Best time to book for Alaska? (June/July 2019)

Hi all, we're looking to do an Alaskan cruise next summer (June/July 2019) on the Legend out of Seattle. I do know we want to do an aft extended balcony but am just not sure when the best time is to book. It feels pretty far out but also looks like availability is already limited. We've only cruised one time previously (Caribbean) so definitely have no idea if the lack of obvious availability is intentionally designed to get me to book now or if it's more than likely legit due to demand.

Appreciate any advice you may have. Thanks!

The best time to book if you want a specific type cabin is as soon as bookings open.

As mentioned above book as soon as it is available if you want a specific type of room. I booked Alaska 15 months out (which was the first time I looked) and my first choice of room was already booked.

I would recommend being on a ship around June 21 just for the summer solstice. It’s the longest day of the year and in the “land of the midnight sun”, this day is widely celebrated

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I booked my Alaska cruise for August of 18 in February of 17--I wanted a specific category. It sold out in a few weeks. I also got the best price. I recommend that if you know what you want and can afford it, book it.

Sounds good, appreciate the advice. We're date locked so would likely need to go a week after the solstice. Either way, it seems like our best bet is to go ahead and just risk the deposit to get what we want. If I understand the terms correctly we can get most of it back to use on a future cruise so may be a good hedge.

By the way, am I in good shape to just book via the Carnival website or are there other options out there that could provide a better deal? Not sure if those exist booking this far in advance or not but thought it might be worth checking on. Thanks.