Spring vs Summer?

[gzmtlock]

We're looking to check off one of our bucket list trips in the next couple years - an Alaskan cruise!  We've started our research, and top of the list is a balcony stateroom on a 7-day, one-way cruise on Norwegian Jewel.  We prefer smaller vs larger ships.  And particularly for Alaska, we don't need a lot of onboard activities.  Our whole reason for going is to experience Alaska!  (or as much of it as you can on a 7-day cruise 😁)

 

We're debating between mid-May and mid-July.  (Workload in Fall rules out that season.)  Other than May is cheaper and colder, July is more expensive and warmer - what are some differences?  Perhaps it's excursions that are available in July but not May.  Or wildlife that can be seen in May but not July.  In general, what are the pros and cons of going in both months?

[strickerj]

I chose Spring (May 21 on Eurodam) since, despite being cooler, I've read earlier in the season is less foggy and rainy. Additionally, before Memorial Day, there should be fewer families with children due to school still being in session. The tradeoff, besides being colder, is less wildlife activity.

[LMKakaThing2]

Don’t always count on mid-May being colder. Went in May of 2015 and had 70+ degree weather. Was hilarious watching people search the shops for shorts. 
 

We didn’t see any bears in the wild, but mating season is from May to early July. Our tour guide when we were in Skagway, said that bears love the dandelions that are coming up in May. He said it’s like candy to them. However, we saw some moose about 500 yards from the highway and we saw one while driving around Wasilla. 
 

Going back this May and hoping to see some bears and more moose in the wild. 

Edited February 14, 2022 by LMKakaThing2

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, gzmtlock said:

We're looking to check off one of our bucket list trips in the next couple years - an Alaskan cruise!  We've started our research, and top of the list is a balcony stateroom on a 7-day, one-way cruise on Norwegian Jewel.  We prefer smaller vs larger ships.  And particularly for Alaska, we don't need a lot of onboard activities.  Our whole reason for going is to experience Alaska!  (or as much of it as you can on a 7-day cruise 😁)

 

We're debating between mid-May and mid-July.  (Workload in Fall rules out that season.)  Other than May is cheaper and colder, July is more expensive and warmer - what are some differences?  Perhaps it's excursions that are available in July but not May.  Or wildlife that can be seen in May but not July.  In general, what are the pros and cons of going in both months?

 

May is also one of the drier months and has an added bonus of more snow on the mountains for great backdrops. Also way less kids.

[LMKakaThing2]

I also want to add, that when we did our trip up to the Yukon while in Skagway May of 2015, it was interesting to see snow and ice on the lakes in the morning and by time we made our way back to the ship, it had all melted. 

[xlxo]

12 hours ago, gzmtlock said:

We're debating between mid-May and mid-July.  (Workload in Fall rules out that season.)  Other than May is cheaper and colder, July is more expensive and warmer - what are some differences?  Perhaps it's excursions that are available in July but not May.  Or wildlife that can be seen in May but not July.  In general, what are the pros and cons of going in both months?

I like cruising in June.... good prices, dry weather, lots of daylight

 

Between your mid-May and mid-July option... I vote July.

• more excursions operating.  The Bennett train started service in late-May in 2019
• more flowers are blooming
• if you can swing the last week of July, you might see more wildlife chasing the returning salmon

My only concern for July... wildfires and the smoke.  It comes from California and often covers Vancouver/Seattle in the summer in recent years.  Sometimes Alaska wildfires and smoke too.

• Alaska’s terrifying wildfire season and what it says about climate change - The Washington Post
• What You Need to Know About the 2019 Alaska Wildfires (afar.com)

Edited February 15, 2022 by xlxo

[Coral]

I love May!

[bajathree]

15 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

May is also one of the drier months and has an added bonus of more snow on the mountains for great backdrops. Also way less kids.

Thats what I always hear....but when I sailed Alaska in May about 10 years ago and it rained every single day.

[jhskick]

i feel better about my choice of sailing June 17. sounds like weather should be good. On the Solstice for the Solstice.  

[nursinadream]

On 2/14/2022 at 1:56 PM, gzmtlock said:

We've started our research, and top of the list is a balcony stateroom on a 7-day, one-way cruise on Norwegian Jewel.  We prefer smaller vs larger ships. 

