Clients are always asking me how early they should plan an Alaskan cruise. In the past, I would advise budget-minded people to consider waiting until the last minute if they had their hearts set on getting the absolute lowest prices on their cruise.
However, having watched booking patterns over the past couple years, during which more and more cruises have sold out well in advance, I’ve now begun to advise everyone to book as early as possible.
This past year, May was one month during which last minute deals were actually available. It is possible that this trend will continue next year, so if you are willing to consider an Alaskan cruise in May, particularly early in the month, you might be able to get the best deals by waiting. Of course doing so is a risk, as prices might instead go up if sailings start to fill up earlier next year.
So your nest bet is to plan early and make your reservations as soon as possible. You can generally hold your spots on the cruise worth just a deposit until a couple months before your sail date, so you don’t have to pay the entire amount far in advance.
Alaska cruises generally go on sale around May of the prior year, so start planning now, and you can get the best possible rates.
Here’s a cool video of Glacier Bay Alaska, taken aboard Holland America’s MS Noordam. 
Here’s a video taken by a family on an Alaskan cruise on the week of July 6th. in NCL’s Norwegian Star.
Here’s a cool video of the amazing and vast Denali National Park in Alaska’s great interior, several hours north of Anchorage.
Here’s a video taken by a visitor to the island village of Sitka Alaska. Sitka is a beautiful little town that serves as a possible stop on the Alaska cruise route.