August or September Alaska Cruise

[Lizzie68]

My point about the shorter hours of daylight is that you miss out on some of the stunning scenery while cruising, both AM and PM. It isn't just that the sun sets earlier, it also rises later.

 

It is also darn difficult to watch for marine wildlife when the sun is not up.....

 

Exactly. Sunset is at sunset no matter what the time of day. But you will have a shorter day in mid to late September. You have to weigh up your own pros and cons of which month to do Alaska.

[OceanTraveller4ever]

The latest time we left any port was 5:00PM, so daylight hours to me is a non-issue.

We saw many many land and sea animals, and sunsets.

 

Actually we saw over five hundred dolphins following our ship north of Vancouver island. That was very rare and quite a treat to see.

 

Again, luck is over timing. Also, later in the season, the costs are lower, and the upsells are better.

 

YMMV

[jvalentine]

I'd vote for August. Much better sailing the second time we went in August vs September weather wise. But if you're going to be in Alaska for 2 weeks...odds are you're going to get some rain...and likely experience all the seasons.

[Keith1010]

The later you go in the season the less daylight and the higher chance of more rainy days. But weather changes all the time so you can't be sure. Later means less children such as in September. Each one has a trade off.

 

Keith

[tamsno]

For whale watching, by the end of August most have begun their migration. Although we saw some some wonderful displays, a few weeks earlier is better. The weather of course is variable all season long. Last Aug we had some of the best and worst of 3 cruises. Have a great time.

[Skoogs]

Wow! Thank you to everyone for sharing your thoughts and experiences! It sounds like August 1st is the best time for us to go. It only costs $100 more for an ocean view for the August 1st sailing vs. August 29th or September 12th. No discount for the September sailing as of now. Although, the Lani Cabins are sold out for the August 1st cruise.We live in Wisconsin so we understand unpredictable weather. We know it will rain on us at some point during the cruise. As long as it's above 30 degrees we'll be fine.

[jvalentine]

Enjoy your cruise too! Loved the Maasdam when we were on her a few years ago for a Canada/New England trip. :)

Edited January 24, 2016 by jvalentine

[DaveOKC]

One more thing. There will be fewer children onboard in a Sept sailing vs Aug 1, if that matters to you.

[catl331]

Whenever you chose for your cruise, leave with a positive mind; make the most of the ports and facilities on the ship. I always enjoy the ranger talks and sitting up in the Crow's nest just in case, just in case!! Let us know how it goes. Good Luck!

[RMLincoln]

Our very first cruise was a mid-Sept Alaska cruise r/t Vancouver.

We had a bit of very light "liquid sunshine" in Juneau, low cloud ceiling in Skagway but still got an eagle float (DH) and a helicopter to glacier excursion in; Glacier Bay was low cloud ceiling but we still enjoyed the glaciers immensely and we had clear bright blue skies in Ketchikan...

 

PLUS we saw the Northern Lights! not poster quality Northern Lights but still it was a thrill to see them for our first time.

 

Whenever you go, you must be prepared for chilly and wet, then you will have the right clothing and be able to enjoy the whole spectrum of your cruise. Enjoy, m--