May 29, 2008
Would you believe a price of $399 per person for a seven-night cruise of Alaska on board an upscale Holland America ship?
$399 -- I'll tell you where to get it in a moment -- is probably the lowest price ever offered for a ship of high quality, sailing a classic itinerary of Alaskan waters (which includes a day in Glacier Bay, the high point of all such cruises) and for a high season date. The Volendam of Holland-America sails on June 22 from Seward, Alaska, and finally arrives -- after hitting all the highlights of the Alaskan coast -- on June 29 in Vancouver. And the line has apparently made arrangements with Cruises Only (tel. 800/CRUISES; www.cruisesonly.com) to sell inside cabins for only $399 per person, based on two persons traveling together.
The only other date when the Volendam will be substantially reduced in price is on its similar, southbound departure of August 17, when inside cabins will be sold for only $699 per person.
The Cruises Only website carries a headline claiming that it will also arrange "up to" $300 of free-of-charge purchases (drinks and the like) aboard the Volendam, but then makes no more specific reference or promise later on. It's important to inquire about this when you reach a telephone reservationist at Cruises Only.
You'll also want to scan the map of the ship's voyage that appears in the website.
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The only other date when the Volendam will be substantially reduced in price is on its similar, southbound departure of August 17, when inside cabins will be sold for only $699 per person.
The Cruises Only website carries a headline claiming that it will also arrange "up to" $300 of free-of-charge purchases (drinks and the like) aboard the Volendam, but then makes no more specific reference or promise later on. It's important to inquire about this when you reach a telephone reservationist at Cruises Only.
You'll also want to scan the map of the ship's voyage that appears in the website.
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May 22, 2008
Yes, it's true: the Boat Company operates remarkable Alaskan cruises on a 20-passenger former mine-sweeper
To those several readers who are apparently swooning over rumors of an Alaskan ship line that operates superb, close-in cruises of Alaska on a 20-passenger, wooden-hull, former minesweeper: Yes, it's true.
But it's not for you. In high season (July/August), the price works out to $1,000 per person per day, making this a travel option for well-heeled people only. (But what a superb way to see Alaska). The Boat Company's website (www.theboatcompany.com) has all the details you need to discover this splurgey cruise line that, if you can, you should one day consider splashing out on. Incidentally, the price remains prohibitive even in the shoulder months (June, September).
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But it's not for you. In high season (July/August), the price works out to $1,000 per person per day, making this a travel option for well-heeled people only. (But what a superb way to see Alaska). The Boat Company's website (www.theboatcompany.com) has all the details you need to discover this splurgey cruise line that, if you can, you should one day consider splashing out on. Incidentally, the price remains prohibitive even in the shoulder months (June, September).
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Labels: alaska, cruise, fat cats
Apr 25, 2008
At last! Sharp discounts on seven-night cruises to Alaska, starting and ending in Seattle
The Alaskan cruises leaving from Vancouver (as many of them do) usually involve a higher airfare than those leaving round-trip from Seattle. Cost-conscious travelers will therefore favor the Seattle-originating ships, even though they generally stop at one fewer port in Alaska than the Canadian-originating ships, a very small price to pay.
It's therefore surprising to find Online Vacation Center (tel. 800/329-9002) currently offering prices as low as $699 for a seven-night cruise of Alaskan waters, leaving round-trip from Seattle, and stopping in Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Glacier Bay, and Victoria along the way. These are aboard five departures of three Holland-America ships, as follows:
June 27, 2008, seven nights aboard the Amsterdam, Seattle round-trip, as little as $699.
June 22 and 29, 2008, seven nights aboard the Westerdam, Seattle round-trip, as little as $699.
June 21 and 28, 2008, seven nights aboard the Oosterdam, Seattle round-trip, as little as $699.
All three are excellent ships of a high-quality cruiseline with a long record of cruising Alaskan waters. Because Holland America has grandfather rights to go into Glacier Bay for a day (a towering highlight of Alaskan cruising), the cruises themselves are as good as they get, and the $699 price a major bargain. I'm happy to have spotted the deal.
