Several cruise lines add land tours to north and south bound Alaska cruises, but Princess has more possibilities than anyone but Holland America, so I am going to use Princess specifics to address the general issue of cruise tours.
You undoubtedly have longer days. That's a simple scientific fact that we've all recognized since we were told to come in from playing when the street lights came on.
It usually is warmer and sunnier when summer officially starts and going through July, but any given week can be the exception.
It usually is warmer and sunnier when summer officially starts and going through July, but any given week can be the exception.
If you live in a place that gets hot in the summer (and that's most of us), the idea of it being cooler, however, isn't necessarily a bad thing.
In Alaska, cooler in August could easily be in the 50s and warm days in July rarely get above the lows 70s. You're looking more 60s as a general rule, and dressing in layers is always recommended for changing conditions.
Any given week can be unseasonably warm or cool. Once again, that's something we all know, although in California it does seem to take us by surprise when the weather changes appreciably from one day to the next, and of course rain is almost unheard of.
Not so in Alaska. It could rain at any time.
Not so in Alaska. It could rain at any time.
In Ketchikan, I read once that if you can't see the distant mountain peak, then it is raining, and if you can see it, that means it is going to rain. We didn't actually have rain when I was there, but I tend to be pretty lucky with weather when I travel, with the only exception having been an hour in Nassau when it suddenly became like a hurricane after we had snorkeled, forcing us to actually get a taxi rather than walking back to the ferry, but I digress.
When I was cruising Alaska in July a few years ago, it was beautiful, but I heard that the week before they had rain. My sister-in-law is on a Celebrity Alaska cruise as I write this, and based on her photos, it has been on the cool if not cold side. Among her photos was an incredible shot of bears coming to the pond where they were fishing.
On the other hand, some friends cruised Alaska in early May, which is usually cooler than August because Alaska is still defrosting from winter, and they reported every day was sunny.
It is always a bit of a gamble, but July is the best bet for the sunniest weather. The pricing difference between the weeks will be similar to what you would see in the brochures, subject to what is actually available on any given ship. As I mentioned, I am going to use Princess specifics as examples.
The Princess brochure for Alaska linked here has lots of cruise tours in it beginning on page 22. These tend to be templates for those of most other cruise lines (except Holland America, which has some very unusual Yukon tours), with the exception that only Princess has Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail available between the cruise ship port in Whittier to Denali National Park and also has its own wilderness lodges, including two in Denali.
The Princess brochure for Alaska linked here has lots of cruise tours in it beginning on page 22. These tend to be templates for those of most other cruise lines (except Holland America, which has some very unusual Yukon tours), with the exception that only Princess has Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail available between the cruise ship port in Whittier to Denali National Park and also has its own wilderness lodges, including two in Denali.
Regarding ships, Island and Coral Princess are narrower ships with fewer interior rooms, making them tend to feel less crowded, because people with interior rooms are most likely to spend more of their free time in public spaces.
Royal Princess is the largest, newest Princess ship in Alaska, and because it doesn't have ocean view rooms, entry level balconies with views partially obstructed by lifeboats ---basically, you may see the top or bottom of a lifeboat from your balcony --- may be lower than entry level balconies on other Princes ships, even though the ship itself often costs a bit more. The other ships are more the standard Princess offering, and for the most part, going on any of them feels pretty similar if you've been on Princess previously, with the true exception being their small ship, Pacific Princess, which will not be in Alaska in 2019. As a general rule, the newest ships cost more per day.
Royal Princess is the largest, newest Princess ship in Alaska, and because it doesn't have ocean view rooms, entry level balconies with views partially obstructed by lifeboats ---basically, you may see the top or bottom of a lifeboat from your balcony --- may be lower than entry level balconies on other Princes ships, even though the ship itself often costs a bit more. The other ships are more the standard Princess offering, and for the most part, going on any of them feels pretty similar if you've been on Princess previously, with the true exception being their small ship, Pacific Princess, which will not be in Alaska in 2019. As a general rule, the newest ships cost more per day.
