rooms anyway.
Inside rooms are definitely not for claustrophobic individuals. Nonetheless, you can still find a great Alaskan cruise deal on an outside room. A certain percentage of outside cabins on most cruise ships possess obstructed views of the eater, due frequently to a lifeboat outside the cabin window. These obstructed view cabins are often quite a bit cheaper than regular ocean view rooms. In fact, obstructed view cabins can be as almost as cheap as inside rooms, yet they have windows that admit sunlight and can help ease claustrophobia.
So there are still a number of ways to find discount Alaska cruises. Remember, even with rising prices, cruises still represent an incredible bargain. For less than the price of a nice hotel, they include food, entertainment, transportation, and, in Alaska, glacier viewing too.
