Southbound Alaska Cruise Tips

Published September 24, 2010 by:

Linda French

Major cruise lines include American Safari Cruise, Lines Celebrity Cruise Lines, Holland America Cruise Lines, Princess Cruise Lines, Regent Seven Seas Cruise Lines and Royal Carribean Cruise Lines. Specific information of cruise options and departure dates are accessed through website search according to the cruise line title. Choice of cruise line depends upon passenger preference for port departure and destination location. Cruise Critic is one possible cruise line website found through an Internet search engine allowing you to profile the major cruise lines. Significant cruise line discounts are offered through Internet sites and travel agencies.

Considerations for Departure Sites

Before booking a cruise consider possible cities and activities to explore Alaska before cruise departure. Alaska's railroad makes travel to Alaska's interior towns and cities accessible. The Internet offers websites which detail road trips, trips by rail, and group tours. Visits to the library, bookstore and video rental stores offer information about Alaska which helps in making a plan to explore the interior of Alaska. Internet websites also profile video clips, pictures and information about Alaskan travel opportunities.

Preparation for Travel

Travelers should pack according to the activities they expect to participate in. Comfortable clothes are appropriate for Alaska's rugged countryside. Pack so you can dress in layers which allow you to adjust to the variations in temperatures. Include a warm jacket able to repel water. Evening events on the cruise lines requires including business casual and dress slacks or skirts with appropriate shirts or blouses. Include sport coats and formal dresses for the formal nights on board.

Alaskan Activities

Alaska offers a variety of tourist activities. Airplane sightseeing tours allow passengers to view Alaskan landscape and beauty. Dog sled rides on glaciers or on wheeled dog sleds give the visitor a taste of Alaskan culture. Participation in guided hikes, bus tours and walking tours provides authenticity to the Alaskan experience. Alaska's people and way of life, as well as their interesting wildlife maximize your traveling experience.

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Image by DennisSylvesterHurd via Flickr

Alaskan cruise

Image by DennisSylvesterHurd via Flickr

Image by Tostie14 via Flickr

Cruising around Alaska

Alaska Cruise

Tea Party's secret campaign weapon: Lavish Alaska cruise

Shoeshine service, fancy body lotions, and Egyptian cotton towels: Talk about campaigning in style

By Justin Elliott

iStockphoto/Salon

Staffers for the Tea Party group that fueled Joe Miller's stunning GOP primary upset of Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska actually campaigned around the state on a luxury cruise liner, Salon has learned, even as they touted fiscal responsibility.
The $1,499 per person Holland America tickets -- which the group, Tea Party Express, maintains were cheaper than traveling on land -- allowed a handful of staffers to sail along the Alaska coast, holding pro-Miller events when the ship went to port, said former Tea Party Express political director Bryan Shroyer. The tickets also, according to Holland America, entitled the staffers to complimentary fresh fruit on request, fresh flowers, 100% Egyptian cotton towels, shoeshine service, and high-end body lotions from Elemis Aroma.
The Tea Party Express is a Sacramento-based group founded last year by several veteran GOP operatives to harness the conservative resurgence; it operates off of grassroots donations. By arranging rallies and making hefty ad buys (nearly $600,000 worth in Alaska) the group was a decisive force in the victory of Miller over incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski, and of Christine O'Donnell in Delaware over heavy favorite Rep. Mike Castle.
The group's chief strategist, Sal Russo, said in an interview with Salon that the cruise option was picked because it was cheaper than airfare, hotel, and food expenses on land in Alaska. Nevertheless, the image of staffers frolicking on a Holland America cruise has already prompted grumbling from some conservatives who are aware of the expenditure -- and it's likely to provide fodder for the other tea party groups that have accused Tea Party Express of irresponsible spending in the past.
Quipped one Alaska Republican to Salon: "Hey wait a minute, I thought the message was, 'Americans need to tighten the belt and especially Alaskans'? It was like the Tea Party Express Alaska summer vacation 2010 up here."
Kelly Eustis, a political consultant who worked for Tea Party Express before leaving in October 2009, told the Daily Caller recently that "employees would regularly run up bar tabs of more than $1,000 a week and charge it to Russo, Marsh or King Media, which would then bill TPE for the expense under a concocted fee." (Russo, Marsh is the consulting firm of Tea Party Express' Sal Russo, and King Media is closely linked to Russo.)
Russo acknowledged to the Caller that "young guys go out and have meetings sometimes at night and have a cocktail," but denied the tabs were so large.
The Tea Party Express has raised over $5 million from mostly small donors through e-mail campaigns. When one member of the rival Tea Party Patriots examined Tea Party Express' Federal Election Commission filings and saw money going to Russo's firm, he remarked last year, "What would the true grassroots people think if they knew their money is being spent in this manner?" Russo has maintained that his firm does not make a profit off Tea Party Express.
As for the Alaska cruise, Shroyer -- the former Tea Party Express political director -- told Salon that the trip was no vacation.
"In the office, we joked that this is probably historic: the first U.S. Senate campaign by an independent group run primarily from a cruise ship! And we worked our butts off, with a 'war room' on the ship and a team of people wielding their laptops doing TV ads, radio ads, newspaper ads, press releases and statements, and planning sessions from the ship," he said in an email.
And the Tea Partiers were pleased to find conservative views among their cruise shipmates.
"We also found that many of our fellow passengers were tea party supporters and would regularly run into them at our events and meetings at the various cities across Alaska," Shroyer said.
http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/09/17/tea_party_express_cruise/index.html

