Money-Savings Tips to Reduce the Cost of Alaska Cruises

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If you’ve never sailed on an Alaskan cruise, you may be surprised how expensive cruises to Alaska can be! Visiting Alaska is the trip of a lifetime, and what better way to see multiple cities in Alaska than on a cruise ship?

Imagine sailing through the Mendenhall glacier, seeing humpback whales spout, and riding the White Pass Scenic Railway all in one trip? Alaska cruises are one-of-a kind in the cruise world, and I recommend an Alaskan cruise to everyone.

In this post, I’m going to share with you how all my ways I saved money on my Alaska cruise, and hopefully, help you get to Alaska without breaking the bank!

Packing for Alaska Cruises: Essential Cruise Accessories

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Why are Alaska cruises more costly than cruises to other destinations? Alaska is an expensive state with some of the highest port fees of any cruise destination.

Port fees are what the cruise lines pay each city to stop in that port.

Alaska cruises usually have about three stops on a 7-night cruise which trickles down to you as part of your overall cruise cost.

In addition, the shore excursions in Alaska tend to be epic, bucket-list adventures that you don't see on any other cruises but Alaska. Imagine a helicopter ride that lands on a glacier and dog sledding with Alaskan huskies and their mushers.

In my nearly 25 years of cruising, I don't think I've ever seen a shore excursion that cost $2000 per person until my most recent Alaska cruise!

However, cruises still remain the most cost-effective way to visit multiple destinations in one trip which is why I continue to cruise and recommend cruising to you.

Book Early

My first savings tip to decrease the overall cost of the cruise is to book early! As I write this post in 2024, Princess Cruises is promoting their Alaska season for summer 2026!

Of course, The cruise lines and travel agents often promote "last minute cruises" as smoking deals.

But unless you live within driving distance of the departure port, any savings from the last minute cruise will be eaten up by the cost of last minute flights.

In general, I don't think it's a good idea to drag your feet on booking an Alaskan cruise.

Alaska cruises are very popular not only for the unique destination, but also because they sail during summer which is a popular time to vacation. During summer, cruises often sail at or close to capacity.

Alaska cruises also attract a lot of different demographics.

You will see multigenerational families cruising together, couples, seniors, church groups, etc. The Last Frontier has something for everyone!

I booked my Alaska cruise seven months in advance and scored a great deal. Booking this early also allowed me to find the best prices on airfare.

I haven't yet taken the plunge and booked 2 years in advance. Honestly, I'm still scarred from the Pandemic and what it did to everyone's dream vacations.

However, with the way cruise prices are steadily rising, maybe I'll get brave and book a cruise two years in advance!

2. Use a Travel Agent

One of the best ways to get a good deal is to book with a travel agent. There are so many benefits of working with a travel agent including finding the best price on your 7-day cruise.

First, travel agencies buy blocks of cruise staterooms that they sell for a lower price than the cruise lines.

Travel agencies also offer their own deals and incentives on top of honoring the cruise line's specials.

When I booked with my travel agent, I was able to use the cruise line's kids sail free promotion in addition to onboard credit and a shore excursion voucher exclusively from my travel agent.

It is very important that you actually talk to someone on the phone. You never want to add a cruise to your online cart and then, check out.

Cruise booking isn't the same as online shopping!

Speaking to the travel agent directly allows them to search for any discount you may qualify for and even unpublished deals.

Future cruise deals with Royal Caribbean

3. Onboard Deals

Although I did book the cruise through my travel agent, there is another great way to save money on cruises and that's taking advantage of the cruise promotions while you're on another cruise.

While I was on a Royal Caribbean cruise last year, I took advantage of their Next Cruise promotions which allowed me to lock in savings on my Alaska cruise but still book with my travel agent.

I don't know how this works on other cruise lines, but Royal Caribbean offers a deal where you don't have to book the future cruise while you're onboard. You can pay a discounted deposit for a future cruise while you're onboard the ship.

And then, I had a year to book the cruise of my choice and contribute that deposit.

However, if I went home and booked within 2 months, I earned onboard credit for that future cruise. The amount of onboard credit is determined by the stateroom category you book.

Balcony stateroom on Quantum of the Seas

This worked out great for me because when I'm cruising, I'm focused on the current cruise. It's really difficult for me to commit and book a future cruise on the spot.

After the cruise, I was able to review pricing and details at home but still take advantage of the discounted deposit and earn the onboard credit.

4. Shoulder Season

The next way I saved big on my Alaska cruise which could save you hundreds to thousands on Alaskan cruise prices is sailing during the shoulder season.

The shoulder season includes late April, May, September, and October where you will find the lowest prices on Alaska cruises. The peak season of June and July will likely be the most expensive.

Because I sailed the week before Memorial Day in May, I was able to secure the kids' sail free promotion for my daughter and nephew which meant we didn't pay a cruise fare for them—only taxes and port fees.

