How to Plan the Best Alaska Cruise

Table Of Content

• Best Time Of Year For Glacier Calving
• The Best Time to Cruise Alaska for Wildlife, Northern Lights, and Fewer Crowds
• Small Ship Cruises: adventure & Luxury
• Start shopping for cold weather clothing now, as winter gear may be on sale
• Advantages of Visiting Alaska in September
• Glacier & Wildlife Day Cruises

As the summer sun peaks over the snow-capped mountains, beloved wildlife reawaken from their winter slumber and the Great Land comes to life. This breath of fresh air yields longer days and more time to explore forested canopies and coastal waterways. In fact, June brings maximal daylight with over 18 hours of golden sunshine in the Southeast and Inside Passage regions. Princess travels to Alaska during this season so guests can maximize their time on shore and enjoy the beautiful scenery from their ship.

Best Time Of Year For Glacier Calving

Then, you’ll travel over to Kodiak Island, out to the far stretches of the Aleutian Islands to Dutch Harbor, and around to Nome, and through the Arctic Circle. Some cruise lines offer pre or post-cruise fly-in opportunities to remote areas of Alaska, like leaving from Fairbanks to the visit the Arctic Circle. Even though booking shore excursions is popular on an Alaska cruise, you can still have a great time in port without an organized tour. If you’re on a budget (or would simply prefer to explore without a large group), research which activities are offered in each Alaskan town. 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. While the tourism season in Alaska doesn’t really kick in until June, many small cruise ships start running tours in May.

The Best Time to Cruise Alaska for Wildlife, Northern Lights, and Fewer Crowds

While the end of cruising season brings darker skies, guests can discover the secrets behind the mystifying Northern Lights. Although catching a glimpse of the lights is rare, learning about them is just as enchanting. The main cruise season in Alaska is May through September, though many cruise lines are adding shoulder season itineraries in April and October. The sunniest months are July and August and the best time for whale watching is May and June. That being said, traveling anytime during cruise season will offer epic views of landscape and wildlife, no matter where you travel.

Small Ship Cruises: adventure & Luxury

Locals gleefully prepare for peak fishing season, and iconic wildlife take their graceful positions among the pristine backdrop. Each summer month brings new and exciting adventures – peaceful hiking trails in June, fruitful fishing expeditions in July and extraordinary flightseeing tours in September. So, the best month for an Alaska cruise depends entirely on which excursion you want to embark on during the summer season. Many cruise ships begin their summer deployments to Alaska in May before peak season begins in June. If you’re wondering when is the best time to cruise Alaska, you’ve come to the right place. At Alaska Tours, we’ve been helping travelers explore the Last Frontier for over 30 years, and we can confidently say that summer is the prime season for an Alaska cruise.

Daylight quietly recedes and the growing twilight perfectly contrasts the luminous green lights of the Aurora Borealis. The enchanting colors invite you to marvel at the miracles of Mother Nature that so often act as the inspiration for treasured postcards. With only 12 hours of sunlight, temperatures range from around 43 degrees to the mid-50s. These new, cooler climates encourage Alaska’s famed wildlife to begin preparing for hibernation.

Shoulder Seasons Offer Lower Prices

The warm temperatures also make it an ideal time to participate in outdoor activities. 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. You can take a guided hike through the wilderness or try your hand at fishing in one of Alaska's many rivers. Most cruise passengers tend to avoid the early season because of the school calendar and cooler weather. By going in the summer months, many people get to enjoy Alaska when things are in full swing and of course the warmer weather.

Salmon runs in Alaska start in early May until September, with different species of salmon running at different times of year. About 30,000 eagles call the Great Land home and they’re more abundant in Alaska than anywhere else in the United States. There’s a good chance you’ll see eagles perched high near the shoreline, in town scavenging garbage dumps, or even feasting off a salmon run.

Advantages of Visiting Alaska in September

My (Somewhat) Disappointing Alaska Cruise on the Grand Princess - Upgraded Points

My (Somewhat) Disappointing Alaska Cruise on the Grand Princess.

Posted: Fri, 05 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

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. These ships can also more easily follow aquatic wildlife (within legal limits).

Temperatures will be in the 60s, sometimes higher — you might even see 80s in Juneau in July. During long days of light, you'll find hearty Alaskans swimming in the sea and enjoying water sports. Big-ship cruise lines such as Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean ramp up their operations in May, as do Disney Cruise Line and small-ship and luxury lines. You may encounter freezing rain or even snow on your April cruise and should expect to tread through mud.

Cruise prices during those times may be lower, perhaps by a couple hundred dollars per person. With that in mind, Alaska is still a dynamic destination—no one snapshot of time during the year is guaranteed to encompass all this state has to offer. The Alaska cruise season winds down in October, with only a few ships setting sail. Just as in April and May, you’ll likely have the water to yourself, and even fewer people in the ports you call upon. Along with cooler weather, you’ll also find lower fares that will please your bank account. To truly enjoy an Alaskan cruise, cruisers can visit from April to October when daylight hours, weather and wildlife are better.

A downside to visiting Alaska in May is that the interior National Parks are still closed, along with many of the land-based attractions and shops that later cruisers will get to enjoy. Itineraries can be customized to fit your specific interests, whether you want to take a glacier hike, immerse yourself in Alaska’s history or eat your way through the state. As school returns to session, cruise prices dip and provide travelers with last-minute bargains to take an Alaskan cruise. The Alaska cruise temperature is warmer in June, with lows of 45 and highs in the low 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure to pack insect repellant when you visit Alaska in June, as mosquitos and other insects can become a nuisance. We’ve put together this Alaska cruise weather guide to help you find the best time to cruise to Alaska.

Beluga whales come later in the summer, following the salmon runs in Southcentral Alaska; the best place to see them is around Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska from mid-July through August. 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. Fall is also mating season for wildlife, so expect to see some friskiness.

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. Legacy settled in for what turned out to be an hour-long private show by a juvenile humpback who had migrated from Hawaii to spend the summer in the nutrient-rich Alaskan waters. 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.

It’s challenging to predict whether your cruise will encounter sunny skies and 70 degrees, or seven days of straight rain. Sure, booking your cruise in June usually results in better weather compared to one in September, but weather conditions are never guaranteed. Just as Alaska’s weather can be unpredictable in terms of rain and snow, you may also encounter surprisingly warm weather, particularly in the peak summer season. This is another reason why layers are so important—you never know when you’ll need that t-shirt over your winter jacket. Orcas tend to migrate to (and concentrate in) Southeast Alaska in May and June, while humpback whales are at their peak in June and July.