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Cheap Cruises - 4 Ideas To Help You Get The Best Deal

By Meryl Rougeaux

Finding cheap cruises to destinations all over the world is easier than first expected. By simply performing an online search, your favorite search engine will present you with dozens of options to choose from. Large travel websites, as well as sites that specialize in only ocean voyages and vacations have a lot of different options for you to choose from.
1. The key to finding cheap cruises is to remain open-minded and flexible in your travel plans, and don't rule out traveling during less popular times of year.
2. Cheap cruises are most often found during off-peak seasons, but that's not the only time. Depending upon the destinations that you wish to travel to, great deals can be found just by knowing which seasons to look for them in. For example, seasons that are known for storms in a particular area are always considered off-peak due to the higher chance of rainfall. Don't let the threat of storms dissuade you from booking during these slow seasons however; rain is very sporadic and seldom, plus ship captains always try to navigate around major storm groups to ensure that their customers have a pleasurable and memorable trip. Even if cheap cruises are booked during an off-peak season, the weather can be just as enjoyable as the high-peak times are.
3. A great example of finding cheap cruises during slow seasons is taking Caribbean voyages during the sporadic hurricane seasons. Some ship veterans actually believe that this is the best time of year to travel to the Caribbean. From late August until right around Christmas, hurricane seasons mean reduced fares to exotic locations, as well as no kids because they are all back in school. The weather is also a lot cooler than in the height of summer, making it easier to walk around on the islands and take in as much as you can during your allotted time there. Plus, in the event that there is a tropical storm or even full-blown hurricane in the neighborhood, most ship captains will navigate around the storms, even taking alternate routes and visiting other ports until the storms pass. Even passengers on cheap cruises get great service.
4. Passengers aboard cheap cruises still get to enjoy all the extra amenities of a full price ticket, but have more spending money left over to spend during their trip. Five star dining, free 24 hour room service, recreational activities, Broadway-style entertainment as well as room stewards and maid service are all standard treatment regardless of room class. Don't forget about the night clubs, casino and especially the professional full service spa. Of course alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and spa services are always a bit extra in cost, but those traveling on cheap cruises can afford them with the extra money they save on their ticket.

How to find cheap cruises... more info! To discover many more cruise tips on how to save money on your next cruise... click here: cheap cruises help. You'll be glad you did. Two cruise travel veterans give you the scoop with many of their first hand cruise travel tips to help you save money and make your cruise more enjoyable. Cruise-Tips.com

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Alaska Cruises / Cheap Cruises

Always dreamed of an Alaskan Cruise? Now’s the time as we have Alaska Cruise Deals to get you started on your very own Alaskan adventure. Discounted Alaska Cruises and Tours through Juneau are very popular especially in the spring and summer cruise seasons. Alaska is so beautiful this time of year; travelers love to revel in the natural beauty of the Alaskan wilderness.
Many Alaska Cruise Deals include touring this wondrous state and its bodies of water including Bristol Bay and the Gulf of Alaska. Relive the excitement of The Klondike Gold Rush by touring historical sites and trails. Cruises to Alaska can also include Sailing The Coast of British Columbia, Victoria Island as well as the Northwest U.S. If you’ve always dreamed of touring Alaska, now’s your chance! Alaska Charters and Cruise Vacations are right here.
 http://www.redtag.ca/cruises/alaska.php

This site is recommended especially for first-time travelers who are looking for cheap Alaska cruise deals.  

