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Ketchikan, Alaska is one of the most popular stops on the Inside Passage cruise route. If your cruise will be stopping in this picturesque fishing village, you’ll find you have a huge variety of shore excursions to choose from — everything from the inexpensive to the exotic.

Ketchikan is located on an island in the Inside Passage of southern Alaska, and the town is surrounded by amazing natural beauty, from incredible fjords to soaring mountains, so there is much to see and do when your ship is in port.

With all the choices available, which Ketchikan excursion should you pick? After all, you’ll probably only visit this region once, so you want to select the very best trip. This list of the top three Ketchikan shore excursions can help you select the perfect trip for you, one that will you will never forget.

1. Misty Fjords Float Plane Trip

Misty Fjords National Monument is simply one of the most spectacular areas in all of Alaska. Known as the “Yosemite of the North”, Misty Fjords is a series of glacier-carved fjords with cliffs rising up some 3000 feet from the water below. It is a place few cruise ships visit, and it’s one of my favorite spots in all of Alaska. So if you have the budget, consider taking this excursion from Ketchikan. It’s one you’ll remember for a long time to come.

2.Orca Beach Rainforest Excursion

Take a cruise in a large, motor-driven inflatable boat along the beautiful Southern Alaskan coastline. You will take in the lush temperate rainforest and incredible wildlife of this region, including everything from orcas to bald eagles. Then, when you arrive at Orcas Beach, you will head off on a hike through the rainforest, which is simply beautiful. This trip is one of the best ways to experience the coast, forest, and wildlife of Southern Alaska up close.

3. Half Day Salmon Fishing Excursion

Ketchikan is famous for its salmon fishing, and this excursion allows you to fit in an actual salmon fishing trip during your cruise. Any salmon you catch can be shipped home for you. The sea life in this region is some of the most diverse and abundant anywhere, and there is a good chance you will see whales, Orcas, and even bald eagles on this trip. It’s a great way to enjoy coastal Alaska up-close while also having an absolutely amazing fishing experience.

Scott Russell is a writer, consultant, frequent traveler, and editor http://www.alaska-cruise-advisor.com, which hasoffers a wide variety of information on planning an Alaskan cruise.

Millions of people every year enjoy cruise vacations. They visit destinations such as the Caribbean, Alaska, the Far East and the Orient even Antarctica and Africa.

Cruising has become an incredibly popular way to travel, with an increasing number of people opting to use this method of travel over any other each year.
There are several reasons why cruise traveling has become so popular. It has many benefits over other travel methods. Here are the top three reasons why choosing to cruise gives a person the best travel value.

The all inclusive price of a cruise covers nearly all costs.With most other forms of travel, everything is separate. A person must pay for airfare, accommodations, entertainment, taxes, and meals.
With a cruise, all of those items are included in the price of the vacation. Land-based all-inclusive resorts may include all of those items as well; however, cruise trips also include travel between various ports of call.
Add up the costs of other forms of travel and compare them to the price of a cruise ticket, and it will become obvious that a cruise is the better value.
Cruises include onboard entertainment, as well as opportunities for shore excursions.
A person who chooses cruise traveling will not have to worry about planning entertainment. Between shipboard activities and entertainment and the activities available at the ports of call, a person will have plenty to do on a daily basis.

In contrast, planning a traditional vacation is much different. A person must make many decisions about entertainment and activities, both before and during the trip.

This hampers a person ability to relax on vacation because he must continually think about what he will do next for entertainment. Land-based resorts are somewhat better, as there are typically plenty of activities and entertainment available, but since the entertainment does not vary much throughout the vacation, it is not as good of a value as a cruise.
Cruising allows a person to visit many ports of call in a short period of time.

Choosing to cruise lets a person explore many different cities or areas within his vacation time, all without having to worry about the travel. The person simply retires for the night and then wakes up in the morning in a new location, with the ship having traveled during the night. Best of all, the person does not have to unpack a thing.

With traditional forms of travel and for people who are traveling to a land-based resort, visiting more than one city or area requires much planning and coordination.

A person must take care to book accommodations for each city and, of course, he must pack and unpack his belongings each time he travels to a new locale. A plane ticket or rental car must also be arranged for any travel to another location.

There are so many different types of cruise vacations available; therefore, nearly anyone can find a cruise of his liking. The many benefits of cruising really do give a person the best travel value this is why so many more people are enjoying cruising these days.

Thomas DeSimone is an cruise consultant for CruiseDealership which can help you Save on Any cruise – Any ship, Any cruise line, Any destination!
Find out how booking your cruise with us is as easy as 1-2-3. Log on at http://www.cruisedealership.com

Are you looking to plan a cheap cruise? It’s still possible to save big money on most cruises if you plan carefully and choose the right room for your particular budget.

