Last Minute Alaska Fares?

Got my assignment today...13 days out.

We booked an MM GTY and ended up with an L [deck 6 aft] ... still an inside stateroom but 2 grades up. Not wonderful but any upgrade is better than nothing as we aren't very picky. There are staterooms above and below so I guess that is good and only one deck down to the promenade for daily walks :D

We got a $399 deal about 2-3 weeks ago on Noordam, not a RT but we are using points to fly so not an issue. Sale was short and probably missed by many...incl my TA!! I found it and called her.

There are staterooms above and below so I guess that is good and only one deck down to the promenade for daily walks :D

And for sitting outside in a sheltered spot to breathe in all the fresh air (and gorgeous scenery!).

It's a good spot.

Have a great time.

We got a $399 deal about 2-3 weeks ago on Noordam, not a RT but we are using points to fly so not an issue. Sale was short and probably missed by many...incl my TA!! I found it and called her.

That's a steal!! I'm jealous lol.

It seems only the o/w trips had any deals this season. We used miles for airfare also but booked them way in advance [with the idea we would find a deal on r/t SEA] and they charge $150pp to change them so it would not have been worth it to adjust to a o/w last minute. Have a great trip!

And for sitting outside in a sheltered spot to breathe in all the fresh air (and gorgeous scenery!).

It's a good spot.

 

Have a great time.

Thanks Ruth! I am looking forward to it.

Got my assignment today...13 days out.

We booked an MM GTY and ended up with an L [deck 6 aft] ... still an inside stateroom but 2 grades up. Not wonderful but any upgrade is better than nothing as we aren't very picky. There are staterooms above and below so I guess that is good and only one deck down to the promenade for daily walks :D

Have an outstanding cruise!

Have an outstanding cruise!

Thank you Startrain! :D:D

I just peeked at this thread and noticed you asked a question about Pinnacle Grill. The problem I always have with the specialty restaurant is that I love all the MDR dinners/menus and don't like to miss them. When on Maasdam this July I found a solution: The PG lunch has many of the wonderful items listed on the dinner menu, and is a steal at $10. I recommend eating there once (or twice or thrice) for lunch rather than for dinner, thereby not having to miss dinner in the MDR. We ate at PG twice for lunch and once for dinner during that cruise, and regretted the dinner since it was the same but $29 instead of $10 as it was for lunch.

Keep Westerdam in good shape for us -- we will sail on her in December :)

I just peeked at this thread and noticed you asked a question about Pinnacle Grill. The problem I always have with the specialty restaurant is that I love all the MDR dinners/menus and don't like to miss them. When on Maasdam this July I found a solution: The PG lunch has many of the wonderful items listed on the dinner menu, and is a steal at $10. I recommend eating there once (or twice or thrice) for lunch rather than for dinner, thereby not having to miss dinner in the MDR. We ate at PG twice for lunch and once for dinner during that cruise, and regretted the dinner since it was the same but $29 instead of $10 as it was for lunch.

 

Keep Westerdam in good shape for us -- we will sail on her in December :)

Thanks for the tip! I actually have eaten lunch in PG on the Veendam and it was lovely. The dinner menu has many more choices though and it will be a nice respite from the MDR on the first night. However, I totally understand the issue with not wanting to miss the MDR menus haha...that has kept me away from the specialty restaurants on almost all my prior trips [except for NCL which has mediocre MDR food].

Hello - I can give you my experiences booking last minute to Alaska. We've been there 5 times. We live in Seattle area and have always booked last minute.

The lowest I've seen it go for an inside was $480, but that was about 5 years ago, I think. We just did 7 days on the Amsterdam to Alaska. We paid $699 for inside guarantee. We booked one week out, but we had been watching prices for about 3 weeks, and they never went down. Stayed at $699 the entire time.

I don't understand the pricing thing. We took $699 for inside guarantee. The Ocean Views stayed super high. I'm thinking about $1,400, and they had many available. They weren't selling, yet they never did lower them. We took an upsell into one for $49 pp.

Prices this year have not dropped on any of the lines like I've seen them do in the past. This was our first time on Holland. We've always gone with NCL because their prices were always lowest. They always dropped prices low close to sailing. Not anymore. With the new 'head guy' prices on NCL are not the lowest offered anymore. We've quit using NCL because of all of their new tactics.

