Are you wanting to plan a cruise to Alaska, but save as much money as possible.  Unless you are cruising free or with a great deal, an Alaska cruise vacation is not cheap.  The base price for an Alaska cruise can be very expensive and some cruisers must also pay for transportation to get to the port of embarkation.
        Once you get past having to spend money on the base cruise fare, required fees, and transportation costs, there are some ways you can save money on your cruise and in ports of call.  This blog post should help give you some ideas of ways that you can save money during your Alaska cruise vacation. You probably don't want to see dollar signs floating everywhere like in my photo to the left.

Tip #1:  Do Only The Free Things In Ports of Call or Just Walking Around
        If you really don't want to take an excursion or don't want to pay for an excursion there are still some things you could do or see in your Alaska ports of call. You could simply walk around a port or call and browse the shops. Try searching for free attractions within walking distance from your cruise ship.  You never know what you may find!


Tip #2:  Eat On The Ship and Not in Ports of Call
        The food onboard your cruise ship has already been paid for in your cruise fare. Eating in a port of call instead of eating onboard is like double paying for your meals.  Unless you really want to try something you should consider getting back onboard your ship to eat lunch or any other meals that you are docked for.


Tip #3:   Only Do What Is Free On Your Cruise
         Onboard your cruise ship you will many opportunities to spend money onboard. Cruise lines need to make money from selling products and services onboard.  Try to refrain from buying these goods and services if you want to save money.

Tip #4:   Attend Your Ship's Port Shopping Talk
           You may have to sacrifice a little bit of time to learn about saving money in ports of call, but sometimes these talks are worth it.  Some cruise lines give free and discount coupons in these talks as well as free giveaways. You never know what discounts or free coupons you may get, so coming to this type of talk may be worth it!

Remember the easiest way to save money is to not spend money.  Enjoy your Alaska cruise!

Check out our Alaska Cruise Section:  www.embarkandaway.com/alaska

       There is a stereotype about Alaska's landscape and Alaska cruises that many have probably heard of or may think themselves.  I have been asked by many people about whether or not some stereotypes of Alaska and Alaska cruises are true and in this blog post I will address some of the common ones that I have been asked or heard of.  Some of these may seem a little comical because they seem a little unrealistic.  Enjoy and hopefully you can learn more about Alaska!

Stereotype #1:  Alaska Is All Glaciers and Ice
         The picture that I included of the chunk of ice is what many people probably picture when they hear of Alaska or Alaska cruises. Alaska is more than just ice and glaciers.  You will find valleys, rivers, mountains, and even grass in Alaska.  There are green plants in Alaska, just like many other places in the world. Before I cruised to Alaska I believed that Alaska would just be a bunch of glaciers and I quickly learned that I was wrong.

Stereotype #2:  Only Old People Cruise Alaska
           There are many places on the internet that think that Alaska cruises are only for older people. There may be some times when more older people are cruising Alaska, but there are also many times where families and young adults cruise Alaska.  People of all ages can enjoy Alaska and should not worry about being the only young person onboard.  On my Carnival Miracle cruise to Alaska in 2013, my cruise had almost more young adults than older adults. That is based on my observation, but it still shows that Alaska is not just for old people.

Stereotype #3:  Alaska Is A Part of Canada
             Alaska is not a part of Canada.  I heard some passengers calling Alaska a part of Canada on my Alaska cruise vacation.  Alaska is a state in the United States.  Alaska is geographically located close to Canada, but Alaska is not a part of Canada. This may seem a little unrealistic, but some people may think this way too.

Stereotype #4:  Alaska is Always Cold 
              Temperatures in Alaska are typically thought of as cold. This is not true because in Alaska temperatures have reached as high as the 80s.  When I cruised to Alaska in June 2013 the locals in ports were saying the temperatures were averaging in the upper 70's and 80's.  Alaska can be hot and cold, so make sure you pack accordingly for the expected weather.

Stereotype #5:   It Rains Every Day in Alaska
                The weather in Alaska seems to include rain a lot of the time, but it does not rain everyday in all parts of Alaska.  Based on my experience it did not rain during my June 2013 stops in Tracy Arm Fjord, Skagway, Ketchikan, and Juneau.  Be prepared for rain on your cruise and be happy if your cruise receives sunshine!

Check Out The Rest of Our Alaska Cruise Section

     Will the cruise ship wait on passengers?  This question has been asked by many people and the exact answer depends on many different circumstances.  Cruise ships are on tight schedules that even the smallest amount of time delay can mean losing time at a later port of call or getting back to the ship's homeport for disembarkation.  
       People that take ship sponsored shore excursions have less to worry about because cruise ships will usually wait on passengers that took a ship sponsored excursion.  Cruise ships will usually wait for these passengers because otherwise the cruise line would have to pay for transportation and compensate the guests for leaving them.
        People that are getting off the ship for non-ship sponsored excursions and for personal plans will get left by the cruise ship much sooner than a ship sponsored excursion guest.  If you are traveling on personal excursions or doing your personal plans the ship will not know where you are or when you are getting back.  
           The cruise ship will probably wait as long as possible before deciding to leave a person, but the decision of how to long to wait, if any, is up to the captain and his officer's in the bridge. If they decide to leave the gangway out for a short or long amount of time, that is their decision.  Typically, once the ship leaves the ship would not turn around for any passengers, unless the navigational bridge staff have a specific reason for turning around. 
            Always have an emergency contact number for your ship with you when you get off in a port of call.  Many cruise lines provide a number to contact if you find yourself running late.  
             The easiest way to ensure that you sail away on the ship is to make sure you are on before the designated time. You are not guaranteed that the ship will wait on you and you should not purposefully be delayed to see if the ship will wait on you.  Make sure you stay on a ship's time, know what time to be back onboard, and keep track of time during your day in your port of call.  You are responsible for your timeliness. Enjoy your cruise and day in port!

Some Photos Of My Cruise Ship Waiting On The Masses of People That Were Late...
       Here are some pictures from Carnival Triumph 2013 cruise of people still waiting to get on the cruise ship at approximately 4:30PM. This was 30 minutes after scheduled sail time and a full hour after the required be back onboard time. There were many people that were waiting in line for a long time, but there were other people that entered the Puerta Maya pier area around 4:30PM to get back onboard.