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If you want to cruise Alaska but also see some of the interior and enjoy a stay in a lodge or hotel, go for a cruisetour package from either Holland America or Princess Cruises. Both have fantastic itineraries that take passengers not only to the Inside Passage, but also Anchorage, Denali National Park, the Yukon, Kenai Peninsula, Talkeetna and Fairbanks. On a cruisetour, you'll sail a one-way Gulf of Alaska cruise, so your cruise starts or ends in Alaska. Depending on the tour itinerary you choose, you might visit Seward and the Kenai Peninsula, Alyeska, Talkeetna, Anchorage and Fairbanks — as well as spend one to three nights in Denali National Park.
Our Alaska Seafood Is Certified Sustainable
It’s definitely not the same as cruising in July, but it’s still Alaska and beautiful. After a long winter, Alaska begins to wake up in April, and that includes the wildlife. A few big ships, such as the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Bliss out of Seattle, begin their season this month with discounted early season pricing. I cruise to Alaska so many times every year that I’ve started telling people I summer there. However, if Alaska is a one-time bucket list itinerary for you, I’d avoid October (you might get lucky like I did, but the odds are against it). If I only had one shot at Alaska, I’d go in July (maybe August) on either Holland America or Princess on an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay.
Seabourn Odyssey, Alaska Glacier Bay & Inside Passage from Juneau, October 4, 2024
Add high-powered binoculars to your Alaska packing list to ensure that you get to see all of the wildlife possible. You might see bears that are continuing to fatten up before hibernation. Humpback whales have yet to begin their migration to warmer waters, so you will still be able to see them, especially in early August. Juneau gets about 17 days of rain in August, so a high-quality raincoat is essential. They begin migrating from Hawaiian waters in the springtime to feed in the nutrient-rich Alaskan waters. Rainfall slows down a bit in June, with about 13 days of the month having some precipitation.
Pros of End of Season Alaska Cruises
Choosing to cruise in the early spring of Alaska will impact your experience. Less travelers might sound appealing, but many port towns aren’t fully “tourist operational” until late June when summer workers start to arrive. Choosing the best time of year for an Alaskan cruise can be challenging. From month to month, the weather, wildlife, and your chances of viewing the mesmerizing Northern Lights vary greatly. Just like the weather, sea conditions are also unpredictable in October.
Why You Should Take an Alaska Summer Vacation Cruise
That being said if it was our first cruise to Alaska wouldn't go in October. The whale watching company we have really enjoyed in Icy Strait Point closes late September but the crab shack we like in Juneau will probably still be open at least the first cruise we are on. Alaska is a primarily summer destination; over 90% of people visit Alaska during the summer season between the end of May and mid-September. This means that cruising during the summer is a very popular – and pricey – activity, and will probably give you some sticker shock even if you find a good deal.
What to Expect on an Alaskan Cruise in June
September is one of the last months of the cruise season in Alaska and it is also one of the coldest, with temperatures staying in the low to high forties on average. As the month advances, the temperatures drop lower and lower, and the nights and early mornings can be bitterly cold. Denali National Park boasts the continent’s highest peak, and Glacier Bay National Park is one of the world’s largest protected areas. You can discover even more magnificence during your Alaska cruisetour at Wrangell-St. Elias and Kenai Fjords National Parks, where one of the four largest ice caps in the world invites guests to explore its terrain. Cruise lines often run sales in the fall or in the early months of the year (a period known in the cruise industry as "wave season").
Longer sailings from the West Coast
The high temperature in May in the capital city of Juneau, averages in the mid-50s, with lows in the 40s. There are also amazing birds, including bald eagles and land animals like mountain goats, Dall sheep, and brown and black bears. In April, towns along the Inside Passage will have just over 15 and a half hours of sunlight and will be gaining daylight every day. While the weather in Alaska in June brings out the flowers and even greener scenery, expect mosquitoes to be biting. Alaska temperatures can be unpredictable, so come prepared with the proper wardrobe.
Alaska Cruises October
Take a cruise across Alaska in October 2024 and soak up the stunning landscapes at one-of-a-kind sites. Alaska is known as the “last big real frontier” of the United States of America. Alaska is a destination for true explorers, with scenery that never fails to impress visitors. This pristine wilderness is home to glistening glaciers, rich forests, towering mountains, unusual wildlife, and waterfront villages. October 2024 is not the best time to take Alaska cruises, but you can still find a few cruises from Seattle, Juneau, and Ketchikan. You’ll also have a chance to visit the incredible Butchart Gardens, witness glaciers, pan for gold, hike through temperate rainforests, and much more.
Norwegian Jewel Itineraries: 2024 & 2025 Schedule (with Prices) on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
Norwegian Jewel Itineraries: 2024 & 2025 Schedule (with Prices) on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Mon, 23 Oct 2023 15:16:13 GMT [source]
What to Expect on an Alaskan Cruise in August
Begin by sailing beneath the Golden Gate Bridge and along the Pacific Coast. As you voyage into the Inside Passage, enjoy one of the best ways to explore the fjords, small towns and natural landmarks with your favorite people. On clear nights, you could have a chance to spot the northern lights — though they won't shine as brightly as they do in winter. Rather than stay up all night, see if your ship or pre- or post-cruise hotel has a sign-up sheet for people who want a wake-up call should the lights appear. Summer is the height of the Alaska cruise season, which means crowds in port towns, especially when several ships are in port at the same time.
Speaking of which, I’ve watched over the past few years as the Seattle to Alaska cruise season has gradually gotten longer, now starting in early April and extending through late October. It’s always a sad day when the last cruise ship sails away for the season. I live in a high rise apartment in downtown Seattle, so I can literally see it sailing away and have been known to shed tears while drowning my sorrows in a chocolate martini (my favorite cruise drink). The Alaska cruise season is a little over six months long, but choosing the best time to cruise Alaska is surprisingly not that simple. This month also experiences near constant cloud cover with a good chance of rain on any given day.
With over three acres of windows and glass exterior viewing elevators, you can watch for whales along Alaska’s Inside Passage when you aren’t wandering wilderness paths from Ketchikan to Juneau. And for the ultimate outdoor adventure, take a CruiseTour into Alaska’s interior where you can hang with huskies in Denali, and scale glaciers in Alyeska. For cruise itineraries in Alaska, August high temperatures will be somewhere in the upper 50s and low 60s.
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. The average July temperature in Juneau is 64 degrees, with an average low of 51 degrees. If you have an exterior room and are sensitive to light while sleeping, a sleeping mask will help you rest during these long days. You’ll also have more hours to look for wildlife from your room window or veranda. Expect less activity and fewer shop openings in some smaller port towns in May since most summer workers are in college and won’t arrive until June. There is also potential for viewing orcas, gray whales, and walruses.
Locals typically call the months of April and May “break-up” because the snow and ice begin to break apart and melt after the long winter. In April, mountains will still be snowy, and high temperatures will max out in the upper 40s for most cruise ports. However, they start making their way back to warmer waters from late September to early October, so you’ll see far fewer whales on an October cruise (you may still see some though – I did).
The nearby Spasski River Valley holds one of the world’s largest populations of brown bears, who are often found hunting for salmon in the rivers. Zipline over the wilderness, watch a tribal dance or kayak in coastal waters to see the wildlife up close during your Alaska cruise vacation. Sail 500 miles deeper into the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound on our back-to-back Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska cruise.
With the largest collection of tidewater glaciers in the world, your scenic Alaska cruise through the fjord will make a lasting memory. It might surprise many, but July and especially August are rainy, so don't expect endless sunshine. That said, you are in Alaska at a time for festivals and other special events, and frontier towns really come alive.
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