Alaska 2008?

[Pyrate13]

OK all you Alaska experts. Two of my brothers and their wives along with me and my wife are talking about doing an Alaska cruise in '08. When can we typically expect to see cruises start showing up in the various lines websites or even on CC's site? From reading various posts on these boards we are probably leaning toward late May.

 

Also, if you do a one way trip how much more can we expect to pay for airline flights, (ballpark of course).

[Pyrate13]

Bumping up, anyone?

[fti]

Also, if you do a one way trip how much more can we expect to pay for airline flights, (ballpark of course).

 

That depends on where you are flying from. Generally to Anchorage and return from Vancouver adds a couple hundred dollars to the cost. You can always do a round trip to Seattle or Vancouver then a separate one way ticket between Anchorage and Seattle or Vancouver.

 

John

[cruisergrandma]

Princess tells me that May, 2008 prices should be out next month. Really not sure. Normally cruise lines post prices 18 months out but, not Alaska, 2008. Haven't checked any other lines.

 

We flew roundtrip Seattle from Atlanta in September, 2006 - direct flight - Delta - cost was $564 pp coach.

 

Have you cruised before? I highly recommend that you get with a local TA. They can help you choose from the many Alaska cruise options.

[LEtue]

OK all you Alaska experts. Two of my brothers and their wives along with me and my wife are talking about doing an Alaska cruise in '08. When can we typically expect to see cruises start showing up in the various lines websites or even on CC's site? From reading various posts on these boards we are probably leaning toward late May.

 

Also, if you do a one way trip how much more can we expect to pay for airline flights, (ballpark of course).

 

I think Carnival is usually the first to release threir dates - in March last year. Most of the others were about a month or so later.

 

Airfare from TPA to Seattle is very reasonable. I paid $282 on American last year for a May 29 sail date from Vancouver and used the train from Seattle. This year the fare was $328 so I jumped on the flights I wanted. I believe I purchased in August? Friends that are traveling with me waited a bit longer and ended up in the $364 range..... When you figure out when you're going check immediately at 330 days out when the fares are first released......

[catmand]

If the 08 season is the same as this year:

We were watching the web site regularly, booked 13 months out with Celebrity.......so, April. Princess was a week or so later.

[NancyIL]

Princess tells me that May, 2008 prices should be out next month. Really not sure. Normally cruise lines post prices 18 months out but, not Alaska, 2008. Haven't checked any other lines.

 

 

I doubt that Princess will have their Alaska 2008 cruises available for booking next month. They were available May 6th last year. If I were a betting woman, I'd say that HAL and Princess might be even later this year, since they have the most ships in Alaska, in order to see the impact of the $50/pp tax on 2007 Alaska cruisers.

[agabbymama]

I don't think the $50 Alaska tax is going to have anything to do with the schedule. It's there and there isn't anything anyone can do about it. If you want to cruise to Alaska, you are going to have to pay it.

 

I booked in June of '06 for a cruisetour in August '07 on HAL, so that's 14 months out. I would suggest starting to check at 18 months and then just keep checking back. Doesn't seem to me to be a real rhyme or reason to when they put out the itineraries.

 

In '05 when I was trying to book my New England/Canada cruise, RCCL, HAL and Princess all said 12 months, in September, I ended up booking with Celebrity because RCCL told me they weren't doing New England/Canada in '06. However, RCCL DID issue a New England/Canada itinerary in January '06 (and that's only 9 months).

 

All you can do is keep checking. If you see an itinerary you like for a price you like, book it. A lot of folks on this board talk about prices decreasing, but for the cruises I've taken the opposite is true. The prices have seemed to go up not down. New England/Canada was up by about $500 by the time we took the cruise. My cruisetour I booked in June last year is up about $300 pp right now, and it's still 6 months out.

 

Whatever you find, have a great trip. You will love Alaska, it's awesome.

[NancyIL]

I don't think the $50 Alaska tax is going to have anything to do with the schedule. It's there and there isn't anything anyone can do about it. If you want to cruise to Alaska, you are going to have to pay it.

 

 

It remains to be seen how this year's cruisers react to paying the tax. I think it certainly could affect the number of ships deployed to Alaska in 2008 by HAL and Princess - since they have the most ships there.

 

The cruiselines put the whole Alaska season out at once - not drip drip 18 months out at a time. Carnival was first in 2006 by booking in February. HAL was last in mid-late May.

[Pyrate13]

Thanks all! Looks like I should start watching soon.

 

Grandma, yes we have cruised before, usually book directly with the line.

 

Pyrate