Do May Alaska cruises generally not sail full?

[DShier1a]

Booked on the May 5 Noordam to Alaska. Was poking around just seeing what cabins are avail. I was surprised how many empty cabins there still are.....is this typical?

[CruiserBruce]

You can't tell if they are full or not, because you can't tell how many guarantee bookings there are. All you can see is unassigned cabins. It could literally take one more booking to fill a category, even though you might see 10 or 15 or 20 cabins "available ". 

 

You should assume the ship will sail full, or very close to it.

[sunviking90]

We get “resident” offers every year at good prices for May Alaska cruises on Princess, HAL and Celebrity, so I don’t think they have as many far advance bookings. A lot of the Alaska cruises combine with the cruise tours, even HALs 7 day insides, but May 5 is a little early for cruise tours so that may be another reason for high availability on it.

Edited February 13 by sunviking90

[canadianbear]

38 minutes ago, sunviking90 said:

We get “resident” offers every year at good prices for May Alaska cruises on Princess, HAL and Celebrity, so I don’t think they have as many far advance bookings. A lot of the Alaska cruises combine with the cruise tours, even HALs 7 day insides, but May 5 is a little early for cruise tours so that may be another reason for high availability on it.

How do you get resident offers-is there somewhere to sign up!? 

[sunviking90]

11 minutes ago, canadianbear said:

How do you get resident offers-is there somewhere to sign up!? 

They usually come as “private fares” but my PCC has said the Alaska ones are resident offers. I haven’t had any this year, but the fares showing when I log in are very good.

My lowest prices right now come up if I go into the “Canada Super Sale” promo.

Edited February 14 by sunviking90

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

It is early in the season. It may fill up as the time gets closer. Sailing on a ship not full is pretty nice. I remember the first cruises after the ""pause" from Covid were really nice with half empty ships.

[canadianbear]

31 minutes ago, sunviking90 said:

They usually come as “private fares” but my PCC has said the Alaska ones are resident offers. I haven’t had any this year, but the fares showing when I log in are very good.

My lowest prices right now come up if I go into the “Canada Super Sale” promo.

Hmm…I might have to mention to my PCC we’d love a resident off.  I could pack in a heartbeat to Alaska!    Thanks.  

[sunviking90]

22 minutes ago, SJSULIBRARIAN said:

It is early in the season. It may fill up as the time gets closer. Sailing on a ship not full is pretty nice. I remember the first cruises after the ""pause" from Covid were really nice with half empty ships.

True. Our best cruises ever!

[Ferry_Watcher]

The ships sailing from Seattle are quite full.

[lcand1923]

I booked a May Alaska cruise as a B2B with the final Panama Canal Cruise of the season.  It was quite interesting.  

Several people were doing B2B with the end of a World Cruise.  The ship was not full on the Panama Canal Cruise.  When we got to the California ports, a lot more folks boarded for a short Pacific Coastal Cruise.  When we got to Seattle, even more boarded for the Alaska cruise.  I can’t give actual numbers, but I would say that the Alaska cruise was fully booked, or very close to it.  

[CruiserBruce]

5 minutes ago, lcand1923 said:

I booked a May Alaska cruise as a B2B with the final Panama Canal Cruise of the season.  It was quite interesting.  

Several people were doing B2B with the end of a World Cruise.  The ship was not full on the Panama Canal Cruise.  When we got to the California ports, a lot more folks boarded for a short Pacific Coastal Cruise.  When we got to Seattle, even more boarded for the Alaska cruise.  I can’t give actual numbers, but I would say that the Alaska cruise was fully booked, or very close to it.  

Hmmm...one can't sail from a West Coast port (say, San Diego) to Seattle. That would violate the PVSA. Yes, you can sail from Ft Lauderdale to Seattle, because you stopped in Aruba or Cartagena.

[DaveOKC]

May Alaska cruises are nice due to the extra sunlight (versus Sept).  However, ice in the water can restrict some glacier and Tracy Arm viewings.  Prices normally are lower, with the ships less crowded, especially fewer families.

 

[sunviking90]

2 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

The ships sailing from Seattle are quite full.

True. The Seattle ones seem to book up more easily. A lot of first timers especially will pick Seattle for convenience over other considerations. 

[sunviking90]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

Hmmm...one can't sail from a West Coast port (say, San Diego) to Seattle. That would violate the PVSA. Yes, you can sail from Ft Lauderdale to Seattle, because you stopped in Aruba or Cartagena.

