Take advantage of a reduced deposit sale. A deposit is required to secure your stateroom on your cruise. For a Princess cruise, the usual deposit is 25% of the cruise fare. Every so often, cruise lines have a reduced deposit sale, allowing you to make a reservation for a fraction of the usual price. We’re having a reduced deposit sale for all Princess cruises right now, actually. It ends soon (May 5) and it’s only $100 per person.

Consider other expenses. Figure out approximately:

• how much your flight will cost
• transportation to and from the airport
• hotel stays
• shore activities
• and meals on land.

Don’t forget about onboard gratuities. Consider paying this before you go on your cruise to minimize the final amount on your onboard account. Your Cruise Specialist can set this up for you.

Book well in advance. Sure there could be last minute deals, but they’re only good if you don’t care where you’ll be staying. Not to mention, if your party requires 2 or more rooms, there’s no guarantee you’ll end up close to each other or enough rooms at all. Even if it’s just the two of you, you run the risk of not getting the type of room you want or where on the ship. You could end somewhere noisy or a location you find undesirable.

As much as a year in advance is good practice. You have more to choose from in terms of where your room is located and what category room it is. If you notice the advertised category price drops before your final payment, you will be honored that price.

Booking in advance will ensure that you put money aside for your dream trip as well!

Pay your cruise in installments. Not many people are aware of this, but just ask and it will be set up for you. If you want your final payment amount to be smaller, consider paying a lump sum every two or three months or even every month to make budgeting for your dream Alaska vacation even easier!

Do you have any tips on budgeting for an Alaska cruise? Please comment below.

There’s something magical with the sight of these massive ships.

Celebrity Mercury heading out of Burrard Inlet into English Bay and then beyond!

From aboard, these ships offer a unique and breathtaking view our city as well. Just stunning!

Onboard the Golden Princess.

Vancouver's skyscrapers from aboard Holland America's ms Statendam.

The pier area at the Port of Vancouver from aboard the Golden Princess.

The Golden Princess sails under Vancouver's Lion's Gate Bridge.

Will you be visiting Vancouver this year on your Alaska cruise? Make sure you check out our post on some fun Things to Do here!

According to Alaska Magazine, southeast Alaska is one of the hot spots for fishing; perfect for us cruisers as that’s our route to the 49th state! Being this the case, fishing is a must-do excursion for anyone who enjoys a good session out in the waters.

In Ketchikan, the salmon capital of the world, one of the excursions we offer is… you guessed it! A salmon fishing excursion.

In Alaska’s capital city, Juneau, you have two fishing excursion options: salmon or halibut.

All ages and skill levels are welcome!

Halibut

If you wish, the Captain can arrange for your fish to be professionally processed locally (packaged, flash frozen, smoked, etc.), and shipped to your home (for an additional charge).

Are you going on an Alaska cruise this year? Will you be angling the waters of Alaska?

Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay National Park is a preservation area that spans across 3.2 million acres. Cruisers can be taken as close as ¼ mile of the tide water glaciers that line the 60 mile passageway of narrow fjords. As you sail through, expect to see and hear some of these glaciers break off in chunks with a loud splash! Having the most glaciers and with only two ships permitted to enter the area per day, Glacier Bay remains as one of the most sought after destinations on a cruise itinerary. More about Glacier Bay

Hubbard Glacier

Hubbard Glacier is impressive for its dimensions. It is the biggest tidewater glacier in North America covering over 1,350 square miles in area, over 70 miles in length, and 300 feet in height. The deep blue colour distinguishes it as being active glacial ice. Unlike other glaciers that are shrinking and retreating, Hubbard Glacier is thickening and advancing toward the Gulf of Alaska. More about Hubbard Glacier

Sawyer Glacier

Sawyer Glacier is made of twin tidal glaciers, North Sawyer and South Sawyer and located at the end of Tracy Arm fjord. Although not as well-known as Glacier Bay, it’s just as impressive; some may argue even more so. With a 7,000 foot high snowcapped mountain frame, Sawyer Glacier calves on average once an hour. More about Sawyer Glacier

College Fjord

Photo source: Wikipedia

With 16 glaciers, lining the 20-mile long fjord, College Fjord contains the highest density of tidal glaciers in the Alaska. In 1898, a group on a scientific expedition stumbled upon the field of ice as they searched for alternate Klondike route that didn’t require going into the Yukon, Canada.

