Japan, Russia and North Pacific crossing

[Sunny SA]

Am looking at this cruise April/May 2021. Has anyone done this? Am a bit worried that it is too early in the season for Alaska. Any advice?

 

Bering sea rough this time of year?

  

[ShipsandDipper]

We just finished Tokyo to Seward on Azamara Quest 12-25 May.  We were pretty lucky with the weather overall, though we did run into a storm that caused us to miss Kodiak (after leaving Dutch Harbor we had to stay on the leeward side of an island until the storm subsided, and then we didn't have enough time to get to Kodiak, so we skipped it and went on to Homer).  Our day in Russia was sunny and the nicest day they had all week--they were expecting rain the rest of the week.

 

For much of the trip, the Pacific and the Bering Sea were nearly flat--the exception mainly being during the storm, and even that wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.  Weather alternated between overcast with some rain, foggy, and sunny, but even when sunny it wasn't particularly warm while underway.  Dutch Harbor was pleasant, and Homer was sunny.  Leaving Homer we ran into a fog bank, though, and the next day Seward was overcast, raining, and downright cold.  The only good thing about that is that we finally had a reason to have lugged along the Antarctic-issued parkas; the rest of the trip we didn't need them.  Memorial Day Weekend, but it didn't feel much like the unofficial start of summer!

 

Alaskans mentioned how the season was just getting underway.  So if you'll be in Alaska much before the week before Memorial Day, there may be closures/shortened hours.