Not sure if this is the right place

[gstepic]

I have used this forum and found it very helpful, but I have played hooky for a few years as our last cruise was in 2006.

 

We are planning an Alaskan cruise and I am leaning toward a Carnival Cruise round trip from Seattle.

 

We plan on going next summer so what I want to know is when is the best time or what are the pros and cons of going during certain times of the summer. We are thinking of the August 31st cruise (we are planning on next summer). I am sure this question is not new.

 

Time to do a little searching! In fact if I recall correctly there should be a forum for a particular cruise but I could be mistaken.

 

Gary

[jasmith52]

Alaska is stunningly beautiful. You won't forget your Alaska cruise. And you'll see lots of wildlife - porpoises, maybe some whales, lots of other animals, and depending on when you go lots of salmon going up river and spawning.

 

You don't however tend to get a lot of deck time in by the pool during Alaska cruises. It's just a little cool for that.

 

Weather on Alaska cruises can be iffy and you can get bad weather anytime. However the central summer period has the best chance for good weather.

 

The cruise lines know this and price accordingly. The most expensive time to cruise Alaska is in the middle of the summer. Prices fall off as you move away from this.

 

Seattle is the best gateway, in my opinion. As airfares to Seattle are quite a bit less than Vancouver or the split-jaw trip ie(Vancouver-Anchorage)

[gstepic]

If we go in late August and probably the longest toward the end of June. I would think this could be a factor, but maybe there is not much of a difference in daylight time between end of June to end of August. There are web-sites for just about anything so I am sure I could do a search to get an idea when the sun rises and sets at locations along the way for various times of the year.

 

The Alaskan cruise will be someone of a retirement celebration for me. We have been on a Caribnean cruise with Carnival and loved it so I am looking forward to my next Cruise.

 

I am a semi-professional photographer so an Alaskan cruise has a lot of appeal for me and I think we may end up spending more on tours for an Alaskan cruise as opposed to a Caribbean cruise.

 

I have been doing a little pricing and I agree about Seattle. We probably could get some decent fares on Southwest between Seattle and Albuquerque, the less money we spend on flights the more we can spend on tours! I am even considering driving to Seattle as we can see some parts of the country I have never seen before. Or we can tack a week on to our trip and do some sightseening in the Pacific Northwest. We have a Vacation International time share we would not have the expense of a room. Dang, even though another year away I am starting to get a little excited!

[Sailorgirlseattle]

Wow, congratulations on your retirement!

 

You're absolutely right about taking pictures in Alaska ... it's just one pretty view after another after another. I don't know if you're particular about lighting for photographs, but if you like to shoot in that dusky early-morning/late-afternoon light you might be better off going in August or September, as that will correspond to more "normal" sunrise/sunset times. On our cruise last month, we awoke to a very bright day and then looked at the clock: 4:30!

 

Anyway, if you really want to focus on the photography of Alaska try searching around for a themed cruise. A friend of mine took a photo-themed cruise to Alaska on Cruise West a few years ago, where they had a professional photographer on board giving lectures and tutorials, and then I think they even had a few excursions geared towards photos. Something you might be interested in researching to see if one's offered that would work for you.

 

But even so, yeah, there are a ton of wonderful tours to take in Alaska and you will come home with TONS of photos no matter what. Have fun in the researching and planning, and a great cruise too!