Taking An Alaska Cruise In August
Youre still in peak season here, but at the back end, so you might see some deals emerge toward the end of the month. However, you should likely expect to pay full price for an August Alaska cruise.
Your chance of rain for the month is at more than 50 percent, so you should surely expect to see some rain during your cruise.
Waterproof shoes and wool socks are your best friend during July, as well as any other breathable rain gear you own. Count on getting wet, so its best to be prepared.
The famous Alaska blueberries will be in season in August so snatch up your favorite berries. You know the bears sure will be, as July still offers great chances to view them feeding on branches or salmon. Youll even have a solid chance of spotting bald eagles near salmon-spawning streams.
Wildlife Viewing During Alaska Cruise In July
In July, there are enough Salmon in the waters of Alaska to start attracting the bears.
Expect to see a lot of bears trying to get their share of Salmon.
You can also visit the seabird colonies from Southeast to Northwest Alaska.
In July, fur seal pups and Steller sea lions start giving birth to young ones, which is quite popular amongst the kids on Alaskan cruises.
In the North of Alaska, you can see a lot of walruses.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Alaska To See The Northern Lights
The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, Latin for morning light coming from the North, are one of the worlds most amazing sights.
If youre hoping to see the Northern Lights on your cruise, the best time to cruise Alaska is the last part of the shoulder season, late September. With days beginning to shorten and the nights getting longer, a September cruise itinerary offers the last possibility of the year.
You can also book an Alaska cruisetour with an optional Evening Aurora Pursuit excursion in Fairbanks that offers the best chance to see this spectacle of light.
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Worst Time To Visit Alaska
Darryl Brooks/Shutterstock
Weve talked about the best time to visit Alaska overall, for lower prices, and for fewer crowds. But whats the worst possible time to go? is considered the worst month to visit Alaska partially due to the extremely frigid temperatures.
Its not everyones cup of tea for visiting at this time for a few reasons beyond the chilly temps. Parts of the sea around Alaska are frozen solid in January, limiting your chance to see playful gray whales and humpback whales.
Bears are hibernating and fishing is limited or nonexistent during this time. Youll still have the chance to see bald eagles, moose, wolves, and sea lions during this time. The sunlight hours are another bummer about visiting during January, or winter in general.
Alaskas polar night about 66 days of pure darkness with no sunlight occur from November through the end of January. While its dark and cold, winter is the best time to see the Northern Lights in Alaska.
This dazzling natural light display illuminates the skies with colorful ribbons that dance and drift. Its one of the highlights of any Alaskan visit, and if you do choose to visit during the winter months, youll have the best look at this phenomenon.
Alaska Cruises In July And August
Because July and August are spawning season for salmon, we had hoped to see brown bears near rivers and streams on our Princess Cruise. But try as we might, we did not spot any bears on our early July cruise. However, we did see bald eagles in Juneau, and seabirds and sea lions in Glacier Bay National Park.
With the nice weather, we booked a hiking and float tour in Skagway. We hiked along the Chilkoot Trail Hike, and then rafted on the Tiaya River. Our ship always had a prime docking spot in all the cruise ports on our itinerary.
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Best Price On Alaska Cruises
Carnival Miracle in Tracy Arm, Alaska
As a summertime and family-focused cruise destination, demand is greatest when kids are out of school, so prices start to rise in mid-June, peak in early to mid-July , and begin dropping from late July into August.
The two shoulder seasons, late April and May and September, almost always offer the lowest prices and best promotions.
Pro Tip: For the best price on an Alaskan cruise, youll want to travel early or late in the season.
Know The Best Time To Cruise Alaska
So, with this, we come to the end of the blog. And you must have noticed by now that every month and season have its importance and experiences that are worth investing in. Thus, the month from May till late September is the best time to Cruise Alaska. You will have many fun adventures and will be creating a lot of excellent and cherished memories.
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When Is The Best Time To Cruise To Alaska The Month Matters
When is the best time to cruise to Alaska? When you can see wildlife, fjords, glaciers and if you get very, very lucky the magical Northern Lights.
If youre considering an Alaskan cruise, youll have your choice of cruise lines, itineraries and shore excursions. Most cruise ships with Alaska itineraries sail to Southeast Alaska from late May to September. Some smaller ships get an earlier start in April.
The month you sail makes a difference.
Alaskas cruise season is relatively short, compared with other regions across the globe. Cruises really only sail from late-April to October. If youre looking for prime nature viewing, youll want to book between June and August, says Colleen McDaniel, Editor-in-Chief of Cruise Critic.