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Tips Before You Begin Your Cruise to Alaska

Image by jimg944 via Flickr

Alaska Cruise

Here are some tips for you before you cruise to Alaska:

First, you need to decide where to begin your voyage.  Maybe somewhere in the US, in Canada or in Alaska.  Then look for the best deals offered by travel agencies or you can simply go through Alaska cruise deals websites you can easily google in the Internet.  You  will later choose the best deal according to your criteria.   I recommend that you settle on the cruise line which offers greater comfort and security especially if you are traveling with children and consider availing of the entertainment for children.  

Second,  choose the best date for your voyage.  It is important if you want to select from a variety of good prices.  Like in other cruises, prices always rise during peak tourist season.  Some cruise lines offer lower prices even for peak season if you book much ahead of the departure date.   Of course, off season tickets carry lower price tags.

Third, be aware of the additional fees not normally charged upon the purchase of ticket or booking of the sailing.  Your budget should cover not only the visible price tags but also the invisible prices hidden in drinks, extra trips and other activities offered by cruise lines or tourist destinations within the cruise course.  Get the telephone numbers, addresses, e-mails, magazines etc. that refer to cruise stopovers and cruise services and research on the prices hidden in alcoholic beverage, desserts, transfers and extra use of extra facilities.  

Once you have followed these simple tips, all the rest will be a fulfillment of your desire to see Alaska´s best.  Have the best cruise deals and a wonderful voyage!

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Cheap Alaska Cruise

Image by jimg944 via Flickr

Alaska Cruise

Image by philip pannenko via Flickr

Alaska Cruise

Image via Wikipedia

Cruise ships in Juneau, Alaska. 
Photograph by Robert A. Estremo, copyright 2002

Whether you plan an Alaska cruise aboard an Alaska small cruise ship or a large cruise ship, there are some good options for cheap Alaska cruises. Discount Alaska cruises are available through the famous Inside Passage and through many of Alaska’s most popular ports, including Anchorage, Sitka and Juneau. You can also search for cheap Alaska cruises from southern United States cities such as Vancouver, BC or Seattle, Washington. In general, the key to finding Alaska cruise deals is to look for cruises that are likely to have the least amount of attention or popularity, such as during the off-season or not coinciding with popular holidays.

The cruising season for Alaska cruises starts in April and runs through September. Cheap Alaska cruises can be found by searching for your cruise during the least busy times, which are at the beginning and end of the season. June, July and August are the busiest cruise season and will be the most difficult time to find discount Alaska cruises. Try searching for cheap Alaska cruises during April and during the last few weeks of the season in September, when many travelers may not realize that cruises are still available and many cruise companies offer deals to fill up their last few cruise trips of the season.

Alaska cruise deals can be found on small cruise ships, but are more likely on the larger ships. While cheap Alaska cruises on smaller ships can be found (usually about a 10 – 15% discount off of the highest prices), larger cruise companies sometimes offer discounts of up to 25 or 30%. Due to their larger size, these cruise companies often are able to offer lower prices on discount Alaska cruises.

Travelers can also search for cheap Alaska cruises by booking Alaska cruise packages. An almost endless number of separate activities (generally not included in cruise prices) can be booked in the towns and ports of Alaska. Wildlife tours, whale watching tours, whitewater rafting, fishing trips and other historical walking tours through towns like Anchorage can be booked with your cruise price. If you plan to fly into the town your ship leaves from (usually Anchorage, Seattle or Vancouver), you can also package your flight with your cruise ship price. Often by booking all of these travel amenities together, companies will offer a discounted price overall.

Last minute Alaska cruise deals are yet another way to find cheaper cruises. You can sometimes find 7-night cruises for as low as $599 per person by searching for last minute deals on ships that are about to leave but still have a few empty rooms. If your travel plans are somewhat flexible, try searching for last minute deals. Early booking discounts are also offered by Holland, Cruise America and other major Alaska cruise carriers. They do not offer discounts off of the bottom line prices for early booking, rather, they offer luxury and ocean-view rooms at a discounted cost (usually for the same price as a standard room). As with regularly priced cruises, all cruise trips include breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/alaska/cheap-alaska-cruise

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