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Alaska Cruises October

tedbearz

By tedbearz,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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tedbearz

tedbearz

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Encore has a few sailings in October. Is this too late in the season ?

Most sites I've read mentioned the cruise season usually ends in October. What's the experience been like for anyone who has taken a cruise in October.

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ziggyuk "Live from...." Rare

ziggyuk

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I have been having trouble booking a whale watching tour (16 Oct), all the companies I have contacted have replied with something like this one:

 

Unfortunately our whale watching season only runs through the end of September. This is due to a couple of factors. The whales start to head down to Hawaii around mid-October, the weather drastically starts to change, and the daylight hours become shorter.

I hope this helps, we apologize for the inconvenience. We hope you still enjoy your time in Juneau, AK!

 

There are plenty of ships tours available, I just hope they actually happen based on the responses I have from those working in the area.

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BermudaBound2014 Great Review Rare

BermudaBound2014

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I don't believe any main stream cruise line has ever sailed this late into October so I'm not sure you will find an answer here. Best I can tell, cruise ships are all pretty much gone by the 1st week in October. Maybe try searching some of the lesser known/smaller lines to see if they have historically continued into mid to late October. I think Hurtigruten has kept sailing later than the big 3 so maybe someone on that forum can help more specifically. 

 

Having lived in Alaska, I can reiterate what the whale watching boats are telling you. Historically shops begin closing up for the entire season late September.  The days do get shorter. Because of the suns angle in the sky, the sun will not be directly above your head, instead it will circle around you, so even daylight can seem a bit dusky. But historically maybe different this year. 

 

The beauty of the Alaskan Cruises in October is pricing. Below are current prices for the first week of October. I fully expect these to drop even lower. Last minute booking should be a significant money saver here (assuming the Encore keeps her current schedule). 

image.thumb.png.5c73030c8f0e0648af74d9d17fa79dd3.png

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julig22

julig22

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I did a cruise tour in mid September 2019.  We "closed down" Denali - last day of bus tours.  Our ship left Seward on 9/16, got back to Vancouver on 9/23.  Beautiful weather the entire cruise but snow predicted days after we left, with the locals commenting on the fact that they were surprised it hadn't snowed yet.  A fair number of shops were already closed for the season - but many of those that were open were offering big discounts.  But there were plenty of "traditional" excursions offered by NCL - whale watching and so forth.

 

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FloatingAces

FloatingAces

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I've done Norway in November with Hurtigutien.  We went for a chance at the Northern lights, which might be possible to be seen even on a big ship in October in Alaska (again, might).  Juneau is big enough that shopping and restaurants should still be available, but like everyone else said, the smaller towns will have a lot rolled up.  They are still beautiful to walk around in.

 

The good news is throughout the Alaska cruise paths and all of October, sunrise and sunset is no worse than 8-5, similar to what we had in Norway.  The fjords, waterfalls, snowfalls, glaciers, and mountains are still there and beautiful.  After 8 hours of watching, sunset actually gave you a break and reason to go inside for dinner and an evening activity, without feeling like there was something to see you were missing.

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swmichigan cruiser

swmichigan cruiser

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5 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

I have been having trouble booking a whale watching tour (16 Oct), all the companies I have contacted have replied with something like this one:

 

Unfortunately our whale watching season only runs through the end of September. This is due to a couple of factors. The whales start to head down to Hawaii around mid-October, the weather drastically starts to change, and the daylight hours become shorter.

I hope this helps, we apologize for the inconvenience. We hope you still enjoy your time in Juneau, AK!

 

There are plenty of ships tours available, I just hope they actually happen based on the responses I have from those working in the area.

We were going to do two cruises this October on the Encore but cancelled both and one of the reasons was we pretty much got the same response from the company that we had used before in Icy Strait Point.  As I say just one of the reasons we cancelled the cruises. Instead will probably do Alaska again in May 2023.

