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It is best to plan your cruise vacations in advance to get the best value. As an example, Norwegian often bundles a drink package or gratuity with their fares, while Royal Caribbean and Disney do not. Below, we answer the question of how much an Alaska cruise costs by breaking down the expenses you are likely to incur on your vacation up north.
Factors Affecting Cost of Alaskan Cruise
This can lead to high chances of cloud coverage and precipitation as well as colder temperatures. It may also lead to rougher seas when outside of the Inside Passage and a higher chance of ports being changed at the last minute. It is located among the forested islands and mountains of Alaska’s beautiful Inside Passage on the northern tip of Mitkof Island. It’s a small, vibrant town with about 3,100 permanent residents, located in the heart of the Tongass National Forest.
Complete Guide to Taking an Alaskan Cruise (What It’s Like)
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Each excursion typically includes a helicopter ride and dog sledding on a glacier. It's a must do in Alaska, but which port you try it in is up to you. Some cruise lines provide an upgraded cruise fare that includes gratuities with the base cost of the cruise. Princess Cruises Princess Plus and Celebrity Cruises Always Included Fare are two examples. You can view the shore excursions offered through the cruise line on their website or by asking your travel agent.
How To Budget
Skagway was the most expensive excursion of the three ports with a ticket on the White Pass & Yukon Railway for $95.99. The ride was definitely worth the cost in my opinion, as it brings passengers on a ride through Skagway’s majestic mountain scenery. On my Alaska cruise I was able to find shore excursion opportunities that fit my budget while still providing wonderful insights into Alaska’s culture, history, and nature. Whatever your budget, you will likely be able to find a shore excursion that works well for you. You may also wish to search for excursions through outside providers or explore on your own. Those looking for a more comfortable whale watching experience may be interested in the “Luxury Whale Watching” excursion in Icy Point Straight.
Including islands, Alaska has 33,904 miles of shoreline. The perfect way to see it all? By boat.
In Juneau we opted to take the $45 Mendenhall Glacier Shuttle Bus that leaves from the cruise port to Mendenhall Glacier and back throughout the day. Prices for a Cruise Tour vary depending on how many days the tour runs and the tour’s location. There are also some higher-end excursions which can offer a truly unique opportunity to view Alaska’s scenery from a different perspective. Some ships, like Quantum of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas, have more balcony staterooms available than smaller ships like Enchantment or Radiance of the Seas. Therefore you may find balcony staterooms more affordable on a Quantum-class ship than on smaller ships. This is something that everyone engages in but often forgets to budget for.
Premium lines, such as Princess or Holland America, usually cost more because they include more in their fare. Mainstream lines (i.e. Royal Caribbean, Carnival) advertise a lower base fare with less included to give the customer the choice to spend more on extras. Disney just prices their cruises higher than the rest because of the brand name. The Mountain Resort Experience Cruisetour is the most expensive option available, with prices for a 7-night cruise and 6-night land tour beginning at $4,200 per person for an interior cabin. The total cost of the cruise and land tour begins at $1410 per person for an interior cabin.
And even if you flew into the state to visit, you’d be relatively constricted in getting around. Many travelers use vacations as an excuse to update their wardrobes. When traveling to different climates, you may also need to buy new clothes to be comfortable in varying conditions.
Choose an Inside Cabin
While this price could be seen on another sailing, the extremely low cruise fare combined with the fact that there was no single-supplement fee made it a deal you don’t come across very often. While these are sometimes included in the cruise price, they may be an added expense. If they aren’t included, budget an extra $100 – $200 for this expense. These are just a few of the costs you might incur on an excursion in Alaska. It’s best to be prepared for these added costs if they are not already included in your itinerary. There are also higher-end excursions that offer a unique chance to see Alaskan scenery from a different vantage point.
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For instance, an inside cabin on a roundtrip cruise on Princess Cruises’ Royal Princess out of Seattle, WA leaving on April 30th starts at about $720 a person at double occupancy. For a family of 4, the cabin is $2484 for a total of $621 a person. Some cruisers do not care about accommodations and want to book the least expensive room. The summer time in Alaska (June – August) is the most expensive season but of course, also the most popular time to visit. Make sure you check the cruising package you purchased if you are interested in drinking beverages with alcohol on your cruise.
For those that are unfamiliar with an Alaskan cruise cost, we outline what you can expect and any incidentals you may not be aware of. The cheapest months to cruise to Alaska are generally May and September, which are considered the shoulder seasons. The opportunities to shop onboard are plentiful, from duty-free shops to art auctions. However, these purchases can add up quickly and are not usually considered when considering the average cost of an Alaskan cruise.
We’ll cover each of the factors below to help you understand the cost of cruising to Alaska. Sign-up for any of the following email series to help plan your Alaska trip. Part of the fun of cruising to Alaska is the potential to see a lot of wildlife.
While some cruise lines include gratuities in the overall cost, many do not. You’ll need to budget for tips, ranging from $13 to $20 per person daily. These are usually automatically added to your onboard account but are often overlooked. When planning your Alaskan cruise, it’s easy to focus solely on the ticket price. However, the advertised Alaska cruise prices are often just the tip of the iceberg.
Mainstream cruise lines, like Carnival Cruise Line, offer Alaska cruises in 2023 starting as low as $890 a person (double occupancy) for a seven night roundtrip cruise out of Seattle. Still, on that same ship, Carnival Luminosa, the voyage jumps up to $3,000 a person for a suite. It’s entirely possible to spend more on your Alaska shore excursions than on the cruise itself. Expect to spend between $100 and $300 per person for each excursion.
On a cruise to Alaska, apart from the day at sea to get there and the day at sea to return home, there is always something spectacular waiting. Drop us an anchor below to help your fellow cruisers plan a budget for their cruise to Alaska. Comparing a few dates for the Alaska Cruisetour, the per person costs for a couple is about $1300, close to double the cost of the cheapest roundtrip cruise.
Most cruise lines price beer around $7, cocktails between $9 and $15, and a variety of wines around $9 to $15 a glass. Alaska cruises are expensive, in large part because shore excursions are some of the priciest out there. You'll want to shop for cruise deals that include onboard credit you can apply to your excursions. These are abundant during wave season, though Cruise Critic's Deal Score also clearly shows you what inclusions and offers are part of Alaska cruise deals as well. Alaska land tours with 3-star hotels, train travel, and popular day tours generally cost around $300 per person per day, based on double occupancy. If you prefer to have nicer accommodations and travel aboard the glass domed rail cars on the Alaska Railroad, you should budget about $400 per person per day.
Second, you will discover a few fun attractions and lots of shopping within walking distance from each Alaska cruise pier, but the real draw lies beyond the city limits. You will want to take tours in nearly every port to make the most of your once-in-a-lifetime visit to the 49th state. Do not forget that you can use frequent flyer miles or credit card points to book your flights, saving you money on that total Alaska cruise cost. The Alaska cruise season is short, and that means limited time to go with pros and cons to different times of the year. Our sample trip departs Seattle and is a 7-night cruise that takes place in July 2024.
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