Alaska is at the top of a lot of bucket list adventures, and for good reason. It appeals to just about every age, has a large variety of activities and let's face it, the chance to witness the glaciers crashing into the ocean, the massive tail of a whale flapping in the water or a baby bear cub scrambling to catch up to its mother can get anyone excited. With over 500 cruises, on a dozen different cruise lines, with dozens of possible ports, all in a the four month period when cruise ships sail through the area, it can be a little overwhelming. When should I go? Which cruise line should I sail on? Which itinerary? From which departure port? What about cruise tours and excursions? These are just a few of the questions that come up, or unfortunately, don't come up, when most people are planning an Alaskan Cruise and if you don't have the right help you may end up not experiencing everything you would like your vacation to be. With that said, let's just jump right into it.
When to Go?
This is probably the most common question and as is most questions about Alaska, it depends on you and what you are hoping to get from your vacation, what you want to do and what you want to see. The Alaska cruise season starts the second week of May with the last cruises around mid September. June through August offer the warmest weather and are the closest Alaska comes to reliable. It's also the busiest, partly for that reason, but also because kids are out of school and people are often times wanting to escape the heat back home for a week. That doesn't mean you should count out May or September though. They do tend less predictable weather wise, but there are substantial savings on the cruises and they tend to be less crowded as well as a few other benefits that we discuss later.
More important than all of this that should determine when you go is what you are most interested in seeing or doing. May is the driest month, but it's still your best chance of seeing snow everywhere since it hasn't had a chance to melt yet. It's also the best times to see wildlife that will be venturing down to the lakes for the first time of the season. July is the best time to see Humpback whales. If you are interested in Salmon fishing, you will want to visit May through July. If you are looking to see the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis, your best chance to see them is late August to end of the cruising season. The fall colors in September attract those coming here for the sheer beauty of Alaska. If that helicopter or train ride is destined to be one of your highlights, don't visit in May or September. Those two months have the greatest chance of cancelling those excursions due to weather. Ensure that what ever you envision seeing and doing while you are in Alaska, that you discuss these things with your travel agent so they can give you the best chance of experiencing them all.
