Table Of Content
While prices in the early season are generally less expensive, your experience during a May cruise will look different from during the high season in July and August. Be sure to pack high-quality rain gear for excursions along with warm, layered clothing and a hat and gloves. The benefits of cruising in April include less expensive pricing, fewer tourists, and less crowded ports. Here is a breakdown of other important considerations for an April Alaskan cruise.
June
The Best Time to Cruise Alaska 2024: A Month-by-Month Guide - Condé Nast Traveler
The Best Time to Cruise Alaska 2024: A Month-by-Month Guide.
Posted: Thu, 29 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
If you want to experience the phenomenon of sunlit nights for yourself, the best time to go to Alaska on a cruise is right around the Summer Solstice in the second half of June. If you have a flexible travel schedule and don’t have a specific stateroom in mind, consider visiting Alaska during shoulder season. You may even catch a glimpse of a whale swimming alongside your cruise ship as you sip morning coffee on your stateroom veranda; it’s just one of the joys of cruising to Alaska. If you made it to the end of this article, chances are you’re already following our final tip on this list, and that is to read as many tips as you can about Alaska cruises before you set sail. No one enjoys navigating crowds, but it’s almost inevitable when cruising to Alaska.
Alaska Cruise in April: Fewer Rainy Days When You Visit Alaska in April
If you want to see nature at its finest, you must book a tour or venture farther afield. Floatplane and helicopter tours take you around scenic areas like Misty Fjords or land you on a glacier, perhaps for a dogsledding or hiking adventure on the ice. If you prefer to stay grounded, you can find informative trolley tours of ports like Skagway. 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. You'll have four sea days (for example, two days from San Francisco to Juneau) plus a day of scenic cruising at a spot like Tracy Arm (Twin Sawyer Glaciers), Endicott Arm, Hubbard Glacier or Glacier Bay National Park. The waters before you enter the Inside Passage can be calm, rough or anything in between, depending on when you go.
October
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. Many people trek to Alaska to commune with nature, but there's history here you shouldn't overlook. 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.
North America Travel Guide
Now that you know what to expect from the weather, peruse Alaska cruise itineraries. 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. 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. Offered by Princess Cruises and Holland America Line, fishing excursions that allow guests to have their catch prepared and served to them onboard the ship also sell quickly.
Speaking of excursions, it isn’t necessary to book excursions through Royal Caribbean. While booking shore excursions on Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Planner website is convenient, you might find more options (or lower prices) by booking through independent tour operators. For a lot of cruisers, mid-June through mid-July is the peak season, because of optimum weather and daylight. Just as Norwegian Cruise Line kicks off the 2024 Alaska cruise season in April, it’s the last cruise line to set sail in the state, and the only one to sail in October.
The Best Time to Cruise Alaska: Crowds, Weather and Cost Are All Factors
Fishing is good during any month—there are just different species of salmon that peak as the weeks go by. Ships in all price ranges sail a variety of itineraries, so don't let budget stop you from visiting. If luxury is what you're after, you can find lines that will go overboard pampering you on your journey north. 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. If you book a Gulf of Alaska voyage, you'll also enjoy exploring parts of the Inside Passage and its ports that could include a mix of Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Ketchikan, Haines and Icy Strait Point. Even if you're a seasoned fisherman, we recommend using a local guide to help find you the best fishing spot.
Alaska is ready for another record-breaking cruise season - The Mercury News
Alaska is ready for another record-breaking cruise season.
Posted: Mon, 15 Apr 2024 16:00:24 GMT [source]
Since the skies do still get dark during this month, there is a slight chance that you’ll be able to view the Northern Lights on an Alaskan cruise in April. Peak viewing of the Aurora Borealis happens between November and March, but on a clear night with lots of solar activity, you have a shot at this once-in-a-lifetime viewing experience. On Winter Solstice (December 21 or 22), the state breaks out of its winter hibernation and begins gaining a few minutes of sunlight each day. By the time Summer Solstice occurs (June 20,21, or 22), travelers to Juneau, Alaska, a common port, will experience a day with 19 hours of sunlight. Jenna DeLaurentis enjoys exploring new ports of call around the world on a cruise ship, learning about new cultures, discovering beautiful landscapes, and trying diverse cuisine.
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. 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.
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. Some tourist facilities — including those at national parks — may still be shuttered for the winter. The best of both worlds, a land and sea cruise combines your cruise with a pre- or post- land tour. Called a "Cruisetour," this gives you a chance to see more of the state and explore places you couldn’t see from the water. Princess Cruises is a real leader in this area, operating Princess Wilderness Lodges, where you’ll stay each night.
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. Fall is also mating season for wildlife, so expect to see some friskiness.
If your cruise ends in Seward, you’ll want to schedule even more time to catch your flight, as it takes several hours to get to Anchorage from Seward. The last thing you want to happen is have your dream excursion sell out, leaving you scrambling to find other plans. Plus, excursions tend to only get more expensive over time, so booking early helps you lock in a lower price. For the most Midnight Sun, come 3 weeks before or after the summer solstice and longest day of the year, June 21.
Some of the most desirable cabins might be sold out; being flexible about your sail date or itinerary can help. Nearly every major cruise line has a presence in Alaska from May through mid-September, with some offering sailings as early as April or as late as October. Cold temperatures, icy waters and a long snowy season are not conducive to early spring and late fall cruises. 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. Keep an eye out for seabirds and songbirds, seals, Steller sea lions and humpback whales.
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