Alaska cruise total price

[masspector]

I am wanting to plan an Alaska cruise and land tour for late May 2015. I want to go on Princess or HAL. After researching these boards I have decided it might be best to book it on my own as opposed to a cruisetour. Looking at current prices we would probably book an OV, balcony too much of a premium price.

 

Here are the stats. 2 adults from Atlanta. Northbound 7 day to Alaska. Would like to take train to Denali, at least 2 full days in Denali, train back to Anchorage, maybe one day in Anchorage

 

The component costs are the cruise plus tips plus cruise extras, airfare, train or transport to and from Denali, hotel rooms, excursions, and insurance.

 

My question is what would you ballpark a total for this trip to be? I am guessing $5000. Can it be done for closer to $3000? I know that you do not know what our excursion or OB spending will be but just average that. We will do some stuff but nothing extremely expensive. I am not opposed to a cruisetour if it goes where we want to go long enough and is truly a better price than booking seperate. Thanks for any insight.

[thinfool]

I am wanting to plan an Alaska cruise and land tour for late May 2015. I want to go on Princess or HAL. After researching these boards I have decided it might be best to book it on my own as opposed to a cruisetour. Looking at current prices we would probably book an OV, balcony too much of a premium price.

 

Here are the stats. 2 adults from Atlanta. Northbound 7 day to Alaska. Would like to take train to Denali, at least 2 full days in Denali, train back to Anchorage, maybe one day in Anchorage

 

The component costs are the cruise plus tips plus cruise extras, airfare, train or transport to and from Denali, hotel rooms, excursions, and insurance.

 

My question is what would you ballpark a total for this trip to be? I am guessing $5000. Can it be done for closer to $3000? I know that you do not know what our excursion or OB spending will be but just average that. We will do some stuff but nothing extremely expensive. I am not opposed to a cruisetour if it goes where we want to go long enough and is truly a better price than booking seperate. Thanks for any insight.

 

This is a fabulous trip...one you will never forget. I will contribute my observations:

1. Go with your higher $$ figure. You will have more wiggle room.

 

2. Rent a car to get to/from Denali. The train is a boring 10 hour slow trip thru a great deal of "tree tunnel" type terrain. There are a few nice vistas, but way more from the highway. You will get to Denali lots quicker in a car.

 

3. Verify that you can see what you want in Denali in May. Roads into Denali are closed well into May.

[agabbymama]

In 2007, we paid approximately $3000 pp for our 11 day HAL cruisetour + food. That includes airfare from Los Angeles to Vancouver and from Anchorage back to LAX. For a balcony cabin. We were only on the ship for 3 days, departing in Skagway up the Whitepass Yukon RR to Fraser, Whitehorse, Dawson City in the Yukon, continued to Eagle, Chicken, Tok, Fairbanks, Denali and ending in Anchorage 8 days later.

 

It was an awesome trip! Go for as long as you can go. And as thinfool says, check out Denali access. It is a must!

[CobbClan]

I wish mine came in at $5,000.

 

Holland America, August 2014

Fly from Flint, Michigan to Vancouver 2 days ahead.

2 nights in Vancouver

7 night cruise

Disembark in Seward, bus to Denali

3 nights in Denali

Train to Anchorage

Overnight in Anchorage, part of HAL package

Rental car for 3 days in Anchorage

2 nights in B&B in Palmer, Alaska

Fly home.

 

We are seasoned travelers. I do a great deal of research to find the best deals, the right flights, independent excursions, and what works best for us. (Hubby HATES to drive on vacation, so we will take HAL's transportation to Denali). At this point, for the above, our cost comes to.......

 

$8500

 

Now this may come in much lower for some. There are many variables. The Vancouver hotel could have been farther out of the city, therefor cheaper, but we chose one within the area we wanted to be, it includes transportation from the airport and to the cruise port, one breakfast and bicycles are provided for fun touring! The car rental could have been cheaper if we rented a smaller car. But we are Pooh sized people and tend to go to the out of the way areas, so renting a small SUV.

 

This price does not include food, etc, during the land portion, nor does it include excursions (we are booked thru Chilkoot tours for the White Pass Railroad).

 

We try to use our heads. We really want to see Mendenhall Glacier, but will not book thru the cruise line. Independent busses run for $8 each way, and you can spend all the time you want. HAL charges like $40 and you get 2 hours. Very interested in the Totem Bight State Park in Ketchikan. HAL price is $45 and you get 2 1/2 hours. Take the city bus for a buck!

 

Do you research. This is the premium site for cruise travel and there are others for the individual towns that are really informative. Decide what is important to you, what fits your lifestyle.

 

And be sure to pack your good humor! The best experiences are the unexpected ones!