The group named the glaciers after well-known colleges in the United States, of which their members attended. Harvard glacier is the most prominent at 1.5 miles wide and approximately 225 feet high. More about College Fjord

Mendenhall Glacier

At 12 miles long and 1.5 miles wide and just a 13 mile drive from downtown Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier is the only glacier that can seen inside city limits. You can take an excursion through the cruise line or go on a local bus to get up close. There are hiking trails ranging from 0.3 miles to 68 miles around the visitor center that offer great views of the glacier.

Inclusiveness
The Crystal guide talked a bit about the fact that they are going all inclusive and they have rolled it out as a test already which went really well.

Dining
They also have open seating in the dining room.

Embarkation Process
They are going to be changing their embarkation process to be similar to the other luxury lines. Guests will walk onboard the ship and be sent to a lounge or other area, served champagne, and staff will be walking about to check guests in and print room keys on the spot.

Volunteerism Program
The last thing which really interested me is their “Volunteerism” program. They offer programs where guests can volunteer in the ports and enrich their experience in a totally different way. For example in Vancouver they actually go to local food banks or in other ports they may volunteer with school children in poorer areas.

Enjoy some photos of the new renovations!

That announcement over the speaker system was how my cruise aboard the Regent Seven Seas Mariner to Alaska began. And that was only the beginning of the difference in cruising with Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC).

I have cruised with Princess, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Viking. I’ve also toured ships Carnival, Silversea, Oceania, MSC, Windstar, Cunard, and Cruise West ships. Most all of the aforementioned cruise lines feature snippets of luxury touches throughout their cruises. Whereas the RSSC Seven Seas Mariner was the world’s first all-suite all-balcony 6 star luxury cruise ship.

My Suite

My suite was a category F Deluxe Suite (more than adequate at 300+ sq. ft.). It was exceptionally well laid out and very comfortable.

The flat screen TV was on a swiveling mount so that I could position it facing the bed or the sofa depending on where I was watching from.

Most lights had independent controls so you could keep only the ones on you wanted on. The temperature control system worked perfectly. The bathroom and shower were very spacious and the fan combined with the open space kept the mirror and everything fog free throughout.

The only thing I would caution you about is that if you are over 6’ 1” tall like me, you might want to opt for a suite with shower only. I had the shower/tub combo and when standing flat the top of my head touched the ceiling (I’m about 6’2”). Aside from that one thing to keep in mind, all accommodations onboard this ship are very comfortable.

Other Suites

I had the opportunity to have been invited into several of the larger suites and really liked them! My favorite are the aft Seven Seas Suites (category SS) because of the huge decks (sufficient to host a party for 10+) with no significant breeze which provided panoramic views while listening to the churning of the water below. Also, although not indicated on the deck plan, some triple occupancy suites can be configured to accommodate a family of four with ease.

Service

The service was outstanding! At 50,000 gross tons with a guest capacity of 700 and a crew of 445, when full the crew to guest ratio is 1:1.57 …and they’re all more than willing to make your experience as relaxing and enjoyable as possible.

I’m confident in describing the crew as consummate professionals of the service industry. No matter what I wanted (a beverage, assistance with luggage, something not readily available in the venue I was in but absolutely available elsewhere onboard), all I had to do was begin to request it and it was already half done or on the way! I’m not kidding.

When I was dining in La Veranda in the aft of Deck 11, I was telling my table mates about how good one of the specialty coffees I’d had two days prior was and how I could sure go for one right about now. One of the waiters nearby overheard me and politely informed me that he’ll have one to me within a few minutes time. Unbelievable! (And potentially dangerous if they’d heard me talking about the crème Brule; even without their assistance I think I averaged two a day). Although just one little example, there were so many instances of this over the top service that there are too many to list. Simply put, that’s just how RSSC does it.

Dining

The dining onboard was fantastic and then some. Every venue was sensational. La Veranda (mentioned above) is the “buffet” restaurant, Compass Rose is the main restaurant, Prime 7 is a specialty steak restaurant (by reservation only, no additional charge) and Signatures is a specialty French restaurant featuring a Le Cordon Bleu menu (by reservation only, no additional charge).

