Alaska Cruise

[TXRed]

Hi! We haven't cruised for about 8 years and are now looking at an Alaska Cruise next year and need lots of advise. We are looking at RCCL out of Seattle, 7 days....and that's about it so far. When is the best time to go? I checked with RCCL ad it looks like they sail out of Seattle from May to August. Is a balcony advisable? I am was told bugs in Alaska are a problem? I haven't started much research yet, and am looking for some some direction. Thanks!

[d4nigirl]

We sailed from Seattle on Rhapsody in an oceanview last August (mid-month). I wish we could've upgraded to a balcony but it just wasn't in our budget at the time. We still had a great time though.

It rained for a few days on and off during our trip. It rained in Juneau, Skagway, and while we were cruising to see the glacier. It wasn't bad though. It was mostly drizzling or misting and it didn't interfere with our planned excursions/shopping. While it was raining, it was in the 60s(F). We brought our own disposable ponchos too. It was sunny and warm in Victoria. My parents went a week before on NCL (leaving from Seattle, same itinerary but adding Ketchikan) and had no problem with weather.

I have no idea about the bugs, we didn't have any problem.

I'd love to go back, the scenery was just so beautiful.

[SPacificbound]

I'll be interested to see the replies on this question. :)

 

I can't imagine Alaska having more bugs then our semitropical climate here. :D

[jonbgd]

I see more bugs in TX than i did in Alaska:eek:

[xxoocruiser]

Hi! We haven't cruised for about 8 years and are now looking at an Alaska Cruise next year and need lots of advise. We are looking at RCCL out of Seattle, 7 days....and that's about it so far. When is the best time to go? I checked with RCCL ad it looks like they sail out of Seattle from May to August. Is a balcony advisable? I am was told bugs in Alaska are a problem? I haven't started much research yet, and am looking for some some direction. Thanks!

 

Been to Alaska twice and bugs were never an issue.

 

• Early May cruises tend to be a little cheaper and have less kids on board. Though the potential issue with early May cruises is that sometimes the waterways leading up to Tracy Arms or Hubbard Glacier ( depending on the intinerary you choose ) can be impaired by floating iceburgs depending how hard of winter and may limit how far the ship can go to get to the glaciers.
  

• June, July and August are peak season so prices tend to be higher. Alaska has become more of a family favorite than in years past and RCCL is definitely a cruise line that markets to families. These months there will definitely be a lot of kids. Personally having kids on board has never been an issue with me but I know from the CC boards that some cruisers are concerned about the number of kids on board.
  

• September is the month that the Alaska cruise season winds down so depending on supply & demand you can often find a good deal later in the season if you choose to book later and willing to take pot luck with the cabins.
  

• RE: Balcony cabins- there are those on CC that will tell you a balcony is must. However you need to know that the shore excurisions in Alaska can be very costly. Therefore I personally prefer to book an Oceanview or an Inside and spend the extra money on the shore excursions. Afterall you'll be spending more time on shore than in your cabin.
  

Hope this helps you. BTW Alaska Cruises have been amoung my favorites.

[mommaof 3]

The bugs in AK can be vicious, my inl laws in Fairbanks would describe it as way worse than Wisconsin, which is pretty bad...but I think it is more of an inland problem, there's no prey on the ocean and they really stay near the wetlands they breed in.

 

Besides, it's so gorgeous I'd go with anything short of Jumanji-sized mosquitos anyway!