Summer Sales - Alaska or New England

[RGBFamily]

I've started looking for some summer ideas for my 10 year daughter and myself, narrowing it down to Alaska or New England.  We are more flexible on destination than dates (thought I am thinking Vancouver or Montreal as our starting or ending points).  I am wondering if anyone has experience or ideas when/if we will start to see some price drops or a sale pop up? I am flexible on cabins and will consider guarantee  rooms.   We have historically been Caribbean travelers so this is a new one for me!!  We really enjoy HAL so prefer them, however I am open to other lines if someone thinks the experience is far better!

 

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and wisdom. 🙂

[jb008]

A lot of New England is accessible as a road trip... Alaska is a very unique experience by cruise ship.  I'd vote Alaska over NE. Disclaimer though, I live in the Finger Lakes region of Western NY and have road tripped to Boston, Cape Cod, Montreal, Quebec City, and lived in NYC so I'm probably biased.  Also part of the appeal of a New England cruise is the fall foliage, which is all green and boring in the summer.

 

Idk about NE pricing, but I don't think Alaska is as oversupplied as Caribbean so I wouldn't expect to see much in the way of fare sales until after final payment cutoffs... although I bet there will be decent perks offered prior to final payment (so higher fares, but free beverage/grats/OBC) to work on filling cabins before they actually reduce fares.  Remember that beverage packages hit the company bottom line less than discounting the actual fare.

 

I like to use the lines with 90-day final payment deadlines (e.g. X) to help guess at fares and availability in the region for lines that have a 75-day final payment deadline (P & HAL)

 

 

[Suzanne123]

You could show your daughter some of the excursions for both NE and Alaska and let her decide which is more interesting, but I think your daughter would be much happier on an Alaskan cruise.  There is so much more to do, and so many more exciting things to see. 

I do like the NE cruises, but mainly for relaxation.  HAL does both areas very nicely, and would be my preferred cruise line for either.  In fact, I’m on the Noordam in May.

As far as price drops, I’d start looking now at any of the online cruise reservation companies.   With Alaska, you’re taking a chance by waiting until final payment, especially if you can only go during school vacation.  The lowest prices I have seen for Alaska were all in early May or September.  When I have taken advantage of the last minute pricing for summer, I made up the difference in savings by having to book last minute airfare. YMMV.

[RGBFamily]

Great thoughts .... I completely agree that the east is driveable most likely a camping trip, however this particular trip won't be the entire family so I'm more interested in relaxing, floating to my destination and spending time with my daughter when she isn't in Club HAL.  :0)   That said I don't want her to be bored and will do some excursions!

I agree with your comment on sale on cruise but hit on the airfare - I feel that way about the south!!  We are in Canada so was hoping maybe, just maybe I could win for once on airfare!! 🙂  I am limited to a couple weeks in August when my oldest is travelling to the East Coast with a group which does make deals hard to find.

I think I will check out the excursion options and maybe go at it from that angle!  Thanks!!

[NotLikeBelleRosen,IHope]

I've taken both New England and Alaskan cruises. I loved them both but Alaskan cruise has much more of a Wow factor. 

[RuthC]

Your daughter is at an age where she has or will just be starting to study history in school, and the New England/Canada cruise is wonderful for that. She will be able to picture just what her lessons are talking about when she studies how the British scaled the Planes of Abraham. She will 'see' in her mind's eye when events leading up to the American Revolution are discussed.
This area is chock full of history, and it will all come alive for a 10-year old.
Have her read (or reread) Anne of Green Gables, then go out to the house while in PEI.

I grew up in New England and was fortunate to travel around much of it as a child (by land). History came alive for me having been to so many of the places I was learning about in school.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have done various itineraries for New England and many different itineraries for Alaska.

 

We really prefer Alaska -- beautiful scenery -- so much to see and do.

[Andi Land]

Have done both of these cruises and my kids preferred Canada New England. They thought Alaska was pretty but kinda boring.