How To Pick The Best Time of Year to Cruise to Alaska
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Alaska offers something for everyone, with activities and experiences that appeal to all ages. Whether you want to hike in the wilderness, go whale watching, or learn about Alaska's history and culture, there is something for everyone. Additionally, May is an ideal time to take advantage of the extended daylight hours and enjoy some outdoor activities. Alaska is known for its outdoor adventure opportunities, and the springtime weather is perfect for hiking, fishing, and kayaking.
Scenic cruising
Smaller boats have access to quieter coastlines, like the Wrangell Narrows, that larger cruise ships don’t have access to. The cruise season in Alaska is short (just May-September), but what this state lacks in winter tours it makes up for in stunning summer vistas, exciting wildlife and a travelogue of iconic land excursions. Look to the early and late sailings of the season if you are a bargain seeker. Choose a May or June sailing for drier weather and fewer mosquitos; summer is the best time to cruise to see abundant marine life and birds. April and May are also the driest months in Alaska, so the chances of rain are slim.
Longer sailings from the West Coast
On dry land, bears are more common in May, though not as frequently spotted as they are in peak summer. Alternatively, birders might want to time their cruise with the Copper River Shorebird Festival, which takes place early in May in Cordova. Check ahead to make sure your itinerary will stop here, as it's usually only featured on longer 14-day cruises to Alaska. Along the way, you’ll stop in the Alaskan port towns of Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, as well as Victoria, British Columbia. As you sail through Endicott Arm to Dawes Glacier, relax on your private veranda and admire the stunning landscapes.
Advantages of Visiting Alaska in May
Gulf of Alaska sailings — especially those in late August and September — can encounter rough seas in the gulf portion of the voyage. Popular Inside Passage ports of call include Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Haines and Skagway. If you're eager to spot bald eagles in the wild, ride a dog sled atop an ice field or pan for gold after a hearty salmon feast, an Alaska cruise is calling your name. Dive into The Points Guy's Alaska cruise guide for all the planning tips you need for your dream cruise up north. An Alaska cruise from Seattle will visit the Inside Passage but tends to favor the open (and frequently bumpier) Pacific Ocean. Sailings from Vancouver tend to traverse more of the Inside Passage and spend a full day sailing this scenic region.
How To Pick The Best Time of Year to Cruise to Alaska
With the warmth of summer breathing new life into the outdoors, May through September continues to be the most popular season to travel to the Land of the Midnight Sun. That said, the best time for an Alaska cruise during these months depends on what experiences you’re looking to have. On any of our cruises to Alaska, embrace the beauty of life in the Great Land and leave craving more. Whales, including the majestic humpbacks and orcas, make their way to Alaskan waters during this season.
There’s no right or wrong time to cruise to Alaska, but having an idea of the pros and cons of each season should help decide which time of year works best for you. Plus, as prices are cheaper in the shoulder season, it can be an excellent opportunity to upgrade your stateroom category or splurge on add-ons like excursions, dining packages, or beverage packages. Since Alaska cruises are so dependent on outdoor activities, your best chance for sunny days can be opposite of when the best time for crowds are each season. If you are looking for the months with the lowest crowds in Alaska, try for May or September. These are the "shoulder season" months, which is when the season begins and ends, and is when you will find less people vying for a cruise. If you’re an adventure enthusiast seeking an active cruise experience, the Glacier Bay National Park Adventure Cruise and the Alaska Fjords and Glaciers Cruise, are ideal choices.
The peak season to view the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis is between late August and late April, which unfortunately doesn’t overlap much with the Alaskan cruise season. If the Northern Lights experience is high on your Alaska bucket list, consider a September cruise with more dark nighttime hours and increased solar activity. April, May, and September are considered shoulder seasons for cruising to Alaska.
Best times to go on a cruise: Alaska, Caribbean, Mediterranean - USA TODAY
Best times to go on a cruise: Alaska, Caribbean, Mediterranean.
Posted: Thu, 29 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The warm temperatures also make it an ideal time to participate in outdoor activities. The median months will see higher temperatures and longer days for touring, and it represents the limited summer that Alaska enjoys. However, July and August tend to also have higher levels of precipitation.
Though it’s species-dependent, the best time to go whale watching in Alaska is in high summer, when the days are long and the feeding is plentiful. And it all depends on what species you intend to see—humpbacks are in the area year-round, while others like gray whales migrate to Alaska in summer. Nature is in full bloom during cruise season in Alaska, but what you’ll see depends on the time of year and location. If you’re wondering when is the best time to cruise Alaska, you’ve come to the right place.
McDaniel said the most popular ports to leave from are Seattle and Vancouver, but cruises can depart from as far south as San Francisco or even from places like Seward, Alaska. Keep in mind, the closer your starting port is to Alaska, the fewer days you will spend at sea. In the summer, Alaska basks in the magic of the Midnight Sun, with approximately 20 hours of daylight each day. Cruise ship passengers can comfortably explore in T-shirts and shorts, taking in Alaska’s stunning scenery with its vibrant natural colors.
You’ll want to carefully consider Alaska cruise packages and itineraries as the scenery, price and length of time all vary considerably. The best Alaska cruises manage to combine epic nature with local flavor, and the following options all offer that mix with some variation. You'll need to set aside a good chunk of money to spend on shore excursions when you're in Alaska. They can be incredibly expensive when compared to experiences in the Caribbean or Mexico. There are numerous factors you need to consider for a cruise to Alaska, including the best time of year, costs, itineraries, which line to choose and which destinations matter most to you.
Hop a bus, kayak, boat or plane to look for bears, eagles, whales, sea otters and other wildlife. Note that moose don't regularly show up in the Inside Passage; you'll need to head farther north to find them. These cruise lines, especially on their newer ships, offer something for everyone — as well as a higher caliber of onboard dining than on the cheapest cruises. Some activities are included in the cost of the cruisetour; other outings can be booked like shore excursions, depending on your interest and budget. If you're hoping to see the northern lights, booking a cruisetour in September might be your best bet to see the aurora on a cruise vacation.
Alaska cruises provide plentiful opportunities to learn about Native Alaskan culture. You can get a taste of the gold rush life by trying your hand at panning for gold, attending a salmon bake or visiting a dog-sled camp. A hike on the Chilkoot Trail or ride on the White Pass Railway lets you follow in the footsteps of the miners who came to seek their fortunes. Weeklong itineraries generally embark in either Seattle or Vancouver, British Columbia — though some itineraries originate in Juneau.
While a balcony is not a requirement on an Alaska cruise, there’s no denying a balcony cabin is nicer than an interior cabin on such a scenic itinerary. If you booked an interior or oceanview cabin for your 2024 Alaska cruise, consider upgrading to a balcony before your sail date. Regardless of where your cruise starts and ends, it’s always better to plan transportation logistics ahead of time to avoid any surprises and confusion upon arrival. In Seattle, for instance, you’ll want to research the best way to get from the airport to your hotel, and from your hotel to the cruise port. In most instances, a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft is the most convenient option.
With days beginning to shorten and the nights getting longer, a September cruise itinerary offers the last possibility of the year. The spring and summer months are when nearly all cruise ships visit each year. This month brings the warmest weather of the year, the longest hours of daylight and the largest number of tourists. And for good reason, as July in Alaska is ideal for salmon fishing, culture festivals like the Girdwood Forest Fair, bear viewing and memorable trips into the interior. While the tourism season in Alaska doesn’t really kick in until June, many small cruise ships start running tours in May.
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