Best time for Alaska cruise

[Pronkster]

We have always heard that to cruise Alaska is beautiful. We have seen some really good fares for cruises in the spring and summertime. Is there a better time to take one of these cruises? Suggestions and advice would be appreciated.

[vkrn]

We've taken two cruises in late May, early June. We had great weather and it is the best time to see a lot of wildlife. We saw lots of whales and seals. The cruises are a little cheaper, but you do take the risk of having bad weather. We were very lucky, twice!

[Twinkstarr]

Both times I have gone was in mid July. Weather was great, as in sunny and not to cool and calm seas.


I know the first time we went which was back in the 1980's on the Pacific Princess(aka the Love Boat) and I think they actually filmed the Alaska cruise show in the early season(May/June). They had some really bad weather on that one, rough seas, gales, heard about all the stars who got sea sick.

Back then the entertainment staff(singers,etc) got to eat in the dining room and were at the next table, so we got a lot of dirt on the tv show!

[beejaybeeohio]

That excursions for bear watching are not offered until late July, if that is something you are interested in. CruiseCritic has an Alaska forum that will help you in your decision making. We went end of August last year on a Seattle-Seattle Norwegian Pearl cruise. Weather was great for all our port days and Glacier Bay day.

[geekette]

Agree that the Alaska ports of call board on CruiseCritic.com will be quite valuable to you.

I took Mom in Sept because it was cheaper and we had great weather, tho we were prepared for anything (rain in Whittier, the only foul weather we had). We saw a lot of whales beside the ship as we left Juneau. Juneau was HOT that day - in the 80s. Went dog-sledding on a glacier and was way too warm!

The weather will be a crapshoot no matter when you go, so base the timeframe on the activities you wish to partake in. The pricing is quite delicious this year so no matter when you go, you will be getting a fantastic deal! Consider adding a landtour as some of those are 2 for 1.

We did Southbound on Princess. Open jaw air from Indiana was not bad - flew into Anchorage, spent the night, ship docked in Vancouver, where we spent the day, Amtrakked to Seattle and flew out of SeaTac. Roughly $450/pp. Money spent on Amtrak + overnight still beat flying out of YVR. Be aware, Amtrak between Vanc and Seattle is limited - morning run from Seattle to Vanc, night run from Vanc to Seattle. But very cheap.

If you overnight in Anchorage, I highly recommend Hawthorne Suites. The morning breakfast buffet was extensive, the staff was top notch, the accomodations were far better than the price we paid should get!

[jlee2070]

I too was considering an Alaska Cruise early Sept... Prices seem reasonable...

Do you folks recommend North/South Bound Cruises or Round Trips from Vancouver or Seattle?

I was looking at a South Bound Cruise and the departure time at night at 8 or 9PM. I'm in CA so I can get to Anc and take a bus to Seward I guess... Would have liked to take the train from ANC to Seward but it leaves way early... Any other suggestions?

[djs]

Although I haven't done an Alaska cruise, I have heard that some of the smaller ships offer opportunities to get into inlets and other ports that the larger ships are unable to.

[hibbeln]

Make sure you research this thoroughly.
My brother and his family went 2 years ago. I seem to remember they went in early/mid August because they got good fares. Then saw NO wildlife! The crew on the ship said "Oh yeah, that's why the fares are so good at this time of year, because all the wildlife is far inland so you don't see any." They were soooooooo disappointed because they had their kids along and specifically wanted to see lots of wildlife.

[BMWguynw]

If you're going soon, I'd suggest departing from a southern port, like Seattle or Vancouver, and sailing roundtrip. Mt Redoubt is erupting like crazy, and flights into or out of Anchorage are being delayed or cancelled. Not sure how long the mountain will be blowing its top. It'd be a real drag to plan a cruiise like that, and not be able to get there - or home afterwards!

Dave

[geekette]

Originally Posted by jlee2070

I too was considering an Alaska Cruise early Sept... Prices seem reasonable...

Do you folks recommend North/South Bound Cruises or Round Trips from Vancouver or Seattle?

I was looking at a South Bound Cruise and the departure time at night at 8 or 9PM. I'm in CA so I can get to Anc and take a bus to Seward I guess... Would have liked to take the train from ANC to Seward but it leaves way early... Any other suggestions?

I picked Southbound because I wanted to get as far up there as I could. With a bit more time, I would have liked to get up to Denali, down the Kenai Peninsula, etc. I also decided Glacier Bay was a must for me, and I was not disappointed.

We did a day cruise in Prince William Sound after arriving in Whittier and that was a great way to kick things off.