 

Edited February 14 by sunviking90

[Bookited]

3 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Hmmm...one can't sail from a West Coast port (say, San Diego) to Seattle. That would violate the PVSA. Yes, you can sail from Ft Lauderdale to Seattle, because you stopped in Aruba or Cartagena.

That is why there is a port call in Victoria, Canada

[Khlela]

A few years back we did Alaska on the first sailing in the end of April... NEVER again! I know weather can vary but it was terrible. So cold, so much rain, we got hit by a storm and had to skip Sitka and take the inside passage back. Did another one in mid May and that was so much better, weather was absolutely perfect as was all the viewing. 

We are going again this year but in June. More expensive but I want to do what I can to increase the chance of decent weather. 

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, Bookited said:

That is why there is a port call in Victoria, Canada

Nope, doesn't work that way. You can not sail from one US port to another US port without a stop in a distant foreign port.

[RedIguana]

4 hours ago, Bookited said:

That is why there is a port call in Victoria, Canada

The coastal cruise would have to end in Canada to not violate the PVSA. It most likely ends in Vancouver, and if the ship is needed for cruises out of Seattle, would have another short cruise from Vancouver to Seattle.

[RedIguana]

22 hours ago, DShier1a said:

Booked on the May 5 Noordam to Alaska. Was poking around just seeing what cabins are avail. I was surprised how many empty cabins there still are.....is this typical?

10 night on Princess departing May 22nd 2023 was easily over double occupancy

[CruiserBruce]

19 minutes ago, RedIguana said:

10 night on Princess departing May 22nd 2023 was easily over double occupancy

Over double occupancy is not unusual. Technically, that only takes one cabin with a third person in it.

[OlsSalt]

We have done both late April and Early May Alaska cruises - loved both of them. Everything was so fresh, green, full of flowers and uncrowded. So many bald eagles as well.  Lots of icebergs  in the glacier cruising areas.  

 

Just did a late September one, and it was less dazzling, but still okay. Hardly any icebergs in Glacier Bay. As they say, there is no bad weather, just the wrong clothes. 

[rj59]

Generally, N/S sailings have less demand, and sailings in May/September also have lower demand, because of weather and school not being out. Zaandam will probably mostly sail full, because it's a small ship, but Koningsdam might always have some space. Seattle demand and prices are insane, so Westerdam and Eurodam will mostly sail full or at even over capacity for June-August, because of families, and all the megaships going out of Seattle will be at over 100% capacity, especially with Celebrity Edge sailing this year. There's also a possibility that HAL will extend their Standby program for Alaska, which would help fill any empty cabins--right now the 5-night Noordam on April 30 is on the list. 

[visagrunt]

May is a good time for large organized tours (especially Australians) who likely hold GTYs.  Those empty cabins disappear pretty quick once cabin assignments start.

[Dutchman48]

On 2/14/2024 at 1:32 PM, RedIguana said:

The coastal cruise would have to end in Canada to not violate the PVSA. It most likely ends in Vancouver, and if the ship is needed for cruises out of Seattle, would have another short cruise from Vancouver to Seattle.

Not correct.

Have taken multiple Alaskan cruises round trip Alaska,  The ship makes a stop at either Vancouver or Victorria prior to returning to Seattle. Similar to going south the ship will stop in Mexico or other Central American country before returning.

PVSA just prohibits you from disembarking without stopping at a foreign port first once you start your cruise.

If you look at the various booking options from any port (Seattle, San Diago, New York, etc.) you will see at least one non-US port.

It is also why the cruise lines will restrict some deviations as far as when you disembark if it's not where the cruise is planned to stop.

[RedIguana]

17 minutes ago, Dutchman48 said:

Not correct.

Have taken multiple Alaskan cruises round trip Alaska,  The ship makes a stop at either Vancouver or Victorria prior to returning to Seattle. Similar to going south the ship will stop in Mexico or other Central American country before returning.

PVSA just prohibits you from disembarking without stopping at a foreign port first once you start your cruise.

If you look at the various booking options from any port (Seattle, San Diago, New York, etc.) you will see at least one non-US port.

It is also why the cruise lines will restrict some deviations as far as when you disembark if it's not where the cruise is planned to stop.

Please go read the PVSA. Anywhere departing California and arriving Seattle is not closed loop, and would require a "distant" foreign port, which Canada is not.