[CobbClan]

Oh! and the cruise itself could have been cheaper....we chose a Deluxe Veranda. This is the 30th Anniversary Cruise we have been saving and planning for years!

[Budget Queen]

I have no issue with reasonable costs in Alaska. :)

 

General information- a significant money saver is an inside cabin. I don't care where I am on a ship, so this works perfectly for me. I have been upgraded to outsides several times, with them being way too restrictive for my preferences. I do take ANY tour, I want and never skimp. That is where I freely spend my money. :)

 

As for costs, I always recommend budgeting 50% more for meals than you would at home. Car rentals, usually booked the year prior can be very budget friendly and certainly offer significantly more touring, lodging , meal options.

 

Although each year seems to have fewer and fewer offers, the purchased coupon books, in the past, have had several Alaska RR coupon offers, along with other discounts.

 

I am gone for weeks on my trips, I am fortunate I don't pay for any flights to get to/from Alaska, and am very happy in basic lodging. My food choices are very selective, my priority, and I do any touring I want. As an example, my costs are no where near what the above post lists.

 

Everyone has their priorities. Make lists and determine, what will be right for you.

[mapleleaves]

Renting a car would keep the costs down. ( train fare is on the Alaska Railroad web site.) Since you're looking at 2015 you will be able to get a good rental rate by booking sometime this summer. A car is much quicker plus it provides the freedom to stop for wildlife or other points of interest, and you're on your own schedule.

If you really want to keep costs down, you could skip the cruise and spend 10-14 days driving around Alaska. That would enable you to spend time visiting Denali, plus time for coastal communities on the Kenai Peninsula. Take a couple of day cruises from Seward, Whittier, or Valdez.

[CobbClan]

I agree with budgeting more for food. Remember, at Subway a $5 footlong here is a $10 footlong there.

 

And BudgeQueen is right....makes lists!

[theloo]

I could not tell from your post if you meant $3K vs. $5K per person or for 2 people. If you mean for 2 people, I would say almost certainly not, especially with airfare. Since you are booking in May and a year in advance, you will see some savings, but not enough to get you under $5K for total cost. As an example, we are 2 people traveling from Oregon, 7-day NB in late June, 3.5 days in Seward/Denali with a couple of expensive excursions and our trip is between $5-6K for the two of us,

[Budget Queen]

I could not tell from your post if you meant $3K vs. $5K per person or for 2 people. If you mean for 2 people, I would say almost certainly not, especially with airfare. Since you are booking in May and a year in advance, you will see some savings, but not enough to get you under $5K for total cost. As an example, we are 2 people traveling from Oregon, 7-day NB in late June, 3.5 days in Seward/Denali with a couple of expensive excursions and our trip is between $5-6K for the two of us,

 

Being they are not doing any "expensive" excursions. Subtract yours out, for the basic information for this poster. Might be more helpful.

[Glaciers]

Nice to see you are planning early. Many places close during the winter and won’t open until late winter, early spring like the hotels around Denali and tour operators. Firming up your plans before they close this fall is desirable. It can be frustrating to try to make plans when the hotels and tour operators aren’t open and you can’t research your options.

 

Also, the shuttle buses at Denali do not start running to the Eielson Visitor Center until June 1. If you arrive prior to that you will only be able to get as far as Toklat.

[theloo]

BQ is right, so I'll state that the total cost of my excursions (cruise+Seward+Denali) will be about $1300. Still you will want to do some excursions and almost nothing is totally free. With airfare to/from Atlanta surely being higher than airfare to/from OR, I would say $5K is nearly the minimum for a trip the length you described.

Edited April 17, 2014 by theloo

[masspector]

Thanks for all of the replies, you guys kind of confirmed what I thought. What I found from research was:

 

Late May cruise, about $700-900pp OV. I know about the Denali Rd thing so I want to arrive Denali June 1 or later.

 

Fly to Seattle, shuttle to Vancouver. Other threads have said that is cheaper than flying to Vancouver. Would stay only one night in Vancouver or Seattle precruise.

 

Airfare is next biggest expense. Once cruise is booked I am locked into a date. I was estimating $500-700pp airfare. Recently had an alert email for ATL-SEA for $268 RT. Of course that is probably not my date, but may get lucky. Have to plan for higher.

 

I have done this cruise b4, DH has not. I liked the train, but the rental car is something that I will look into.

 

When I started adding everything up on the higher end I was getting 5K-6K. That is the total for two people, not per person. For that kind of money I can spend 10-12 days in Europe. We did a 9 day in Europe last year for about 4K total price.

[CobbClan]

Good point, everyone....my total cost was for 2 people. Guess that does make a difference!

