First Time Alaska Cruising! Best Month??

[tommcne]

Good Morning Everyone,

 

I'm having one of those funny birthdays next year. You know, the ones with a '0' at the end, and the better half is letting me choose where we will go to celebrate this.

I would love to try an Alaskan cruise and wondered if any of you experts can give me a few tips.

 

• Is May (late) an ok time to go? My birthday is then but don't mind delaying if later in year is better.
  
• How about the weather around then?
  
• Sail from Vancouver or Seattle?
  

I'm sure as I plan further there will be loads more questions but I hope you can help with these so far

 

Tom

[Budget Queen]

Yep, that timeframe is great. :) If considering a one way, go northbound and add time for interior Alaska touring, including Denali Park. :)

 

There are many excellent round trip itineraries to consider. Seattle has the least scenic sailing, Vancouver is superior. HAL has some of the best itineraries to consider.

 

Do your homework, research ports and glaciers and decide what your priority is. Then fit in the cruiseship. Overall, it is less important the line and more important what is outside the ship for many.

[Cruiser42]

Yep, that timeframe is great. :) If considering a one way, go northbound and add time for interior Alaska touring, including Denali Park. :)

 

There are many excellent round trip itineraries to consider. Seattle has the least scenic sailing, Vancouver is superior. HAL has some of the best itineraries to consider.

 

Do your homework, research ports and glaciers and decide what your priority is. Then fit in the cruiseship. Overall, it is less important the line and more important what is outside the ship for many.

 

Wow, Budget Queen - you really know your Alaska !

I've been searching the threads here but havent found exactly what I'm looking for yet = I want the best WHALE watching (bear would be nice, too, but its the whales I'm after!). Can you advise ?

Thanks! Its very kind of you to spend your time helping us with our Alaska plans !!

Lisa

[COJOMAY]

Bears aren't really out in full force for "close-up" watching until the salmon runs and May is too early for that. That doesn't mean you won't see bears. In late May early June some species of whales are visible but as it gets a bit later, more whales migrate north.

On another thread about clothing, most everyone is saying that late May, early June is one of the best times to do an Alaska cruise. I have read this many times on other threads and have booked my cruise for May 27th. I checked all the weather charts and late May early June looked like the best chance to be drier and sunnier. But weather is always unpredictible as are bears and whales.

Go for it on your birthday and you will be thrilled no matter what.

[Putterdude]

Everyone has their favourite time but the weather can vary quite dramatically from year to year. My favourite time is the last 2 weeks of July through the first 2 weeks of August. I would recommend cruising out of Vancouver as ships sail the Inside Passage which is much more scenic than sailing in the Pacific on the west side of Vancouver Island.

[Budget Queen]

You have 100% chance of seeing humpbacks during the cruise season. The above post is not completely accurate. There are resident humpbacks, and only the straglers are still migrating mid May. Inside Passage/Alaska orcas are pure chance and the transients have a BIG range, and no way to predict where they are. Key for sightings is to be "available" all you can and take repeative whale watch tours. Vancouver Island has two groups of resident orcas, northern and southern pods. I gone on tours of both, and when I am there, I always do at least 2 trips, to hedge my bets, since the sightings are not guaranteed.

 

You have a chance of minke, but they are a tough whale to track and unless you are right on them spotting, will miss time. They have no where near the bulk of a humpback. :)

 

I always see whales from a cruise ship, it does require a good deal of time invested at the front of the ship. Side viewing cuts your chances over 50%, they need to be tracked from ahead, a good pair of wide angle binoculars is necessary. Having a ship naturalist is a BIG plus, with this priority. IF your ship has one, get friendly. :)

 

I am always on whale watch tours, even though I also see them from a cruiseship. Grossly superior viewing and the ability to "stop". Hoonah and Juneau are the ports for this on the inside passage.

 

As for bears, July is the earliest for tours out of Ketchikan, and to Anan. There is Pack Creek out of Juneau to consider. Contact vendor's about the sighting stats. Denali Park is the bargain of bear watching with close to 100% sightings via shuttle bus, most all cruise season.

[jenphan]

I think late july/early august was a good time ... wasnt too cold, it was supposed to be raining but we got lucky. i went kayaking in sitka the fishes were spawning left and right. i'd say starting from seattle is best, just because most ships visit british columbia area/vancouver area. Besides seattle is an amazing city, you'd definitely have to see the space needle tower, library, and pike place market (lowell's for breakfast) and hotel next to the port is only 2 minutes away, Edgewater, which also has a shuttle that runs every hour or so and will take you or pick you up anywhere within the downtown area.