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Shellbelle28

Shellbelle28

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I've sailed in Alaska on a "last of the season" cruise with NCL. At that time it was the last week of September. We had an amazing time and had spectacular weather. However, these are the things you are going to need to be aware that you could experience:

  • Most of the tourist areas will be in shutdown mode, some shops already closed, but others are selling their inventory cheap to get rid of it.
  • Fewer excursions could be available.
  • Daylight hours are getting short (if Victoria BC is in the itinerary as a 7:00pm arrival especially)
  • Weather could be bad, but that's Alaska!
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drcarp4

drcarp4

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We're booked on the Encore for the second week of Oct. We went two years ago the first week of June and the weather was perfect. Saw glaciers, whales, bears, moose, otters, eagles and seals.  Honestly, we don't care if all we do is sip martini's and watch the rain from the observation deck.

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AtlantaCruiser72

AtlantaCruiser72

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IMO even the second week of September is too late in the season for Alaska - the temperatures drop, the weather gets wetter, wildlife is less visible, the whales start migrating, shops close, etc.  I would not sail to Alaska in October regardless of the "deal", it's just simply not the right season for it IMO

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KruzPrincess

KruzPrincess

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 The season started late due to Covid, so some of the cruise lines decided to add some extra cruises on at the end to make up for it. This is completely different than other seasons. We don’t know if some shops and restaurants may decide to stay open longer than normal because this isn’t normal. They want to make money if they can. Whales do leave, so I wouldn’t expect to see many. I sailed late September once and it was cold and it had snowed already, but that was several years ago and we have global warming now. It’s hard to predict. Days will be shorter. Personally I really want to go, but haven’t booked yet. I like the idea that I might see northern lights. It’s definitely not the same as cruising in July, but it’s still Alaska and beautiful. More than anything, it’s still a cruise. 

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ChiefMateJRK

ChiefMateJRK

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39 minutes ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

I would not sail to Alaska in October regardless of the "deal", it's just simply not the right season for it IMO

While not optimal, for some of us in order to get on a cruise ship in 2021 it's either Alaska or nothing.  I'll take AK and, as the other poster said, be happy just to be on the ship and enjoying beverages in the fantastic observation lounge.  It should be a much needed relaxing break from the outside world.  Then again, I'm not a big shopper/hiker/explorer, so even when weather is nice and excursions are plentiful I still often prefer to just enjoy the ship.

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BermudaBound2014 Great Review Rare

BermudaBound2014

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35 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Then again, I'm not a big shopper/hiker/explorer, so even when weather is nice and excursions are plentiful I still often prefer to just enjoy the ship.

 

Then Alaska in October sounds like an excellent choice. For those who just want to get onboard and save substantial $$$ in cruise fare, Alaska will still offer amazing scenery even if you never leave your balcony.

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ChiefMateJRK

ChiefMateJRK

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14 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Then Alaska in October sounds like an excellent choice. For those who just want to get onboard and save substantial $$$ in cruise fare, Alaska will still offer amazing scenery even if you never leave your balcony.

While important to some, the savings have no impact on our decision to cruise.  We would likely still go at twice the price.

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Langoustine

Langoustine

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If you enjoy fog, rain, snow, freezing COLD weather, and virtually nothing being open, you will enjoy it. I have been in Alaska in October on a land trip and it was very pretty, but people who were not prepared for the weather were pretty miserable.

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tedbearz

tedbearz

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10 minutes ago, Langoustine said:

If you enjoy fog, rain, snow, freezing COLD weather, and virtually nothing being open, you will enjoy it. I have been in Alaska in October on a land trip and it was very pretty, but people who were not prepared for the weather were pretty miserable.

 

What clothing/gear should we bring for a trip in October? Rainshell, rain pants, etc?

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KruzPrincess

KruzPrincess

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6 hours ago, tedbearz said:

 

What clothing/gear should we bring for a trip in October? Rainshell, rain pants, etc?

It’s going to be cold. Warm jacket, hat, gloves and rain gear. Layers. It’s hard to predict weather. It could be pleasant. I went late September and my CA friends brought winter coats.  Me, being from MN, brought a medium weight jacket. I froze. It’s an unusually warm year. Hard to predict. It will definitely be cold for glacier viewing. 

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