Latest Date For Alaska Cruise?

[drcpa]

My wife and I have never visited Alaska, but when we travel to other places we usually pick a Sept trip. All things being equal, many tourist sites here and abroad are a bit cooler in Sept (we're trying to avoid the stifling summer heat) and not quite as crowded as in the summer.

So....we were thinking about a Sept cruise to Alaska.

This is my 1st look at this site and I'm getting the vibe that Sept is too late to visit Alaska, ie the weather is dicey, the days end too early, and many of the wildlife tours (birds, bears, and whales) are sub-optimal in Sept.

Might you comment?

Much thanks

[Ashland]

My wife and I have never visited Alaska, but when we travel to other places we usually pick a Sept trip. All things being equal, many tourist sites here and abroad are a bit cooler in Sept (we're trying to avoid the stifling summer heat) and not quite as crowded as in the summer.

So....we were thinking about a Sept cruise to Alaska.

This is my 1st look at this site and I'm getting the vibe that Sept is too late to visit Alaska, ie the weather is dicey, the days end too early, and many of the wildlife tours (birds, bears, and whales) are sub-optimal in Sept.

Might you comment?

Much thanks

You will enjoy Alaska anytime from May-Sept don't worry about what was or might have been.Too much can and will change from month to month or year to year....Some will disagree but after all....It's a cruise to Alaska !!!!

[negc]

By Labor Day, or shortly thereafter, many cruiselines have cut back their sailings in Alaska, shops in the ports may have closed for the season and some excursions are no longer offered. You can still enjoy your time in Alaska, but you should research just what is going to be available by that time and see if the absence of any of the things that seem important to you will seriously diminish your enjoyment. As you already realize the hours of daylight are significantly diminished and temperatures may be somewhat lower. All of these factors can also mean that the cruise fares may be lower and may compensate to some degree for the absences of some features. Do your research. Determine your priorities. Only then will you know whether delaying your Alaska cruise until September is a good idea.:)

[oldmama]

Last September was my first cruise to Alaska, & I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was constantly on the go, with 2 excursions in each port, & really didn't have time to see the cities. White Pass Railroad, whalewatching, Mendenhall Glacier, Glacier Gardens, Misty Fiords with Island Wings were all wonderful. The weather was cool, but who wants to go to Alaska to be hot? The shorter hours of daylight was not a problem, just not enough time in each port to see it all. If time & budget allow, spend some time inland going to the Kenai Peninsula & Denali National Park. The trees in the fall are the most beautiful color of gold & the tundra is red. Any trip to Alaska you will not regret. My once in a lifetime trip has turned into an obsession as I will be returning again in May.

[JDinWA]

Our first cruise was at the end of Sep (23rd) and it was wonderful. We participated in a full range of excursions (including a float plane) and weren't hampered by weather at all. An Alaskan cruise isn't like the more tropical sort, where you're relying on lots of sun to make the experience perfect (IMO). We've cruised Alaska a number of times since, at various times of the year, and next year we're doing September again. Since we enjoyed the first Sep cruise as well as any of the others, why not take advantage of the cheapest fares?

[Yukon]

Here's what the final cruise day in Skagway looked like this year - http://explorenorth.com/wordpress/?p=383 It looked like most people didn't even get off their ships.

[A&Emom]

The weather was cool, but who wants to go to Alaska to be hot? .

 

 

Me.

 

Alaska was never high on my list of places to visit because I never wanted to go anywhere colder than NYC, where I live. However because the stars aligned on so many levels, I found myself there this past July. We had clear, hot, sunny days for the entire trip. It gave me a chance to fall in love with Alaska. One of my favorite things was walking around the outside ship's decks at 10pm in broad daylight. If I ever return, it will be early enough in the season to really take advantage of those 20hrs of daylight.

[PennyAgain]

You pay your money and you take your chances. End of season cruises used to be cheap. No longer! I try to catch a late cruise north so I can see the season change in Alaska and then visit my family for a while. However, at the prices offered now......no deal.

[Budget Queen]

Overall, I never recommend past the first week of Sept. The weather can significantly drop off past this point. I have been visiting Alaska since 1994 and probably one of the most frequent visitors, and over all those years- Sept, has the worse potential of weather the entire season.

 

I used to pick up cheap Sept trips- like paying $350 was my priority. One season was my third trip that year. The rates, now are NOT significantly cheaper. Always my earlier trips were superior= 26 so far.

[Putterdude]

My fave time for Alaska is mid-July thru mid-Aug. Weather is always a crap shoot in Alaska but the odds are really stacked against you after mid August and by September....it is really soggy. We did go this year in September but did it as a bit of a lark with some firends and as expected, the weather was lousy.

[pspercy]

I checked the calendar, for September in Anchorage sunrise approx 7am, sunset 9pm so a pretty normal day !

http://www.sunrisesunset.com

[Yukon]

I checked the calendar, for September in Anchorage sunrise approx 7am, sunset 9pm so a pretty normal day !

 

On September 1 there's 14 hours of daylight - by the 25th there's only 12 hours. "Normal" by your standards ignores the very cool Midnight Sun of late June, which is one of the things most commented on by visitors.

[pspercy]

Yes, by "normal" I meant the length of a day for people in lower latitudes, some comments seemed to imply that it got dark really early.

 

I've been up there mid-June, now that is different :)

[Toyz711]

on our mid-sept cruise, we got off our whale watching at 7pm...if was dusk. by the time we got to the ship, if was dark. much more fun available when you go earlier in the season, the long hours of light give you more time for tours and shopping.