6 Tips for Selecting the Perfect Alaska Cruise

What’s the Best Time to Cruise Alaska?

Alaska cruises operate late April through September. The high season is June through August, which is your best bet for warmer temperatures and wildlife viewing. But this is also the time of year you can expect the biggest crowds (some cruise ships carry far more passengers than the entire populations of the towns they visit). And it’s also when Alaska cruise deals become all but impossible to find. You’ll have a better chance of finding bargains in May and September, but the weather during the shoulder season can be iffy and seas become noticeably rougher in September. If you’re prone to getting seasick, this would be the month to avoid.

What’s the Best Cruise Line for Alaska Vacations?

The answer depends on what you’re looking for. There are three broad categories: Mainstream or Contemporary, Premium and Luxury. All three offer what you’d expect from a cruise—attentive service; a variety of dining options that include buffets, snack bars, room service, main dining rooms and specialty restaurants; bars; live entertainment; casinos; spas; shops; shore excursions; etc. (For more about cruising, read 5 Reasons to Try a Cruise Vacation.)

The differences tend to be one of degree. Mainstream cruise ships are generally larger and more crowded but are also cheaper. Larger ships usually have a better variety of onboard amenities like rock climbing walls, mini golf greens, poolside movies and areas of the ship set aside for kids and teenagers.

Premium and Luxury ships are usually smaller with fewer people and more personalized and attentive service and are, as you might expect, more expensive. Smaller ships are able to navigate narrower, out-of-the-way bays, straits and fjords, which means you may be visiting places the mega-ships can’t reach. Premium and Luxury cruise lines also offer longer trips, and passengers are inclined to be older and are less likely to have young children.

Although the distinctions between categories is not clean-cut, these are roughly the classes AAA’s preferred cruise lines fall into:

Mainstream

• Disney Cruise Line

• Princess Cruises

• Royal Caribbean International

Premium

• Azamara

• Celebrity Cruises

• Holland America Line

• Oceania Cruises

Luxury

• Cunard Line

• Regent Seven Seas Cruises

• Seabourn

For more information about types of cruise lines, talk to your AAA Travel Counselor or read Best Cruise Lines for Kids and Families.

How much does an Alaskan cruise cost?

Depending on the length of the cruise, the type of cabin (interior or one with a window or balcony), the category of the cruise line and whether it’s high season, fares can run from anywhere between a few hundred dollars to several thousand.

Another factor that affects the price is when you book your trip. Alaska cruise deals are available months in advance when the lines first announce their itineraries as well as within a couple months before the ship sails. Generally the last-minute deals are better, but your choices of cabins and shore excursion may be limited, and in the end, there are no guarantees that those late bargains will materialize.

What is there to do on an Alaska cruise?

Besides all the onboard activities during an Alaska cruise, there’s an incredible variety of things to do off the ship as well. Among the most common shore excursions are hiking and biking trips along with rafting, canoeing and whale-watch adventures. Cruisers can experience indigenous culture during visits to places like Saxman Village in Ketchikan, known for its outstanding collection of totem poles. Another unforgettable outing favored by sporty types is salmon fishing followed by the chef aboard ship preparing the day’s catch for dinner that night.

Sightseeing jaunts aboard a train are another option thousands of cruisers enjoy; the White Pass & Yukon Route in Skagway is one of the most popular. And among the more adventurous things to do are ziplining, dog sledding and chilling out on a glacier during a helicopter flightseeing tour that actually lands on the ice.

For those who really want to set aside some time to explore more of Alaska’s vast wilderness, several lines offer cruise tours that combine a cruise with a land tour on the front or back end. One of the top interior destinations is Denali National Park and Preserve, home to North America’s tallest mountain and some of the 49th state’s most beautiful scenery.

Where Do Alaska Cruises Depart From?

The majority of itineraries begin in Vancouver and Seattle or the ports of Whittier and Seward south of Anchorage. Deciding where to depart from depends on several factors including the cost of air travel (flights to Canada and Alaska tend to be more expensive) and whether you want to spend some time exploring your port of departure before or after your cruise. (Check out Top Things to Do in Vancouver Before or After Your Cruise for some sightseeing ideas.)

Something else to consider is whether to book a round-trip or a one-way cruise. Returning to the port you departed from is liable to be cheaper in terms of airfare whereas a one-way trip works well if you do a cruise tour before or afterward.

Is it Worth Getting a Balcony on a Cruise?

In most cases, yes it is. As you cruise along the Alaska coast and especially within the Inside Passage, the scenery just doesn’t quit. Being able to relax on your own private balcony and take in the sights is a wonderful convenience. While odds are you won’t be sunning yourself in your bathing suit, a little bundling up is all you need to keep the experience enjoyable. And if the weather changes, it’s so much easier to duck inside your stateroom to grab a jacket rather than hike back and forth to your room from the decks above. Another benefit is that balconies are covered and even in a light rain you can still savor the view.

Did you know that a AAA Travel Agent can help plan your Alaska cruise adventure?

Start Your Next Vacation with AAA

AAA Travel provides peace of mind when you travel—before, during and after your vacation! Members enjoy the advantages of membership including exclusive benefits, savings, map routing and travel planning, plus additional travel needs such as AAA Travel Guides, TourBook® guides, passport photos, International Driving Permits and travel insurance. Your next vacation starts with AAA—your complete travel solution. Visit AAA.com/Travel.