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Best time/method to book 2013 cruise (Alaska)?
I'm researching a June 2013 Alaska cruise and have it narrowed down to a 7 night cruise on the Volendam and Disney Wonder. The Wonder does not go to Glacier Bay and everything I've read has said not to miss it. We will have DS with us, but we do go to Florida a few times a year to visit my parents so who can get his Disney fill then (and as of now he's very scared of costumed characters).
Is it best to book through the cruise line website, or another site like Expedia? Or should I book through a travel agent? Are there any common sales to keep an eye out for? We haven't done a cruise before aside from a Rock Boat cruise and that had to be booked through the company chartering it.
Also, if you took an Alaskan cruise, is a balcony worth $2000? That is the difference between a balcony and just a window.
Re: Best time/method to book 2013 cruise (Alaska)?
First off, Glacier Bay is amazing! DH and I had such a great time on our cruise with NCL, that we decided to take my twin sis and niece with us this summer.
I booked my first cruise to Alaska less than two months in advance. We just took the plunge and didn't have a ton of time to plan. That being said, we got a great room, and plenty of time to plan excursions, etc.This go round, we booked over a year in advance b/c they just released the 2012 dates and I got a good deal.
This is Disney just started going to Alaska and they had to wok out some kinks. That being said, everybody I know loves cruising with them. Holland skews a lot older and too stuffy for my taste . . . that's why we went with NCL. The Pearl goes to Glacier Bay and there is nothing like Glacier Bay. Yes, the other glaciers are pretty and "cool", but they pale in comparison.
I would sign up for email list and book the cruise website. (We went thru Costco the first time and booked thru NCL the second.) There are plenty of deals to be had . . . upgrades to balcony, booking in advance, etc. I get emails all the time from NCL.
Oh, a balcony is totally worth it! I think a balcony is a must . . . especially on a cruise to Alaska.
Check out cruisecritic if you haven't already.
We're doing an Alaskan cruise this summer, and haven't yet booked. I don't think there's any big rush, and we're actually TTC, so I can't book out more than 24 weeks anyway.
That said, I have spent a serious amount of time scouring the internet for the best prices. We are going on a 10 day land/cruise tour on Princess, and Costco has the best prices by far. Their base price is cheaper than others by a couple of hundred, and they include a $215 Costco gift card rebate.
I think a balcony is always worth the extra price. Always.
ETA: If you don't have a Costco membership, consider buying one just for this trip. It could likely save you well over the $60 membership price. However, I have no loyalty to any booking method. I will book travel through whichever source is the best deal (and is reliable).
I have never used a travel agent. I've gotten quotes, but was always able to get a better deal online. Especially for a booking as simple as a cruise, I would never consider using an agent unless they could get you the best deal.
Our first (and only) cruise was to Alaska 2 years ago. Glacier Bay was the highlight of the trip for me.
This was kind of a last minute trip for us, so we only booked a couple months prior. I think we got a pretty good deal, but the chance you take is that the cabin you want may not be available. We booked through vacationstogo.com.
We went with the balcony room, but it was not $2000 more than the outside window room. It was definitely nice to have the balcony while cruising Glacier Bay as the public decks were quite crowded. I also enjoyed sitting on the balcony and eating breakfast in the mornings.
I second cruisecritic.com -- they are full of great information! I'm interested to hear how the Disney cruise is...have a great time!
We went on the Volendam in late May/early June in 2010. I wouldn't do one that didn't go to Glacier Bay. I agree with others that it's not to be missed. And we enjoyed the Volendam. It's not a party ship, but the food and service are excellent, and I wasn't really looking to party hard anyway. I wanted to be up early to enjoy the scenery, etc.
A balcony wasn't worth the cost to me. I spent most of the time that I was awake out on the public decks. If a whale surfaces, or a glacier calves, or there's something interesting to see on the port side, and your cabin's on the starboard side, you're going to miss it. I wanted to be on the bow, where I could have easy access to both sides. We didn't spend much time in our cabin.
We booked directly through Holland America's web site. We talked to a travel agent, but the prices were pretty much the same.
I've only done one Alaskan cruise so I'm not an expert but we found the best price through Costo Travel. Like the pp mentioned, it might be worth a membership for the discount on the cruise alone!
We went on the Oosterdam with Holland America and had rooms with balconies. Costco helped us get adjoining rooms so that the staff could open the balcony door in between them. I really liked having a balcony to see the sights - every day before dinner we'd have a glass of wine on the balcony which was fun.
I also talked to a travel agent, but the prices through her were actually higher than elsewhere. I'm sure it's not the case with all travel agents but it does pay to shop around.
We went to Alaska last summer and stayed in a partially obstructed room. People definitely love balconies, but we didn't want to spend the money on it for a couple reasons:
heights sometimes freak me out and I really don't think I would go out on a balcony like that, and
we preferred taking the extra money to spend on things to do in port and shopping!
Definitely don't miss Glacier Bay - it is amazing! We had plenty of space out on deck, and when they rotated the ship so the other balconies had a view we just walked to the other side of the ship.
We booked our August Alaskan cruise cyber monday. We ended up with both stateroom and referral credit b/c my parents are joining us.
We paid less than $1300pp for a balcony on Princess.
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