[theloo]

When I started adding everything up on the higher end I was getting 5K-6K. That is the total for two people, not per person. For that kind of money I can spend 10-12 days in Europe. We did a 9 day in Europe last year for about 4K total price.

 

But what you are describing is an 11-12 day trip (excluding transportation between Atlanta and Vancouver/Anchorage). So isn't that comparable? Remember that the cruise provides transportation, housing and most meals for 7 days. I would not expect Alaska to be cheaper than a trip to Europe.

[masspector]

But what you are describing is an 11-12 day trip (excluding transportation between Atlanta and Vancouver/Anchorage). So isn't that comparable? Remember that the cruise provides transportation, housing and most meals for 7 days. I would not expect Alaska to be cheaper than a trip to Europe.

 

While I loved Alaska, I love Europe more. I am more of a history buff/sightseer. If the price is the same or more for Alaska, Europe will get the nod everytime. Alaska will go much further down the bucket list.

 

What got me thinking about it was seeing prices like $599-$699pp for the cruise itself. That is less than $1500 for two people, right? And that includes transportation on the ship, hotel (the ship) and food. Since we are there we might as well do Denali too.

 

But when you start adding up everything else it gets expensive real fast. Thanks for the replies, at least I know a 5-6K budget is best to plan. If something happens and I can get cheaper than that may tip my consideration. I will keep on the lookout.

 

PS...the Europe 9 day was a land only vaction including airfare, not a 9 day cruise.

Edited April 17, 2014 by masspector

[theloo]

What got me thinking about it was seeing prices like $599-$699pp for the cruise itself. That is less than $1500 for two people, right? And that includes transportation on the ship, hotel (the ship) and food. Since we are there we might as well do Denali too.

 

But when you start adding up everything else it gets expensive real fast. Thanks for the replies, at least I know a 5-6K budget is best to plan. If something happens and I can get cheaper than that may tip my consideration. I will keep on the lookout.

 

PS...the Europe 9 day was a land only vaction including airfare, not a 9 day cruise.

 

I agree that Alaska does seem to have a problem with price creep. :eek: Even if you just do a RT from Seattle, that "rock bottom" cruise fare is going to go up to $1K pp once you include fees, taxes, insurance, and HSC. Add in $1K in airfare, another $1K (at least) for 3 days in/around Denali and something for activities and you can easily reach $5K.

[Budget Queen]

I find no benefit with comparing destinations, with it being based on price. The options are endless. :) What was paid in the past, isn't what prices are today. They can be up or down. I go to Europe every year, it isn't a "cheap" destination, just the exchange rate will add up, currently about 40% with the euro. Airfare is consistently referenced at being currently high. Just take a look at the message boards with posts about finding lower cost air.

[Robinhill]

I am wanting to plan an Alaska cruise and land tour for late May 2015. I want to go on Princess or HAL. After researching these boards I have decided it might be best to book it on my own as opposed to a cruisetour. Looking at current prices we would probably book an OV, balcony too much of a premium price.

 

Here are the stats. 2 adults from Atlanta. Northbound 7 day to Alaska. Would like to take train to Denali, at least 2 full days in Denali, train back to Anchorage, maybe one day in Anchorage

 

The component costs are the cruise plus tips plus cruise extras, airfare, train or transport to and from Denali, hotel rooms, excursions, and insurance.

 

My question is what would you ballpark a total for this trip to be? I am guessing $5000. Can it be done for closer to $3000? I know that you do not know what our excursion or OB spending will be but just average that. We will do some stuff but nothing extremely expensive. I am not opposed to a cruisetour if it goes where we want to go long enough and is truly a better price than booking seperate. Thanks for any insight.

 

it will cost close to $2000 for your airfare alone, another $1900 maybe for the cruise then you have hotels, trains etc. I would guess another 2500-3000 for a total of maybe $7000.

[Gardyloo]

it will cost close to $2000 for your airfare alone, another $1900 maybe for the cruise then you have hotels, trains etc. I would guess another 2500-3000 for a total of maybe $7000.

Another option -

 

Get a Bank of America Alaska Airlines-branded Visa card. It will come with 25,000 free Alaska Airlines miles and with a $115 companion coupon - one person flies at regular (cheapest available) price and the other flies for $115.

 

One-way travel on Alaska Airlines using miles is 12,500 miles each. Use your 25K "gift" miles to fly 2 pax from ATL to Vancouver.

 

Use the companion fare for the return from ANC to ATL. Currently ANC-xSEA-ATL is running around $365 for mid-summer, so use that.

 

Total airfare costs - $365 + $115, say $480 for two.

 

Use the city bus in Ketchikan to visit totem poles.

 

Take the cheapest tour, or the city bus, in Juneau, to visit Mendenhall Glacier. Use your feet for everything else.

