10 Best Alaska Cruises to Take This Summer
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The ship's captain has the flexibility to seek out the best remote islands and bays for beachcombing, tide pooling, hiking and kayaking adventures. If you're looking to get away from the mega-cruise-ship crowds, the best Alaska cruise for you might be with Lindblad Expeditions. The 100-passenger National Geographic Quest (and its twin, National Geographic Venture) frequents off-the-beaten-path destinations in Alaska on weeklong itineraries between Juneau and Sitka. This is also the trip for a camera with good telephoto lenses and binoculars. For more on what to bring on an Alaska cruise, check out our Alaska cruise packing list.
Alaska Cruise in October: Chilly Weather and Cruise Deals When You Cruise Alaska in October
Top scenic cruising destinations in Alaska include Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Hubbard Glacier, Tracy Arm (Twin Sawyer Glaciers), Dawes Glacier at Endicott Arm and College Fjord. If you book a weeklong 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. Many people trek to Alaska to commune with nature, but there's also history here that you shouldn't overlook.
Princess Cruises
For all your Alaska shore excursions, you’ll want to dress in layers, as the weather can change quickly. 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. This is the time when days are longest in the entire Northern Hemisphere. Schools are still in session in May and September, so fewer families are traveling. Also, many cruise passengers prefer to travel to Alaska in the warmer weather, so crowds on both sea and land tend to thin out. 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.
What to Do in Alaska: Top Things to Do in April
We sailed roundtrip from Juneau, and while I’ve visited the capital city during the busy summer months, I found the restaurants, bars, and shops much less crowded, reliably filled with locals for the most part. On the water, we rarely passed any other ships or boats, aside from fishermen out for their catches. 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. As the school season begins and fall approaches, cruise prices start to dip, affording the opportunity to snag a last-minute bargain for Alaska. We still recommend planning ahead though, as an increasing number of tourists have been booking cruises each year in September.
What to Expect on an Alaskan Cruise in September
Taking a deep dive into Alaska’s coastal regions Book a small ship cruise between Sitka, Ketchikan, and Juneau for a week or longer in the nooks and crannies of southeast Alaska. You’ll hike where there are no trails, paddle without another human in sight, and get to know the traditional lands of Alaska’s Coastal Native tribes. We like Alaskan Dream Cruises, UnCruise Adventures and Lindblad Expeditions for smaller, more sustainable cruises.
Alaska Cruise in August: Wet, Summer Days When You Cruise Alaska in August
In between, passengers usually stop in Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, and then sail up College Fjord to see glaciers stretching their icy fingers into the sea. You'll see plenty of stunning scenery along the way but not up close – for most cruisers, it's more than enough to satisfy. If you’re trying to squeeze in one last summer vacation before the kids go back to school and life becomes hectic again, opt for a shorter tour portion of the cruisetour.
Alaska Cruises
The best time to cruise Alaska - The Points Guy
The best time to cruise Alaska.
Posted: Wed, 11 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Alaska's capital city is interesting because no road leads from here to the rest of the state. It's located at the base of Mount Juneau, and you can only get there via boat or small plane — even residents have to bring their cars to Juneau via ferry. Home to Mendenhall Glacier, this is a popular port for hikes by, kayak tours to and helicopter landings on the glacier. Active travelers can explore Alaska by sea kayak or canoe, hike on glaciers and through rainforests, zip line, bike, ride an ATV and even snorkel (you'll need a dry suit).
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. 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. A handful of cruise lines -- mostly small ship and luxury lines like Cunard, Seabourn and Windstar -- offer Alaska cruises ranging from nine to 14 days in length (generally departing from Vancouver). Mainstream lines have also started offering longer cruises to Alaska from southern West Coast ports like San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The darkening skies offer a chance to view the Northern Lights from the deck of your cruise ship. It’s a remarkable bonus to an already unforgettable Alaska cruise experience. A limited number of cruises in October (predominantly on Norwegian Cruise Line) make it possible for cruisers to experience a taste of Alaska in winter without sub-zero temperatures. You will want to bundle up; the average temperature in Juneau in October is 39 degrees. Keep an eye out for seabirds and songbirds, seals, Steller sea lions and humpback whales. Marine life is so prolific that some small-boat shore excursions guarantee you will see animals.
In 2022, the cruise line was the first to receive Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) certification, meaning its Alaska-bound ships serve only fresh, certified sustainable and traceable wild Alaska seafood. The 7-Day Glacier Discovery itinerary is offered both northbound and southbound, both of which include cruising the Inside Passage and Glacier Bay, and calling upon Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. With nearly endless summer days and coastal breezes, you’ll want to make sure to dress with flexibility in mind. During the summer months, especially July and August, temperatures in Southeast Alaska usually fall between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, while Southcentral Alaska and the Interior see higher heights into the 70’s and 80’s. Look to shoulder season sailingsNot only will you often receive a significant discount, you’ll also be able to witness Alaska’s seasonal transitions and fewer crowds at ports of call.
Coming off of its 150th anniversary year, Holland America Line has been sailing to and around Alaska for more than half that time—75 years. Holland America Line’s “Alaska Up Close” deeply immerses guests in local cultures through onboard programs and activities, and shore excursions. On all of its Alaska cruises, a Huna Native Interpreter comes aboard Holland America Line ships to share the history of the Tlingit people. 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.
Although the weather will likely include more rain, you have a better chance of viewing the Northern Lights, which might outweigh this drawback. Cruising in September will give you the highest chance of viewing the Aurora Borealis on an Alaskan cruise. You won’t want to miss this indescribable sight, so watch for clear night skies and set an alarm to go on deck (or on your balcony) for potential middle-of-the-night Northern Lights shows. In September, the scale now tips towards later sunrises and earlier sunsets in Alaska.
Most major cruise lines also offer the opportunity for pre or post-cruise land packages that will take you by bus or train to destinations in Southcentral and Interior Alaska. If you have the time, these cruise packages give you the best of both worlds for exploring Alaska's coastal communities and some of the top sights in Alaska's heartland, including Denali National Park. Starting in 2024, Uncruise Adventures will be offering a winter cruise, where winter sports and northern lights viewings are all part of the package!
These months are also your best bet if you want active fishing trips on a shore excursion. To truly enjoy an Alaskan cruise, cruisers can visit from April to October when daylight hours, weather and wildlife are better. Explore Alaskan cruises and learn more about each fun-filled trip to the 49th state. When traveling from Vancouver in the Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska, the waters are mostly protected and provide smooth sailing. If ports include Anchorage, Seward, or Whittier, cruise ships must cross the Gulf of Alaska, which has notoriously rougher waters.
By the end of August, the sunrise and sunset times in Alaska are pretty close to “normal” times for most states in the USA. You might feel like you aren’t getting the true Alaskan “Midnight Sun” experience this month. July is filled with opportunities to see the stunning wildlife of Alaska while enjoying milder temperatures.
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