Skip to main content

Planning

How to Build an Alaska Cruise Budget

By Reviewed by Marin HollowayUpdated 3 min readLast fact checked on .

The cruise fare is typically between 45 and 60 percent of what an Alaska cruise actually costs a household. Flights, a pre cruise hotel, shore excursions, gratuities and onboard spending make up the rest, and excursions in particular are more expensive here than in any other cruise region. This page gives you a repeatable way to build the real number before you commit.

The short answer

Budget roughly twice the cruise fare for the total trip. For two people on a seven night Alaska cruise, a realistic all in range is $4,500 to $8,000 including flights, one pre cruise hotel night, three or four excursions each, gratuities and onboard spending. Excursions are the largest variable and typically run $150 to $350 per person per port.

Key points

  • The fare is usually 45 to 60 percent of the total trip cost.
  • Excursions are the biggest variable, commonly $150 to $350 per person per port.
  • Gratuities add roughly $16 to $25 per person per day and are effectively mandatory.
  • A pre cruise hotel night is not optional if you are flying in. Treat it as a fixed cost.
  • Hold a 10 percent contingency. Alaska generates more unplanned spending than most regions.

Almost every disappointing Alaska cruise budget fails in the same way: the traveller budgets carefully for the fare and then discovers that the fare was the smaller half of the problem. Alaska has the most expensive shore excursions of any mainstream cruise region, the flights are long, and the season is short enough that hotels at either end are priced accordingly.

The method below produces a number you can actually plan against. Work through it once with honest inputs and you will know within about 10 percent what the trip will cost.

What an Alaska cruise budget is actually made of

Typical share of total trip cost, two people, seven nights, flying in
ComponentTypical shareTypical amount for two
Cruise fare45 to 60%$2,000 to $4,200
Flights12 to 22%$700 to $1,600
Shore excursions10 to 20%$600 to $1,800
Onboard spending8 to 15%$500 to $1,200
Gratuities5 to 8%$230 to $350
Pre cruise hotel4 to 7%$200 to $450
Taxes, fees and insurance5 to 9%$400 to $800
Percentages vary widely by traveller. A couple who books no excursions and drinks nothing will see the fare dominate. A family that books helicopter tours will not.

The single most useful reframing is to stop thinking in terms of a cruise fare with extras and start thinking in terms of a trip budget with a cruise inside it. That mental shift is what prevents the common outcome where a couple books a bargain fare and then cannot afford the excursions that were the point of going.

Three worked budgets

Budget conscious couple, seven nights from Seattle

ItemAmount
Carnival interior, shoulder season, two people$1,100
Taxes, fees and port expenses$400
Flights from the Midwest, two people$700
One pre cruise hotel night near the airport$180
Excursions, two per person, self selected$500
Gratuities$230
Onboard spending, modest$300
Travel insurance$210
Total for two$3,620

Typical couple, seven nights from Vancouver

ItemAmount
Princess balcony, peak season, two people$3,800
Taxes, fees and port expenses$520
Flights, two people$1,000
Two pre cruise hotel nights in Vancouver$600
Excursions, three per person including a whale trip$1,150
Gratuities$300
Onboard spending with a drinks package$1,100
Travel insurance$320
Total for two$8,790

Family of four, seven nights from Seattle

ItemAmount
Royal Caribbean balcony, peak season, four people$4,600
Taxes, fees and port expenses$900
Flights, four people$1,800
One pre cruise hotel night, family room$260
Excursions, two per person$1,400
Gratuities$560
Onboard spending including two drink packages and WiFi$1,400
Travel insurance$520
Total for four$11,440

Where Alaska budgets break

  1. Underestimating excursions. A helicopter glacier landing in Juneau costs $400 to $600 per person. Two people doing that once have spent more than a week of gratuities.
  2. Assuming the drinks package is optional. It is, but so is paying $14 a cocktail. Model both and choose deliberately rather than by default.
  3. Forgetting the pre cruise hotel. Flying in on embarkation day is the one economy that can cost you the entire trip.
  4. Ignoring the cruisetour premium. A land extension adds $1,400 to $3,000 per person, which is often more than the cruise itself.
  5. Not budgeting for WiFi. Alaska WiFi is expensive and satellite dependent. If you need to work, price it before you sail.
  6. Buying packages on board. Pre cruise pricing for drinks, WiFi and dining is consistently lower than onboard pricing.

Where to save without spoiling the trip

Savings ranked by impact on experience
SavingTypical saving for twoImpact on the trip
Sail in May or September instead of July$800 to $1,800Low. Weather is slightly less settled
Interior or oceanview instead of balcony$600 to $1,400Low on this itinerary, since you should be on deck
Book excursions independently$200 to $600Low, with careful operator selection
Choose a value line such as Carnival$600 to $1,200Moderate. Less destination programming
Skip the drinks package$500 to $1,100Depends entirely on how much you drink
Cut one excursion per port$300 to $900High. This is what you came for
Skip the pre cruise hotel$180 to $450Unacceptable risk. Do not do this
Read the table from the top down. The first four cost you almost nothing in experience. The last two cost you the trip.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I budget for an Alaska cruise?
A useful rule is to budget roughly twice the cruise fare for the total trip. For two people on a seven night sailing including flights, one hotel night, three or four excursions each, gratuities and onboard spending, a realistic all in range is $4,500 to $8,000. A budget conscious couple can do it for around $3,600 and a family of four should expect $9,000 to $12,000.
What is the biggest hidden cost of an Alaska cruise?
Shore excursions. Alaska has the most expensive excursions of any mainstream cruise region: a whale watching trip runs $120 to $190, a helicopter glacier landing $400 to $600, and dog sledding on the icefield $650 to $950. A couple booking one meaningful excursion in each of four ports can easily spend $1,200 to $2,400 on top of the fare.
How much spending money do I need on an Alaska cruise?
Onboard, budget $50 to $150 per person per day depending on whether you buy drink and WiFi packages. Ashore, budget for your excursions plus $30 to $60 per person per port day for food, transport and purchases. Gratuities are separate and typically $16 to $25 per person per day.
Are drink packages worth it on an Alaska cruise?
Less often than in the Caribbean. Alaska port days are long and active, the weather discourages poolside drinking, and many passengers drink noticeably less than they would on a warm weather sailing. The break even point is usually five to seven alcoholic drinks a day. Count honestly rather than optimistically. See drink packages.
When are Alaska cruise fares cheapest?
Early May and late September, at the very start and end of the season, where fares can be 30 to 50 percent below peak July pricing. Alaska does not follow the Caribbean pattern of deep last minute discounting, because the season is short and capacity is constrained. Booking early usually beats waiting. See Alaska cruise deals.
Should I book excursions through the cruise line or independently?
Independently is typically 25 to 40 percent cheaper and often uses smaller boats, but if an independent operator runs late the ship will sail without you. Book independently where the operator guarantees return before all aboard and where the port is compact, such as Ketchikan. Book through the ship where timing is tight or the tour is far from the berth. See shore excursions.

Keep researching

Call an Alaska cruise specialist