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It's therefore surprising to find Online Vacation Center (tel. 800/329-9002) currently offering prices as low as $699 for a seven-night cruise of Alaskan waters, leaving round-trip from Seattle, and stopping in Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Glacier Bay, and Victoria along the way. These are aboard five departures of three Holland-America ships, as follows:
June 27, 2008, seven nights aboard the Amsterdam, Seattle round-trip, as little as $699.
June 22 and 29, 2008, seven nights aboard the Westerdam, Seattle round-trip, as little as $699.
June 21 and 28, 2008, seven nights aboard the Oosterdam, Seattle round-trip, as little as $699.
All three are excellent ships of a high-quality cruiseline with a long record of cruising Alaskan waters. Because Holland America has grandfather rights to go into Glacier Bay for a day (a towering highlight of Alaskan cruising), the cruises themselves are as good as they get, and the $699 price a major bargain. I'm happy to have spotted the deal.
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Feb 29, 2008
Next time a cruiseline tries to sell you a $110 sightseeing excursion to the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska, tell them about the public bus
The most startling example of mendacious cruiseline marketing is the effort by cruiseships visiting the port of Juneau, Alaska, to sell you a $110 excursion to the Mendenhall Glacier. As anyone who has spent even 10 minutes in Juneau will tell you, there is a public bus from downtown Juneau that takes you the 12 miles to the Mendenhall Glacier for a charge of $1.50. Once there, you can walk about viewing the Glacier, or pay $3 to enter the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center for a number of exhibits and films.
On a recent Sunday, in its cruise issue, the New York Times travel section gravely discussed the sightseeing options available to cruise passengers stopping in Juneau (as almost every cruiseship to Alaska does), portentously telling how a private tour operator charges only $105 for the Mendenhall Glacier "float tour" as opposed to the $110 asked by the cruiselines themselves. The New York Times writer made no mention of the do-it-yourself tour available for $1.50, and probably was not even aware that a public bus from downtown Juneau takes you in a few minutes to the Glacier.
Never buy one of those cruiseship port excursions in advance of taking the cruise. Wait to make your decision until the ship docks at a particular port. Then ask yourself: do I really want to stick myself into a tour bus with 45 of my fellow cruise passengers? Haven't I spent enough time with them already? Would I rather simply wander about the town on my own two feet, stopping to speak with Alaskans? Or would I perhaps like to split the cost of a taxi with a few of my fellow passengers, and tour the area in that manner? Cruiseship port excursions are among the worst and most unnecessary rip-offs in travel.
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On a recent Sunday, in its cruise issue, the New York Times travel section gravely discussed the sightseeing options available to cruise passengers stopping in Juneau (as almost every cruiseship to Alaska does), portentously telling how a private tour operator charges only $105 for the Mendenhall Glacier "float tour" as opposed to the $110 asked by the cruiselines themselves. The New York Times writer made no mention of the do-it-yourself tour available for $1.50, and probably was not even aware that a public bus from downtown Juneau takes you in a few minutes to the Glacier.
Never buy one of those cruiseship port excursions in advance of taking the cruise. Wait to make your decision until the ship docks at a particular port. Then ask yourself: do I really want to stick myself into a tour bus with 45 of my fellow cruise passengers? Haven't I spent enough time with them already? Would I rather simply wander about the town on my own two feet, stopping to speak with Alaskans? Or would I perhaps like to split the cost of a taxi with a few of my fellow passengers, and tour the area in that manner? Cruiseship port excursions are among the worst and most unnecessary rip-offs in travel.
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Jul 6, 2007
Ferry tale: Sail the Alaskan ferries for low prices and authenticity
The bulk of Americans taking cruises off the coast of Alaska are passengers on big-name, 14-story-high ships carrying at least two thousand passengers and sometimes more. Every morning, they flood into the various port cities of Alaska, cameras in hand, wallets at the ready, buses awaiting them, and then -- late afternoon -- they escape back into the ship's world of food, Las Vegas-style acts, and general luxury. At night, travelers squint at the humpbacks and glaciers through the small portholes of pricey outside cabins.You might want to consider a more adventurous approach to the 49th state: the Alaska Marine Highway System. Since almost all of Alaska's Southeastern cities are blocked from each other by impassable terrain and an absence of roads, ferries are often the only mode of travel. Several times a week, the ferries transport several hundred passengers (and quite a few cars) in between various cities: Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau, Haines, Skagway, and sometimes Sitka.