Below are some key items that differentiate Princess cruise tours from each other, and you can apply the basic principles to cruise tours on other lines.
1. Perhaps most important is the question of which places you want to see in Alaska's interior. You will get at least one night in Denali. Princess has two lodges in Denali that show you different parts of Denali, but you still barely scratch the surface of its 6 million-plus acres.
I like tours that include both (and you can do something similar with other lines like Royal Caribbean), because you can then go for hikes to see what you can see in two different areas whether or not you take an excursion. The ride between these wilderness lodges is really sort of like an excurison in its own right.
The question of Fairbanks or Anchorage is the one most people focus on.
Fairbanks is a rustic gold rush town. Some excursions include panning for gold and a paddle wheel river boat ride, but you would need a full day there, not just an overnight stay. Princess does not own the hotel in Fairbanks, and I don't receive nearly the same positive feedback I receive for their own wilderness lodges.
Anchorage is a beautiful, modern city in its own right, and there is a lot of gorgeous countryside just outside of city limits.
I have really simplified the choices for the purposes of this presentation, but these are the ones most people choose for their first cruise tour. Many people love this vacation so much that they think about doing it again to visit other places like Copper River, although you certainly can choose one of those more off the beaten path itineraries the first time, if you like.
2. What exactly is included can be a major factor. The easiest way to get a lower price other than choosing a lower-demand month is to choose a cruise tour with fewer inclusions, like Princess Cruise Tours that end in X.
I have really simplified the choices for the purposes of this presentation, but these are the ones most people choose for their first cruise tour. Many people love this vacation so much that they think about doing it again to visit other places like Copper River, although you certainly can choose one of those more off the beaten path itineraries the first time, if you like.
2. What exactly is included can be a major factor. The easiest way to get a lower price other than choosing a lower-demand month is to choose a cruise tour with fewer inclusions, like Princess Cruise Tours that end in X.
Sometimes, "On Your Own" AAX costs hundreds less than "Denali Explorer" AA3, with the differences being that instead of Direct to the Wilderness rail all the way to Denali at the beginning of the tour --- which truly is quite an awesome way to start a cruise tour --- you have a shorter rail trip from Talkeetna to Anchorage after your stay in Denali. Also, AAX wouldn't have the natural history tour that is included in AA3, although you may add that separately as an excursion for an extra fee.
"Off the Beaten Path" tours take you to some less visited places like Copper River, tend to be longer (though not always) and inevitably cost more. Other than Holland America, these out of the way places are not the norm for most cruise lines.
The Cadillac approach --- should that be Tesla these days? --- is "Connoisseur Escorted," which includes more pampering, including most meals, and of course is the most expensive.
3. Basically, it often comes down to when you book and what happens to be available in live inventory. The earlier you book, the greater your probability of having every possibility on the table.
Alaska cruise tours are extremely popular with seasoned travelers, so guests book early to choose the best rooms.
It may be that based on brochure rates, one cruise on July 24 seems to cost less than the one on July17, but when we get down to the nitty gritty of actually choosing rooms, the least expensive categories may not be available on what is theoretically the lower priced date, making the higher priced date more competitive if not less expensive, depending on the exact room selected.
For Alaska in particular, port or starboard side of the ship seems to matter quite a bit to passengers, most of whom wish to be on the land side of the ship, so either starboard on north bound cruises or port side going south. The ocean is a pretty nice view in itself, and that could be the side of the ship the whales decide to play on, but it is a fact that the land side of the ship sells out first, and staying on that side of the ship could end up costing more due to meta-category availability.
When it is time to book your Alaska cruise tour, you may have a wide selection of cruise lines, and I'm not trying to force you into Princess as a one-size-fits-all solution. Princess does a great job, but primarily I use them as an example because of the variety of their offerings and the fact that they simply have more cruise tours than almost anyone else. Most people, in my experience, will choose 10 or 11 nights with either Anchorage or Fairbanks as one of the bookends for their first Alaska cruise tour.
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