Alaska is one of the top cruise destinations. For many, visiting Alaska is on their bucket lists. While Alaska might not be what you first picture when you think of a cruise, a cruise is actually the easiest way to visit this region. Unlike Caribbean cruises though, Alaska is a seasonal cruise region. So, WHEN you visit the area is important. There are actually several factors to consider when determining the Best Time to Cruise to Alaska. And, the answer to this question is not as clear cut as you might think.
When Is the Best Time to Cruise to Alaska?
The Alaska cruise season generally runs from late April/early May through the end of September. Historically, many choose to visit Alaska in the middle of the season as they believe this will provide the best Alaska cruise experience.
The summer months of July and August typically offer the highest temperatures, longest hours of daylight, and the most wildlife sightings. However, the shoulder seasons are becoming more popular times to cruise to Alaska as well.
BEST TIME TO CRUISE TO ALASKA VIDEO
The shoulder seasons, or the beginning and end of the Alaska cruise season, also offer some advantages. Late April into early May and September into early October provide lower prices, fewer crowds, and a chance to see the Northern Lights.
Thus, when planning your Alaska cruise, you will want to consider the following:
- What is the driest month in Alaska?
- What month is Alaska the warmest?
- What month has the most daylight in Alaska?
- What is the cheapest month to cruise to Alaska?
- How do you avoid cruise crowds in Alaska?
- What is the best time to cruise to Alaska to see wildlife?
- What is the best time to see the northern lights on an Alaskan cruise?
Best Time to Cruise to Alaska: Weather
When planning your Alaska cruise, you probably have several questions regarding the weather. What month is Alaska the warmest? What is the driest month in Alaska?
Don’t let all those beautiful pictures of Southeastern Alaska fool you. Unfortunately, even the summer months in Alaska are not always bright and sunny. In fact, the weather during the Alaska cruise season can be rather wet.
What is the driest month in Alaska?
A benefit of traveling earlier in the season is the reduced precipitation. Historically, May is the driest month of the cruise season. Less rain is good, but the weather also tends to be cooler earlier in the season.
What month is Alaska the warmest?
If you are looking for the warmest weather, then you will want to sail mid-July to mid-August. Still, temperature swings of 25 degrees (or more) in one day are not uncommon. You could wake up to freezing temperatures and be in the mid 60’s (F) by late afternoon. We have even had weather near 80 degrees!
What month has the most daylight in Alaska?
The months of June and July also have the longest daylight hours. During this time of year, the sun doesn’t set until around 10 pm. These extended periods of light make viewing the surrounding scenery sailing in and out of ports even more appealing.
What month has the best weather in Alaska?
Thus, when taking into consideration the average temperatures, rainfall amounts, and hours of daylight, the “best” time to cruise to Alaska is the month of July.
However, with this optimal weather comes increased crowds and increased price. Not to mention, popular tours and shore excursions will fill up quickly.
If you wait to travel later in the season, you are rolling the dice on weather. The rain and cold conditions could impact shore excursions. For example, our dog sledding on a glacier excursion in September was cancelled as the dogs had already been taken off the glacier for the season.
It also means fewer animal sightings as many have already set off for hibernation.
Of course, this is just the general trend. We have cruised to Alaska near the end of the season twice now and had great weather.
We have also cruised to Alaska twice in July/August just a few weeks apart and had sunny/warm weather one week and rainy/cooler weather the next week.
Thus, our biggest Alaska cruise tip is to pack layers!
What is the cheapest month to cruise to Alaska?
Alaska cruise fares fluctuate considerably depending on a few factors. Pricing can range widely depending on the cruise line, itinerary, and time of year.
Thus, when determining the best time to cruise to Alaska in terms of pricing, you need to know what is the shoulder season. This is the term used to describe the beginning and end of seasonal cruise regions.
As with most seasonal cruise regions, the shoulder season is when prices tend to be the lowest. For those looking to save money, the best time of year to cruise to Alaska would be either early in the season (late April to early May) or late in the season (September to early October).
Besides having lower fares, you will have greater choices for cabins and can score the perfect midship balcony at a reduced cost.
If you travel towards the end of the season, you may be able to score some great deals on souvenirs too as many of the local shops run sales to get rid of merchandise before closing for the season.
Of course, other considerations like your cruise departure port, roundtrip vs. one way routes, type of shore excursions, airfare, and more need to be taken into account when budgeting for your Alaska cruise.
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How do you avoid cruise crowds in Alaska?
What is the best time to cruise to Alaska if you want to avoid the crowds?
Well, there are certain times of the Alaska cruise season that are preferred if you would like to avoid crowds. The busiest time of year for cruises to Alaska usually coincides with warmer weather and summer break.
To avoid the crowds, you should skip cruising in the middle of the season, especially July. If you cruise during this time, be prepared to share Alaska with thousands of other cruisers.