The advantage of the Marine Highway over the big-name cruises? Authenticity, flexibility, and low price. You, not the execs at Holland America, decide where to go and what to see. The digs aren't exactly glamorous, but that's also the point for many travelers. There are no discos or casinos, just some lounges, bars, a cafeteria area, and a million dollar view. There are also cabins available for those who require walls, a private bath, and a bed for overnight trips.
For everyone else, there's simply a deck and an open sky. Many choose to sleep in chairs or set up tents affixed to the deck by duct tape. This is the allure of the ferries -- the adventure, the possibility of meeting local people, the hands-on approach to travel.
For ferry fees and schedules, call the Alaska Marine Highway System at tel. 800/642-0066 or log on to www.ferryalaska.com.
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Jun 22, 2007
The big puzzlement of 2007: unsold cabins on Alaskan cruises
No one seems to know why. But the travel trade press is full of anxious stories about how slow-selling are cruises of Alaskan waters in July and August of this year. While the expensive, outside, balcony-equipped cabins are in demand, the cheaper inside cabins without portholes are still plentifully available and unsold.
If you will go to www.vacationstogo.com and click on the Alaska cruises scheduled for July and August of 2007 (be careful to specify 2007, not 2008), you'll see what I mean. Numerous departures of seven-night cruises leaving from Vancouver, Seattle, or the port of Anchorage have been reduced in price to between $500 and $700 per person -- an astonishing development for these two high season months that are usually sold out well in advance.
Those prices do not include air fare to the Pacific Northwest, but nevertheless they establish the basis for a low-cost week, and for one of the great experiences of travel. Cruising the southeastern coast of Alaska -- viewing terrain where no human being has ever set foot or is likely to do so, where eagles fly overhead and bears come down to shore to snatch fish from the shallow waters, where the 20-story-high walls of glaciers crash into the sea with an enormous roar -- is an almost mystical experience. And it is now within affordable reach for summer 2007 (used to be that you had to choose departures during the iffy-weather of May or September in order to enjoy such bargains).
My theory as to why this has happened? We live in a two-tier society, a two-tier economy. Enjoying major tax breaks under current policies, and a booming stock market, the wealthy are doing exceptionally well and are traveling in unprecedented numbers everywhere (and booking those balcony cabins). The low- and middle-income among us are feeling tight times, and economizing with respect to long-distance travels.
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If you will go to www.vacationstogo.com and click on the Alaska cruises scheduled for July and August of 2007 (be careful to specify 2007, not 2008), you'll see what I mean. Numerous departures of seven-night cruises leaving from Vancouver, Seattle, or the port of Anchorage have been reduced in price to between $500 and $700 per person -- an astonishing development for these two high season months that are usually sold out well in advance.
Those prices do not include air fare to the Pacific Northwest, but nevertheless they establish the basis for a low-cost week, and for one of the great experiences of travel. Cruising the southeastern coast of Alaska -- viewing terrain where no human being has ever set foot or is likely to do so, where eagles fly overhead and bears come down to shore to snatch fish from the shallow waters, where the 20-story-high walls of glaciers crash into the sea with an enormous roar -- is an almost mystical experience. And it is now within affordable reach for summer 2007 (used to be that you had to choose departures during the iffy-weather of May or September in order to enjoy such bargains).
My theory as to why this has happened? We live in a two-tier society, a two-tier economy. Enjoying major tax breaks under current policies, and a booming stock market, the wealthy are doing exceptionally well and are traveling in unprecedented numbers everywhere (and booking those balcony cabins). The low- and middle-income among us are feeling tight times, and economizing with respect to long-distance travels.
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Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