I am not forgetting about room service, it just has a different location for every guest. The variety of cuisine options was almost overwhelming, but each of them was planned, prepared and presented exquisitely.

The other more casual walk-up/seat yourself food and drink areas were equally excellent (Pool Bar/Grill, Coffee Connection, Horizon Lounge, Observation Lounge etc.).

During dinner, a different included red and white wine was featured every night. Granted many wines and a very long list of spirits are fully included 24/7, there are always premium wines and spirits available for purchase should you desire something more exclusive.

It’s an understatement to say that I indulged throughout the week, but am happy I did so that I can write this comprehensive review without making any assumptions.

Entertainment

The entertainment onboard was very good. I attended a few of the evening shows and they were outstanding.

There was one of the Regent Singers that stood out though; she performed an Aretha Franklin tribute night after completing a musical in the main show lounge that blew everyone away; just amazing.

The other public amenity spaces were well used and enjoyable, including the library, deck space, Stars Nightclub, casino, and of course the spa.

Enrichment lectures held in the main theatre every day were well attended and raved about. Yes, they do have some destination and cultural highlights playing on one of the RSSC TV channels in your suite, but there’s no substitution for attending a live event where the host is eager to interact with everyone and answer your questions. There’s no cost or registration required to participate in any of the lectures onboard.

Regent Guests

The other guests onboard were all wonderful people. RSSC guests are often professionals in their 30’s through 50’s + with the average age, in my experience, being 40 to 45, plus or minus 5 years or so.

The relaxed country club casual environment onboard RSSC (there are no formal nights) coupled with their service and all other aspects of the cruise experience makes it very understandable why it’s so popular with those that lead very busy day-to-day lives with great responsibility.

In short, traveling with RSSC is the polar opposite. RSSC is also the most popular 6 star line for family travel. In the summer time more than 10% of their guests are under the age of 17.

All Inclusive

The inclusivity of an RSSC cruise vacation experience is unparalleled. Wine and spirits, gratuities, specialty dining, specialty coffees, soda, and bottled water are all included.
A wide selection of shore excursions in every port is also included.

Roundtrip airfare and transfers for nearly every voyage are included [if you don’t require this, like me living in the home port or if you plan to arrange flights with points, etc. you can opt for an air credit (a discount off the air inclusive fare)].

There are a few things that you could choose to spend money on such as premium alcohols, souvenirs from the boutique shops, spa treatments, and art auction acquisitions.

So I know you’re wondering; what was your bill at the end of the cruise? Answer: $0. I would have bought an RSSC coffee mug but they were sold out. The inclusivity contributed to the overall relaxation of trip tremendously because anything you desired was merely a notion or request away from being provided; not once did I have to sign for anything; actually, the only time I used my ship ID card was to check in and out of the ship and unlock the door to my suite. It was very, very nice.

In conclusion, this was my first RSSC cruise and it won’t be my last. Their slogan “luxury goes exploring” is truly a perfect description of what it’s like. I can appreciate that it may not be the right fit for your very next trip, but I sincerely hope you treat yourself to RSSC at some point in the future while you’re able to fully take advantage of and enjoy every aspect of the trip; perhaps to celebrate a special occasion like a milestone birthday, anniversary, or other significant personal achievement.

If after reading this you’re inclined to begin exploring options to cruise with Regent, please contact me at 1-800-565-2784 as we have some fantastic phone-in offers.

Our office received notification today from the cruise line that reads: In order for guests to enjoy a fireworks display, the call at Haines will be postponed until midnight on July 4th.

Originally, the ship was to leave the port at 9 pm. Imagine viewing fireworks outdoors on deck, in the comfort of ms Zaandam and with the hospitality of the ship’s crew.

This will also allow guests more time to spend at port whether that’s exploring Haines or Skagway, a 25 minute ferry ride away.

The itinerary is as follows:
Sunday, July 1 – Seward, Alaska
Monday, July 2 – At sea
Tuesday, July 3 – Glacier Bay, Alaska
Wednesday, July 4 – Haines, Alaska
Thursday, July 5 – Juneau, Alaska
Friday, July 6 – Ketchikan, Alaska
Saturday, July 7 – Inside Passage
Sunday, July 8 – Vancouver, BC, Canada

Interested in this cruise? Spots remain, but not for too long. Call an Alaska Cruise Specialist at 1-800-565-2784.