With rapidly rising fuel costs, the price of going on a cruise has been on the upswing lately, so its more important than ever for anyone on a budget to research cruise fares and find a reasonably priced sailing that won’t break the bank.

Generally, if you are looking to book a specific type of room, you are best off booking your cruise very early in order to ensure that you get the best possible fare. Room categories can sell out — often months before the sail date — and by booking up to a year and a half in advance, you can take advantage of often substantial early booking discounts while still getting that balcony room or suite that your heart is set on.

Of course if you want to save even more money, you need to be more flexible with the type of room you are willing to book. Inside rooms — the rooms in the interior of the ship — are often as much as one third less than balcony rooms or suites. This can represent a tremendous savings for the economy-minded traveler.

On most cruises, there is simply so much to see and do, from shows to pools to dining, that many passengers end up spending very little time in their rooms. Therefore, it is often worth considering booking an inside cabin, since you will still have access to all the same great meals, entertainment, and activities as passengers paying far more than you.

Of course, one drawback to inside rooms is the lack of windows, so if you have issues with claustrophobia, and inside room might not be for you. But there is another great low-cost option on many ships that can cost little more than inside rooms. This second option is an obstructed view outside cabin.

The views in these cabins tend to be obstructed by lifeboats, poles, or other elements of the ship’s design. While the view might be partially or even full obstructed, you still have a window and thus usually will get some sunlight at the very least. Therefore, obstructed view rooms can be a great option for anyone who really needs a window in their cabin yet who still wants to save some serious cash.

Scott Russell is a writer, consultant, and frequent traveler. He is also an editor of the http://www.alaska-cruise-advisor.com, which provides information on all aspects of Alaskan cruising.

Going on a cruise was once an easy thing to arrange. All you had to do was go to your travel agent and look at a few brochures. But as the industry has grown it has become an overwhelming mix of itineraries, cruise packages, choices add-ons and prices. So how do you look through and search for all the available information to find the best cruise deal? The following tips will help you find the best cruise and save you money.

1. The busiest season has always been January through March. This is when the cruise industry books the most cruises. Cruise lines usually make about 38 percent of their yearly sales at this time. This is the best time to find many hot or last minute deals because they offer a lot of incentives.

2. Make sure to start well ahead of your vacation or holiday time if you can unless you want a last minute cruise deal. First of all you should call the cruise line you are most interested in and ask for the cruise line rep about any of their cruises and the staterooms. You can ask about handicapped-equipped staterooms then if this is a special need. You can always do this later after you do some research too.

Find out what specials they have running and make sure to tell them how old you are and what state you live in or if you’re traveling with a group of people or another couple or have cruised with their cruise line in the past. Does it include your airfare? Do you need a family deal? This is because your specific situation may entitle you for big discounts. Take whatever the quote given to you by the cruise line rep as your starting price point.

3. Next check out the Sunday newspaper ads in the travel section and look for cruise bargains. The bigger city newspapers and the newspapers located in or near cruise embarkation cities are great for finding good or cheap cruise deals. You can go to your local library to view the ads if they carry those news papers. Some daily newspapers even have there travel ads online.

4. Take a look at the cruise booking Web sites. There are cruise discount agencies that may have the cheapest cruise rates to be found anywhere, whether you want a luxury cruise or budget cruise. Huge travel Web sites such as Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity usually have great deals too. You can also find last-minute cruise deals too. The cruise Web sites’ prices are usually fairly similar. And the travel sites are usually similar but somewhat higher. Make sure to ask about any additional, secret or hidden fees, such as cancellation penalties. These can cost between $40 and $85.

5. Make sure to check with your cruise travel agent. Some people prefer to work with a travel agent or are not savvy about researching online. Find out if they charge a consulting fee before you meet. Some fees are usually refundable if they book your cruise. When you get together with the travel agent, say exactly what you want and that you’re comparing prices. Your local travel agent can be very helpful if you have disabilities, health problems, special needs or need visas or other documents.

6. Think about placing a “cruise wanted” ad on Craigslist online. Be specific and detailed about what you want. Then sit back and wait for replies.

7. Once you have a number of cruise line or cruise package quotes compare them and try to negotiate a lower price, extra discounts or some onboard extras.

Note that if you’re getting the same quote from your travel agent that you’re getting from the cruise line then you need to continue shopping for the best quote – your travel agent isn’t saving you any money. The best cruise deal is out there that is just right for you and will save you money on your vacation too regardless if you’re going to Alaska, Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii, the Bahamas, or Bermuda. You just need to do a little research and don’t take the first deal you see.

For more tips on the best cruise deals see http://www.GetTheBestDealOnline.com for all types of deals, electronics, laptops, credit, HDTV, airfare, etc., tips on best discounts, hot deals, low cost, wholesale deals and best deals online or offline. Online shopping tips, fraud and security tips.