I had always booked at one of the huge warehouse stores that offers travel bookings. Their price to Alaska on NCL was always $30 cheaper than was offered everywhere else.

Good luck!!!

Hello - I can give you my experiences booking last minute to Alaska. We've been there 5 times. We live in Seattle area and have always booked last minute.

 

The lowest I've seen it go for an inside was $480, but that was about 5 years ago, I think. We just did 7 days on the Amsterdam to Alaska. We paid $699 for inside guarantee. We booked one week out, but we had been watching prices for about 3 weeks, and they never went down. Stayed at $699 the entire time.

 

I don't understand the pricing thing. We took $699 for inside guarantee. The Ocean Views stayed super high. I'm thinking about $1,400, and they had many available. They weren't selling, yet they never did lower them. We took an upsell into one for $49 pp.

 

Prices this year have not dropped on any of the lines like I've seen them do in the past. This was our first time on Holland. We've always gone with NCL because their prices were always lowest. They always dropped prices low close to sailing. Not anymore. With the new 'head guy' prices on NCL are not the lowest offered anymore. We've quit using NCL because of all of their new tactics.

 

I had always booked at one of the huge warehouse stores that offers travel bookings. Their price to Alaska on NCL was always $30 cheaper than was offered everywhere else.

 

Good luck!!!

Thanks for the reply. I hope you liked the Amsterdam. I wish we could have sailed her but Westerdam worked out better with our flights. Everyone has noted that the prices this year have been higher to start and less likely to drop close to sailing...good for the lines but not so for us trying to snag a deal haha.

We paid $708pp in July [through an agency] when the price was not budging from $799 on HAL's site. Now the price on HAL's site is $749 at 1.5 weeks out which is still more than we paid...so much for last minute deals. However, the OV and IN are the same price now and we had booked an inside GTY at the time as OV was about $100pp more and it's not important for us to have a window. For the same price we would have taken the OV though....ah well. Not a huge deal. I was truly hoping for one of the $499 or $399 steals I've seen in the past but the glaciers are certainly not getting any bigger so I'm happy to be going now.

On a side note, I agree about NCL. It's a pity what they've turned into. We had a wonderful trip on the Breakaway a few years ago but with all the new fees for everything from a decent meal [most specialty restaurants are a la carte on NCL now!! CRAZY] to room service, etc. etc. I barely look at them when planning a trip. I prefer the atmosphere on HAL and Princess anyway so I always check them first now. Our next trip will likely be Royal though since they leave from the northeast year round and I hate having to fly in Jan or Feb.

Thanks for the reply. I hope you liked the Amsterdam. I wish we could have sailed her but Westerdam worked out better with our flights. Everyone has noted that the prices this year have been higher to start and less likely to drop close to sailing...good for the lines but not so for us trying to snag a deal haha.

 

 

 

We paid $708pp in July [through an agency] when the price was not budging from $799 on HAL's site. Now the price on HAL's site is $749 at 1.5 weeks out which is still more than we paid...so much for last minute deals. However, the OV and IN are the same price now and we had booked an inside GTY at the time as OV was about $100pp more and it's not important for us to have a window. For the same price we would have taken the OV though....ah well. Not a huge deal. I was truly hoping for one of the $499 or $399 steals I've seen in the past but the glaciers are certainly not getting any bigger so I'm happy to be going now.

 

 

 

On a side note, I agree about NCL. It's a pity what they've turned into. We had a wonderful trip on the Breakaway a few years ago but with all the new fees for everything from a decent meal [most specialty restaurants are a la carte on NCL now!! CRAZY] to room service, etc. etc. I barely look at them when planning a trip. I prefer the atmosphere on HAL and Princess anyway so I always check them first now. Our next trip will likely be Royal though since they leave from the northeast year round and I hate having to fly in Jan or Feb.

I've had great luck in the past calling and asking if HAL would consider moving me to another category room when prices dropped. It wouldn't hurt to have your TA call and see if they'd move you up to ocean view and no charge. Never hurts to ask.

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