Alaska
is one of our favorite destinations. We've been many times and we're ready to
go again anytime. The scenery is spectacular and the inside passage temperatures
are wonderful (typically 60s & 70s for highs). Book early for Alaska for best
selection - particularly cruisetours and cabins that hold 3 or 4 people because
they sell out quickly and some cruise lines like Princess have very few of these!
Peak season is June, July and August, with May & September offering lower rates.
See our On-line Alaska Cruise Brochure for
an overview of Alaska ports-of-call and cruise tours options. 
Most cruises to Alaska visit Ketchikan, Juneau,
and either Skagway or Sitka, the old Russian capital. In Ketchikan you can visit
the historic Creek Street; formerly the gold rush area, shall we say, of 24 hour
delights, this is now a great place to browse the shops, watch salmon in the creek,
or maybe do a bit of fishing. This is the spot to get your smoked and canned salmon!
In Juneau visit the local history museum, charter a fishing boat, take a helicopter
flight and land on a Glacier, take a sled-dog ride across a glacier, or catch
a performance by local dancers. Skagway is the home of the famous White Pass Railroad
- a ride through some gorgeous scenery! Take a flightseeing trip over Glacier
Bay, join a park ranger for a tour of the town, or learn how Soapy Smith met his
end - this is the Captain and First Mate's favorite port because of the many things
to see. 
Radisson Mariner ( luxury
class tops overall)
Celebrity: Infinity, & Millennium
(top rated in premium class)
Royal Caribbean: Radiance & Serenade of the Seas (best
for families)
Princess: Coral, Diamond, Island & Sapphire Princess
Holland America: several (geared to older guests)
Third and fourth passengers per cabin cruise for much less,
but triple and quad cabins are the first to sell out. You need to reserve early
for these cabins - particularly Princess which has very few of these cabins.
By booking early you get the best selection, and if prices go down we will adjust
your price down. Deposits are fully refundable up until final payment. Please
don't wait until the last minute and be disappointed when your choice is no
longer available.
For the latest Alaska and other specials see our Great Deals page
Celebrity's new Millennium and her identical twin the Infinity are the top two remium class ships to Alaska. We rate Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Sea and Serenade of the Seas a notch below Celebrity for adutls and a better choice for families. The only ships we rate above these great new ship is Radisson Mariner which offers Luxury cruises to Alaska which typically cost about 2 to 3 times as much, so you can see the great value that Celebrity Millennium, Infinity, Radiance & Serenade of the Seas offers to most people.
CelebrityCelebrity's new ms Infinity & Millennium
These
new 91,000 ton beauties started sailing in 2001. They are identical twins of
the new Summit and Constellation. They hold only 1950 people (double occupancy)
and have about the same high space ratio per person as the top luxury lines
like Crystal. These four "Millennium Class" ships were rated #1 to
#4 in the latest Conde Nast Traveler reader's survey of large cruise ships.
You can't get any better in this category.
The Celebrity Mercury is also in Alaska doing roundtrip Vancouver 7-night cruises but is not quite as nice as Infinity and Millennium. Mercury is rated #9 overall in the large ship category.
Royal Caribbean and Celebrity started offering their own cruise and land tour combinations in 2001 and they have now moved ahead of Princess and Holland America to offer the best overall Alaska cruisetours. Their tours feature the new ultra-domed Wilderness Express rail cars (outstanding!) built exclusively for Royal Caribbean & Celebrity guests. Prices are usually about the same price as Princess andless than Holland America for the newest Alaska tour product - a great value to Alaska. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are now our top rated choice for cruisetours to Alaska as well. We highly recommend them and our clients have come back with great praise for these outstanding cruise tours.
Alaska Cruisetour Pricing
12 to 18-Day Cruisetours include
a 7-day cruise and a 5 to 11-day land tour before or after the cruise for a
total of 12 to 18-days. Prices are typically $500 to $1500 more than a cruise
alone. We recommend 12 or 13-night cruisetours for most people as this gives
you enough time to see Denali National Park, Anchorage, Talkeetna, and Fairbanks
and have some free time to explore those areas and really enjoy them. 10-night
cruisetours are too short to see much and make many compromises.
Cruisetours prices vary depending on departure
date and length of the cruisetour but typically cruisetours run about:
Almost all cruisetours include spectacular Denali National
Park - the most popular destination and the highlight of most Alaska Cruisetour.
Be sure you get a cruisetour that takes the 7-hour
tour into Denali and not the 3-hour tour that barely gets into the park and
that misses all of the best areas - including the best areas for viewing wildlife
like the bears and for viewing Mt. McKinley. We've been and can explain the
differences that many agents don't know about. See
our On-line Alaska Cruise Brochure for more
detail on Alaska ports-of-call and cruise tours options. We can also customize
some cruisetours with other pre and post options, just ask. The following prices
are typical prices for Alaska Cruisetours. Actual prices may be signicantly
different because of special pricing we may have obtained or because the tour
is almost sold out.