Thats when temperatures are warmest, wildlife is plentiful and tours are bustling. But with all of those perks, its also considered high season so fares and crowds will be at their highest.
McDaniel says if youre looking to save some money, sailing in May or September could be a great option. May is also the driest month of the season, so tours are less likely to be affected by bad weather.
You Will Get To Experience The Feel Of The Massive Glaciers Personally
Imagine Cruising into Glaciers in Preserve and Glacier Bay National Park, the best experience you will have for a World Heritage Site. You will get to see vast and massive glaciers like the famous and significant Margarine, Grand Pacific, Lamplugh, and Johns Hopkins piles up with enormous ice packs.
This place is a showcasing factor of approximately 100,000 glaciers, which is different from that many are in inaccessible areas. If you are interested in visiting these glaciers, you will have to visit there, especially in some other travel way.
If you visit Alaska through any Cruise, you will surely get a stop at one or two famous worth sightseeing glaciers. Some of the cruises take you deep inside Glacier Bay. And honestly, this is my personal experience taking a cruise to Alaska, as I could see the Glaciers so closely, which highlighted part of my entire trip to Alaska.
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When To Cruise The Glacier Bay National Park
The Glacier Bay National Park is within the Inside Passage and some cruises spend their itinerary focussed on this unique area. The scenery is staggering, as you would expect for the largest UNESCO protected biosphere in the world.
Glacier Bay National Park cruises combine wildlife watching with dramatic landscapes, adventurous activities such as paddling a skiff or kayaking, and visiting remote villages. It goes without saying youll be surrounded by glaciers in this national park, with the chance to see huge blocks of ice calving away.
As with the rest of the Inside Passage, there is plenty of wildlife to see and summer is the best season to visit for warmer temperatures. April to June are usually the driest months, with Glacier Bay experiencing the most rainfall during September and October.
If you have the chance to visit in winter, there is still plenty to enjoy amidst the cold and foggy landscapes.
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The Best Time To See Wildlife In Alaska
As the state with by far the most wilderness in the country, its no surprise that Alaska is a great place for wildlife viewing. The type of animals youre likely to see depends on what season youre there.
Spring is one of the best times to visit Alaska in search of wildlife. Temperatures are beginning to warm, and vegetation hasnt fully grown in and concealed the best views. Bears, caribou, sheep and mountain goats are all active and can be found in easily-accessed areas. If you are along the coast of western Alaska, you may also spot a bowhead whale, seal or walrus.
Summer is a special time for wildlife viewing. Salmon spawn in many of the states streams, drawing bears and eagles. Moose often congregate along roads, and in July, muskoxen begin to rut. Alaska is also the only place in North America to see the Pacific Walrus, which can be found at some of the more remote beaches and islands in the western part of the state.
Once the leaves begin to change, wildlife can be spotted grazing among a sea of vibrant reds, oranges and yellows. Fall is the mating season for moose, goats, caribou and muskoxen, which often brings them to open areas where they can be seen easily. Bears tend to stock up on food in preparation for the winter, so your best bet for spotting one will be near a salmon stream or berry patch. A variety of whales begin to migrate along the west coast
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What Is The Best Cruise Line For An Alaskan Sailing
You can absolutely take your coworkers’ perspective into consideration, but the experience they had on a multigenerational family reunion cruise might be different than what you are looking for on a budget-friendly couples-only getaway.
The best cruise line is the one that meets the needs of you and your travel party!
Will A New Variant Cause Issues
However, there now appears a new hurdle is on the horizon. Worries over a new variant Omicron have made headlines in recent weeks. While hard data around the variant is still to come, there are reasons to think it could be more mild than other versions.
But there is also concern that it could bypass vaccines and spread faster. In that case, the protocols put in place by the cruise lines could be challenged even further.
The bedrock of these protocols are vaccinations and testing prior to boarding. Testing helps keep cases off the ship from the start, while vaccinations reduce the likelihood of catching COVID and leads to better outcomes if you do happen to get sick.
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Cruise Tips For Alaska Weather: Month By Month
If youre thinking about planning a summer cruise, Alaska may be the perfect destination for you. The Alaskan cruise season lasts from May to September, and the warmest months for travel are typically June, July, and August. Alaskan cruises may seem suited only for people who like extreme weather, but the truth is that the weather in Alaska varies widely based on the region.