 

Book a rental car in Skagway for a drive up to Emerald Lake and Robinson Roadhouse (a ghost town) in the Yukon. Find another couple on the boat who will split the cost with you.

 

Rent a car in Anchorage and use it to visit Denali, also to let you stay in a hotel in town that isn't downtown, thus saving big bucks on lodging. Avoid the touristy downtown places for restaurants and cafes in Anchorage that locals use, not the tourists. Try, for example, Mexico in Alaska, or the Lucky Wishbone, or Aladdin's, or even, God help us, Gwennie's.

 

It needn't be a bank buster. Watch your excursion costs, gambling, and alcohol.

[PandRBarry]

When I first looked at Alaskan cruises in 2012 I got sticker shock and gave up pretty quickly. Fast forward to 2013 and I used Cruise Compete and got a fantastic rate on Celebrity Millenium Seward to Vancouver the first week in June. For a balcony it was $1500 each including taxes and fees AND they upgraded us to Aqua Class AND it included all the alcohol. An inside would have been about half that. Using Cruise Compete was about $1000 less than booking with the cruiseline.

 

We flew into Anchorage and rented a car for about a week. We booked the car early so got a bargain (by Alaska standards) at about $450. We booked everything ourselves and used the Toursaver book for a book one night get one free in Denali. Also used the Toursaver coupons for several other excursions booked independently. We booked right through the Park Bus service for Dinali and it was pretty inexpensive to go on the bus for the day. All in all, two weeks was about $6K. It would have been MUCH more if we did everything we wanted to using the cruise tours. BY the way, do make sure you at least stop into Talkeetna on the way to Dinali.

 

Going back this year on Princess Vancouver to Whittier. We again used Cruise Compete and got the same price as the Princess direct BUT it included taxes and port fees (Cruise Brothers won the bid). I've noticed balcony prices for this particular cruise (June 14-21) have not decreased on the Princess website. We booked much earlier this year. This is also about $1600 each for the cruise including taxes and fees. Doing another road trip too. Anchorage one night, Lake Louise two nights, Valdez one night, homer two nights, then back to Anchorage for two nights. A little costlier than last year for sure.

 

By the way, we had a heatwave when we were up there last year!! Hoping for similar this year but lightening probably won't strike twice!

[Budget Queen]

Going back this year on Princess Vancouver to Whittier. We again used Cruise Compete and got the same price as the Princess direct BUT it included taxes and port fees (Cruise Brothers won the bid). I've noticed balcony prices for this particular cruise (June 14-21) have not decreased on the Princess website. We booked much earlier this year. This is also about $1600 each for the cruise including taxes and fees. Doing another road trip too. Anchorage one night, Lake Louise two nights, Valdez one night, homer two nights, then back to Anchorage for two nights. A little costlier than last year for sure.

!

 

I hope you have more days between Lake Louise and Homer.

[PandRBarry]

I hope you have more days between Lake Louise and Homer.

 

LOL Oh yeah! I forgot one night in Valdez (cabin at Eagles Rest RV Park) then ferry to whittier THEN Homer for 2 nights!

[rjrpar]

I am wanting to plan an Alaska cruise and land tour for late May 2015. I want to go on Princess or HAL. After researching these boards I have decided it might be best to book it on my own as opposed to a cruisetour. Looking at current prices we would probably book an OV, balcony too much of a premium price.

 

Here are the stats. 2 adults from Atlanta. Northbound 7 day to Alaska. Would like to take train to Denali, at least 2 full days in Denali, train back to Anchorage, maybe one day in Anchorage

 

The component costs are the cruise plus tips plus cruise extras, airfare, train or transport to and from Denali, hotel rooms, excursions, and insurance.

 

My question is what would you ballpark a total for this trip to be? I am guessing $5000. Can it be done for closer to $3000? I know that you do not know what our excursion or OB spending will be but just average that. We will do some stuff but nothing extremely expensive. I am not opposed to a cruisetour if it goes where we want to go long enough and is truly a better price than booking seperate. Thanks for any insight.

 

We are planning a 15 day cruise tour on HAL in August, 2015. I think your cost estimate is real low; we are planning to spend at least $10,000. From PA the flight is about $800, the cruise tour is $6000(balcony), tours-$1200, food-$1000, onboard spending-$500, misc-$1000.

I know this isn't exactly the same cruise, but $3000 or even $5000 is not going to happen.

[camarodrivenrs]

I agree with the previous poster about getting an Alaska Airlines credit card, the companion ticket is worth its weight in gold, plus the bonus miles. I always tell people to search one way tickets when coming/leaving Alaska and watch for specials with Alaska or United. I usually score tickets back home to Florida for under $500 round trip.