Alaska in June

[cruisecat63076]

Looking to book on the Island Princess what is the weather like should we get a balcony would it be nice enough to use it or stick with a oceanview

Thanks for the advice

[CruiserBruce]

Some reading on the Alaska board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

 

would be very beneficial. June and July are the warmest months, but Alaska weather is very changable. Sometimes multiple times in a few hours.

 

Weather that far out is not predictable. Some will tell you Alaska weather is not predictable at all.

[bigmjh]

We have done multiple Alaska trips ... most in late May / early June. Sometimes the weather co-operates with beautiful, sunny and warm days ... other times it's been cold, grey and drizzles. One trip (first week of June) it so warm and sunny when we were cruising Glacier Bay that DW (who is normally cold all the time) sat out on the veranda in shorts and a tank top. So, to answer your questions ... it's basically a coin flip. :confused:

[Thrak]

We did a 6 day land tour followed by a 7 day southbound cruise last June. We left mid-June. Beautiful weather. Even at Denali I never wore a coat and usually not anything more than a light shirt. I did buy a light sweatshirt in Talkeetna for the trip home as it can be cold in Glacier Bay but even there it was pretty nice weather. That's twice to Alaska for us and both times we had beautiful weather. Very lucky.

[zahav1]

June can be unpredictable, if the sun comes out it can be in the 70's, but when it starts raining it could get much colder, we had a cold day in Skagway and a warm one in Juno. One thing we found out from a guide who took us through the rain forest is that you'll see more wildlife later on starting in early July. this is due to salmon spawning during this time and all the wildlife comes out. Wildlife in Alaska often depends on the salmon.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Balconies are pretty awesome in Alaska. Apart from the fact that you have a wall of glass looking out at the view at all times, the balcony is great for taking in the scenery in the morning (bring a comfy robe with you. Princess has them if you ask also) In summer it is cold most of the time on the balcony. Not freezing (a robe, and warm socks and slippers will suffice) but it's Alaska. By afternoon you may be in a t shirt and shorts. It depends. I've done Alaska eight times. I've only had to wear my heavy coat thrice. Once was early June and the other was late May, and once in July. Being on the water- it's a little colder, than when you are on land, because the water is ice cold. Layers, layers, layers!

 

Having said that, if you want to save money and spend it on excursions, there are plenty of places on Princess ships to view the scenery. The open decks, soaking in one of the hot tubs while viewing the glaciers is really fun. I've done outsides, insides, and balcony cabins- and I've loved every cruise! If you are doing College Fjords you are in for a treat. I like them better than Glacier Bay

[riclop]

Looking to book on the Island Princess what is the weather like should we get a balcony would it be nice enough to use it or stick with a oceanview

Thanks for the advice

How can anyone predict the crazy weather.

[Colo Cruiser]

We have had 70's and snow in June.

Layers layers layers....

We use our balcony in Alaska sun/rain/or snow. We spend hours on it.

Like Colorado wait 10 minutes and the weather will change.

[ar1950]

We have done two Alaska cruises so far, both with balconies. We have had beautiful weather on one and chilly, drizzly weather on another. Both times we were more than glad to have the balcony to enjoy the scenery. We have another balcony cabin booked next year for an Alaska cruise and are looking forward to it no matter what the weather is like. Balconies on Alaska cruises are worth it to us. YMMV.

[cruisequeen4ever]

I live in Alaska, and our own weathermen get it wrong a lot of the time. The weather here is just too unpredictable; we've had everything from 50s and rain to 78 and sunny on that cruise. I've done that cruise in everything from an Inside to a Suite, and all have been enjoyable. I'd say my fav was the balcony because we could do the scenic cruising from our own balcony and run inside if cold.

 

 

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[AF-1]

I live in Alaska, and our own weathermen get it wrong a lot of the time. The weather here is just too unpredictable; we've had everything from 50s and rain to 78 and sunny on that cruise. I've done that cruise in everything from an Inside to a Suite, and all have been enjoyable. I'd say my fav was the balcony because we could do the scenic cruising from our own balcony and run inside if cold.

 

 

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Does July have warmer weather or is it still a coin toss?

[Colo Cruiser]

Does July have warmer weather or is it still a coin toss?

 

 

We have had snow in Glacier Bay in late July.

[donswife]

Looking to book on the Island Princess what is the weather like should we get a balcony would it be nice enough to use it or stick with a oceanview

Thanks for the advice

 

I have had ocean view twice and spent lots of time outside on the Promenade and other open air areas. One time we had an aft balcony, which was perfect for Alaska, since it is sheltered from the wind. I spent hours watching whales and other wildlife. As others have said, bring layers.

[cat-tav]

Which month is best for seeing whales?

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Late May and Early June is when the whales are making their migration north. There is a lot of spouting.

[eandj]

We used our covered balcony quite a bit when cruising the Glaciers. But too we went up to the top deck for the panoramic views. I liked the balcony so we could take some selfies without others in the picture, we could go in and out of the room if we got chilly, we could leave the sliding door open and listen to narration clearly from the tv while viewing etc. But you pay a pretty premium for those pluses. Lots just head to the viewing decks or public rooms to enjoy the icescape.

We didn't sit on the balcony for breakfast as we do on warmer weather cruises. But we enjoyed our coffee taking in the views from inside.

[NavyVeteran]

We will be going on our fourth Alaska cruise on Princess next month. We've done two southbound and one Seattle round trip, and next month will be a San Francisco round trip. We've always had a balcony before, but next month we're trying it without one. We will either look through our windows or go to an open deck. The main disadvantage of looking through our windows instead of standing outside is that we won't be able to hear the calving. On the other hand, we can hear the commentary better on our TV, and the weather inside is more comfortable.

 

Another reason to be outside is to be closer to a bar - since we booked under the Sip & Sail promotion.:)

[AF-1]

We have had snow in Glacier Bay in late July.

 

Say What??? ooh, this means more long sleeve clothes

[cruisequeen4ever]

Does July have warmer weather or is it still a coin toss?

 

 

Complete coin toss. July can be hot and sunny or cold and rainy.

 

 

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[Coral]

Complete coin toss. July can be hot and sunny or cold and rainy.

 

 

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I have sailed 2x over the 4th of July.

 

One time is was so incredibly cold, there was sleet, intense fog the entire time and tons of rain. It was miserable and you couldn't even see anything due to fog. The ship sold out of jackets!

 

Several years later, I was so hot in jeans, I had to change to shorts, got sunburned really bad, etc...

 

Always be prepared:D