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You can embark on thrilling excursions like sea kayaking, hiking, biking, or ziplining, allowing you to immerse yourself in Alaska’s stunning landscapes. If you’re interested in local history, you can explore museums, cultural centers, and native villages to delve into the state’s rich history and native heritage. With extended daylight hours, you’ll have ample time to experience it all.
Best cruise lines for adventure-seekers
They want to admire its rugged beauty, seek out wildlife (such as eagles, bears and whales) and learn about its native cultures and Gold Rush history. It's so far from the rest of the mainland U.S. that it's become a bucket list destination, especially for travelers looking to visit each of the 50 states. If you’re wondering when is the best time to cruise Alaska, you’ve come to the right place.
How to Make your Alaska Cruise Travel Easier: Tips - Royal Caribbean Blog
How to Make your Alaska Cruise Travel Easier: Tips.
Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 17:23:24 GMT [source]
Luxury Travelers
Cruise lines offer a variety of itineraries catering to different interests and budgets. With many choices, you can select a cruise that aligns perfectly with your preferences. The best time to cruise Alaska isn't obvious—until you're quietly sailing along its calm waters under a cloudless, late-spring sky. 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.
Advantages of Visiting Alaska in June
Orca whales (which are actually members of the dolphin family) are a fairly common site on an Alaskan cruise. “Resident” orcas (who stay near shore and feed on fish) are easy to spot and fun to watch from the cruise ship or on a whale-watching excursion. Arguably, the biggest draw is the marine animals, with opportunities to see pods of humpback whales, gray whales, orcas, sea lions, sea otters, and more.
Alaska Cruise in October: Chilly Weather and Cruise Deals When You Cruise Alaska in October
Explore Alaskan cruises and learn more about each fun-filled trip to the 49th state. To help you find the best time to cruise to Alaska, Cruise Critic is breaking down the Alaska cruise season month by month to help you plan your bucket-list trip. Read on for average Alaska cruise prices, things to do in Alaska and everything else you'll need to decide which is the best month to cruise Alaska for you.
What’s the Best Time to See Whales on an Alaska Cruise?
Weeklong itineraries generally embark in either Seattle or Vancouver, British Columbia — though some itineraries originate in Juneau. Walk to Skagway’s historic downtown from the cruise dock and tour the town’s infamous saloons, including the Red Onion. Then, tip back a genuine Southeast Alaska specialty, a spruce tip ale at the Skagway Brewing Company; this unusual ale uses spruce tips instead of hops in its brew. Sitka hosts a summer music festival each year in June, with formal evening concerts, casual cafe concerts, a three-hour dinner cruise with live music, and a Sunday outdoor crab feed fundraiser.
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. The landscape and views you’ll experience on an Alaska cruise will be unforgettable, so be sure to pack your binoculars and your best camera to capture the incredible sights to share with friends and family. For photo enthusiasts, an assortment of wide-angle lenses, x-factor lenses, multipurpose lenses, extra batteries, memory cards, and even a tripod can help you capture that perfect shot. 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.
Small ship cruises tend to offer more adventure-focused shore excursions alongside personalized service and luxurious accommodations and amenities. Smaller ships can reach ports of call and destinations that are inaccessible to larger cruise ships, allowing you to explore more remote settings and communities. For an even more customized experience, consider a private cruise on smaller ships like yachts and sailboats. The spring and summer months are when nearly all cruise ships visit each year. During the cruise season, popular cruise lines assist travelers in enjoying all of the unique sights, wildlife, excursions, events and food.
Final Thoughts on the Best Time of Year for an Alaskan Cruise
The surprising takeaway from a recent study on the best time to cruise to Alaska - Cruise Blog
The surprising takeaway from a recent study on the best time to cruise to Alaska.
Posted: Tue, 02 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Some venture farther north into the Gulf of Alaska; these are often one-way cruises that begin and end at the ports near Anchorage. Alaska cruise weather can be chilly (in the 40s to 50s) first thing in the morning and at night. However, if it's a sunny summer day, temperatures can shoot into the 70s and even low 80s. It also rains a lot in Alaska; it's drier in the spring than in the summer. One of the key reasons to cruise Alaska versus taking a land tour is to visit destinations along the Inside Passage that you cannot reach by road. Alaska may be one of the most beautiful places in the world, but it's rugged and can be tricky to get around.
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 beginning of September is much like August, but after the kids go back to school and the family crowd departs, it's shoulder season for cruising and pricing drops.
Although you’ll find the highest number of travelers visiting Alaska during the peak cruising (and fishing) months of July and August, the ideal time for your Alaskan cruise depends most on your personal priorities. To minimize joining the masses during high season, consider a shoulder-season sailing (in late April, May or September), or select a ship that embarks midweek. Saturday and Sunday cruise departures tend to be busiest during the summer months, particularly for families with children. Attractions and shops will switch to peak-season hours at the end of the month; Denali National Park & Preserve switches into summer mode in May.
On the water, we rarely passed any other ships or boats, aside from fishermen out for their catches. Cruising to Alaska in September has many benefits of the peak season (milder weather and good wildlife viewing) with less expensive prices and fewer tourists. A September cruise has its benefits, including less crowding and cheaper prices. However, a cruise this time of year will also slightly decrease your chance of viewing wildlife and make for sleepier ports of call because most summer workers return home for college. While it is possible to see humpbacks during the entire cruise season (April-October), your best bet for whale watching will be the months of June, July, and August. They are quite an awe-inspiring sight to see as they travel in pods, breech, and feed.
Whether you're traveling as a couple, a family or solo, we've found the best Alaska cruises just for you. September also increases your wildlife sighting opportunities, as animals across the state begin migrating, foraging for hibernation and engaging in courtship rituals. Cruise bookings can be difficult to come by in July, but with some careful planning ahead, you can secure cabins on either large or small ships. For those looking for a couples retreat, Viking Cruises cater exclusively to adults. The minimum age is 18, and the ship is designed for a luxurious and tranquil experience, so you can truly get away from it all. This is also the trip for a camera with good telephoto lenses and binoculars.
Generally, these one-way sailings travel from Seward or Whittier (the cruise ports closest to Anchorage) to Vancouver (or vice versa). Most itineraries are seven nights, but you'll find a handful that are longer. One nice thing about the Inside Passage is how calm the water is because you're sailing between land masses. If you worry about seasickness, an Inside Passage trip is the best Alaska cruise itinerary versus a sailing where your ship transits rougher, open waters. In the summer, Alaska basks in the magic of the Midnight Sun, with approximately 20 hours of daylight each day. Cruise ship passengers can comfortably explore in T-shirts and shorts, taking in Alaska’s stunning scenery with its vibrant natural colors.
You'd also do well to look at the moon cycles, as a full moon can drown out the Aurora Borealis. There are numerous factors you need to consider for a cruise to Alaska, including the best time of year, costs, itineraries, which line to choose and which destinations matter most to you. 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." National park facilities and some tourist businesses will switch to winter hours.
If humpbacks are your favorite, book an Inside Passage cruise during late June, July, or August. Cruise lines offer enticing deals for the summer during “wave" season from January through March. 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. Bald eagles hatch and rear young in April and you can see their mottled fledglings from May through June.
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