Oceanview stateroom aboard Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas

What Does Guarantee Mean?
If you were to book a guarantee room, you are assured to have a room in that category, whether it’s an inside, oceanview, balcony or suite. On most ships, guarantees are double occupancy max.

Pros of Guarantee Stateroom
Usually lower price (sometimes hundreds per person savings, or more, depending on the cruise), increased likelihood of upgrades due to flexible reservations because almost all ships fill the categories from the top down so IF there’s an empty cabin, it’s the lowest category.

Cons of Booking a Guarantee Stateroom
You can’t pick your deck or location. If you have particular needs or preferences such as mobility issues and wanting to be near an elevator, it would be wise to book an assigned specific room number if you have particular needs or prefs such as mobility issues and wanting to be near an elevator.

Also, when traveling with others, if booking guarantees,there’s no way to promise you’ll end up in cabins near each other so if proximity to friends is important, assigned cabin reservations is the best choice.

If only there was an Alaska cruise package that offered a city tour of the beautiful city and one night hotel.

Oh, wait! There is.

We’re the only agency offering this package deal, actually. It’s a 7-night Vancouver roundtrip Alaska cruise with one night hotel and a city tour. Fares start at $744 USD per person at the time of publishing this post. Here’s the itinerary:

Saturday: Hop off the plane and enjoy a relaxing night at your Vancouver hotel on us.

Sunday: See the major sights on the deluxe Vancouver city tour in the morning. After that, you’ll be taken to the Port of Vancouver where you’ll embark on your cruise! Take in views of the city’s skyline and the mountains from aboard the ship while enjoying lunch.

Monday: Cruise the Inside Passage. Have your camera ready as the lush area is known for bountiful wildlife.

Tuesday: In Icy Strait Point, your ship will be the only one there. The city has maintained its authenticity with minimal signs of commercialization.

Wednesday: Prepare to be awed in Hubbard Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in North America at more than 90 miles long and cover over 1,350 square miles in one area.

Thursday: Spend a day in the remote city of Juneau (it’s accessible by only air and sea!). As the capital of Alaska, there’s much to do here, including visiting Mendenhall Glacier, the only glacier within city limits.

Friday: In Ketchikan, stroll along the historic boardwalk and visit Creek Street which is where you can see salmon jump upstream!

Saturday: Relax at sea as sail back to Vancouver along the Inside Passage.

Sunday: Back in the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver!

Sound awesome? You bet it is. This package is going fast. Want to take advantage of this offer? Call 1-800-565-2784.

Along with the room stewardess, the butler helps keep the suite tidy and well-stocked. On Silver Shadow this week, my butler Arvind brings fresh fruit daily. He serves my breakfast on mornings when I choose to dine in and serves dinner in my suite, course-by-course, when I want to stay put. He takes care of my laundry, and should my shoes — or glasses —  appear dirty, he’ll shine them — and always without me asking. Arvind keeps my cruise on course.

In this short 5-minute video, Grizzle discusses five things that set Silversea apart.

To summarize, Grizzle lists:

1. Six small ships, including an expedition vessel;
2. butler service in all staterooms and suites;
3. a strong Italian heritage that manifests itself in quality cuisine;
4. multiple dining venues, including two that you won’t find anywhere else at sea;
5. and staff who feel like family.

I’d like to also add that fitness classes are also complimentary! Although all the above are major bonuses, how do you know if a Silversea cruise is right for you? You know you’ll enjoy a Silversea cruise if…

• you enjoy upscale tours or resorts
• you rent villas or stay at premium properties like the Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons.
• the thought of waiting in line or dining at an assigned time turns you off from cruising
• you don’t want to pay the double occupancy rate as a single traveler. Silversea’s single occupancy fares start at only 110% of the double occupancy fare.
• you are looking to cruise among sophisticated travelers from around the world who are affluent but not stuffy.

Are you looking to experience the Silversea difference or would like more information? Call 1-800-565-2784 to speak with a luxury cruise specialist.