When is the best month of the year to take an Alaskan Cruise?

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Zef H

The cruise season for Alaska is May through early September. Most people go during the summer months of June, July and August. So, the prices might be a little better in May and September. However, the weather can start to get cold in September.

I went in June. The weather was great and the days were long. Night time only last about five hours (about 10pm to 3am). Also, we saw lots of wildlife.

So my recommendation would be from mid June to mid July.

rick d

First lets set the record straight. The big cruise lines sail May threw Sept. Even the travel channel says you can cruise most of the year.
Now May & Sept. have the best rates as it is the start of the big cruise season & the end. Sept. all shops have their 50% off sales.
The best way to see Alaska is a cruise tour. 11 days or more. Princess offers great rates plus, you you stay in 5 star lodges. Wildlife from the minute you set sail to the time you get on the plane. Denali National Park is excellent as is the paddle wheel boat cruise in Fairbanks where you go to a Indian village to see animals & how the Indians lived.
Most will take you from either Vancouver or Anchorage.
If you do the land tour first you will pay more. Why ? The cruise line answers is because it is more popular.
I would also suggest an inside cabin as you will spend very little time in there plus, you will save about $500.00 each. The best views are from being on deck and being able to see both sides. As the whales,eagles, sealions etc. show up when they want.
If you belong to AAA they can save you money or are willing to give you brouchures either way.
An Amazing, Beautiful Cruise whenever you go.

firemedic6378

The best deals are in May and September. The best cruise line to take is going to depend on the age of the travelers. If it is a family with younger people (40s or under) I would suggest Princess, if over 50 then I would suggest Holland America. In order to see the most of Alaska you must do a land tour. The best land tours are with Princess. The best deal are if you do a northbound cruise first and then finish with the land tour. Total length of the trip should be 10-14 days.

Use a travel agent or cruise specialist, like me, so you can be sure you get everything right.

coolliz2444

I hear Princess and Holland America have nice Alaskian cruises but they are for the much older crowd. Anyhow, I would suggest Celebrity as they have an amazing crew, and the ships are really nice as well. Also I would say in the summer months would be the best time to go. I would also try to visit Juneau, Skagway (sp), Hanes, Inside Passage, and Anchorage, are also nice places to visit.

Paige S

Anytime between May and September is a good time to visit Alaska, but the warmest and longest days will be in June and July.

This link has everything you need to know about Alakskan cruises!
http://www.cruisedirectonline.com/alaska_insider_tips.htm

Good luck!
Cheers!

gaphater2000

I took a Royal Carribbean cruise to Alaska at the beginning of September and the weather was fabulous! It wasn't too cold, just a little rainy and the sun shone almost every day. The water was overly choppy coming back to British Columbia, but other than that, September is the time I'll always go back to Alaska!

TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only

The best time to go on an Alaska cruise is when you can get the best price. The Alaska cruise season is from May to Sept only so those persons who suggesting going in November or now and skiing are absolutely incorrect. The weather in Alaska is generally warmer in June, July and Aug, but it can also be pleasant in May and Sept. When we did our Alaska cruise a few years ago in May it was shirt sleeve weather (70's) in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Oddly, it was cooler further south in Juneau and Skegway than it was up north. It will likely be rainy and cloudy in Juneau and Ketchkan. While the weather will be pleasant enough for a light jacket in the cities, it will be cold, like coat, hat and gloves weather, when you get close to the Glaciers. It will also be quite chilly on open decks when the ship is sailing between ports. When you pack, think layering of your clothes. A couple long sleeve shirts/tops, a sweater/sweatshirt, a light jacket, maybe with a hood.

The best prices will be in May and Sept but you will see the same things as other times. The port stops will be about the same but may be in a different order. Some cruise lines and ship change their itineraries or run in reverse order, North to South vs starting in Seattle or Vancouver. Check the cruise line web sites for variations by date, itinerary and price. Regardless you will pretty much see the same things.

The best Alaska cruise experience is the CRUISE-TOUR. Princess, Holland America, and Royal Caribbean all run cruise tours which take you by train all the way to Fairbanks, Alaska. Princess and RC have special domed train cars for this. Your best chance to see wild animals will be if you do a cruise-tour where you go further north after cruising the inside passage. The only animals you are likely to see in the inside passage is seals; or if you get lucky you may see a whale.

On the cruise-tours you can arrange to stop for a night or two in Taketna, or Denali National Park. This will be your best opportunity to see Moose, Caribou, eagle, wolf, and bear. But you really need two days at Denali so that you have time to get one of the Park Service's buses that go deep into the park. Regular tour buses , cars and campers can only go about 3 or 4 miles into the park. The Park Service runs buses about 17 miles into the park, but you must get to the visitor center very early to reserve a spot on one of their buses. The train stops going north and south do not get you to Denali in time or allow enough time for the deep back country buses.

With Princess, Holland America, and RC you can do the tour part first and then go to Seward or Whittier to get on ship for the inside passage part. I recommend doing the tour part first.

The answers that point out that May through Sept is the cruise season are pretty good. Other points to consider:
1) Daylight. It varies a lot in Alaska. Research the hours of daylight to find a date range that fits your preferene
2) Temperature/rain. Check our www.weatherbase.com for historical averages
3) Early in the season you're likely to see more wildlife. As it warms up and more ships come in, then the animals seek higher ground.
4) Glacier Bay National Park is terrific, however they have started limiting the number of ships that go there. I know that Princess and HAL go there. I think NCL does as well. I can't imagine helping someone book an Alaskan cruise that doesn't include GBNP
5) The average age for passengers on Alaskan cruises is higher than the norm for the cruiselines. The same cruiseline's Caribbean cruises will have a much younger passenger list than those on an Alaskan cruise. Expect HAL to be among the highest average age.
6) Price. May and Sept will likely be the lowest priced months. Also keep in mind that the airfare can be expensive if you fly into/out of Anchorage
7) Itinerary. I prefer the northbounds (Vancouver to Seward or Whittier) over the southbound. The sights are constantly improving as you head north. Some of the roundtrips are ok, but I think northbound is the best.
8) Stops. I think these are some of the best stops: Ketchikan, Skagway, Glacier Bay NP, College Fjord, and Seward if you do things in Kenai NP.
9) Research when the whales are breaching out of the water. Tihs is a dramatic time to be there.
10) Some sites/answers may say you can cruise year round there. I don't believe this is the case, however there are some small operators and the ferry system that has a longer season than the major cruiselines.

Hope this helps. In short, there isn't an easy answer. You need to understand the variables, then put answers to the variables that meet your desires.

tlcats

If you want to see lots of wildlife, seals, sea lions, puffins, whales you probably want to go in June. That said, November and December are a very beautiful time to travel. There is a magazine called "MilePost " that would be very helpful. Good website are: alaskatravel.com and alaskarailtours.com and travelalaska.net.

Bob S

you could go now and the rates would be really cheap because the boat wont go any where

sir skates alot

the hotter moths like august or July its way colder up there so if you want that or you can probably get for cheaper in the winter plus theres always something you can do in the winter like skiing or snowboarding even something like snowmobiling. if you like that its what the season you like more.

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