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May is one of the driest months and an optimal one to view wildlife awakening, with lots of babies being born, spring migrations ramping up, snow melting and the landscape budding. Land tours are beginning but National Parks in Alaska’s interior are still closed. Mid-month, the shops and attractions also return to life after a winter slumber.
Final Thoughts on the Best Time of Year for an Alaskan Cruise
If you are hoping to travel during peak Alaskan cruise season (July and August), you should plan on booking your Alaskan cruise at least one year in advance. The farther in advance you can book your Alaskan cruise, the more options you will have for cruise dates, itineraries, and cabin amenities. April, May, and September are considered shoulder seasons for cruising to Alaska.
Find Your Best Time to Visit Alaska
Towering walls of ice like the Hubbard Glacier, Endicott Arm Dawes and the twin Sawyer Glaciers thunder as they calve massive icebergs. Some shore excursions allow up close interaction with these natural wonders. Exploring the interior of Alaska will give you an entirely different perspective on this vast and rugged state. Take an Inside Passage cruise and gaze upward at the sky that is as blue as the lakes below. Hop on the Alaskan Railroad near Anchorage and see the spruce-lined, mountainous landscape whir by from a new perspective. Both sets come with TSA-approved zipper locks and 8 wheels per piece.
Portage and Portage Valley
Take a trip on the scenic railroad and still have time to dine and shop. Enjoy two glacier-viewing experiences on our top-rated 7-day cruise. Extend your cruise vacation, and simplify your travel plans with a hotel stay at the beginning or end of your cruise. With a Cruise Plus Hotel Package, a Princess representative meets you at the airport and pier, transporting you to and from your hotel. The package includes the cost of your hotel stay, transportation, luggage handling and the services of the representative.
Alaska Food: Where to Find the Best Food in Alaska Royal Caribbean Cruises
The seven- and nine-day itineraries sail roundtrip from Seattle, and a recent search found fares more than 80% off published fares, starting at $499 per person. Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge sets sail for the first time in Alaska this year and has four six- and seven-night itineraries in September, starting at $599 per person. For a cruise-tour option, Princess’ 12-day Denali Explorer itinerary blends five days on land with a weeklong cruise with mini-suite rates from $4,008 per person. Balcony cabins are still available on the season’s inaugural sailing at a discounted fare of $1,029 per person.
You also might see fuzzy harbor seal pups and sea lion pups (born in June and July) warming themselves on rocks with their mothers. Add high-powered binoculars to your Alaska packing list to ensure that you get to see all of the wildlife possible. July is filled with opportunities to see the stunning wildlife of Alaska while enjoying milder temperatures. My advice is to pack plenty of warm (and waterproof) layers, expect the unexpected, and find joy in whatever experience you get. This is also the time of year when King Salmon runs both begin and end.
6 best Alaska cruises for families - The Points Guy
6 best Alaska cruises for families.
Posted: Thu, 19 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The personalized service and all-inclusive nature of luxury voyages may also be attractive to anyone celebrating a milestone, such as an anniversary, big birthday or retirement. Carnival, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean all have extensive kids clubs aboard their ships that cater to all ages, from babies to teens. Little kids will adore meet-and-greets with beloved characters onboard Disney cruises or hanging with Dr. Seuss characters when sailing with Carnival. Older kids will love the rock climbing walls, video game stations, sports courts, go-karts and laser tag on Royal Caribbean and NCL ships. Generally, these one-way sailings travel from Seward or Whittier (the cruise ports closest to Anchorage) to Vancouver (or vice versa).
Enjoy a roundtrip Alaska cruise from Seattle on Alaskan Explorer itineraries or from Vancouver on Alaskan Inside Passage itineraries. The Harriman Expedition discovered College Fjord in 1899 and named the towering glaciers after the great East Coast universities of the United States, like the Harvard Glacier. With the largest collection of tidewater glaciers in the world, your scenic Alaska cruise through the fjord will make a lasting memory. There's nothing quite as exhilarating as a helicopter tour over Alaska's sprawling landscapes.
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. An April sail date is one way to save money on your Alaskan cruise.
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 the Inside Passage, a series of channels and waterways formed by the march of glaciers, on your 7-day roundtrip Alaska cruise from Seattle.
It is also the jumping-off point for a Bering Sea crab fishing tour. Book a fishing trip to try your hand at catching salmon or halibut, or go out crab fishing for a glimpse into that type of work. Look to UnCruise Adventures, Alaskan Dream Cruises, Hurtigruten and Lindblad Expeditions for the best adventure cruises. If you want a more active trip in less touristed areas, a great choice would be a small-ship expedition line, including Alaska specialists such as Alaskan Dream Cruises and UnCruise Adventures. Visit its most popular attractions, such as the Space Needle and Pike Place Market. Our Alaska cruise departure ports have big personalities and loads of attractions.
Shoulder season is the time between peak season and off-season when there are fewer cruisers and lower prices. Weather is a pretty big consideration when it comes to booking an Alaskan cruise. If you have a low tolerance for cold weather, cruising Alaska during the warmest months of July and August is a better choice. 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. For major cruise lines, the Alaska cruise season runs between May and late September, including Viking and Disney.
During the cruise season, popular cruise lines assist travelers in enjoying all of the unique sights, wildlife, excursions, events and food. The Alaska cruise season is a little over six months long, but choosing the best time to cruise Alaska is surprisingly not that simple. Early June is when the Alaska cruise season kicks into high gear.
You’ll also have a chance to visit the incredible Butchart Gardens, witness glaciers, pan for gold, hike through temperate rainforests, and much more. If you’re prepared for the weather and pack the right attire for your destination, nothing can get in the way of having a good time. 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.
For all the beer lovers planning an Alaskan cruise vacation, we’ve curated the ultimate zythophile guide to visiting 5 of the best craft breweries in Alaska. As you plan your Alaska vacation, you might be torn between traveling by cruise ship, plane or even car. On our family Alaska cruise, we created lifetime memories by sharing glacier spotting, dog sledding, flightseeing and other adventures with our teens.
Bears will be hunting for the last of the berries and salmon, and caribou, deer and moose will be mating. 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. Most cruise ships will have repositioned out of the state by the end of the month. You will experience a change of season, with cooler temperatures (in the 50s or lower) and some rain.
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