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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. One of the biggest advantages of cruising in May is that you get to avoid the peak season crowds.
What to Do in Alaska: Top Things to Do in June
The Best Times to Visit Alaska for Bear Spotting, National Parks, and More - Travel + Leisure
The Best Times to Visit Alaska for Bear Spotting, National Parks, and More.
Posted: Thu, 07 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
According to McDaniel, some ships are even starting to extend the Alaska cruise season, sailing as early as April. Those summer months, however, are when you're likely to see the warmest weather, with temperatures around 50 to 70 degrees, as well as the longest number of daylight hours, she said. The best time to cruise Alaska is in May or June, at the beginning of the cruise season. Alaska’s cruise season has always been short, peaking quickly at the height of the summer months and then done by early fall.
What Are the Best Months for Wildlife & Activities?
That's especially true of large ships, so consider a small ship for cruising to Alaska, like UnCruise or Silversea, if those glaciers are high on your must-see list. Conditions can sometimes prevent ships from reaching the glaciers, particularly in Tracy Arm Fjord. Popular destinations include Denali National Park (for wildlife viewing) or Talkeetna (best place for Denali views and cool eats). Cruise tour land packages are also available to spots like Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula and Canada's Yukon Territory. These ships can also more easily follow aquatic wildlife (within legal limits).
Which month should I book my Alaska cruise?
They are quite an awe-inspiring sight to see as they travel in pods, breech, and feed. Because they don’t migrate, you have a great chance of viewing these 1000+ pound, 10-foot-long animals on rocks near the shorelines as you cruise. You’ve got about a 50/50 chance of getting rained or snowed on during excursions. You’ll be very happy if you purchase a quality raincoat and pack clothing you can add or remove in layers.
Temperature & Daylight Hours
We’ve reached the pinnacle of summer temperatures, and the rainier season has just begun. If bear viewing is high on your bucket list and you are traveling on a bigger cruise ship, look for a float plane excursion that will take you to where the bears feed. May is a practical choice for Alaskan cruisers who are on a limited budget but want to have slightly warmer and drier weather and more chances to see wildlife. Your views will likely include snowy mountains, but they are gorgeous nonetheless. While prices in the early season are generally less expensive, your experience during a May cruise will look different from during the high season in July and August. Orca whales (which are actually members of the dolphin family) are a fairly common site on an Alaskan cruise.
Alaska Cruise in April: Fewer Rainy Days When You Visit Alaska in April
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. When planning your cruise, the weather should be a consideration for many shore excursions. For example, flightseeing via fixed wing or helicopter is a popular way to see glacier fields and spectacular mountain vistas, but small aircraft are sensitive to weather conditions.
From month to month, the weather, wildlife, and your chances of viewing the mesmerizing Northern Lights vary greatly. Another way to save some money is to check out glacier routes that go northbound, which can be slightly cheaper than those heading southbound. If you're looking to avoid the crowds, choose "a sailing that starts mid-week rather than on a weekend," suggested McDaniel.
Alaska Cruise Highlights By Month
Bears in Alaska are still around because they're looking for food, such as berries or salmon. You're also quite likely to see many bald eagles that are also interested in salmon. The price of an Alaska cruise in August should be cheaper than June or July, especially if you can take a cruise in the latter half of the month. The best months to catch a glimpse of the amazing fauna that call Alaska home are the months of June and July. Alaska is not a cheap cruise, but if you want to save money on your cruise fare, then your best bet is May or September. If you are willing to trade warmth for less precipitation, then go for May.
The Best Time to Cruise Alaska: A Month-by-Month Guide
We’ve broken the seasons down for you, including the highlights of each, as well as the best cruise lines and cruise ships to consider so you can make your bucket list dreams come true. April, May, and September are considered shoulder seasons for cruising to Alaska. Shoulder season is the time between peak season and off-season when there are fewer cruisers and lower prices. In this post, I share a month-by-month guide about the best time of year for an Alaskan cruise.
So pack your bags and get ready to spot humpback whales and get up close and personal with a glacier from a kayak because "The Last Frontier" is waiting. "The best reason to cruise to Alaska is there are things that you can only truly see from the water. It's why it is a bucket list destination for many, many people," said McDaniel. "When you're out on the water, you can do wildlife viewing as well, and it's built into that cruise experience." 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. The weather in Alaska can, and will, change multiple times per day, but you will find the warmest months to be June, July and August.
September weather in Alaska may be unpredictable but with the right preparation you can enjoy all the exciting events.
An Alaska Inside Passage cruise typically lasts seven nights, embarking and returning to Seattle or Vancouver. It's one of the most popular and common itineraries for Alaska cruising. 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. Luxury cruises to Alaska on smaller ships can be a great option for those looking to pair remote wilderness with a bit of pampering.
The worst months to cruise to Alaska - Royal Caribbean Blog
The worst months to cruise to Alaska.
Posted: Mon, 18 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
I stood there for what felt like forever, unable to take my eyes off the crumbling ice and the splash of the water below. A suite that costs $2000 per person in May may cost upwards of $3300 per person in mid-July. Such a large price difference allows you to enhance your Alaska cruise experience in other ways, whether booking a once-in-a-lifetime helicopter tour or kayaking through fjords.
Bears will be hunting for the last of the berries and salmon, and caribou, deer and moose will be mating. The best time to cruise Alaska isn't obvious—until you're quietly sailing along its calm waters under a cloudless, late-spring sky. It was on one such day that someone on board spotted a whale breaching. Within minutes it seemed everyone on board had gathered at the railings on deck to watch. The captain of the ship nimbly repositioned us, giving both the port and starboard sides prime viewing, at a safe and respectful distance from the animals. With binoculars, cameras, and phones at the ready, the passengers and crew aboard UnCruise Adventures' 86-guest S.S.
There are days throughout the year when there can be a temperature swing of a hundred degrees on opposite ends of the state—50 degrees Fahrenheit in Sitka and 50 degrees below zero in Fairbanks, for example. May can be one of the finest months across Alaska, as daylight reaches near-summer heights, while June is even nicer, with the last chill of the arctic winter departing for the season. A handful of cruise lines -- mostly small ship and luxury lines like Cunard, Seabourn and Windstar -- offer Alaska cruises ranging from nine to 14 days in length (generally departing from Vancouver).
July and August are prime time for viewing glacier calving on an Alaskan cruise. Warmer weather in Alaska also has an unexpected bonus for cruisers in the form of glacial calving. In August, the wildlife can sense that winter is on its way, and activity picks up to prepare for the months of cold, snow, and darkness. With lows in the 50s, you don’t need to pack a winter coat and hat, but be sure to include warm, wicking layers to keep your temperature steady.
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