Most itineraries cruise the Inside Passage, a section of the state that runs alongside Canada, and avoid the main territory. These cruises go nowhere near the Arctic zone, so you likely wont need your snow gear. Heres what you can expect each month on your upcoming Alaska cruise along with what you really need to pack.
Alaska Cruises In September/october
One of the rainiest cities in America, Ketchikan receives 35 cm or almost 14 inches of rain in September. By October, that number increases by three more inches.
As the season changes, the landscape starts to glow in warm autumn tones. Fall is a fantastic time of year, and Alaska offers warm shades at sea level with crispy white mountains as a backdrop.
Being the shoulder season, expect fewer crowds in port. Cruise lines offer these later sailings at bargain prices, much like departures in April and May.
Its a great time to get a premium cabin at a budget-friendly price. Your ship might even sail with vacant staterooms, allowing you to enjoy popular cruise ship venues with fewer people.
Gift shops continue to have blowout sales, although some may have closed for the season. The ships themselves have great deals on their seasonal merchandise.
If youve booked a cruise and land tour, youll have a chance to see the Northern Lights. Emphasis on the word chance. The Aurora Borealis is unpredictable, and even when the conditions are ideal, they dont always show their nighttime colors.
On the last few sailings, cruise passengers enjoy the easiest embarkation days. The ports have had all summer to practice their procedures. Also, as ships reposition to other areas, fewer ships arrive in port, making embarkation and debarkation effortless.
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Taking An Alaska Cruise In September
Youve now reached the other shoulder!
The kids are back in school and the end of cruise season is near, meaning youve got your best chance to catch a sweet last-minute deal on an Alaska cruise in September. Things will be relatively quiet and cool, and September will often be just as rainy as August.
The nights are longer, days are shorter, and the weather getting colder, but its not all doom and gloom for September! Especially not if youre a moose or caribou, as September is the mating season! You might even catch them in the act right out in the open.
Early autumn is also a great time to spot bears near berry patches and salmon streams. At this time, gray, bowhead, and beluga whales will be migrating back south along the Alaskan coast.
But what brings most people out for an Alaska cruise in September is a chance to spot the Northern Lights. Youll likely need your waterproofs and some heavy layers, but if you are lucky enough to catch a clear night up near Fairbanks, youll give yourself the best chance to catch a glimpse of the aurora. This chance alone is often enough to bring people out for a September cruise.
This monthly break down should give you a better idea of what you can expect during the Alaska cruise season. However, if youd prefer to search in terms of certain attractions, continue reading below.
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The Best Time For Whale Watching
It depends on the species. Gray whales can be seen in Alaska waters as early as April. Orcas tend to migrate to Southeast Alaska in May and June, while humpback whales are at their peak in June and July. 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.
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When Is The Best Time For A Cruise To Alaska
If only there were an easy, universal answer! But like Alaskas wild country, mixed culture, and fabled history, its difficult to put the whole thing in a pretty box. The easiest way to break down when you should take an Alaskan cruise is to take a look at things by the month.
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The first thing you should know is that the Alaska cruise season is just five months long, lasting from May to September, with the summer months of June, . However, this doesnt necessarily make them the best.
Each month sort of has its own niche.
Taking An Alaska Cruise In July
Youve now reached peak Alaska cruise season. The prices for cruises, excursions, and even souvenirs will be at their highest, and each port will be full of tourists.
July is traditionally the warmest month in the Alaskan year, with highs in the mid-60s and lows in the low 50s. Some days will touch into the 70s, but dont expect it to go much higher.
However, , so youll need to pack a raincoat for any excursions.
July is also peak season for salmon, which means it may too be your best chance to spot a bear. Fur seal pups are also born during July as well as Steller sea lions. Walruses also haul out on Round, Little Diomede, and King islands during this time.
July also offers your best chance to catch a glimpse of the largest animal in the world the blue whale.
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Best Weather In Alaska
A foggy start to the day in Sitka, Alaska
One of the many misconceptions about Alaska is that its always cold there. However, the summer months see a temperature range from 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
It does rain almost every day in mid-summer along Alaskas coast. It surprises some first-time cruisers that the southeast quadrant of the state is actually a coastal temperate rainforest. The wettest month is August.
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Late April to mid-May can be cool, with snow caps still visible on the mountain peaks, though each day it gets warmer. September is also cooler, but thanks to the rain and daily average temperatures starting to drop, it tends to feel much damper, colder, and less pleasant than earlier in the summer.
Pro Tip: For the best weather to cruise Alaska, youll want to consider mid-May to late July, with the late June to mid-July period being the ultimate choice.
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