Cruise West extends early booking deals for Alaska

Cruise West, which runs small expedition-style cruises to Alaska (among 0ther destinations), is extending its early booking discount for its 2009 Alaska cruises and waiving the fuel surcharge for passengers who book and pay in full by January 30, 2009.

You can save up to $1,210 per cabin, double occupancy, on a 2009 eight-night Alaska's Inside Passage cruise, including one night's hotel accommodations in Juneau. The itinerary starts at $3,999 per person. This promotion may be applied to existing bookings.

The company is also waiving the fuel surcharge on all its 2009 cruises for passengers who pay in full by the final early booking discount dates for those cruises. For instance, if you pay in full for fall Japan cruises by January 17, 2009, or by March 27, 2009 for Panama and Costa Rica, Mexico's Sea of Cortes, or Columbia and Snake River cruises, you can escape the fuel surcharge.

For more information or bookings, go to the Cruise West website or call 800/296-8307.

Photo from Cruise West.