seeitallb4udie

We were on American Safari in Alaska in 2010 and with Alaskan Dream in 2011. Neither was full. The competition is increasing this year with the addition of American Cruise Lines entering the Alaska market which may bode well for some future discounts.

the 15% discount is real - it was applied to our booking. we saved more than enough to pay for our flightseeing excursion later in our vacation. so now the flightseeing doesnt seem like such an extravagant splurge.

the discount is not on every cruise, mostly the shoulder seasons. contact Alaskan Dreasm Cruises to find out more.

-- it expires on tuesday Jan 31st (2012) --

I've seen EXACTLY the same post as the one from "CaribSnorkler" under 2 different names in 2 other places - exactly the same, word for word. Makes me wonder if it's a legitimate review. I don't doubt that it's a great small cruise line, but this seems fishy.

which post - there are several?

were the 2 other places within cruise critic, or other review websites? i dont use the same name on every website. and if i wanted to post a review on several sites, i might do a cut & paste to avoid the typing.

update:

i'll answer my own questions:

its the long 'review', and its also on cruisereview & tripadvisor sites. mike/caribmike (retired & 72) has multiple posts on those sites, one of which explains this professional looking review:

Thanks for the "well-written brochure" comment. It's nice that all the technical writing I did during my computer career has carried over to retirement,

Yes, Alaskan Dream is a "new" cruise line, but the Allen Marine experience seems to be getting them off to a great start.

i'm going with this being a legit review by someone who had a marvelous time and is good at putting the experience into words (something i do not do well).

We are booked on the Admiralty Dream for the 8-Day Alaska’s Glacier Bay & Island Adventure (june 2, 2012). i was delighted to find out there is a 15% early booking sale going on (ends January 31st), and it was applied to our invoice.

i believe the discount may vary based on cruise dates and itinerary, but if you're on the fence about booking, you may want to contact the cruise line and see if the savings is enough to get you to committ.

we are cruising Alaska on the Mille in June and plan to purchase the Premium Alcohol pkg for myself & DH.

the hubby loves sparkling water and a nice scotch. we both enjoy good coffee and wine. i am certain we will at least break even on the cost.

fresh squeezed oj for breakfast, wine pairings at dinner, foo-foo cocktail after dinner. we might not splurge on these without the package.

and if both soft & adult beverages carry a charge, we would likely purchase adult beverages. with the package, i may opt for more teas, coffees & smoothies.

i look at it as an opportunity to drink better quality, not more. and no worries about staying in budget.

........Expensive to get to Sitka isn't it?

i am looking at alaska small ship cruises for may/june 2012. i am very interested in the Alaskan Dream Admirality itinerary (and its reasonable price). and hope to add a land adventure pre or post cruise.

i did quite a bit of research on airfares yesterday. if we fly alaska air from stl via seattle to sitka it only adds about 125 (one way). requires an overnight layover which we wanted (family in seattle). however if we fly to seattle, then fly to sitka a few days latter its an additional 275 one way. also sitka to anchorage is approx 220 one way. anchorage back to stl is pretty reasonable. so its the little legs around alaska that seem so pricey (and the ferries dont seem to be any cheaper).

there doesnt seem to be discounts for roundtrip or for multiple legs (different days) on the same airline.

i also noticed that the august airfares vary by day (supply & demand).

you might save enough flying in a day early to pay for the hotel and enjoy another day of vacation.

for those who havent booked airfare, you may save money by shopping around or using a travel agent who will do it for you.

i enjoy the micro-planning of vacation, but the reality is the payback is probably about $2 per hour spent planning. i think its time for this control freak to seek the advice of alaskan travel professionals. i have always found public forums helpful in travel planning, but there seems to be limited posts about the (newer) small ship cruise lines.