That ship carries over 2300 passengers.  Not small.  We are sailing Oceania's Regatta in early July with 684 passengers.  Enjoy your research.

Deb

[oaktreerb]

You are doing a one way cruise.  You must be planning for some time on land to see  more of Alaska.  Have you decided what you want to see and experience?

[LMKakaThing2]

On 2/14/2022 at 1:56 PM, gzmtlock said:

We've started our research, and top of the list is a balcony stateroom on a 7-day, one-way cruise on Norwegian Jewel.  We prefer smaller vs larger ships.   

 

On 2/15/2022 at 2:01 PM, nursinadream said:

That ship carries over 2300 passengers.  Not small.  We are sailing Oceania's Regatta in early July with 684 passengers.  Enjoy your research.

Deb

It’s still smaller than some of the ships NCL and Royal send up there. The Jewel carries little over half of what the Bliss and Ovation of the Seas carry. 

Edited February 17, 2022 by LMKakaThing2

[Host Jazzbeau]

Is seeing bears one of your Alaska priorities?  If yes then you want to go when the salmon are heading upstream, which is from July to early September.

[Ashland]

4 hours ago, LMKakaThing2 said:

 

It’s still smaller than some of the ships NCL and Royal send up there. The Jewel carries little over half of what the Bliss and Ovation of the Seas carry. 

RCI Serenade or Radiance are a nice size also for Alaska.

[LMKakaThing2]

8 hours ago, Ashland said:

RCI Serenade or Radiance are a nice size also for Alaska.

Did Radiance back in 2015 and loved the glass elevators and the wall of windows in the Champagne bar. 

[Ashland]

15 hours ago, LMKakaThing2 said:

Did Radiance back in 2015 and loved the glass elevators and the wall of windows in the Champagne bar. 

We've done Radiance a few times and will do Serenade in September....I'm not a fan of the RCI big ships for Alaska and certainly not out of Seattle.

[donaldsc]

If you want small, you can find ships that hold 50 - 100 passengers.  Minimal onboard amenities but of the 5 or 6 cruises we have done to AK, it was the best of the cruises we have taken there.  We got to places that the absurdly big ships that do AK never ever get to.  Highly recommended.

 

Hurtigrutin has a ship that does AK with only 528 passengers which would be a good compromise if you don't want a truly small ship.  She is called the MS Roald Amundsen.  They have amenities that the 50 passenger ships don't have but less than the mega ships.  They do a really neat 15 day AK cruise.  They do miss the 3 or so towns that every cruise stops at and which are always totally overcrowded all the time but instead stop at a bunch of really interesting smaller towns which are more of the real AK.   Also because they have semi ice hardened hulls, they can get a lot closer to glaciers than the thin hulled mega ships.  

 

We were going to do an 18 day cruise from Vancouver to Nome last summer but of course it never went. 

 

You might check them out.    

 

DON

[doctoranna]

We went on a 12-day cruise tour during the last 2 weeks of May in 2010.  The weather was beautiful.  The only rain we had was one day while driving on a particularly dusty portion of the road to the Yukon, so it was actually good timing.  Never a single cloud around Denali, so got lots of great pictures.  In port we wore shorts, but we bundled up during glacier cruising.  Be sure to bring hats and mittens, along with layers.

[gzmtlock]

On 2/15/2022 at 2:33 PM, oaktreerb said:

You are doing a one way cruise.  You must be planning for some time on land to see  more of Alaska.  Have you decided what you want to see and experience?

While I would love to be able to talk hubbie into staying longer, that's not the plan at this point.  My thought in booking 1-way is, we get to see more of Alaska.  No doubling back.  This is likely a 1-and-done for us, but needs to be done within a week or so.  

[gzmtlock]

On 2/16/2022 at 11:49 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

Is seeing bears one of your Alaska priorities?  If yes then you want to go when the salmon are heading upstream, which is from July to early September.

Thanks for the info, we'll take it into consideration.

[gzmtlock]

Thanks to those who offered suggestions for smaller ships.  When I said small, I meant in the big-ship category.  🙂  We haven't enjoyed our cruises on 3500+ passenger ships nearly as much as the 2000-3000 size.

While I would love a longer cruise on a much smaller ship, especially for Alaska, it's not possible from either a budget or vacation time perspective.  Maybe one day - one can hope, right?!?