If you take an Alaskan cruise during the shoulder seasons, you will not only save money but you will avoid the crowds, especially families.
In April/May kids are usually still in school, and they are usually back to school by September. The number of families and kids will of course also vary based on the cruise line and cruise ship you choose. Popular mega-ships from brands like Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean will inevitably have more families onboard.
What is the best time to cruise to Alaska to see wildlife?
Besides the majestic snow-capped mountains, fjords, and glaciers, you are probably traveling to Alaska to see the wildlife. Many will tell you that anytime during the months of May through September is the best time to cruise to Alaska to see wildlife. While compared to the winter months that might be true, some months are better than others for viewing some wildlife.
In terms of whales, you have the opportunity to see a variety of different species on an Alaska cruise. The most common whales in the region are the massive Humpback Whales. While they are found in the Gulf of Alaska during the entire cruise season, you have the best chance of spotting pods during the months of June and July.
Most whale watching tours will guarantee a whale sighting, but they won’t tell you what types of whales you will see or how many.
If bears are what you are looking to discover on an Alaska cruise, then traveling from late June through early August will increase your likelihood of seeing these creatures, especially if you take tours that depart from Juneau or Ketchikan.
Luckily, bald eagles are around through the entire cruise season in various stages of development. You can head to the Chilkat Eagle Preserve to see the world’s largest collection of bald eagles.
Early in the season, the eagles will be preparing their nests. During peak cruise season, they will be caring for their young, and later in the season (mid-August through September), you might get lucky enough to see adult eagles teaching their young ones to fly.
What is the best time to see the northern lights on an Alaskan cruise?
Another perk of sailing towards the end of the Alaska cruise season is the chance to see the Northern Lights. The Aurora Season is generally from the end of August until mid April.
Typically, you have a better chance of seeing the northern lights further north in Alaska, as cloudy skies are common in southeast Alaska. Still, you could get lucky. During the Alaska cruise season, the sun sets the earliest in September (the skies are the darkest) making for the most ideal viewing conditions.
On our September cruise, we were told to be on the lookout for the Northern Lights on two separate nights, but we never did see them. Oh well, there’s always next time!
Best Time to Cruise to Alaska Conclusion
We warned you that there was no clear cut answer to this question.
We have cruised to Alaska late in the season on four occasions now. The weather was still relatively warm and dry, with only one full day of rain each cruise. On the cold end, temps were in the 30’s during the early morning hours but warmed up to the 60’s by afternoon.
While less plentiful than we hoped, we did spot a few whales next to our ship and caught a few glimpses of eagles. Most of the bears were already in hibernation for the season though.
We did score great deals on a balcony cabin each cruise. Plus, we cruised near our anniversary.
We have also cruised twice during peak season. While the weather was warmer, it did rain a bit more. The cost of the cruise fares were also more expensive. The big perk during these two cruises were wildlife sightings, especially bears.
So, the best time to cruise to Alaska all depends on what you are looking for:
- Best time to cruise to Alaska for best weather is peak season (June to August)
- Best time to cruise to Alaska for cheapest price is shoulder season (late April/May and September)
- Best time to cruise to Alaska for fewest crowds is shoulder season
- Best time to cruise to Alaska for wildlife sightings is peak season
- Best time to cruise to Alaska for viewing the Northern lights is shoulder season (September)
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Comments
Have you taken a cruise to Alaska? What time of year did you cruise this region? Drop us an anchor below to share your experiences cruising to Alaska.
We’ve gone in September twice and this year will be our third time going in September. Like it said above, 2014 was very comfortable and great weather. Last year one of my excursions (helicopter/walk on glacier) was cancelled due to fog and rain. Going to try for that one again this year. I love going in September, less crowds, great deals.
Hi Kathleen, Thanks for the comment. We loved our trip in September and agree with you on the crowds. One of our excursions was also canceled due to weather that time of year. Let us know if your tour gets cancelled again this year, or if you luck out with good weather. Very jealous as we can’t wait to do another Alaskan cruise. Happy sailing.
We have just come off a cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam starting Sept 1st 2018 and had prefect weather in every port, great temperatures, we didn’t need layers at all, mostly about 17degrees Celsius (mid 60s). We saw humpbacks and orcas in Juneau and 3 bears in Ketchikan, lots of bald eagles, 15 week old husky puppies in Caribou crossing out of Skagway.
The ship was completely full but a very good crowd of mainly couples.
Apparently the 3 previous cruises, it had rained everyday, just the luck of the draw.
Hi Cherry, thanks for the update. The weather is unpredictable in Alaska, so you need to be prepared for almost anything. During our cruise in late August we had a couple of rainy days, and two where the weather dipped down into the low 50s. Then, we had some days like your cruise in the high to mid 60s. Appreciate the comment.
Very good block. Our next cruise is on Sept 2019. So excited.