Had we sailed the next week, the cruise price would have been significantly higher because Royal Caribbean, at least, does not honor kids sail free during the summer months.

The kids do have to be 12 years old and under and have to be the 3rd or 4th cruise guest in the stateroom to earn this benefit.

5. Shore Excursion Savings

Alaska whale watching — Bucket list adventures!

The shore excursions in Alaska cruise ports have the potential to increase your cruise cost by thousands. To save money, my family booked an organized shore excursion on only one of the port days.

We went whale watching in Juneau, but we did not book with the cruise line.

The cruise lines' excursions are sold at premium prices even though they use the same local tour operators that you can book independently or through tour groups.

We booked through the Shore Excursions Group because my travel agent gave me a credit to use with them, and we were very impressed by the quality of the tour.

If you're going to plan your own tours, I still recommend booking in advance because they may sell out.

If my cruise had stopped in Skagway and Ketchikan, I definitely would have wanted to do shore excursions in those ports of call.

Our other cruise ports were Sitka and Icy Strait Point, and I didn't feel the need to book a shore excursion in either port because both have free public transportation either by bus or gondola and we did our own nature hikes in those stops.

6. Skipping Extras Onboard

I saved money onboard the ship several ways. First, I didn't book any specialty dining, and I didn't buy drink or alcohol packages. I also don't make a lot of onboard purchases.

I know for some people, this is being too much of a penny-pincher.

For those of you who want to have a fine dining experience or a drink with your dinner when you're on vacation, I get it.

Specialty restaurant, Chops Grille

For me, these are easy ways to cut my overall travel costs. I consider specialty restaurants and drink packages to be splurges that cruise passengers must budget for.

7. Onboard Credit

The other way I save money onboard is through onboard credit. Even though the kids sailed free on my Alaska cruise, everyone in the cruise cabin still gets charged the daily gratuities which add up.

My goal for every cruise is to earn onboard credit to pay for not only gratuities but anything we buy onboard.

For my Alaska cruise, I received onboard credit from the cruise line through the Next Cruise promotion and from my travel agent.

The other way I earned onboard credit was through my cruise line credit card.

I put the balance of the cruise on my Royal Caribbean card plus a few spa reservations prior to the cruise.

I also paid for my one splurge, the Key (Royal Caribbeans VIP program) on my cruise line credit card.

All of those credit card purchases earned me more onboard credit.

When I sailed, my onboard credit paid for gratuities for the four of us, my daughter's souvenir hat from the gift shop, and a spa product for me.

I actually had credit left over, so at the end of the cruise, I didn't have a bill!

8. Book an Interior Stateroom

Many cruise guests argue that one of the most economical ways to save money on Alaska cruises is to book an inside cabin. I haven't booked an interior cabin in years because I travel with two or three other people which feels too crowded for me in an interior cabin without a view.

Interior stateroom with Virtual balcony

If you can budget for a balcony cabin, Alaska is definitely the place to do it.

Alaska cruises differ from cruises to the Caribbean or Bahamas because you are constantly surrounded by Alaskan nature, even while sailing between ports on the ship.

If you choose an inside stateroom, ensure that your ship has plenty of public viewing spaces to allow you to be immersed in Alaska's natural beauty.

Beautiful Alaska views on the Quantum of the Seas

Some of the older ships are very enclosed and make it harder to feel connected to Alaska while on the ship.

This was my experience sailing on an older ship that wasn't designed for Alaska in 2014. Throughout the cruise, I didn't feel like I saw much of Alaska while sailing.

My cruise on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas was the opposite. Being surrounded by nature—even when sailing between ports of call—I appreciated the beauty of Alaska so much more.

Feeling immersed in Alaska's nature even onboard the ship

9. Bargain Shop for Cruise Clothing

Something else to consider are the clothes, accessories, and gear you need to bring to Alaska. Watch this video for Alaska clothing inspiration.

Check out this video covering essential accessories to pack for Alaska.

I live in the desert where there isn't a true winter, so I don't own a lot of cold weather clothing or rain gear. This meant we had to buy quite a few new clothes for our trip.

Here in Arizona, winter clothing doesn't stay on the shelves long.

Because I booked the cruise early, I was able to shop the entire winter here when the stores had the most options.

Had I been trying to shop here for boots in June, that would have been a lot more expensive.

I also didn't buy brands like the North Face, Columbia, Patagonia because we don't have get much use from these clothes other than cold weather cruises.

Print my Alaska Packing List here:

To review, best ways to save on Alaska cruises are: book early, use a travel agent, take advantage of onboarding booking deals, try to book during the shoulder season, and book shore excursions outside of the cruise line.

If you have a tight budget, avoid buying drink packages or specialty dining.

Try to get as much onboard credit as possible. Finally, bargain shop for your clothing and accessories.

Alaska Cruise Inside Passage — Princess Cruise Ship in Alaska

What is the best way you have saved money on an Alaska cruise? Let me know in the comments!

How to Save Money on Alaska Cruises

Book Early