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When is the best time of year to cruise to Alaska?

scouse mouse

By scouse mouse,
in Princess Cruises

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TravelingEA

TravelingEA

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We have gone 3 times - always has been in May. The only downfall was the Salmon run had not yet started., However, we still did see quite a few bear. The last time was May 2016 and we did get into Tracy Arm on the small boat excursion - all the way to Sawyer glaciers.

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uncleah

uncleah

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Before we went on our first Alaska cruise, we asked several crew members on another cruise what they thought was the best time to do Alaska. The consensus was the end of July - beginning of August. They were right. The first time we went, the cruise line was taking photos of the ship in Glacier Bay to use in their advertising. Crew on the ship said it was the best weather they had all season.

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KatieMac67

KatieMac67

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We would love to do a cruise to Alaska, but being Brits have no idea when the best time of year would be. Could any of our cruise critic friends help?

 

Any replies much appreciated.

 

I lived in Alaska most of my life, end of May and June is usually the best weather. Not always, but mostly.

Plus you will be able to experience 20 hours of daylight each day. It is the reason I go back to Alaska every summer, after living in Alaska since 1954 I now live in Arizona. So we are snowbirds now.

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Tapi Great Review Rare

Tapi

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We've only sailed to Alaska one time and it was in early June. Absolutely fantastic weather. Temperature in the 60's (F) the entire week with not a cloud in sight. Glacier Bay with a clear blue sky was picture perfect breathtaking. Like a postcard.

 

We learned that the following week after we sailed, the forecast for most of Alaska was overcast, rainy and cold with temperatures dropping in the 40's (F).

 

As others said, plan your trip for when it's convenient for you. We went in early June simply because that's what worked for the 14 people in our group and because pricing was considerably cheaper than going later in the season. You won't know what the weather will be like during your specific week until it's actually here.

 

 

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casofilia

casofilia

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We actually went on one of the very last cruises to Alaska; September a number of years ago. We had glorious weather. We were allowed into one of the inlets in Glacier Bay that is usually closed to cruise liners as it was the very end of the season. On the other hand we missed Ketchikan as there was a gale for 2 days.

We did have virtually no children on the cruise as it was after school had started in both Canada and the States.

The bargains in the shops were fantastic.

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lilant

lilant

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We would love to do a cruise to Alaska, but being Brits have no idea when the best time of year would be. Could any of our cruise critic friends help?

 

 

 

Any replies much appreciated.

 

 

 

MAY!

 

 

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gdisney

gdisney

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Not sure there's a 'bad' time to go to Alaska...but the weather can be pretty unpredictable as many have said. Going earlier in the season is nice, but if there's still snow pack you may not be able to do certain things. As an example, in Juneau there's some nice trails with overlooks at the top of Mount Roberts. The one time we cruised there in June, the trails up there were snowed in and mostly inaccessible. Granted it was really beautiful with the snow!

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Tapi Great Review Rare

Tapi

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Never, it's the most over rated cruise.

 

 

 

Woah. Alaska was, by far, one of the best cruises I've ever taken. Even though I absolutely love beach destinations, there's not a single Caribbean cruise that can remotely compare to our cruise to Alaska. It was fantastic.

 

 

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Tina G

Tina G

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If you want to see snowy and cold Alaska, you won't see it from a cruise ship. The ships only operate May to Sept. The climate is moderate and wet. You will need sweaters for the evening, and definitely bring a raincoat. You will only be seeing the southern panhandle of Alaska, not the whole state. A fleece or coat is needed on the days you sail near the rapidly melting glaciers. The shore towns you visit will be filled with people who come in for the tourist season to sell you anything. The towns have become very overdeveloped, and there will be as many as 10 huge cruise ships docked at the same time as yours. This is not the authentic Alaska, but you can have a good time and take excursions that are interesting. The whale watching is a must unless you are prone to sea sickness. The scenery along the panhandle is wonderful!

The land tours will take you into the state as far as Fairbanks if you choose. Most people want to see Denali National Park, but be prepared to spend hundreds of extra dollars to take a trip far into the park to see wildlife, not just the quick tourist trip. Fairbanks is the city farthest north. There are private companies that will take you to the far north, across he arctic circle, but they are not for the comfort needing people. There are no petrol stations or restrooms as you get to the far north. Nothing except miles of the Alaska pipeline, squishy tundra, and gravel roads. We went as far as the Prudoe Bay area and stayed in trailers built for the oil workers. We were young and adventurous. I wouldn't do it now. We saw amazing wildlife! It really gave us the idea of how huge the state of Alaska is! It would more than cover all of western Europe.

Edited by Tina G
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BunnieBear

BunnieBear

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The best time to go is whenever you go - there will be doubters and others that will condemn and put down every imaginable thing - just go and enjoy it and it will be what it is.

I really like this advice. There's good and bad for every season. We'll be the last boat so it'll be much quieter in port, better than sunshine :-)

 

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Coral "Live from...." Rare

Coral

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The best time to go is whenever you go - there will be doubters and others that will condemn and put down every imaginable thing - just go and enjoy it and it will be what it is.

 

I disagree. Having had awful weather on my first cruise there, I did research and there are definitely better months when your chances of having better weather are higher. There are times when I will not go (mid-September and on is an example).

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Coral "Live from...." Rare

Coral

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I really like this advice. There's good and bad for every season. We'll be the last boat so it'll be much quieter in port, better than sunshine :-)

 

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I could care less about sunshine. It is extremely wet and foggy weather that I try to avoid when going to Alaska.

 

I could also care less about people in port as I get out of port "to see Alaska". Never have crowds outside of port.

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BunnieBear

BunnieBear

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I could care less about sunshine. It is extremely wet and foggy weather that I try to avoid when going to Alaska.

 

I could also care less about people in port as I get out of port "to see Alaska". Never have crowds outside of port.

We'll be doing a bit of each but having never cruised or visited the US it'll be nice being able to move around more freely.

 

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