If Wildlife is a priority, do your homework. Bears come out for salmon. We saw a zillion bald eagles, plenty of whales (Juneau was our best shot for that and it Delivered!), some otters and the like. I was mostly about the glaciers, and hoping for wildlife.

[kelela92]

I went on my first cruise this past year, and it was the Alaska cruise. We left Vancouver and headed north to end up at Whittier. I went mid-July to the end of July. My folks had previously taken this trip, about 5 years ago or so.

They had one of the hottest days on record at Skagway, I believe. Or maybe it was for the year. Anyhow, they had some wonderful weather.

So, when my folks wanted us kids to go with them again, my mom chose the same time frame. Um, yeah. It was in the low 40s, wet, raining, the entire time. We didn't see the sun the entire time we were on our cruise.

We saw a lot of humpback whales, some bears, tons of bald eagles, and some goats and stuff.

I will say this, although my mom thinks our trip was ruined due to the weather, it's Alaska, I expected weather like that, or at least weather you cant' predict. I had a great time. Almost missed our helo ride to the glacier, but otherwise, have a heavy layered jacked (3-in-1's are great), an umbrella, and you're good.

Lastly. I will say. Our captain said he hadn't seen weather this bad the entire summer he was cruising to AK and back to Vancouver/Seattle. So, was it a fluke, probably. Will your weather be like that? Probably not. Should you be prepared, probably.

Everyone I have spoken to said it's the best cruise (including ppl that have 20+ cruises under their belt around the world). So, since it was my first, I have nothing to compare it to. It rains in Hawaii, big deal. It rained in Alaska, oh well, still enjoyed it.

[PJM]

I have lived in south central Alaska (Anchorage area) for many years. My husband and I decided to hop a cruise from Seward to Vancouver to see some areas in southeast Alaska that we had not seen. What a beautiful way to see Alaska! The small towns that you stop in along the way -Hoonah, Ketchikan, Juneau - do not really warrant staying for more than a few hours in my opinion, unless you want to do some serious hiking or other outdoor activities. You can get a flavor of the place, take a short hike or tour and get back on the boat.
You get better sleeping accomodations on the boat than you would get in most of the towns and more luxurious meals. You can eat lunch in the town to get the Alaskan flavor and go back to the boat for a "free" very nice dinner.
Another nice thing about the Alaskan cruise is the informality of the cruise. Unlike other cruises we had been on, the Alaskan one was cooler(we went in late August/early Sept). The temperature was 50-65 degrees with some wind. The weather was beautiful and sunny, but winter coats, jackets & sweaters were mandatory gear. Booking a balcony cabin was a waste because it was too cool to sit outside and have coffee. We had an outside porthole room and that was great. For dinner, most people were wearing nice pants-very few people really dressed up other than the formal nights. The crowd was markedly older than other boats we have been on. We are mid 50's and were on the young end of the age group.
I enjoyed this cruise so much, I would readily do it again anytime. We went on Royal Caribbean. We booked this trip at the last minute and got a great price. At the end of the trip, we rented a car and went to Whistler BC for a couple of days, then flew home out of Vancouver.
As the dollar is strong now, Canada is cheaper to go to, but Alaska is still quite expensive. Unless you go in a shoulder season (May or Sept), hotel prices will be high. Alaskan prices are not outrageous, but are higher than most cities in the lower 48 so be prepared for that.
Happy cruising- Alaska is a beautiful state!

[1950bing]

What time would be best to see Palin?

[Blues]

Bristol? Or Piper? Piper's probably the most interesting and photogenic of the bunch.

[gorevs9]

I was looking at alaska.org. This site has a ton of information.

[1950bing]

Originally Posted by Blues

Bristol? Or Piper? Piper's probably the most interesting and photogenic of the bunch.

I don't know now........
Mama Palin is looking good with the glasses and the great legs !

[JackieD]

I just booked a cruise last night for Alaska and woke this morning thinking 'oh what have I done'! Not because it's Alaska but because it departs May 30 and I don't have time to do my normal plan, plan, plan! We got a screaming deal $3800 for 5 pp - 2 cabins (one inside & 1 balcony). And screaming airfare to Seattle ($165). We plan to have 2 1/2 days in Seattle, 4 days- Vancouver & Vancouver Island. Now I need to piece it all together....

Open to suggestions! The cruise is Royal Carib. and it goes to Icy Strait Point, Tracy Arm Fjord, Skagway and Juneau. Cruise Critic here I come....

[beejaybeeohio]

Lots of folks love the WhitePass Railway in Skagway, but DH & I rented a car and drove into the Yukon Territory. What a scenic drive! And when we returned to Alaska, we got the cutest little steam engine stamp on our passports.

Excursions add up bigtime. So if you are watching your $$, choose them very carefully.