11-day cruisetour from $1799. Oceanviews from $2099 and balconies from $2399.
12-day cruisetour from $1899. Oceanviews from $2199. Balconies from $2499.
13-day cruisetour from $1999. Oceanviews from $2299, balcony from $2599 per person.
14-day cruisetour from $2099. Oceanviews from $2399, balcony from $2699 per person.
Royal
Caribbean
The new Radiance & Serenade
of the Seas are fabulous new additions to Royal Caribbean's fleet
and they are clearly the top ships from Royal Caribbean in Alaska and close
to the ratings for Celebrity's Summit and Infinity. Radiance & Serenade
of the Seas are our top rated ships to Alaska for families to Alaska. There
are no ships at any price that is better for families. Radiance does 1-way cruises
between Vancouver and Seward. Serenade sails roundtrip from Vancouver.
Royal Caribbean ships are wonderful for Alaska, with over acres of glass windows. We especially like the Viking Crown lounge with 360-degree views and the Windjammer restaurant in the front of the ship, which provides incredible 180-degree views while dining. The covered warm Solarium/Pool is also very nice for Alaska. Royal Caribbean is also the best choice to Alaska for families. Their ships have the largest number of cabins that hold 3 or 4 guests, and they have the best children's program, and the most impressive facilities dedicated just for children as well as a separate center for teens. Our clients love these ships and satisfaction levels are extremely high.
As you can see we really like both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity's ships to Alaska. It turns out we aren't alone. The top 10 ships in Conde Nast Travelers 2006 Readers Survey of large cruise ships are all Celebrity (6 of the 10) and Royal Caribbean Ships (4 or the 10). It is hard to do much better.
See our On-line Vision of the
Seas Brochure for a detailed view of these great ships or see the On-line
brochure for Radiance & Serenade of the Seas.
Prices are usually lower on Royal Caribbean & Celebrity compared to other premium class ships on any given date and offer the best value to Alaska.
Examples of the lowest prices (May & September sailings) follow. June is about $100 to $200 more with much better weather. Peak season (July) is only $200 to $500 per person higher.
Radisson
Seven Seas CruisesThe Seven Seas Mariner. is our top rated ship to Alaska. She is a 6 star ship. Mariner is the same size ship as Crystal shi[s but hold only 700 versus 970 on Crystal. All cabins on Mariner have a private balcony - the first ship ever to have all balcony cabins. We recently sailed on the Mariner and were very impressed. She is our all time favorite. The service was the best we've ever had. Mariner will do a variety of 7 to 11-night cruises to Alaska from June to September. Expect to pay a little more for this luxury ship - but less than Crystal. You will be glad you did.
Click here to see our on-line brochure for the Radisson Mariner.
Holland
America
The Ryndam, Volendam, Oosterdam,
Westerdam, Veendam, Zaandam and Statendam are all beautiful sister
ships. All are about 55,000 to 60,000 tons and hold about 1600 to 2000 passengers.
We love these gorgeous mid-sized ships with outstanding service, a refined atmosphere
with beautiful works of art. Prepare to be pampered! Holland America typically
costs more than Princess or Celebrity but less than Radissonl. Holland only
recently started a children's program and does not usually get very many children
on board compared to Royal Caribbean or Princess. The average age will be much
higher than on other premium lines.
See our On-line Alaska Cruise Brochure
for more detail on Alaska ports-of-call and cruise tours options.
Princess
May
and September are the least expensive months - July and August are peak season
and will cost more. Princess' ships are not very family friendly since very few
cabins hold 3 or 4 people. If you need this type cabin you need to book early.
We also dislike the fact that Princess ships don't have observation lounges for
viewing the incredible Alaska scenery. This is a huge shortcoming on these itineraries
and is key reason we rate them below Celebrity and Royal Caribbean..
Alaska
Sightseeing Cruise WestIf you want a casual, small-ship experience so that you can really get into areas that the larger ships can't go, then consider Alaska Sightseeing Cruise West. These intimate ships which hold about 80 to 100 guests might be exactly what you are looking for. You'll visit the same major ports, but also get such waterways as Peril Strait and Sergius Narrows near Skagway. With opportunities to get really close to a glacier, or have a truly close-up look at whales and wildlife, this is a great way to see Alaska for those who are looking more for a longer, more educational trip rather than the larger ship experience. These are usually 9 to 14-day cruises and the rates are from about $3000 to $5000 per person plus air. They also have great land tours that can be combined with the cruise. For exact rates and more information please fill out a quote request form and note Alaska Sightseeing Cruise West as an possibility - or just call us.
For the latest Alaska and other destination specials see our Great Deals page which is updated daily.
How
to send us questions or quote requests
