Alaska in September....

[golfer1966]

We are booked on the Serenade for the 1st week of September doing a round trip from Vancouver to Hubbard Glacier and back. I was hoping some of you could help answer some questions that we have.

What will the temps be at that time? I hear it could be rainy and cold, but then I hear it could be kinda warm. We are taking our Mothers and we need to make sure they are warm if need be. Id like to see the Glaciers from the air and not by Helicopter, but rather a small plane. I saw some independant companies on other threads but I cant find them now. So, can you recommend an independant company that we could check out and maybe include thier website? Is either side of the ship better for sights. We are booked in 8088 whicj is Port side and Id think either side is good, especially going through the Inside Passage? Any recommendations on a place to stay in Vancouver? No Ritz Carlton, but no roach motel either...lol I have a great camera to take photos, but is it worth getting binoculars?

 

Any help is greatly appreciated....

 

Thanks !!

[stired]

You should post your questions on the Alaska board (under Ports of Call). You will get tons of info there.

[JJ2sail]

We are doing Alaska in September also, I'v gotten alot of useful information from seasoned cruisers on our "roll call thread", so check out your sailing and see if there is a thread for it.

 

Basically, we've heard that the weather can do anything in September, so be prepared for the worst, and celebrate the best! Plan to dress in layers and have some waterproof shoes, and a good rain jacket.

 

There is alot of info on the flight-seeing trips on the Alaska boards.

 

We booked the LeSoleil hotel, a nice 4 star hotel, about 3 blocks from Canada Place. The Hampton Inn is also popular. Plan on spending $150 to $200 per night in Vancouver for a nice moderate hotel.

 

Good Luck!

Jen

[negc]

Weather is always iffy regardless of where you are. Yesterday in Boston it was in the mid-sixties, yet last Friday it was 5 degrees. Go figure. You can check some Alaska websites to find out what the average temperatures and rainfalls are when you will be in Alaska, but remember averages are only that and the actual figures you will experience can be on the high or low side of that average. If you dress in layers you will be able to adjust to whatever weather conditions you encounter. About the only thing you can be certain of is that in September the hours of daylight will be much shorter than they were in June and July. The State of Alaska publishes an excellent guide which will give you a lot of information about the various districts in Alaska and can be a valuable resource. If you are on a roundtrip, it really doesn't matter which side of the ship you are on since you will face both sides at some point during your trip. It would be different if you were on a one way and wanted a stateroom facing the mainland. Alaska is a fabulous destination. Enjoy, and if you have the time and money, extend your stay by spending some time pre- or post-cruise in Vancouver.:)

[emilygrace]

We did this same cruise (also on the Serenade) in September 2005 and had beautiful weather the whole trip, until we got back to Vancouver, where it was raining lightly. All the crew we spoke to told us it had rained the previous 2 cruises, so you just never know. The best advice for Alaska is layer, layer, layer.

 

Excellent cabin location. And I would bring binoculars. We brought two pair (1 large, 1 small) and spent afternoons sitting on our balcony with the binoculars. We usually take the small ones on any cruise we're on. You never know when you might want to see what that little speck on the horizon is!

[elleluv]

It really doesn't matter when you are cruising in Alaska... you never know what the weather will be like. The trick is layers, layers, layers... Be sure to bring rain gear, (some that you could wear over other layers in the event its cold and rainy). Southeast Alaska is rainforest and you'll probably see some rain. A raincoat with a hood works much better than an umbrella, if you have wind with your rain the umbrella won't work very well.

 

I don't know of a private company that does plane excursions to the glaciers at the ports you'll be visiting, but I suspect that Juneau would be your best bet... Do spend some time over at the Alaska boards, there is a ton of information over there.

 

We did the White Pass Railroad excursion in Skagway last summer and would recommend it.

 

Have a great time! :)

[pinebro]

Golfer1966 - Have You Signed Up For Meet & Mingle?

Also We Have A Thread Going For This Cruise. Check It Out !

[golfer1966]

THANKS for all the good advise, we really appreciate it. !!

 

I have not signed up for the Meet and Mingle yet. I keep forgetting to ask my DW for our booking number....lol

[polodad]

We did a 9 day on the Celebrity Mercury from Vancouver to Alaska to SF beginning Labor Day weekend a few years ago and the weather was excellent. I would strongly recommend binoculars. We saw tons of wildlife both from the ship, on land and excursions. Highly recommend Juneau for a whale watching excursion and Mysty Fjords for a seaplane visit to see bears feeding on salmon, bring a long lens or the binoculars. There is a worthwhle dicount coupon for Alaska that saves lots of money on the expensive excursions. Have a great trip.

[mollyeilis]

Yes, get binoculars. But if you forget them, like we did, their store on board actually has some decent ones for sale. We didn't think they'd be any good, but hubby still has them and loves the binoculars he got. He got them after we stared at *what looked like a whale*, and what he SWORE was a whale, for the longest time, until we realized it was a small fishing vessel...after that, he realized we should buy the binoculars (and we did not EVER see even a single whale...might be the only people to go to Alaska and NOT see a whale, but I digress).

 

We went in late August, and it was sunny and breezy, but then it could get cold, too. When we went up to Hubbard Glacier, we stood on the bow for ages, and we were VERY glad we found nice cozy coats. We got the kind with zip out fleece or down inner coats, so we could have those on, or the shell, or both. Convertible coats = lots of good options!

 

As for a hotel, we splurged and stayed at the Westin Grand, but on a later trip to Vancouver we stayed at the Listel Hotel. It's a bit of a cab ride from Ballantyne Pier (if that's where you're departing from like we did), it's closer to Stanley Park, but it was lovely, and had a nice little jacuzzi/hot tub/soaking pool sort of thing in a nice workout room. Skylights over the jacuzzi, too, which was very pretty and gave a nice light while soaking. :)

 

 

Although we didn't do much in the ports, we found it nice to contact the tourist boards of each city, and have them send their tourist info to us. The one RCCL excursion we did do was a tea in Skagway. If your mothers might like that sort of thing, look to see if it's still available, it's a tea at a garden, and it was quite nice. Little pretty sandwiches and snacks, VERY good tea, enormous plants (they have super-soil in Skagway), a nice day. (and can you believe the tea was my hubby's idea?)

 

Have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[elleluv]

Highly recommend Juneau for a whale watching excursion and Mysty Fjords for a seaplane visit to see bears feeding on salmon, bring a long lens or the binoculars.

 

Unfortunately the OP will not be visiting Ketchikan where the Misty Fjords Float Plane excursions are....