So what is the secret to an affordable Pearl AK cruise?

[sdmike]

We're going to be booking an AK cruise soon and I'm leaning towards the Pearl. I want to know what tips people have for making this trip affordable for a large group of 11, including a family of 5, a family of 4, and 2 grandparents. Allow me to frame this up...

 

A number of years ago we sailed on Disney Magic in the Western Caribbean and we ended up staying in 4 connecting ocean view rooms for under $10k. My family of 5 was split into 2 rooms, so we basically had a 2BR, 2BA suite. These were not balcony rooms, just ocean view.

 

A couple of years ago we sailed the Vision of the Seas out of Long Beach to the Mexican Riveria. It was in February around presidents week. For that SAME $10k we had three suites. My family of 5 was in a huge owner's suite, while the others were in adjacent grand suites. The $10 also covered the airfare for 6 from the east coast!!

 

In July we sailed the Epic in 3 family balconies. One of my group of 5 stayed with grandma and grandpa in their adjoining room. We had two rooms filled with 4, and 3 in the other. The price? You guessed it, about $10k not including airfare.

 

Now, I just tentatively priced out a NCL Pearl trip to Alaska next summer. For the 5 of us in a 2BR suite (similar to the OS on the Vision) it would cost $12k just for the ONE room for 5 people! WTH? We have 6 more to join us, plus airfare. So, now you see my dilemma. We want to do an AK cruise but want to come up with an affordable plan similar to what we spent in the past. Is the AK strategy similar to DCL? The Epic? Or something completely different?

 

Thoughts?

[tiyana4]

Alaska is a unique market, whereas the Caribbean has so much competition that one can almost always find reasonable rates for higher end cabins.

 

NCL only has 2 ships sailing Alaska next year but from what I could see the rates are pretty good for the AF minis for both compared to other lines (Princess, RCL, etc). With fewer ships sailing these AK itineraries, they can command a higher premium.

[Springwater21]

on the NCL Star, they have family suites now. Deck 12 AJ category(at least for now) They sleep 6, has a murphy bed, hide a bed sofa and reg. queen or king bed. Search on the forum, a few have been in these cabins recently. Alaska is pricey. Might just be the right fit for your family. Good luck planning! Dona

[sdmike]

Thanks folks. I just read that the Star was recently refurbished and they added some new suites. I'll check those out too.

[salty dingo]

We did this very same cruise on Pearl, and had an adjoining AB-AF combo. At the time, there was a "family special" that gave a discount when both were purchased together.

 

With that you get the AF which has a nice balcony and a full tub in the bathroom, and a connecting door to an AB suite. We left the door open all the time during the day, so we had access to all the amenities of the AB.

 

The AB has two separate bedrooms, with the smaller one having a private full bath. The master BR is huge and the master bath is almost as big and is very fancy.

 

There is also a sofa in the living room. Not sure how many that sleeps, but look at the max capacity of these rooms. I think a family would be very comfortable in there due to all the rooms and especially having three full bathrooms!

[garycarla]

As said, the Alaska market is different.

 

Airfares to Alaska/Seattle are different.

(one should not compare airfares and/or group with cruise prices)

 

Also, rates move around from week to week.

 

Suites vs no suites. Be careful with this. There are certain perks that can not, repeat, can NOT be shared with non suite guests. See messages about Cagneys.

 

When thinking about Alaska, I would suggest you also visit the PORTS OF CALL board and click on Alaska. Lots of great advice there.

[sdmike]

We did this very same cruise on Pearl, and had an adjoining AB-AF combo. At the time, there was a "family special" that gave a discount when both were purchased together.

 

With that you get the AF which has a nice balcony and a full tub in the bathroom, and a connecting door to an AB suite. We left the door open all the time during the day, so we had access to all the amenities of the AB.

 

The AB has two separate bedrooms, with the smaller one having a private full bath. The master BR is huge and the master bath is almost as big and is very fancy.

 

There is also a sofa in the living room. Not sure how many that sleeps, but look at the max capacity of these rooms. I think a family would be very comfortable in there due to all the rooms and especially having three full bathrooms!

 

Thanks. Was that family special something NCL advertised, or something your TA found you when shopping?

[sdmike]

 

Suites vs no suites. Be careful with this. There are certain perks that can not, repeat, can NOT be shared with non suite guests. See messages about Cagneys.

 

Thanks for the reminder. This is why we try to book the same type of rooms for our group. I have 3 kids and my brother 2 of similar ages, so if we end up with some in suites and others not in suites it can be a little disappointing to some of the kids. It wasn't an issue on the Vision when we had the larger suite for our larger family, but I could see issues if they were in a smaller balcony cabin. I would never try to get my "extended" party into things that are limited to suite customers. I don't think that's playing the game fairly. :)

[tiyana4]

Another thing to keep in mind is that rates can fluctuate widely during certain periods. May and September are much more affordable than other months during the Alaska sailing season. If you can be flexible with your dates, you may be able to find significant savings.