Alaska in April

[crauen]

My family is looking at booking and Alaska cruise in early April 2024 (7 day round trip from Seattle on Norwegian Sun with Glacier Bay). Does anyone have any experience with Alaska that early in the season? We know it will be chilly and are experienced skiers with thermal gear, appropriate underlayers and shells etc. but we wanted to know if port activities, excursions shops, etc would be open that early in the season as it appears most other lines don't start Alaska cruises until late April or May. We are scheduling around our kids spring break so can't do later in the Spring (and have an obligatory family trip in the summer so can't cruise then either).  Thanks for any and all tips and insights!

[YVRteacher]

Alaska is stunningly beautiful early in the season.  Not all shops and excursions will be open, but many will.  We had better weather the first week of May than we did when we sailed again last week.

 

 

[YVRteacher]

Having just done the round trip itinerary from Seattle, my recommendation is to try and sail one way from Vancouver to Seward (or the return from Seward to Vancouver or, even better, do a two week round trip) because the port times are so much better.

[crauen]

We looked at the one way cruise with longer port stops but they don't start until later in April (and several run Monday to Monday or Wednesday to Wednesday which we can't make work with a one week Spring Break). My son's Spring Break is the first full week of April so we are looking at Encore RT from Seattle or the Sun and we were thinking th Sun due to the smaller ship and less crowded excursions. We are not too concerned with the port times as are most excited about Skagway which is a full day and Glacier Bay. Thanks for all the good insight and advice!

[YVRteacher]

The Encore is waaaaay nicer than the Sun with waaaaaay more activities for kids.

Your shore excursions won’t be crowded in April.

Also, don’t book a whale watching excursion in April.

[Oceansaway17]

The Bliss is also very nice build like Encore with large observation in the front of ship.

I can see the advantage of doing the sun as it is a smaller ship.

 

April will still have a lot of snow in the mountains and so while chilly, it will be pretty.

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, crauen said:

We looked at the one way cruise with longer port stops but they don't start until later in April (and several run Monday to Monday or Wednesday to Wednesday which we can't make work with a one week Spring Break). My son's Spring Break is the first full week of April so we are looking at Encore RT from Seattle or the Sun and we were thinking th Sun due to the smaller ship and less crowded excursions. We are not too concerned with the port times as are most excited about Skagway which is a full day and Glacier Bay. Thanks for all the good insight and advice!

Estimated Temperatures

Seattle High 58 Low 41

Juneau High 46 Low 31 (afternoon port call so assume closer to 46)

Skagway High 47 Low 34 (all day port call, assume 30's going up to 47)

Glacier Bay (Assume 30's all day - you want to be on deck, layers)

Ketchikan High 49 Low 37 (morning port call, assume low 40's)

Victoria High 59 Low 39 (Evening port call - You arrive at 7pm sunset is 8pm)

Seattle High 59 Low 42

 

The weather in Alaska can sometime be tricky. We sailed in late May this year and it was in the 70's (i.e., shorts weather) in Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait. 

 

It's a rain forest, so expect rain (but hope there is none). 2021, it rained on us almost every day. Not an issue, but put our rain coats on. 

 

Skagway will be beautiful, especially if you find a tour that will get you up into Canada (the border was still closed this year when we went). 

 

Norwegian Bliss leaving Icy Strait Point 2022

 

Skagway 2022

 

To answer your questions, bring an assortment of clothes for the 30's and 40's. For us, that's a medium jacket, gloves, hat (that cover your ears). We would be miserable in thermals in the 40's. 

 

Glacier Bay day, you want to be outside most of the morning, so that is a winter coat, winter hat, gloves, quick access to the buffet for hot chocolate (if it is not too cold, NCL usually has a hot soup stand on the pool deck).  

 

Shops will be just opening for the season. 

 

Hopefully tours will be back in full swing. 2021 and 2022, the tour vendors had a rough time getting seasonal workers to come to Alaska. And many tours were cancelled before we sailed. 

 

I agree with the other post that the Norwegian Bliss would be a better ship. It is purpose built for Alaska with heat and viewing points in the right places. It is doing a Seattle round trip leaving on April 6.

 

The following link is to our 2018 (pre-pandemic) live post from the Bliss

 

 

 

[crauen]

Thanks everyone this is really great advice. Leaning towards doing the Bliss based upon the posts above and having more kid activities for our 9 year old. Going to make sure we pack carefully with rain gear, hats, etc. @YVRteacher I totally get the whale thing as we often travel to Maui in the winter (we live the San Francisco Bay Area) so we know the whales won't be around yet. It's a long swim even if you are a whale 🙂. 

[cruiseny4life]

Controversial opinion that wasn't asked (and you probably don't care about). As a former K-8 school admin...skip school. Cruise on the best date for you. Family time is way more important than any day at school. 🙂 

 

Nevertheless, enjoy Alaska! It's a phenomenal place that I've only experienced in March. It was interior - Anchorage - Fairbanks, with a side day down to Seward/Whittier, so my experience matters little to what your days will look like.